Current Affairs Quiz - May, 2021

Notes:
NASA’s Parker Solar Probe detected a natural radio signal, while flying through the upper atmosphere of Venus.
This was the first direct measurement of the atmosphere of Venus in nearly 30 years. This recent glimpse looks very different from the past portrayal of the planet. The upper atmosphere of Venus undergoes a lot of changes and hence is different from the Earth.

Notes:
The Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018 was enacted to grant reservation to people of Maratha community in Maharashtra in jobs and admissions.
Recently, the Supreme Court passed an interim order staying the implementation of a law passed by the Maharashtra government in 2018. It also clarified that those who had already availed will not be affected while no further admissions will be allowed till the final decision is made.

Notes:
A cloudburst is an extreme amount of precipitation in a short period of time, which is capable of creating flood condition. It is sometimes accompanied by hail and thunder.
Several shops and houses are buried under the debris after the cloud burst incident in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli. State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) is undertaking relief work in the affected regions.

Notes:
IBM announced that it has created a 2-nanometer chip, which is the smallest and most powerful microchip ever developed.
At present, most of the computer chips powering devices use 10-nanometer or 7-nanometer process technology. Some companies have introduced 5-nanometer chips. The lower the number, more advanced is the processor.

Notes:
For the first time, NASA’s Perseverance rover captured the low-pitched sound of the Ingenuity helicopter’s blades as it flies through the atmosphere of the Mars.
NASA released new footage shot by the six-wheeled robot making its fourth flight on April 30. Perseverance landed in the Jezero crater in February on a mission to search for signs of ancient microbes.

Notes:
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (CAIR) have created an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to detect Covid-19 from chest X-rays.
The diagnostic tool named Atman AI is used for Chest X-ray screening and has shown an accuracy rate of 96.73 per cent. It can be used to rapidly diagnose and effectively treat COVID-19 patients.

Notes:
Every year, World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) is celebrated on the second Saturday in May and in October. This year it falls on 8th May and 9th October 2021. “Sing, Fly, Soar – Like a Bird” is the theme for this year.
This day is celebrated as an annual awareness-raising campaign, which highlights the need to protect migratory birds and their habitats.

Notes:
The Government of India has signed a finance contract with the European Investment Bank (EIB), for a second tranche of Euro 150 million towards implementation of the Pune Metro Rail project.
The bank has approved an overall outlay of Euro 600 million for the Pune Metro project. The signing ceremony was held in a virtual manner.

Notes:
German Tennis player Alexander Zverev defeated Italian Matteo Berrettini to claim his fourth Masters 1000 crown and second Madrid Open title.
The player has been in the top 10 since July 2017 and he was also the US Open runner-up last year. Aryna Sabalenka, Belarusian tennis player has won her 10th career title at the Mutua Madrid Open. She defeated the World No.1 Ashleigh Barty.

Notes:
National Technology Day is celebrated on May 11 every year to commemorate the technological advancements made by the country. The theme this year is “Science and Technology for a Sustainable Future”.
The day was first observed on May 11, 1999, as on the same date in 1998, India successfully conducted three nuclear tests at Indian Army’s Pokhran Test Range in Rajasthan. On 11th May 1998, India also tested its first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 and surface-to-air missile Trishul.