Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 13th January 2021

Correct Answer: B. The World Anti-Doping Agency

Explanation: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) launched its Anti-Doping Education and Learning platform (ADEL). It is a new and improved version of the current Anti-Doping e-Learning platform (ADeL) that was launched in January 2018. It will provide education and learning opportunities for the anti-doping community worldwide; including: athletes, coaches, parents, medical professionals and more.

Correct Answer – B. Harsh Vardhan

Explanation: Union Minister for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, Dr Harsh Vardhan, on 9 January 2021, dedicated the new coastal research vehicle ‘Sagar Anveshika’ to the nation at Chennai port. It will strengthen scientific research about various issues inside the ocean. The other similar vessels already present with India are Sagar Tara, Sagar Nidhi, Sagar Sampada, Sagar Kanya, and Sagar Manjusha.

Correct Answer – C. 3,500 crores

Explanation: The Tatas plan to invest Rs 3,500 crore on their e-commerce venture Tata Cliq. They have increased the authorised share capital of the company from Rs 1,500 crore to Rs 5,000 crore for this. Tata Cliq is owned by Tata UniStore Ltd. The paid-up share capital of Tata UniStore is Rs 1,203.12 crore as per the filings.

Correct Answer – B. 7.5 %

Explanation:  India’s fiscal deficit is expected to be around 7.5% of the GDP for the current fiscal owing to moderation in revenue collection due to the COVID-19 crisis. This would be a 100 per cent jump from the budget estimate of 3.5 per cent of GDP pegged for the current fiscal. The government had pegged the fiscal deficit at Rs 7.96 lakh crore or 3.5 per cent of the GDP in the Union Budget 2020-21.

Correct Answer – D. Sabrina Singh

Explanation: Indian-American Sabrina Singh has been named as the White House Deputy Press Secretary in the upcoming Joe Biden administration. She previously served as deputy communications director for the Democratic National Committee, spokesperson for American Bridge’s Trump War Room and Regional Communications Director on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.

Correct Answer – D. Konsam Himalay Singh

Explanation: The book titled ‘Making of a General – A Himalayan Echo’ is authored by (Redt) Lt. Gen. Konsam Himalay Singh and is published by Konark Publishers Pvt Ltd. The book was released by Dr Najma Heptulla, Governor of Manipur through a virtual mode at Durbar Hall of Raj Bhavan, Imphal, Manipur. It is a memoir of Lt Gen (Dr) Konsam Himalay Singh who discovered his journey from a small village in Manipur to becoming the 1st Lieutenant general(Three Star General of the Indian Army) from North East India. He is also the first military officer from Manipur to reach the ranks of Brigadier and Major General.

Correct Answer – D. Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Limited

Explanation: Universal Sompo General Insurance Company said that it has tied up with Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation. Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh Finance Corporation operates in the entire territory of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. It plays a pioneering role in boosting industrial climate in the State by providing financial assistance to various Small and Medium Enterprises besides others.

Correct Answer – B. Rs 37.87 crore

Explanation: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 37.87 crore for the facelift of Parshuram Kund pilgrimage site in Arunachal Pradesh”s Lohit district. Parshuram Kund is one of the most sacred places in the country which is visited by a large number of pilgrims throughout the year and thousands of people take a holy dip in the Lohit river during Makar Sankranti. It is expected to boost the livelihood of the locals & socio-economic development of the area. Using the funds, the steps leading to the Kund, better services & suitable accommodation for visitors will be developed.

Correct Answer – B. Punjab

Explanation: The Punjab government has launched E-Daakhil portal to streamline grievances redressal system. The E-Daakhil has been developed under the new Consumer Protection Act 2019 envisages filling of consumer disputes electronically to Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission. The portal will provide online e-filling of the consumer dispute to the state commission or any of the 20 district commissions in the state. The department has also set up consumer helpline number and mediation cell at Punjab State Consumer Dispute Redressal Commission and 20 District Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions to address the grievances.

Correct Answer – C. 8.9 per cent

Explanation: London-based financial services company IHS Markit has projected the Indian economy to rebound by 8.9 per cent in the fiscal year 2021-22, beginning April 2021. This upward estimate is based on the backdrop of the significant improvement in domestic economic activity in the fourth quarter of 2020 by India.

Correct Answer – D. Jammu and Kashmir

Explanation: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has launched Mobile Application ‘Satark Nagrik’ and Departmental Vigilance Officers Portal of J&K Anti Corruption Bureau. The Lt Governor observed that the UT Government is taking comprehensive measures for ensuring transparent, accountable, and responsive governance.

The mobile application launched today has been developed with a purpose to facilitate seamless flow of information about corruption and enable citizens to submit their grievances with ease and mobility. Any citizen having an android based device can download the application from play store. A unique ID number will be allotted at the time of registration of grievance which later can be used to track the status of grievance.

Correct Answer – B. Faustin-Archange Touadéra

Explanation: Faustin-Archange Touadera was re-elected as the president of the Central African Republic with more than 53% votes. The 63-year-old president has been in power since 2016 but has struggled to seize control of vast parts of the nation from armed militias. The Central African Republic, a producer of gold and diamonds, has a population of 4.7 million.

Correct Answer – D. Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace

Explanation:  Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ has inaugurated the two-day Virtual International Akhand Conference ‘EDUCON 2020’ through video conferencing. This two-day International Conference is being organized by the Central University of Punjab, Bathinda (CUPB) in collaboration with the Global Educational Research Association (GERA). The focal theme of EDUCON-2020 is Envisioning Education for Transforming Youth to Restore Global Peace.

This conference is the first of its kind in India where scholars across the world would be continuously having a non-stop marathon dialogue sessions for 31 hours exploring the possibilities of the use of ICT in the higher education to promote the equitable quality education in India. Further, the conference will also provide a platform for discussions on emerging trends in education viz., likely scenario of higher education and school education by 2050, developing disruptive technologies for STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Education, training youth for strategic future jobs in Universities, the skill training programme for future graduates and relevance of ancient education system in 21st century.

Correct Answer: A. USA

Explanation: Neil Sheehan, a reporter and Pulitzer Prize-winning author who broke the story of the Pentagon Papers for The New York Times and who chronicled the deception at the heart of the Vietnam War in his epic book about the war, passed away. His account of the Vietnam War, A Bright Shining Lie: John Paul Vann and America in Vietnam, took him 15 years to write. The 1988 book won the Pulitzer Prize for non-fiction. Sheehan served as a war correspondent for United Press International and then the Times in the early days of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War in the 1960s. As a national writer for the Times based in Washington, Sheehan was the first to obtain the Pentagon Papers, a massive history of U.S. involvement in Vietnam ordered up by the Defense Department.