Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 12th December 2020

Correct Answer: C. Margaret Keenan

Explanation: Margaret Keenan, a 90-year-old lady from Britain, has become the first person in the world to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine outside of a trial following its rapid clinical approval. Keenan received the jab at her local hospital in Coventry, central England, on 8 Dec 2020. Britain began rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Pfizer and BioNTech on 8 Dec 2020.

Correct Answer – C. Kuwait

Explanation: Kuwait Emir Sheikh Nawaf Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah has re-appointed Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah as prime minister. The move comes two days after Sheikh Sabah submitted his government’s resignation in a procedural step following parliamentary polls. The country’s ruler accepted the premier’s resignation before reassigning him to form the upcoming government. Sheikh Nawaf who took over the leadership of the Gulf state in September after the death of his brother also asked Sheikh Sabah to nominate members of a new cabinet. The new cabinet would have to be approved by the Emir.

Correct Answer – B. 5paisa.com

Explanation: India’s only listed discount broker 5paisa.com has partnered with Vested Finance to provide ‘zero commission’ investing in the US markets for all our customers. Vested Finance is a US Securities and Exchange Commission Registered Investment Adviser. Their online platform enables investors from India to invest in US stocks and ETFs.

Correct Answer – A. 21.87%

Explanation:  Max Financial Services Limited (MFSL) has swapped its 21.87% stake in Max Life Insurance Company Limited (Max Life) with 20.57% stake of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Company. MFSL has allotted 7,54,58,088 equity shares of Rs. 2/- each constituting 21.87% of the paid-up share capital to MSI, on a preferential allotment basis. The paid-up equity share capital of MFSL has increased to ₹69 crores.

Correct Answer – B. Sweden

Explanation: World record-breakers Mondo Duplantis of Sweden has been named the male World Athletes of the Year at the World Athletics Awards 2020, a ceremony held virtually this time due to the post novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Duplantis broke the world record in the pole vault twice, topping 6.17m and 6.18m on back-to-back weekends in February just a few weeks before the global coronavirus pandemic ground the sporting world to a halt. When competition finally resumed, Duplantis capped his season and produced the highest outdoor vault of all time (6.15m) and finished the year undefeated in 16 competitions. Duplantis, who celebrated his 21st birthday last month, is the youngest athlete ever named World Athlete of the Year.

Correct Answer – B. Odisha

Explanation: The Praja Foundation recently released the Urban Governance Index. Odisha topped the list of states and Manipur and Nagaland were at the bottom. According to the Urban Governance Index Odisha was followed by Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. Delhi rank 13th in the list. The states were marked between 0 and 100 based on the themes empowered City administration, elected representatives and legislative structure and empowered citizens and physical empowerment.

Maharashtra scored 55%, Odisha scored 56%. The Other top performers were Chhattisgarh with a score of 49.6 8%, Kerala with a score of 48.7 7% and Madhya Pradesh with the score of 45.9 4%. Inadequate infrastructure and Service Delivery are the major issues that continue to impede cities to achieve their true economic potential.

Correct Answer – C. Singapore

Explanation: The World Economic Forum (WEF) has decided to host its 2021 annual meeting in Singapore, which earlier was scheduled to take place in Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland from 13-16 May 2021. The decision to shift the annual forum from Switzerland has been taken in view of the Covid-19 situation in Europe. This would be the second time since its inception in 1971 that the forum will be held outside Switzerland. In 2002, the forum was held in New York to show solidarity with the American people in the aftermath of 9/11. The meeting is generally held in Davos, Switzerland, but amid covid, the meeting was first shifted to Lucerne-Burgenstock, Switzerland in October 2020. Now again the venue has been shifted to Singapore. It would return to Davos, Switzerland, in 2022.

Correct Answer – A. India

Explanation: The Japanese research and brokerage house Nomura has projected India to be the fastest-growing Asian economy in 2021. Nomura has estimated the gross domestic product (GDP) growth of India for the calendar year 2021 (CY21) at 9.9%. For the calendar year 2020 (CY20), Nomura expects GDP growth at -7.1 per cent.

Correct Answer – B. 9.4%

Explanation: Fitch Ratings has revised the GDP growth rate for India in its Global Economic Outlook, and now expects the economy to contract 9.4 per cent in the current financial year 2020-21, as compared to (-)10.5 per cent forecast earlier. Fitch has also projected the FY22 GDP growth at 11 per cent and 6.3 per cent growth in FY23.

Correct Answer – B. Bank of Baroda

Explanation: Bank of Baroda (BoB) has recently launched the Atmanirbhar Women Scheme as part of its Baroda Gold Loan. This scheme aims to target the self-reliant woman in India. Under the scheme, the bank is offering loans at 0.50 per cent concession for women. The bank under the gold loan scheme is offering agri-gold loan at 0.25 per cent concession and for a retail loan at 0.50 per cent concession. This Atmanirbhar scheme is exclusively meant for helping women to be self-reliant. The scheme was launched at BOB’s Ramamurthy Nagar branch in Bengaluru and simultaneously in 18 branches coming under 18 zones in the country.

Correct Answer – A. Zena Wooldridge

Explanation: Zena Wooldridge from England has been elected as the World Squash Federation President. She will become the 10th WSF President to serve since the Federation’s inception in 1967. She is the second female President after New Zealand’s Susie Simcock. She replaces outgoing President Jacques Fontaine, from France. She previously served six years as President of the European Squash Federation between 2013-2019.

Correct Answer – D. Formula Race

Explanation: Jehan Daruvala created history, as he became the first Indian to win a Formula 2 race at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, Bahrain. This was the final race of the F2 season. The Formula 2 Championship is a second-tier single-seater racing championship. The 22-year-old Jehan Daruvala is currently a member of the Red Bull Junior Team and competes for Carlin Motorsport. His Japanese teammate, Yuki Tsunoda came second while Britain’s Daniel Ticktum was in a third spot. Racing legend Michael Schumacher’s son Mick Schumacher was crowned as the overall F2 champion of the season.

Correct Answer – D. Yulimar Rojas

Explanation:  Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela are the 2020 Male and Female World Athletes of the Year. They are their countries’ first recipients of the prestigious athletics award. Duplantis is the youngest ever winner of the Male Athlete of the Year Award after twice breaking the absolute world record (6.17m and 6.18m) in Feb 2020.

Correct Answer: A. USA

Explanation: Narinder Singh Kapany, also known as the father of fibre optics, passed away. The India-born American physicist was named as one of the seven “Unsung Heroes” by Fortune in their ‘Businessmen of the Century’ issue of November 1999. Kapany was the first to transmit images through fibre optics back in 1954 and laid the foundation for high-speed internet technology. He not only founded fibre optics but also used his own invention for the business. He founded the Optics Technology Incorporation and Kaptron Incorporation in 1960 and 1973 respectively. He studied at Agra University and then moved to Imperial College in London. He received his PhD from the University of London in 1955.