Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 26th & 27th September 2021

Correct Answer: D. Himachal Pradesh

Explanation: The world’s highest electric vehicle charging station has been inaugurated in Kaza village of Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh. The electric vehicle charging station is set up at a height of 500 ft. The aim of this initiative is to check vehicular pollution and promote electric vehicles for a clean and green environment in the region. India is gaining good momentum in the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem.There is a good response for battery-operated small electric vehicles like e-scooter, electric three-wheelers, e-rickshaws, e-carts, and e-bikes in the country. Both battery electric vehicle and fuel cell vehicle technologies are complementary to each other and are all set to overtake fossil-run automotive by 2050 in the country.

Important Points:

• Himachal Pradesh Governor: Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar;
• Himachal Pradesh CM: Jai Ram Thakur.

Correct Answer – C. Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health

Explanation:World Pharmacist Day is observed globally on 25th September every year. This day is celebrated to create awareness about the role of a pharmacist in improving health. The day was an initiative of the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP) along with the council of this organization. This year’s theme is “Pharmacy: Always trusted for your health“.

History of World Pharmacist Day:

The day was designated in 2009 by the FIP Council (International Pharmaceutical Federation or Federation Internationale Pharmaceutique) at the World Congress of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in Istanbul, Turkey. The purpose of the day is to draw attention to pharmacies and the positive benefits they offer when it comes to health and FIP encourages all its members to participate to make the event a success.

Important Points: 

• International Pharmaceutical Federation Headquarters location: The Hague, Netherlands.
• International Pharmaceutical Federation Founded: 25 September 1912.
• International Pharmaceutical Federation President: Dominique Jordan.

Correct Answer – E. Nirupama Rao

Explanation: A book titled “The Fractured Himalaya: How the Past Shadows the Present in India-China Relations”, authored by Nirupama Rao.The book traces how the origins of the dispute between India and China form part of a living history that shapes their fractious relationship today. Understanding this complex panorama yields lessons for all of us who seek a wider perspective on China and its profile in the Indo-Pacific. Nirupama Rao is a former Foreign Secretary.

Correct Answer – A. Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya

Explanation: In India, the Antyodaya Diwas is observed every year on September 25, to mark the birth anniversary of Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya. Antyodaya means “uplifting the poorest of the poor” or “rise of the last person”. The day was declared by the Modi Government on September 25, 2014, and officially celebrated since 2015.

About Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya:

Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya, born in Mathura in 1916 was one of the key leaders of Bharatiya Jana Sangh from which the BJP later emerged. He was the leader of the Bharatiya Jana Sangh from 1953 to 1968. Deendayal Upadhyaya was a humanist, economist, journalist, philosopher and abled statesman.Deendayal Upadhyaya was introduced to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) by his classmate named Baluji MahashabdeDeendayal Upadhyaya cleared the civil services examination. He, however, didn’t join the service and became a volunteer of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).In the 1940s, Deendayal Upadhyaya launched ‘Rashtra Dharma’, a monthly journal, from Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow for spreading the ideology of Hindutva nationalism. Later, he started ‘Panchjanya’, a weekly magazine, and a daily, ‘Swadesh’.Deendayal Upadhyaya’s philosophical idea of ‘Integral Humanism’ was adopted in 1965 as the official doctrine of the Jan Sangh and later the Bharatiya Janata Party.Deendayal Upadhyaya advocated ‘Samyanit Upabhog’ (sustainable consumption). He did not favour the exploitation of Mother Nature practised by the capitalist societies of the West.Deendayal Upadhyaya was found dead under mysterious circumstances near the Mughalsarai railway station in Uttar Pradesh in the wee hours of February 11, 1968. Later, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) found that he was killed by robbers.

Correct Answer- B. Kolkata

Explanation:Indian Army will organize “Bijoya Sanskritik Mahotsav” from 26 to 29 September in Kolkata. This Mahotsav will be observed to mark the golden jubilee of the India-Pak war 1971. The event will be inaugurated by Lieutenant General Manoj Pande, Army Commander, Eastern Command. Various cultural programs including a film screening, theatre plays, musical concerts, and band performances will be conducted during this event. It will be organized as part of the Swarnim Vijay Varsha celebrations to commemorate the golden jubilee of the India-Pak war.

About the India- Pak war 1971:

The war started on 3 December 1971 and ended on 16 December 1971. It was a military confrontation between India and Pakistan for the Independence of Bangladesh.The war started when Pakistan launched airstrikes on 11 Indian airbases. It was perhaps the first time in which India’s all three forces fought in unison.The war ended after the chief of the Pakistani forces, General Amir Abdullah Khan Niazi, along with 93,000 troops, surrendered to the joint forces of the Indian Army and Bangladesh’s Mukti Bahini.On August 2, 1972, India and Pakistan signed the Shimla Agreement under which the former agreed to release all the 93,000 Pakistani prisoners of war.

Correct Answer – C. Lewis Hamilton

Explanation: Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes-Great Britain) has won F1 Russian Grand Prix 2021, winning his 100th Grand Prix title, which was held at at Sochi Autodrom.Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) came second, followed by Carlos Sainz (Ferrari-Spain) in the Russian Grand Prix 2021.Carlos Sainz got his first podium in Russia.Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes-Finland) stood at 5th position.This was the 15th round of the 2021 Formula One World Championship.

Correct Answer – A. Rs 1 crore

Explanation: RBI has issued guidelines regarding Securitization of Standard Assets and loan transfer that will be applicable to all scheduled commercial banks, excluding RRBs, all-India term financial institutions, small finance banks and NBFCs.As per the guidelines of RBI, minimum ticket size for issuance of securitization notes will be Rs.1 crore.Minimum holding period for different categories of loans after which they shall become eligible for transfer has been prescribed in it.

Correct Answer – A. Ajay Kumar

Explanation: Ajay Kumar has been appointed as the Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India with effect from August 20, 2021.Prior to being promoted as ED, he was heading the New Delhi Regional Office of RBI as Regional Director.He has served RBI for three decades in areas like foreign exchange, banking supervision, financial inclusion, currency in management, etc.

Correct Answer – D. Tourism for Inclusive Growth

Explanation:  World Tourism Day (WTD) is observed every year on September 27 across the globe to raise awareness on the role of tourism within international community and to demonstrate its affect on social, cultural, political, and economic values.It was first observed in 1980.Theme for WTD 2021: Tourism for Inclusive Growth.This date was chosen by United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) to commemorate the adoption of Statutes of UNWTO in 1970.

Correct Answer – C. 10%

Explanation: Currently, the GST regime has five broad tax rate slabs of zero, 5%, 12%, 18% and 28%, with a cess levied over and above the 28% on some goods, and special rates for items like precious stones and diamonds.The government has tasked a group of ministers (GoM) led by Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj S. Bommai with proposing a rationalisation of tax rates and considering the merger of different tax slabs within two months.It is an Indirect tax which introduced to replacing a host of other Indirect taxes such as value added tax, service tax, purchase tax, excise duty, and so on.GST levied on the supply of certain goods and services in India. It is one tax that is applicable all over India.On July 1st 2017, the Goods and Services Tax implemented in India.

Correct Answer – E. 2022

Explanation: India is on track to become industrial trans fat-free by the year 2022. Only 1.34 percent of the newly tested processed food samples showed more than the permissible levels of high fats ingredients. The above finding is from the pan-India survey conducted by national food regulator FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India) along with the Quality Council of India.

As per World Health Organization, increased intake of trans fat (more than 1% of total energy intake) is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease mortality.Trans fat intake is responsible for 5,00,000 premature deaths from coronary heart disease each year around the world.

Correct Answer – E. HDFC Bank

Explanation: The HDFC Bank has been voted ‘Overall Most Outstanding Company in India,’ in a poll conducted by reputed publication Asiamoney. The Bank also polled No.1 among banks in India for the 4th year in a row, since 2018. Asia’s Outstanding Companies Poll is designed to acknowledge listed companies from areas such as financial performance, investor relations, and CSR initiatives.The full form of HDFC bank is Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd.The headquarter of HDFC Bank is Mumbai.

Correct Answer – D. B S Yediyurappa

Explanation:  The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on 24 September 2021 named former chief minister (CM) BS Yediyurappa the best legislator of the year 2020-21. Yediyurappa has served as an MLA, Opposition party leader, deputy chief minister, and Chief Minister of the state. Karnataka from the year 2021 has decided to present the best legislator award for members of the Legislative Assembly.The award was presented by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla at a special program in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. A committee led by Mr. Kageri and comprising the Chief Minister, Leader of Opposition Siddaramaiah, and Law Minister J. C. Madhuswamy, chose Mr. Yediyurappa for the award.

Correct Answer – D. Both 1 and 2

Explanation: Federal Bank board has appointed Sankarshan Basu and Ramanand Mundkur as its additional non‑executive independent Directors. With the new appointment, the private sector lender now has a 12 member board. On 24 September 2021, the bank’s director K Balakrishnan had retired as independent Director after completing a 3-year term. Ramanand has earlier worked with International Monetary Fund.

Correct Answer – D. IIT-Gandhinagar

Explanation: Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) along with IIT-Gandhinagar has decided to launch the online series ‘Eklavya’. Online sessions of ‘3030 Eklavya’ would be held every Sunday afternoon starting September 26, 2021. The program would touch on topics from the science and mathematics curriculum for classes six to 12 and help in conceptual understanding through interesting questions.The chairman of CBSE is Sh. Manoj Ahuja (IAS). CBSE is a national-level educational body for public and private schools that is under the direct control of the Government of India.

Correct Answer – B. Bhasker Sharma

Explanation: World Against Corruption (WAC) People Council and WAC Global Human Rights Foundation awarded Dr. Bhasker Sharma with the International Prestigious Award (IPA) 2021. Dr. Bhasker Sharma is a renowned homeopathic doctor of Uttar Pradesh. WAC People Council is a Maharashtra-based non-profit foundation registered under the Ministry of Corporate Affairs, Govt.

The International Prestigious Award 2021 also recognized India’s Best Motivational Speaker Bhupendra Singh Rathore, Bollywood Choreographer Sandip Soparrkar, Best Music Director Ramshankar, and more for their commendable work in the field of social development of the country. Earlier Dr. Bhasker Sharma has also received many such awards such as the Presidential Youth Fitness Award along with a gold medal by former President of America, Donald Trump.

Correct Answer – C. Satoshi Nakamoto

Explanation: Bitcoin’s pseudonymous creator Satoshi Nakamoto’s first statue was unveiled in Budapest, Hungary in September 2021.The bronze statue acknowledges the immense contribution to the disruption of traditional currency.It has been put on display at Graphishop Park, Budapest.The sculpture is the bust of a person wearing a hoodie that has the Bitcoin (BTC) logo engraved on it.

Correct Answer – D. Quad

Explanation: The Quad group has launched an infrastructure partnership and fellowship program on 24 September 2021. The Quad Fellowship has been stewarded by Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative, and supported by Accenture, Blackstone, Boeing, Google, Mastercard, and Western Digital. The fellowship program will provide 100 graduate fellowships to graduate students across member countries.Quad is also known as the ‘Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD). It is an informal strategic forum comprised of four nations-The United States of America, India, Australia, and Japan. The primary objective of the Quad is to work for a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Correct Answer – B. USA

Explanation: The US Department of Energy along with its Indian counterparts launched a new public-private Hydrogen Task Force as well as a Biofuels Task Force. These groups have been launched under Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP). These groups would help expand the use of clean energy technologies to decarbonize the energy sector.The US also announced an enhanced Nationally Determined Contribution to reduce economy-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52 percent below 2005 levels in 2030.  The US Trade and Development Agency has also launched the US-India Climate Technologies Action Group (CTAG). The CTAG will integrate private and public-sector inputs on initiatives that can contribute to global action on climate. The US also invited India to participate in the Agriculture Innovation Mission for Climate (AIM for Climate), which will be launched at COP26 in November 2021.