Daily GK & Current Affairs Quiz – 13th June 2020

Correct Answer: C. G Kishan Reddy

Explanation: Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reconstituted a new committee for the welfare of the freedom fighters. This committee chaired by the minister of state for home affairs G Kishan Reddy and 9 other “eminent freedom fighters” from across the country. The ministry features a separate division to serve freedom fighters who are alive and their families. It disburses pension to about 30,000 freedom fighters and their families. Besides Reddy, former Congress MLA from Gujarat Dinakar Bhai Desai, who took part within the 1942 Quit India movement, is among those a part of the panel. The new panel may verify if one person has given affidavits to 2 or more applicants and can examine the stress to create memorials and museums for freedom fighters.

Correct Answer – C. Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT)

Explanation: Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking 2021 has released. Only eight Indian institutes managed to feature in the top 500 of QS World University Ranking 2021. IIT Bombay has dropped 20 positions from last year’s world university ranking, IISc dropped by one position, and IIT- Delhi’s rank has slipped from the previous rank of 182. Every year, higher education consultancy QS releases the World University Ranking. In the QS World University Rankings, the institutes are evaluated on six metrics. These include academic reputation (40 percent weightage), employer reputation (10 percent), faculty/student ratio (20 percent), citations per faculty (20 percent), international faculty ratio/student ratio (5 percent each). Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World University Ranking 2021:

Correct Answer – D. 25%

Explanation: The Government of India has raised the Customs duty on bamboo imports from 10% to 25% with immediate effect. The decision to increase the Customs duty on bamboo imports was taken to encourage the use of domestic bamboo under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The newly decided customs duty will now be applicable uniformly to any import of bamboo, including by traders. Government of India expects that the uniform rate will help in avoiding the misuse and rate-related disputes, and will also benefit the farmers as well as the MSME agarbatti manufacturers.

Correct Answer – C. Russia

Explanation:  Former European high jump champion (2010) Alexander Shustov of Russia banned for 4 years for the use or attempted use of a banned substance or method (doping) & did not provide any further details. This was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Russian Athletics Federation stated that his ban was dated from June 5, and his results had been disqualified for a period from 2013 to 2017. He would be retaining his European title but will be disqualified from the 7th place at the 2013 world championships in Moscow.

Correct Answer – D. ePaisa

Explanation: Point of Sale solution provider in India, ePaisa entered into a partnership with First Alliance Bank (Z) Ltd in Zambia, Africa, to provide mobile point of sale (mPOS) solution to small and medium enterprises and other businesses. ePaisa will be the solution provider for First Alliance Bank (FAB), which will further provide it to businesses across Zambia. For ePaisa this partnership becomes first global expansion. The focus of the partnership for the FAB is to empower all business with POS solution in various industries across Zambia.

Correct Answer – C. Empays Payment Systems

Explanation: Empays Payment Systems India Pvt Ltd, which built and runs the IMT Payment System, announced a partnership with Mastercard to enable contact-free ATM cash withdrawals in India. With this partnership, Empays will upgrade the basic technology behind the IMT Payment System to incorporate the requirements of Mastercard Cardless ATM enabling a true EMV-capable cash withdrawal transaction. The IMT Payment System powers the largest ATM network for cardless cash withdrawals in the world and is available across 40,000 ATMs in India. It uses SMS technology to enable cash withdrawals from participating ATMs without any physical contact with a card. Empays is authorised by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as a national payment system.

Correct Answer – C. Raghuram Rajan

Explanation: Asian Development Bank (ADB) has constituted a 8-member high-level panel of leading experts in economics, finance, and health, moderated by ADB Vice-President Ahmed M. Saeed, to help ministers, central bank governors, and other senior officials identify solutions for Southeast Asian economies to tap into to quickly recover after the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. The 8 member panel includes, Jane Halton, Rema Hanna, Karen Tay Koh, Ramayya Krishnan, Raghuram Rajan, Andrew Sheng and Nicholas Stern.

Correct Answer – B. Rs. 4000 crores

Explanation: The Department of Agriculture Cooperation & Farmers’ Welfare (DAC&FW) has allocated Rs. 4000 cr to the state governments for the year 2020-21 for implementing Per Drop More Crop component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY- PDMC). For further allotment of funds, State Governments have identified the beneficiaries to be covered under the programme. The objective of PMKSY- PDMC is the effective use of water at farm level through Micro Irrigation technologies viz. Drip and Sprinkler irrigation systems. Drip micro irrigation technique not only helps in water saving but also in reducing fertilizer usage, labour expenses and other input costs. This scheme was formulated on July 1, 2015 with an outlay of Rs. 50,000 crore in five years for extending the water coverage for irrigation under focusing “Har Khet ko pani” and improving water use efficiency aiming at “More crop per drop”.

Correct Answer – C. IIT-BHU

Explanation:  Dr Marshal and his team at the School of Biomedical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT-BHU), have developed an anti-microbial five-layered face mask. This face mask can annihilate pathogenic microorganisms that are stuck to its outer surface and thereby limit the spread of secondary infections. The mask that is available in the market currently acts as a filter to stop the entry of microbes to oral and nasal airways but does not have any effect on the microbe stuck to the mask surface.

Correct Answer – B. Maharashtra

Explanation: The colour of water in Maharashtra’s Lonar lake has changed to pink with experts attributing it to the salinity and presence of algae in the water body. The lake was formed after a meteorite hit the Earth some 50,000 years ago. Located around 500 km from Mumbai, the Lonar lake is in Buldhana district of Maharshtra. The lake, which is a notified national geo-heritage monument, has saline water with pH of 10.5.

Correct Answer: C. Haryana

Explanation: Large areas of forest land are being diverted to other projects throughout India by the Government. A total 11,467.83 hectares (114.68 square kilometre) forest lands were diverted in 22 states between January 1 and November 6, 2019. The most number of projects were in Haryana where a total diversion of 519.53 ha for 251 projects.

Correct Answer – D. Uttar Pradesh

Explanation: In order to protect cows and prevent their slaughter, the Uttar Pradesh (UP) government approved a draft ordinance titled “Cow Slaughter Prevention (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020” by amending the Uttar Pradesh cow slaughter act, 1955. This proposed law provides a maximum rigorous imprisonment of 10 years and a fine up to Rs 5 lakh.

Correct Answer – B. 9.5%

Explanation: After a contraction in the current financial year, India’s economy is forecast to bounce back with a sharp growth rate of 9.5 percent next fiscal, Fitch Ratings has said. It has forecast a 5 percent contraction in the GDP in the ongoing financial year.

Correct Answer – B. Pierre Nkurunziza

Explanation:  The President of the Republic of Burundi, Pierre Nkurunziza passed away. After being in power for 15 years, Nkurunziza was due to step down in August. In 2015, the announcement that he would run for a third term plunged the country into chaos. Between 2006 and 2011, the president was known for his preaching and love of football – received seven international awards for his peace-building efforts.

• Capital of Burundi:
• The currency of Burundi: Burundian franc.

Correct Answer A. Pritam Singh

Explanation: Former director of Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow, Pritam Singh passed away. He chaired the subcommittee on Institutional Management and Leadership Development in Higher Education by the 12th Planning Commission for the 5-year plan (2012-2017). He was a member of the Ministry of Home Affairs Committee for capacity building of IPS officers.

Other Awards:

• He received the Padma Shri in 2003 in the field of Management Education.
• He was the first Asian to receive the “Global Thought Leader 2006-2007” from the Moscow International Business School MIRBIS.
• He was the recipient of Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan Memorial Award: Teacher of Teachers in 2009 and the Vivekananda Foundation honoured him with the Lifetime Achievement Award.