Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2021

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India issued guidelines for appointment of statutory auditors of Commercial Banks (excluding RRBs), UCBs and NBFCs (including HFCs).
Banks and UCBs will be required to take prior approval of RBI for appointment/reappointment of SCAs/SAs, on an annual basis. Entities will have to appoint the SCAs/SAs for a continuous period of three years, subject to their satisfying the eligibility norms. This will protect the independence of the auditors.

Notes:
Elon Musk-owned SpaceX recently launched a new batch of 60 Starlink internet satellites into orbit onboard its Falcon 9 rocket.
Marking the company’s 10th launch of the year, the flagship Falcon 9 rocket blasted off from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida. It successfully landed at sea, for the seventh time.

Notes:
The Civil Aviation Ministry has permitted the Telangana government to use drones for experimental delivery of vaccines.
This exemption will be valid for a period of one year or until further orders. In the month of April, the Ministry had permitted the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to conduct a feasibility study on using drones to deliver COVID-19 vaccine.

Notes:
The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge has been built in Arouca Geopark, an UNESCO recognized site in northern Portugal.
The bridge spans to a length of 516 metres and is constructed at a height of 175 metres above the River Paiva. Previously the record was held by Charles Kuonen Bridge in Swiss Alps.

Notes:
Scientists of Agharkar Research Institute (ARI), Pune in collaboration with Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) have developed a new high-yielding and pest-resistant variety of soybean named MACS 1407.
This seed is suited for cultivation in North Eastern states and in states like West Bengal, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh.

Notes:
T.Rabi Shankar has been appointed as the new Deputy Governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI). He succeeds B P Kanungo, whose term ended on 2nd April 2021.
Presently, Mahesh Kumar Jain, Michael Patra and Rajeshwar Rao are the three Dy. Governors and Rabi Shankar joined them as the fourth.

Notes:
The Article 164 of the Indian constitution deals with the Provisions of the Minister of a state. It stated that the Chief Minister of a state shall be appointed by the Governor and the other Ministers of the state shall be appointed by the Governor in consultation with the Chief Minister.
It also states that a Minister, who is not an MLA for six consecutive months, ceases to be a Minster, after the expiry of 6 months.

Notes:
India and UK announced 1 billion pounds (USD1.4 billion) of private-sector trade and investment. It also includes a 240 million pounds investment by the Serum Institute of India
The Serum Institute, in collaboration with Codagenix, has begun early-stage trials of a one-dose nasal vaccine against Covid-19. Trade between the India and UK accounts for about 23 billion pounds annually.

Notes:
World champion and Olympic silver medallist PV Sindhu and Canada’s Michelle Li have been nominated as athlete ambassadors for International Olympic Committee’s ‘Believe in Sports’ campaign.
This duo has also been the global ambassadors for Badminton World Federation’s ‘i am badminton’ campaign.

Notes:
The First supply of UCO (Used Cooking Oil) based Biodiesel blended Diesel was flagged off recently from Indian Oil’s Tikrikalan Terminal, New Delhi.
The flagging off ceremony was presided over by Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas and Steel, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan. Earlier in 2019, petroleum and health ministries had initiated Expressions of Interest for “Procurement of Biodiesel produced from Used Cooking Oil”. IOCL has received 51KL of UCO-Biodiesel till March 2021.