Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 3rd December 2020

Correct Answer: B. Nagaland

Explanation: Nagaland celebrated its 58th Statehood Day on 1 December 2020. It became the 16th State of the Union of India on 1st December 1963. The formal inauguration of the state was done by the then President Dr S. Radhakrishnan. On the occasion, a state-level program was held at Civil Secretariat Plaza Kohima wherein CM Neiphiu Rio delivered his speech.

Nagaland is hosting the first virtual celebration of Hornbill Festival 2020 from 1-5 Dec 2020. The festival is celebrated every year showcasing the rich cultural heritage and tradition of the Nagas in one platform at Naga Heritage Village Kisama under Kohima District. However, due to the pandemic, the state is holding its 21st edition of Hornbill festival 2020 completely on virtual mode.

Correct Answer – B. Janet Yellen

Explanation: S President-elect Joe Biden has named ex-Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen as his nominee for Treasury Secretary. If confirmed, she will be the first woman ever to hold the post. Indian American Neera Tanden has been named as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He also named Wally Adeyemo as his nominee for Deputy Treasury Secretary.

Correct Answer – D. United States

Explanation: The United States has imposed sanctions on Chinese firm China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation (CEIEC). It has accused it of supporting Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro’s efforts to undermine democracy in Venezuela. CEIEC has been providing technical expertise to Venezuelan government entities, against the people of the country.

Correct Answer – C. Border Security Force

Explanation:  The Border Security Force (BSF), is observing its 56th Raising Day on 01 December 2020. BSF was formed on December 1, 1965, as a unified central agency, after the Indo-Pak and India-China wars, for ensuring the security of the borders of India and for matters connected therewith. It is one of the five Central Armed Police Forces of the Union of India and stands as the world’s largest border guarding force. BSF has been termed as the First Line of Defence of Indian Territories.

• BSF Director General: Rakesh Asthana.
• BSF Headquarters: New Delhi.

Correct Answer – A. Punjab

Explanation: Punjab Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the International Digital Health & Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) hosted at the Graduate Institute of International & Development Studies in Geneva, Switzerland to develop and deploy digital technologies in the health sector. Punjab is the 1st govt partner of I-DAIR to develop models of people-centric digital infrastructures for health Anirudh Tewari, the state’s Additional Chief Secretary (Governance Reforms) signed the MoU on behalf of the Punjab Government.

Correct Answer – C. Asian Development Bank

Explanation: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) released a new book titled, ‘Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific’. The book reviews the progress with regional cooperation and integration in Asia and the Pacific. It explores ways for economies in the region to work combinedly to recover and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, so as to achieve a more flexible, sustainable, and inclusive future. The book consists of papers that are contributed by renowned scholars and staff of ADB. The book is edited by Bambang Susantono and Cyn-Young Park. As per the book, India was the 4th major host of Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects and 8th major host of cross-border Merger and Acquisition (M&A) deals, during 2004-2015.

Correct Answer – B. Utpal Kumar Singh

Explanation: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has appointed senior IAS officer Utpal Kumar Singh as Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha and Lok Sabha Secretariat. His appointment will come into effect from December 1, 2020. He will succeed incumbent Snehlata Shrivastava. Mr Singh is a 1986 batch IAS officer of Uttrakhand Cadre and has been appointed as Secretary-General of the Lok Sabha in the rank and status of Cabinet Secretary.

Correct Answer – C. Rajasthan

Explanation: The Union Minister of Railways, Piyush Goyal has inaugurated the newly electrified Dhigawara-Bandikui section of North Western Railway (NWR) in the state of Rajasthan. The Minister also flagged off the first train on this newly electrified route. The Dhigawara-Bandikui section is on Delhi-Ajmer route via Jaipur. The Railways has set the target to electrify the entire percentage of railway lines across the country in a phased manner. Once these electrified trains start running, the trains that run on diesel will be stopped.

Correct Answer – B. Varsha Joshi

Explanation: The Government of India has appointed IAS officer Varsha Joshi as the new Chairperson of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). She is presently served as Joint Secretary (CDD), Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying, Government of India. With incumbent Dilip Rath’s tenure as Chairman of NDDB ends on November 30, 2020, Joshi’s appointment is made effective from December 1, 2020, until further orders.

Correct Answer – B. 2nd December

Explanation: The World Computer Literacy Day is observed annually on 2nd December to create awareness and drive digital literacy in underserved communities worldwide. The day promotes technological skills, especially in children and women. The World Computer Literacy Day controls the advanced gap that exists in the world today. The day was originally founded by the Indian computer company NIIT to mark its 20th anniversary in 2001. World Computer Literacy Day was first observed and held in the year 2001 on 2nd Dec.

Correct Answer – D. Professor Sangita Srivastava

Explanation: Professor Sangita Srivastava has been appointed as the new regular vice-chancellor of Allahabad University (AU). She is the first woman chosen for this post at AU. Prof Srivastava is a former head of Allahabad University’s home science department. After her new appointment, she was relieved of her present charge as vice chancellor of Prof Rajendra Singh University on the orders of the chancellor and governor Anandiben Patel.

Correct Answer – A. M Venkaiah Naidu

Explanation: The 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Governments was chaired by Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu. The Summit ended with the adoption of the Joint Communique. During the meet, he launched the first-ever SCO Online Exhibition on Shared Buddhist Heritage. It was launched during the 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. For the first time that a Summit-level Meeting was held under India’s Chairmanship since it gained full membership of the organization in 2017.

Correct Answer – D. -9.9%

Explanation:  The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has marginally raised its GDP forecast for India to a contraction of 9.9% in 2020-21 (FY21) from its earlier projection of (-)10.2% in September 2020. OECD expects the GDP to rebound to 8% in 2021-22 (FY22) and 5% in 2022-23 (FY23). In terms of the global economy, OECD expects the world GDP to contract 4.2% in 2020. This estimate was (-)4.5 percent in the September forecast. OECD has also projected the world economy to grow by 4.2 percent in 2021 from an earlier forecast of 5 percent. By 2022, Global GDP is projected at 3.7%.

Correct Answer: A. Politics

Explanation: In Telangana, the senior leader of the ruling Telangana Rastra Samiti and MLA, N. Narasimhaiah passed away in December 2020. He served as floor leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) twice in the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh Assembly while representing the Nakrekal constituency. He lost the election in the 2014 election but won from Nagarjunasagar in 2018 from the ruling TRS.