Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 23rd January 2021

Correct Answer: C. 1,544 crores

Explanation: The government will get ₹1,544 crores from the initial public offering (IPO) of the Indian Railway Finance Corporation. The ₹4,633 crores IPO of Indian Railway Finance Corporation (IRFC) was subscribed 3.49 times on the final day of bidding on 20 Jan 2021. So far in the current fiscal, the government has mopped up ₹15,220 crore from disinvestment and share buyback.

Correct Answer – B. SEBI

Explanation: The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has granted approval to the Future Group and Reliance Retail deal. In August 2020, Future Group had entered into a ₹24,713 crore agreement with Reliance Retail. As part of the deal, Future Group was to sell its retail, wholesale, logistics, and warehouse businesses to Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL).

Correct Answer – B. Madhya Pradesh

Explanation: In Madhya Pradesh, there has been a record purchase of 37.26 lakh metric tonnes of paddy on MSP for the year 2020. It recorded excess paddy purchase in all the districts of the state on support price except Vidisha compared to 2019. Districts with maximum procurement include Hoshangabad, Raisen and Sehore. Payment of Rs 5000 crore has also been disbursed to the farmers.

Correct Answer – E. Both B & C

Explanation:  India and the European Union held their 1st maritime security dialogue in a virtual format. The consultations involved exchanges on developments in the maritime security environment, regional cooperation activities, etc. The EU-India Maritime Dialogue was chaired by Director Joanneke Balfoort in the EU External Action Service and Joint Secretary Sandeep Arya on the Indian side.

Correct Answer – B. Uzbekistan

Explanation: The Union Cabinet has approved the MoU between India and Uzbekistan for cooperation in solar energy. The main area of work is to identify research between the National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the International Solar Energy Institute (ISEI), Uzbekistan in mutually identified areas including solar photovoltaic and storage technologies.

Correct Answer – D. Ram Sewak Sharma

Explanation: Ram Sewak Sharma, the first director-general of the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) writes an insider’s account in The Making of Aadhaar: World’s Largest Identity Platform. Sharma begins by summing up his experiences during various bureaucratic postings in Jharkhand, ranging from streamlining personnel records and digitising public grievances to managing election logistics — all using innovative digital means.

Correct Answer – B. World Economic Forum

Explanation: The World Economic Forum (WEF) releases the Global Risks Report. This year it has published 16th edition of the report. The findings of the report are based on the Global Risks Perception Survey (GRPS) undertaken by over 650 members of WEF’s diverse leadership communities. The Report is prepared with Strategic Partners, Marsh McLennan in Partnership with SK Group and Zurich Insurance Group. The report is being released before WEF’s upcoming virtual Davos Agenda scheduled to be held between January 25-29, 2021. The main objective behind the publishing of the report is to enable better preparation by Government & other International Communities during the times of crisis.

Correct Answer – D. Standard Chartered Bank

Explanation: IIFL Home Finance and Standard Chartered Bank have entered into a co-lending arrangement for extending credit to the MSME loans (loan against property). Under this partnership, IIFL Home Finance and the Standard Chartered Bank will co-originate these loans and the IIFL Home Finance will service the customers through the entire loan life-cycle including sourcing, documentation, collection and loan servicing. Definitive agreements for the said co-lending arrangement had been executed between the IIFL Home Finance and Standard Chartered Bank on 16 January 2021. IIFL Finance offers a wide spectrum of products such as home loan, gold loan, business loan, microfinance, capital market finance and developer & construction finance.

Correct Answer – C. ICICI Bank

Explanation:  ICICI Bank announced the launch of a new mobile application for authorised money changers to help customers of any bank get ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ swiftly. Called ‘InstaFX’, the app enables the authorised money changers, who are partners of the Bank, to complete the KYC verification and validation of customers digitally and on a real-time basis. This facility significantly improves customer convenience as the ‘ICICI Bank Forex Prepaid Card’ gets activated swiftly within a few hours, as against the industry practice of up to two-days. ICICI Bank is the first bank in the country to offer such facility to money changers.

Correct Answer – D. Mastercard

Explanation: To help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) recover from the pandemic and prepare for the future, Mastercard has launched the Digital Acceleration for Small Businesses microsite across most of its Asia Pacific websites with information and resources on how to digitalize and run businesses more efficiently. The one-stop resource site provides information and resources for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to digitize and operate their business more efficiently. Mastercard has partnered with Wix and Zoho to enhance the resources for SMEs.

Correct Answer – D. Netherlands

Explanation: The Dutch Prime Minister, Mark Rutte and his entire Cabinet has resigned recently over the childcare subsidies scandal, in which thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud. However, the Rutte government will stay on in a caretaker role until parliamentary elections in March 2021. The resignation brings to an end a decade in office for Rutte, although his party is expected to win the election, putting him first in line to begin talks to form the next government. If he succeeds in forming a new coalition, Rutte would most likely again become prime minister.

Correct Answer – A. Russia

Explanation: The Government of India is set to procure 21 MiG-29 and 12 Sukhoi-30MKI fighter aircraft from Russia. Apart from this, the Centre will also purchase the upgrades of the existing fleets of aircraft from Russian state-run defence export arm Rosoboronexport. The new set of 21 MiG-29 will add to existing 59 such jets already with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and the 12 Sukhoi-30MKIs, on the other hand, will add to the existing fleet of 272 such fighter aircraft.

Correct Answer – D. 24th January

Explanation:  In India, the National Girl Child Day (NGCD) is observed annually on January 24. The day aims to focus on the inequalities faced by girls, to promote the education, health & nutrition of the girl child, and to spread awareness about the rights of a girl child. The day was observed for the first time in 2008 as an initiative by the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Government of India. The day was initiated by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to:

• Spread awareness among people about all the inequalities faced by girls in the country.
• Promote awareness about the rights of a girl child.
• Increase awareness on the importance of girl education, health, and nutrition.

Correct Answer – B. Bhawana Kanth

Explanation: Flight lieutenant Bhawana Kanth will become the 1st woman fighter pilot to take part in the Republic Day parade. She will be a part of the Indian Air Force’s tableau in the 2021 Republic Day Parade that will showcase mock-ups of the light combat helicopter, light combat aircraft, and the Sukhoi-30 fighter plane.

About Bhawana Kanth:

• At present, Bhawana is posted in Rajasthan and flies the MiG-21 Bison fighter plane.
• Bhawana is also one of the first women fighter pilots to be inducted into the Indian Air Force in the year 2016.
• She was inducted into IAF in 2016 along with Mohana Singh and Avani Chaturvedi.
• Since then 10 women have been commissioned as fighter pilots in IAF.
• Induction of Bhawana and other two women fighters was an experimental scheme of induction of women in IAF’s combat stream introduced in the year 2015.