Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 17th December 2020

Correct Answer: B. Jaipur

Explanation: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has decided to set up an Automated Banknote Processing Centre (ABPC) in Jaipur for the receipt, storage and dispatch of currency notes. The functions of the ABPC will also include processing of banknotes received from currency chests (CCs) and bank branches and destruction of soiled banknotes in an automated manner. The volume of banknotes in circulation has increased three-fold from March 2001 to March 2019 and is expected to rise further in the years to come.

About RBI Banknotes: 

• RBI is the sole issuer of banknotes of the country and responsible for the management of currency and all its aspects.
• RBI is supplied with banknotes from four printing presses and coins from four mints.
• The new banknotes and coins are received at 19 issue offices of the bank located across the country from where these are further distributed to about 3,300 CCs operated by scheduled banks under an agency agreement with the RBI.
• The CCs act as storehouses and the currency stored there is distributed to various bank branches/ATM network for distribution to the public.
• The unfit notes withdrawn from circulation are verified through a Currency Verification and Processing System (CVPS) and destroyed by shredding.

Correct Answer – B. 7.7%

Explanation: Rating agency CRISIL has lowered the contraction rate of India’s GDP and now expects the growth rate of the Indian economy to contract 7.7% in the ongoing fiscal 2020-21, compared to the 9% forecast in September 2020, due to “faster-than-expected” recovery in the second quarter. For the fiscal 2021-22 (FY22), CRISIL expects the growth to bounce back to 10%.

Correct Answer – A. Singapore

Explanation: Singapore will host the Special Annual Meeting 2021 of WEF from May 13-16, 2021. For the first time the WEF Special Annual meeting is taking place in Asia and the second time that meeting is being held outside Davos, Switzerland. The first meeting outside Davos, Switzerland was held in 2002 in New York.

Correct Answer – B. Ankita Raina

Explanation:  Indian tennis player Ankita Raina won her third doubles title of the pandemic-hit 2020 season, clinching the Al Habtoor challenge with Ekaterine Gorgodze. She along with Ekaterine Gorgodze won 6-4 3-6 10-6 against Aliona Bolsova Zadoinov from Spain and Slovakian Kaja Juvan in the final of the USD 100,000 hard court event.

Correct Answer – D. Bangladesh

Explanation:  Swadhinata Sarak will connect India with Bangladesh. It will be inaugurated by March 2021. It will remains functional on the Indian side while it will be connected through Mujibnagar, Meherpur district in Bangladesh.

Correct Answer – A. NITI Aayog

Explanation: NITI Aayog has released a white paper, ‘Vision 2035 – Public Health Surveillance in India’. It lays out India’s vision for public health surveillance through the integration of the 3-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat, along with the need for expanded referral networks and enhanced laboratory capacity.

• NITI Aayog Vice Chairman: Rajiv Kumar

Correct Answer – A. UK, UN and France

Explanation: Climate Ambition Summit 2020 has been co-hosted by United Nations, United Kingdom and France. Climate Ambition Summit marked 5 years of the adoption of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. It is a major step to the next UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), which will be hosted by UK in 2021.

Correct Answer – B. Bajrang Punia

Explanation: Federation of Indian Commerce and Industry (FICCI) virtually conferred 2020 Male Sportsperson of the Year to Wrestler Bajrang Punia. He has won silver in 2018 World Wrestling Championships and bronze in 2019 World Wrestling Championships and 2013 World Wrestling Championships.  The award is an attempt by FICCI to acknowledge and recognise the contribution of sportspersons and various stakeholders who deliver excellent results throughout the year.

Correct Answer – C. Russia

Explanation: The Russian Navy will take part in military drills with multiple NATO members for the first time since 2011. The drills will involve 30 countries, with 10 engaging their fleets and the rest sending observers. The Aman-2021 drills will involve anti-piracy exercises off the coast of Pakistan in February 2021.

Correct Answer – C. Bill Gates

Explanation:  Bill Gates was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the TiE Global Summit 2020 held virtually. For this award, Bill was selected by a jury which comprised of founder NR Narayana Murthy, President and Chairman, Sparta Group Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande. Along with the Lifetime Achievement Award, TiE has announced various awards under various categories as part of its global summit.

Correct Answer: C. 16th December

Explanation: In India, Vijay Diwas (also called Victory Day) is celebrated every year on December 16. The country is celebrating thea 49th Vijay Diwas in 2020. Vijay Diwas is observed to commemorate the service, valour, and sacrifices of the gallant men of the Indian Armed Forces’ victory over Pakistan in 1971 war.

The Indo-Pakistan war of 1971 which began on December 3 lasted for 13 days and officially ended on December 16, after which Pakistan surrendered to India. It was on this day in 1971, the chief of the Pakistani forces, General AA Khan Niazi, along with 93 thousand troops, had surrendered unconditionally to the allied forces consisting of Indian Army and Mukti Bahini. The end of the war also resulted in subsequent secession of East Pakistan into Bangladesh.

Correct Answer – C. Odisha

Explanation: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) had announced that the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup will be hosted in Odisha, for a second consecutive time. The tournament will be held at two venues, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The Men’s Hockey World Cup 2018 was also hosted by Odisha. The 2023 tournament will be 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup. It will be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and at the Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. FIH Hockey World Cup is held after every four years.

Correct Answer – C. Eswatini

Explanation: Ambrose Dlamini, the Prime Minister of Eswatini, a country in Southern Africa, has passed away after contracting coronavirus. He was appointed as the tenth prime minister of the country in October 2018.

Correct Answer – D. Tamil Nadu

Explanation: The SoftBank-backed mobility platform, Ola has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Tamil Nadu government, to set up its first factory in the state, at an investment of Rs 2,400 crore. Upon completion, the Ola factory in Tamil Nadu will be the largest scooter manufacturing facility in the world. Initially, the factory will have an annual manufacturing capacity of 2 million units.

The factory is in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of an AtmaNirbhar Bharat and will make India a manufacturing hub for two-wheeled electric vehicles. The new factory will also reduce the dependence of India on import of electric vehicles, boost local manufacturing, create jobs and also improve the technical expertise in the country.

Correct Answer: D. Sanskrit

Explanation: Renowned Sanskrit scholar, Vidyavachaspati Bannanje Govindacharya has passed away. He was well versed in Veda Bhashya, Upanishad Bhashya, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas and had written commentaries on Veda Suktas, Upanishads, Shata Rudriya, Brahma Sutra Bhashya, and Gita Bhashya. Govindacharya was conferred the Padma Shri in 2009. He had authored around 150 books and translated several texts from Sanskrit to Kannada.