1. Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been renamed. What is the new name?
a. Central Institute of Private Engineering & Technology
b. Central Institute of Public Engineering & Technology
c. Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology
d. Central Institute of People Engineering & Technology
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• Central Institute of Plastics Engineering & Technology (CIPET) has been renamed as Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering & Technology (CIPET), a premier national institution under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Govt. of India.
• The changed name has been registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration Act 1975 ( Tamil Nadu Act 27 of 1975)
• Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilizers DV Sadananda Gowda has said that now CIPET will be in a position to fully devote itself for the growth of entire petrochemical sector with a focus on Academics, Skilling, Technology Support and Research.
• The primary objective of CIPET has been contributing towards the growth of the plastics industry through a combined program of education and research. The Institute has evolved through the years, creating closer ties with industries with the intent to create innovative plastic based solutions which are resource efficient and marketable.
2. National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbot. What is the name of this chatbot?
a. PAi
b. PBi
c. BAi
d. MAi
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched an artificial intelligence (AI) based chatbot, PAi, to create awareness around its products like FASTag, RuPay, UPI, AePS on a real time basis.
• This is yet another NPCI’s initiative to improve digital financial inclusion in India.
• The AI virtual assistant, PAi is available round the clock helping users with access to accurate information on NPCI products.
• Customers can ask their queries in English and Hindi, via text or voice on the websites of NPCI, RuPay, and UPI Chalega. Through PAi, users get verified automated responses to their queries on all NPCI’s products. PAi would also be accessible to global RuPay Cardholders as well.
• PAi is developed by Bengaluru based startup CoRover Private Limited whose AI/ML powered NLP chatbot technology has been accessed by 20 Crore+ consumers.
• To help increase the adoption of digital payments among Indian citizens, PAi will soon be available in several regional languages of India.
3. Which country has requested government of India to provide USD 1.1 billion special SWAP facility to top up USD 400 million under SAARC facility
a. India
b. Nepal
c. Sri Lanka
d. Bangladesh
S-c
EXPLANATION-
• Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa requested government of India to provide USD 1.1 billion special SWAP facility to top up USD 400 million under SAARC facility as it would enormously help Sri Lanka in dealing with the foreign exchange issues.
4. The World Health Organization had temporarily suspended clinical trials of which drug as a potential treatment for coronavirus?
a. Remedesivir
b. Hydroxychloroquine
c. Avifavir
d. Ritonavir
S-b
EXPLANATION-
• The World Health Organization had temporarily suspended clinical trials of hydroxychloroquine as a potential treatment for coronavirus.
• The decision came after a study published in The Lancet medical journal suggested the drug could increase the risk of death among COVID-19 patients.
• The executive group of the so-called Solidarity Trial, in which hundreds of hospitals across the world have enrolled patients to test several possible treatments for the novel coronavirus, had suspended trials using that drug as a precaution.
• Hydroxychloroquine is normally used to treat arthritis but public figures including US President Donald Trump have backed the drug as a virus treatment, prompting governments to bulk buy.
• Brazil's health minister also recommended last week using hydroxychloroquine, as well as the anti-malarial chloroquine, to treat even mild COVID-19 cases.
• The Lancet study found that both drugs could produce potentially serious side effects, particularly heart arrhythmia.
• And neither drug helped patients hospitalised with COVID-19.
• Solidarity Trial had been looking only at the effects of hydroxychloroquine and not chloroquine.
5. Which of the following is the first company to put a human into orbit?
a. SPACEX
b. UBER
c. APPLE
d. BLUE ORIGIN
S-a
EXPLANATION-
• Elon Musk’s rocket company, SpaceX, made history on May 30, when its Crew Dragon capsule safely reached space carrying two NASA astronauts. It was the first time a private company put a human into orbit.
• The Crew Dragon went on to successfully dock with the International Space Station (ISS), which the astronauts are now safely aboard.
• The historic launch marks the first time that NASA astronauts have blasted off from American soil since the Space Shuttle Program ended in 2011.
• For nearly a decade, NASA has bought seats on Russian Soyuz spacecraft to reach the International Space Station, which was built with roughly $200 billion of U.S. taxpayer’s money, according to some estimates. And to celebrate the return of crewed U.S. launches, the space agency promoted event as “Launch America.”
