Current Affairs Quiz Questions and Answers 2020 || 11 Aug 2020 ||

Current Affairs Quiz Questions and Answers 2020

11 AUG 2020

(Q.01) India’s 1st Kisan Rail was flagged off by railway minister Piyush Goyal & Agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar recently. The 1st Kisan rail ran from Maharashtra to which state?
1) Jharkhand
2) Bihar
3) Odisha
4) West Bengal

Ans. :-(2) Bihar

Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of Railways and Narendra Singh Tomar, Union Minister of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare flagged off the India’s 1st Kisan Rail, a Special Parcel Train from Maharashtra’s Devlali to Bihar’s Danapur Railway station through video link. This is the 1st ever multi commodity train of Indian Railways(IR) that carries fruits like Pomegranate, Banana, Grapes etc and vegetables like Capsicum, Cauliflower etc. The train will run on a weekly basis.

About Bihar:
Chief Minister–  Nitish Kumar
Governor– Phagu Chauhan
Capital– Patna

(Q.02) PM Narendra Modi addressed Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy (NEP) organized by which ministry?
1) Ministry of Home Affairs
2) Ministry of Tribal Affairs
3) Ministry of Education and Science
4) Ministry of Education

Ans. :-(4) Ministry of Education

Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered the inaugural address at the Conclave on Transformational Reforms in Higher Education under National Education Policy(NEP) organized by the Ministry of Education in association with University Grants Commission(UGC) over a virtual platform and discussed various aspects of NEP 2020, which replaces the National Policy on Education framed in 1986 with academicians and scientists.

About University Grants Commission (UGC):
Chairman– Prof. D. P. Singh
Location– New Delhi
About Ministry of Education:
Union Minister– Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’
Minister of State– Sanjay Dhotre

(Q.03) Which organization collaborated with Simplilearn to upskill professionals in digital skills?
1) Industrial training institute
2) National Skill Enhancement Agency
3) National Skill Development Corporation
4) Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Agency

Ans. :-(3) National Skill Development Corporation

In order to support the continuity of digital skilling of the Indian workforce, Simplilearn, a global provider of digital skills training joined hands with National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). Under this collaboration, Simplilearn will host more than 1,000 hours of free learning in digital skills and technologies for learners across India under the categories of AI and Machine Learning, Big Data, Data Science & Business Intelligence, Cyber Security, Software Development, Project management, and Digital marketing. This partnership is aligned to the Skill India Mission.

About National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC):
Managing Director (MD) & Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Dr. Manish Kumar
Parent Ministry– Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
About Simplilearn:
Executive Officer (CEO)– Krishna Kumar
Headquarter– San Francisco, United states (US)

(Q.04) Which is 1st state in India to partner with Google India to provide learning tools for schools?
1) Maharashtra
2) Karnataka
3) Kerala
4) Tamil Nadu

Ans. :-(1) Maharashtra

Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Uddhav Thackeray announced the partnership with Google which will blend google’s learning programmes that integrate the classroom approach with online learning, over a virtual launch event. Maharashtra became the first state in India to collaborate with Google India for state-wide distribution of G suite for Education and Google Classroom.

About Maharashtra:
Chief Minister–  Uddhav Thackeray
Governor– Bhagat Singh Koshyari
Capital– Mumbai
UNESCO Sites in Maharashtra:
Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, Elephanta Caves, and Victorian Gothic and Art Deco Ensembles of Mumbai.

(Q.05) The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016 recently. Who is the chairperson of IBBI?
1) Tapan Roy
2) UshaThorat
3) Amitabh Kant
4) M S Sahoo

Ans. :-(4) M S Sahoo

In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (t) of sub-section (1) of section 196 read with section 240 of the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016 (31 of 2016), the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI) amended the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) Regulations, 2016 by the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (Liquidation Process) (Third Amendment) Regulations, 2020.MS Sahoo is the chairperson of IBBI.

About IBBI:
It is the regulator for overseeing insolvency proceedings and entities like Insolvency Professional Agencies (IPA), Insolvency Professionals (IP) and Information Utilities (IU) in India.
Chairperson– MS Sahoo
Headquarter– New Delhi

(Q.06) Which organization in association with Indian School Certificate Examinations(CISCE) and Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)host an online program for the training of Physical Education (PE) Teachers from CISCE Schools on “Khelo India Fitness Assessment of School Going Children”?
1) Sports Federation of India
2) Indian Olympic Association
3) Sports Authority of India
4) Athletics Federation of India

Ans. :-(3) Sports Authority of India

Sports Authority of India(SAI) in association with Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations(CISCE) and Central Board of Secondary Education(CBSE) will host an online training programme through the Khelo India Mobile App (KIMA) to train the Physical Education (PE) teachers and head of the institutions from CISCE schools on “Khelo India Fitness Assessment of School Going Children”.

About Sports Authority of India(SAI):
Director General– Sandip Pradhan
Executive Director– Anjan Kumar Mishra
Head Office– Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, Delhi

(Q.07) Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna party registers landslide victory in 2020 Sri Lankan Parliamentary elections. Who is the president of Sri Lanka?
1) Maithripala Sirisena
2) Shiranthi Rajapaksa
3) Namal Rajapaksa
4) Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Ans. :-(4) Gotabaya Rajapaksa

Parliamentary elections in Sri Lanka were held on 5 August 2020 to elect 225 members to Sri Lanka’s 16th Parliament. Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) headed by Mahinda Rajapaksa has won 145 (plus five more seats from allies) in the elections, securing two-thirds majority in the parliament. The two-thirds supermajority will give them powers to change the constitution. Gotabaya Rajapaksa is the current President of Sri Lanka.

About Sri Lanka:
Capital – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (legislative), Colombo (executive & judicial)
President – Gotabaya Rajapaksa
Prime Minister – Mahinda Rajapaksa

(Q.08) As per Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), the 1st International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste will be observed on _________ 2020.
1) 11th August
2) 29th September
3) 15th August
4) 21st September

Ans. :- (2) 29th September

The Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) unveiled a new Platform, to support the global reduction of food loss and waste. The official launch of the platform will be on the first International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste(IDAFLW) which will be observed on 29th September 2020.

About Food and Agriculture Organisation(FAO:
Director-General-  QU Dongyu
Headquarters– Rome, Italy

(Q.09) The Export-Import Bank of India has extended a Line of Credit of USD 250 million to which country?
1) Monaco
2) Iran
3) Mozambique
4) Malawi

Ans. :-(3) Mozambique

Export-Import Bank on behalf of Indian Government, extended a Line of Credit of USD 250 million (about Rs. 1,870 Crores) to Mozambique to improve the power supply quality of the country.

About Mozambique:
Capital – Maputo
Currency – Mozambican metical
President – Filipe Nyusi
Prime Minister – Carlos Agostinho do Rosário

About EXIM Bank:
Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director (MD) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) – David Rasquinha
The Export-Import Bank of India Act was passed in September 1981 and commenced its operations in March 1982. The Bank’s Mission is to facilitate globalization of Indian Business by providing financial assistance to exporters & importers.

(Q.10) What is the current reverse repo rate (as on August 7, 2020)?
1) 3.50%
2) 3.75%
3) 4.15%
4) 3.35%

Ans. :-(4) 3.35%

To state “2020-21 Resolution of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC)” a three-day meeting of Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) six-member MPC, headed by Shaktikanta Das was held from August 4-6, 2020 where it was forecasted that India’s real gross domestic product (GDP) will contract in the first half (H1) of FY21 as well as full FY 2020-21 in view of rising inflation and declining of economic growth amid the gradual lifting of COVID-19) countrywide lockdown. The central bank kept the repo rate unchanged at 4%, reverse repo rate at 3.35%, and marginal standing facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate at 4.25%.

Policy Rates
Repo Rate4%
Reverse Repo Rate3.35%
Marginal Standing Facility Rate (MSF)4.25%
Bank Rate4.25%
Reserve Ratios
Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR)3%
Statutory Liquidity Ratio (SLR)18%

(Q.11) Who heads the committee formed by Reserve Bank of India to set up a new mechanism for stressed assets (committee will also evaluate resolution plans where debt is more than Rs 1,500 crore.)?
1) KV Kamath
2) Diwakar Gupta
3) N. Manoharan
4) V Ramasamy

Ans. :-(1) KV Kamath

RBI has decided to set up a new mechanism for stressed assets that need rescuing. In this regard, RBI will set up a committee under KundapurVaman Kamath, the former chairman of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Bank and ICICI (Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India) Bank to set the parameters and benchmarks for this programme aimed at the resolution of stressed loans. This committee will also evaluate resolution plans where debt is more than Rs 1,500 crore.

(Q.12) Find the person who has been appointed as the 14th Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India.
1) Hardayal Prasad
2) AB Pandey
3) Rajiv Mehrishi
4) Girish ChandraMurmu

Ans. :-(4) Girish ChandraMurmu

Ram NathKovind, President of India as per the powers conferred on him by Section 1 of Article 148 of the Constitution of India has appointed Girish Chandra(GC) Murmu as 14th Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) of India, with effect from the date he assumes charge of his office. He succeeds Rajiv Mehrishi who completes his term on August 8,2020 as he attains the age of 65.GC Murmu will take oath on August 8, 2020 at the RashtrapatiBhawan. He is the first tribal person to become CAG of India. He will have a tenure up to November 20, 2024

(Q.13) Pradeep Kumar Joshi has been appointed the chairman of which organization?
1) University Grants Commission
2) Central Board of Secondary Education
3) Union Public Service Commission
4) None of the Above

Ans. :-(3) Union Public Service Commission

Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) appointed Professor Pradeep Kumar Joshi as its new Chairman. His tenure as the chairman of the UPSC will be till April 4, 2022. He succeeds Arvind Saxena who retires as the UPSC chairman on 6th August 2020.

About Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) 
The commission conducts the civil services examination annually in three stages preliminary, mains and interview to select officers of Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) among others.
Members: 
The other members of UPSC are: Bhim Sain Bassi, Air Marshal A S Bhonsle (retired), Sujata Mehta, Manoj Soni, Smita Nagaraj, M Sathiyavathy Bharat Bhushan Vyas, T C A Anant and Rajiv Nayan Choubey.
Headquarters: New Delhi

(Q.14) Hardayal Prasad, who has been appointed as the MD&CEO of PNB housing finance is the former head of which company?
1) National Housing Bank
2) SBI Card
3) Industrial Finance Corporation of India
4) Bharti Axa General Insurance

Ans. :-(2) SBI Card

PNB Housing Finance, promoted by Punjab National Bank(PNB)announced the appointment of Former State Bank of India(SBI) Card Head, Hardayal Prasad as its new Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO). Prasad will take over from Neeraj Vyas, the current interim CEO of PNB housing finance on 10th August 2020.

About PNB Housing Finance:
Head Office– New Delhi
Tag Line– Ghar Ki Baat

(Q.15) Life Insurance Corporation of India has acquired 4.23% stake in which bank?
1) Axis bank
2) HDFC bank
3) YES bank
4) ICICI bank

Ans. :-(3) YES bank

Life Insurance Corporation of India(LIC) has acquired 4.23% Stake(105.98 crore shares) of YES Bank by purchasing from the open market. With this acquisition, the hold of LIC in YES Bank has increased from 0.75%(19 crore shares) to 4.98%(125 crore shares). Period of acquisition is between September 21, 2017, and July 31, 2020.

i.Recently, Moody’s Investors Service has upgraded the long-term foreign currency issuer rating of YES Bank by a notch to “B3” from “Caa1” after a Rs 15,000-crore capital raising.
ii.The bank still remains under non-investment grade.
B rating– It is considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk,
CAA rating– It is considered to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk
About YES Bank:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO)– Prashant Kumar
Tagline– Experience our Expertise
About LIC:
Headquarters– Mumbai, Maharashtra
Chairman– M.R.Kumar

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