GK & Current Affairs Quiz: August 4, 2017

Which committee has been constituted by the SEBI on fair market conduct?

[A] K M Krishna committee
[B] G S Prasad committee
[C] T.K. Viswanathan committee
[D] P S Chauhan committee

Correct Answer: C [T.K. Viswanathan committee]

Answer Explanation: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has recently constituted a committee on fair market conduct, which will be headed by former Lok Sabha secretary and law secretary T K Viswanathan. The panel will have representations from SEBI, mutual funds, brokers, audit firms, stock exchanges, data analytics firms and legal firms. The committee has been tasked with suggesting improvements to the existing SEBI norms, including on insider trading and Fraudulent and Unfair Trade practices (FUTP). It has been specifically asked to look at trading plans, handling of price-sensitive information during takeovers and aligning of insider-trading rules with provisions of the Companies Act. The committee has also been tasked with suggesting short-term and medium-term measures for improved surveillance of the markets, as well as issues of high-frequency trades and harnessing of technology and analytics in surveillance. The committee will submit its report within 4 months.

Who has been appointed as the new chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)?

[A] Pankaj Patel
[B] S Ramadorai
[C] Sudhakar Rao
[D] Dhirendra Swarup

Correct Answer: D [Dhirendra Swarup]

Answer Explanation: Dhirendra Swarup, who was a public interest director at the BSE, has been appointed as the new chairman of the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). He succeeded Sudhakar Rao. Swarup is a former Chairman of Pension Funds Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) and has over four decades of experience across finance, budgeting, public debt management, public policy and pension reforms. He was also chairman of the Cash and Debt Management Committee of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from 2000 to 2003.

Who is the newly elected Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea?

[A] Salamo Injia
[B] Don Polye
[C] Peter O’Neill
[D] Nick Kuman

Correct Answer: C [Peter O’Neill]

Answer Explanation: Peter O’Neill has been re-elected as the new Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea (PNG) for a second five-year term with a healthy majority, 60 to 46 by a newly elected parliament. He is the leader of the People’s National Congress and represents the constituency of Ialibu-Pangia.

The 2nd Agri UDAAN, food & agribusiness accelerator program has launched from which city?

[A] New Delhi
[B] Lucknow
[C] Bhopal
[D] Jaipur

Correct Answer: A [New Delhi]

Answer Explanation: The Union Government has launched the 2nd AGRI-UDAAN programme in New Delhi on August 4, 2017 to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in agriculture. It will mentor startups and help them connect with potential investors. The program focuses on catalyzing scale-up stage food and agribusiness startups through rigorous mentoring, industry networking and investor pitching. The 6 month program is a unique platform for scale up stage innovators, entrepreneurs and startups in the Food and Agribusiness sectors. The applications will be available at www.aidea.naarm.org.in. Top 40 startups will be shortlisted and allowed to pitch in front of panel of evaluators during cohort finalization programme. Out of these about 8 to 12 startups will be selected for final cohort for capacity building workshop. The AGRI UDAAN has organised by NAARM, a-IDEA and IIM-A, CIIE in partnership with Caspian Inpact Investment and supported by DST.

Manju Kumari, who has won bronze in the Junior World Wrestling Championship, is related to which category?

[A] 67kg category
[B] 51kg category
[C] 44kg category
[D] 59kg category

Correct Answer: D [59kg category]

Answer Explanation: Manju Kumari from India has won the bronze medal in 59kg category with a 2-0 victory over Ilona Prokopevniuk of Ukraine in the Junior World Wrestling Championship in Tampere, Finland on August 3, 2017.

The Maharashtra government has constituted committee on safety measures for women in IT sector?

[A] Nirmala Patil committee
[B] Rashmi Shukla committee
[C] Sadhana Jadhav committee
[D] R M Savant committee

Correct Answer: B [Rashmi Shukla committee]

Answer Explanation: The Maharashtra government has constituted a committee under the chairmanship of senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla to suggest measures to ensure safety of women working in the Information and Technology sector. The committee will suggest measures that can be undertaken to ensure safety of women working in the IT sector. This information was given by the state government to Bombay High Court. The government also sought four weeks’ time to file a detailed affidavit on long-term steps it was contemplating to enhance women’s safety. The court has taken up the PIL ‘suo motu’ (on its own) on the issue of women’s safety in the state. In January 2017, a woman software engineer working with Infosys was allegedly killed by a security guard on the company’s premises in Pune.

Which state government has launched Aadhaar-authenticated Direct Benefit Transfer portal “MahaDBT”?

[A] Kerala
[B] Maharashtra
[C] Madhya Pradesh
[D] Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer: B [Maharashtra ]

Answer Explanation: The Maharashtra Government has launched two online portals MahaDBT and MahaVASTU to streamline the process of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) and to bring in more transparency in construction sector. With this, Maharashtra has become the first state in India to launch such a system that will provide direct benefits with Aadhaar authentication. The MahaDBT portal is an Aadhaar-authenticated electronic mechanism that will enable direct transfer of benefits for over 40 schemes currently implemented. MahaDBT’s design is based on central government’s direct transfer benefit scheme and Aadhaar will be mandatory to claim benefits through this portal. On the other hand, MahaVASTU portal is an online building permission management system, through which construction approvals will be sanctioned with full transparency.

Who has been appointed as the new CMD of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)?

[A] Manoj Mittal
[B] Mohammad Mustafa
[C] Ajay Kumar Kapur
[D] Kiran Sharma

Correct Answer: B [Mohammad Mustafa]

Answer Explanation: Mohammad Mustafa, a 1995 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) for a period of 3 years. At present, he is the joint Secretary in Department of Financial Services. SIDBI is an independent financial institution aimed to aid the growth and development of micro, small and medium-scale enterprises (MSME) in India and is headquartered in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.

Which city hosted the 2017 meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers?

[A] Shanghai
[B] Brasília
[C] Cape Town
[D] Moscow

Correct Answer: A [Shanghai]

Answer Explanation: The 7th Meeting of BRICS Trade Ministers was held in Shanghai, China from August, 1-2, 2017. From India, the 6-member delegation led by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman , along with Ambassador J.S. Deepak, PR to WTO participated in the meeting. The trade ministers of BRICS nations discussed trade facilitation, economic and technological cooperation, capacity building and the multilateral trade system in the meeting. And, adopted the following documents at the conclusion of the meeting: 7th BRICS Trade Ministers’ Joint Statement, BRICS trade in services cooperation roadmap, BRICS e-commerce cooperation initiative, BRICS IPR cooperation guidelines, etc.

The Pin Valley National Park (PVNP) is located in which state?

[A] Jammu & Kashmir (J&K)
[B] Arunachal Pradesh
[C] Himachal Pradesh
[D] Sikkim

Correct Answer: C [Himachal Pradesh]

Answer Explanation: The Pin Valley National Park is located within the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The Park forms a natural habitat for a number of endangered animals such as snow leopard and Siberian ibex with its snow laden unexplored higher reaches and slopes.

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GK & Current Affairs Quiz: August 3, 2017

The 2017 Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated in which Indian state?

[A] Karnataka
[B] Kerala
[C] Andhra Pradesh
[D] Tamil Nadu

Correct Answer: D [Tamil Nadu]

Answer Explanation: In Tamil Nadu, the Aadi Perukku festival is celebrated with traditional gaiety to pay tribute to water’s life-sustaining properties. The festival, also known as ‘Aadi 18’, is celebrated on the 18th of Aadi month in Tamil calendar year to express gratitude to water bodies especially Cauvery river. The 18th day of Aadi is usually August 2, is observed as ‘Aadi pirappu’, a day of offerings and prayers to these rivers. The day is an occasion for rejoicing particularly for those living on the banks of the all the main rivers, its branches and tributaries.

Who has been named as the new secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)?

[A] Pankaj Patel
[B] Sanjaya Baru
[C] A Didar Singh
[D] N N Patil

Correct Answer: B [Sanjaya Baru ]

Answer Explanation: Dr. Sanjaya Baru has been named as the new secretary general of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). He will assume the charge from September 1, 2017 and will succeed A Didar Singh.

Indian Army has developed which mobile app for soldiers to track promotions and postings?

[A] Soldier App
[B] Humraaz app
[C] ArmyCloud app
[D] TrackPost app

Correct Answer: B [Humraaz app]

Answer Explanation: The Indian Army has developed a mobile application ‘Humraaz’ through which serving soldiers can track details like postings and promotions. Through the ‘Humraaz’ app, soldiers can also view their monthly salary slips and the Form 16 and also download them. For security reasons, the installation of the application has been linked to verification of Aadhaar details. The Aadhaar details will be verified with the Army database over National Information Centre (NIC) cloud and he will get a one-time-password on his registered mobile number. Thus, to enable usage of this mobile application, the latest mobile number of individuals should be linked to his Aadhaar number. The mobile app has been developed in-house by the Army and will be launched in the second week of August for prompt communication of information to junior commissioner officers and other personnels.

Who has been sworn-in as the new President of Iran?

[A] Mohammad Khatami
[B] Ayatollah Ali Khamanei
[C] Sadeq Larijani
[D] Hassan Rouhani

Correct Answer: D [Hassan Rouhani]

Answer Explanation: Hassan Rouhani has been officially sworn-in as the 7th President of Iran for his second term on August 3, 2017. Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamanei gave his official approval for the president-elect by giving him a decree to assign him his duties. Rouhani won re-election in May 2017, after securing 57% of the votes and defeating his main contender Ebrahim Raeisi. Under Iran’s election law, a president-elect is required to gain the Leader’s official approval before being sworn in before the Parliament. Rouhani will take the oath of office in Iran’s Parliament on August 5, 2017. The oath of office will be administered by Chief Justice, Sadeq Larijani.

Which Indian sportsperson has been honored with the East Bengal football club’s highest honour “Bharat Gaurav”?

[A] Syed Naeemuddin
[B] Boddupalli Amit
[C] Dhanraj Pillay
[D] Subhash Bhowmick

Correct Answer: C [Dhanraj Pillay]

Answer Explanation: Former Indian hockey captain Dhanraj Pillay has been honored with the East Bengal football club’s highest honour “Bharat Gaurav” on its foundation day on August 1, 2017. Pillay has played a huge role in reviving the Indian team and performed brilliantly during his 15-year career, representing the country in four Olympics, World Cups, Champions Trophy and Asian Games. He played total 339 matches for India, scoring 170 goals. He led India to Asian Games glory in 1998 and also won the Asia Cup in 2003. Beside him, Gurwinder Singh and Boddupalli Amit have won the Footballer of the Year award and the Cricketer of the Year, respectively. Former India International Subhash Bhowmick, a member of the 1970 Asian Games bronze medal-winning national football team and former national team coach Syed Naeemuddin were honored with lifetime achievement awards.

What is the theme of 2017 World Breastfeeding Week (WBW)?

[A] Sustaining Breastfeeding Together
[B] Breastfeeding: A key to Sustainable Development
[C] Breastfeeding: SDG 2022 goals
[D] Mother’s Absolute Affection

Correct Answer: A [Sustaining Breastfeeding Together]

Answer Explanation: The World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is observed every year from August 1st to 7th to focus attention on the important aspect of promotion and support of breastfeeding. The 2017 theme is “Sustaining Breastfeeding Together”. To intensify the efforts for promotion of breastfeeding in India, the Union Health Ministry has initiated a nationwide programme called “MAA-Mother’s Absolute Affection’’ to bring undiluted focus on promotion of breastfeeding and provision of services towards supporting breastfeeding, along with ongoing efforts of routine health systems. In addition, “National Guidelines on Lactation Management Centres in Public Health Facilities” have been recently released to facilitate establishment of lactation management centres for ensuring that the sick and pre-term babies are fed with safe human breast milk.

Which Indian has become the Asia’s second richest man, according to latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI)?

[A] Lakshmi Mittal
[B] Mukesh Ambani
[C] Pallonji Mistry
[D] Kalanithi Maran

Correct Answer: B [Mukesh Ambani]

Answer Explanation: Mukesh Ambani has become the Asia’s second richest man according to the 2017 Bloomberg Billionaires Index (BBI). According to the 2017 index, Ambani’s net worth has risen to $35.8 billion (around Rs 2.2 lakh crore), making him the 19th richest person in the world, up from 29 at the end of 2016. The increase in the net worth of the chief of Reliance Industries comes partially from the rise in stock price of the energy major, which has made major bets on the retail and telecom industries. Currently, Alibaba Group founder Jack Ma is the richest person in Asia with a net worth of $43.2 billion.

BB Shivappa, the noted Indian political leader passed away. He hailed from which state?

[A] Tamil Nadu
[B] Kerala
[C] Karnataka
[D] Andhra Pradesh

Correct Answer: C [Karnataka]

Answer Explanation: B B Shivappa (89), the veteran Karnataka BJP leader, has passed away in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He is credited with building the party brick by brick in its early years in the State and served as its State president from 1983 to 88. Shivappa played an important role in the formation of the first ever non-Congress government in Karnataka, led by Ramakrishna Hegde in 1983.

Which international organisation has recently released 2017 ICT Facts and Figures report?

[A] International Telecommunication Union (ITU)
[B] International Labour Organization (ILO)
[C] International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
[D] International Organization for Migration (IOM)

Correct Answer: A [International Telecommunication Union (ITU)]

Answer Explanation: According to recently released report-ICT Facts and Figures 2017, India and China are home to 39% of the 830 million young people worldwide who use the Internet. The report, released by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), shows that of the 830 million young people online worldwide, 320 million ( or 39%), are in China and India. The ICT data shows that youths (15-24 years old) are at the forefront of Internet adoption. In Least Developed Countries (LDCs), up to 35% of individuals using the Internet are aged 15-24, compared with 13% in developed countries and 23% globally. The ITU is the United Nations (UN) specialized agency for Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). It has 193 countries as its members and also 800 private-sectors.

The Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is located in which state?

[A] Rajasthan
[B] Karnataka
[C] Kerala
[D] Assam

Correct Answer: B [Karnataka ]

Answer Explanation: The Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS) is located in Somwarpet taluk of the Kodagu district in Karnataka and spread across an area of 102 kms. It is home to rare and endangered birdlife such as Nilgiri Flycatcher, Nilgiri wood pigeon, Malabar Grey Hornbill, Grey Headed Bulbul, blue winged parakeet, small sunbird, white-bellied blue flycatcher, etc. One can spot varieties of animal species that includes Indian Hare, Spotted Deer, Giant Flying Squirrel, Otter Species, Indian Wild Dog, Travancore Flying, Brown Palm Civet, Wild Pig, Indian Giant Squirrel, etc. It is a must-visit sanctuary to hear the heartwarming sounds of the birds.

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GK & Current Affairs Quiz: August 2 2017

Which committee has been constituted by Union Government to identify key data protection issues?

[A] B N Srikrishna committee
[B] A K Mathur committee
[C] H S Khan committee
[D] KK Lahoti committee

Correct Answer: A [B N Srikrishna committee]

Answer Explanation: The Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has recently constituted a committee of experts under the chairmanship of a former Judge of Supreme Court Justice B N Srikrishna to study and identify key data protection issues and recommend methods for addressing them. The purpose to form the committee is to recognize the importance of data protection and keeping personal data of citizens secure and protected. The committee will also suggest a draft Data Protection Bill. 

The Union government has launched “e-RaKAM” portal to provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. What does ‘RaKAM’ stands for?

[A] Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi
[B] Rashtriya Kisan Agriculture Mandi
[C] Rashtriya Kisan Agricultural Mandi
[D] Rashtriya Kisan Agri-farming Mandi

Correct Answer: A [Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi]

Answer Explanation: The Union government has recently launched a portal e-Rashtriya Kisan Agri Mandi (e-RaKAM) which will provide a platform to sell agricultural produce. The e-RaKAM is a first of its kind initiative that leverages technology to connect farmers of the smallest villages to the biggest markets of the world through internet. Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan and Union Minister of Steel Chaudhary Birender Singh jointly launched the portal in New Delhi on August 1, 2017. The portal is a digital initiative bringing together the farmers, PSUs, civil supplies and buyers on a single platform to ease the selling and buying process of agricultural products. Under this initiative, e-RaKAM centres are being developed in a phased manner throughout the country to facilitate farmers for online sale of their produce. The farmers will be paid through e-Payment directly into their bank accounts.

Santosh Mohan Dev, the veteran political leader passed away. He hailed from which state?

[A] Odisha
[B] Assam
[C] Uttar Pradesh
[D] Rajasthan

Correct Answer: B [Assam]

Answer Explanation: Santosh Mohan Dev (83), the veteran congress leader and former union minister, has passed away today in Silchar, Assam. He was first elected to the Parliament in 1980, the first of his seven terms in office as the Member of Parliament. Out of these seven, he has represented Silchar, Assam five times and he was elected from Tripura twice. He has the rare distinction of being elected from two different states. Dev was the eldest son of the renowned Bengali North Eastern Freedom Fighter Satindra Mohan Dev.

What is the current repo rate, as per recently released RBI’s 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy statement for FY 2017-18?

[A] 6.25%
[B] 6.0%
[C] 5.75%
[D] 6.50%

Correct Answer: B [6.0%]

Answer Explanation: According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s 3rd bi-monthly monetary policy statement for year 2016-17, the policy repo rate under the Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF) has reduced by 25 basis points from 6.25% to 6.0% with immediate effect. This move is expected to lower EMIs for home, auto and personal loans. This is the first rate cut since October 2016 and the interest rate is now at 6-year low. In line with record low retail inflation, the reverse repo rate under the LAF stands adjusted to 5.75%, and the Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) rate and the Bank Rate to 6.25%. The RBI Governor headed, six member Monetary Policy Committee also decided to keep the policy stance neutral in consonance with the objective of achieving the medium-term target for consumer price index inflation of 4%.

Which country hosted the 19th RCEP Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) meeting?

[A] Philippines
[B] Singapore
[C] India
[D] South Korea

Correct Answer: C [India]

Answer Explanation: The 19th round of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) Trade Negotiating Committee (TNC) meetings and other related meetings were held from 17 to 28 July 2017 in Hyderabad, India. RCEP is a proposed comprehensive regional economic integration agreement amongst the 10-ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam) and its six Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) partners, viz. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, China, Korea and India. During the 19th round, parallel meetings were held by the three main Working Groups on Trade Trade in goods, services, and investment. The RCEP meeting also highlighted the need to have balanced discussions to progress negotiation across all areas, and to continue to deliver outcomes.

The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge has opened in which country?

[A] Japan
[B] Indonesia
[C] United States
[D] Switzerland

Correct Answer: D [Switzerland]

Answer Explanation: The world’s longest pedestrian suspension bridge “Europaweg (or Europe Bridge)” has recently opened in Randa, Switzerland. It measures 1,620 feet long and rises as high as 278 feet above the Grabengufer ravine. The bridge connects a hiking trail through the Alps between Zermatt and Graechen.

Pushpa Bhargava, the renowned scientist passed away. He was related to which field?

[A] Physics
[B] Biology
[C] Chemistry
[D] Maths

Correct Answer: B [Biology]

Answer Explanation: Dr. Pushpa Mittra Bhargava (89), the veteran molecular biologist and a vehement critic of genetically modified crops, has passed away in Hyderabad on August 1, 2017. He headed the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology in Hyderabad, India when the government first set it up. He was a well-known critic of Indian governmental policies and has attained the post of Vice-Chairman in the National Knowledge Commission

Which Indian shuttler has won the men’s singles Lagos International 2017?

[A] Karan Rajan Rajarajan
[B] Rahul Yadav Chittaboina
[C] Manu Attri
[D] B Sumeeth Reddy

Correct Answer: B [Rahul Yadav Chittaboina]

Answer Explanation: Indian shuttler Rahul Yadav Chittaboina has won the men’s singles title by defeating his compatriot Karan Rajan Rajarajan by 21-15 21-13 in the summit clash at the 2017 Lagos International Badminton Classics in Lagos, Nigeria. Beside him, Manu Attri and B Sumeeth Reddy from India have won the men’s doubles title in the tournament.

Veer Dev Gulia, who has won bronze at the Junior World Wrestling Championships, is related to which freestyle category?

[A] 45kg category
[B] 105kg category
[C] 74kg category
[D] 60kg category

Correct Answer: C [74kg category]

Answer Explanation: Veer Dev Gulia from India has won bronze in the men’s 74 kg freestyle category at the Junior World Wrestling Championships at Tampere in Finland on August 2, 2017. Gulia finished third after beating Yamasaki Yajuro of Japan, 8-5 in the bronze medal play-off bout. Beside him, Ravinder from India has also won bronze medal in 60 kg freestyle section in the tournament.

The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is located in which state?

[A] Uttrakhand
[B] Kerala
[C] Karnataka
[D] Maharashtra

Correct Answer: D [Maharashtra]

Answer Explanation: The Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR) is located in the Sahyadri ranges of the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. It is in news because the Maharashtra government is planning to relocate tigers from Vidarbha region to the sanctuaries elsewhere where their population is smaller, including the Sahyadri Tiger Reserve (STR). At present, STR has only seven tigers. For this, the state government has also set up a committee to examine this issue, and a decision will be taken based on its recommendations. It will also consult experts from the Centre and submit its report in 2-3 months.

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