Daily GK & Current Affairs Quiz – 3rd July 2020

Correct Answer: D. Madhya Pradesh

Explanation: Madhya Pradesh government has launched “Hamara Ghar-Hamara Vidyalaya” over a virtual platform to take care of academic regularity of the students during the Lockdown due to COVID-19 pandemic. The scheme will start on 6th July 2020. Under the scheme, the school bells are going to be heard within the student’s house and the teachers will begin the class of the students after the bell. The scheme provides a school-like environment for the children taught at their home through online classes.

Correct Answer – C. Kiren Rijiju

Explanation: The National Anti-Doping Agency (NADA) has launched its mobile application ‘NADA INDIA’ for creating a bridge with the athletes under which information on prohibited substances would be provided easily. The mobile application was launched by the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs and Sports Kiren Rijiju. The recently launched mobile application aims to bridge the gap between NADA and the athletes by offering easily-accessible information on various aspects of sport, prohibited substances as well as dope-testing.

Correct Answer – C. 18

Explanation: The ministry also extended the operation greens from TOP (Tomato-Onion-Potato) crops to all perishable fruits and vegetables with an objective to protect the growers of fruits and vegetables from making distress sale due to lockdown and reduce post-harvest losses. The duration of the scheme will be for the period of six months from the date of notification on June 11, 2020. The benefit has been extended to additional 10 fruits (Mango, Banana, Guava, Kiwi, Lichi, Papaya, Citrus, Pineapple, Pomegranate, Jackfruit) and 8 vegetables (French beans, Bitter Gourd, Brinjal, Capsicum, Carrot, Cauliflower, Chillies (Green) and Okra) – 18 in total.

Correct Answer – B. $500 million

Explanation:  The World Bank has approved a $500 million for Strengthening Teaching-Learning and Results for States Program (STARS). The STARS program seeks to improve the quality and governance of school education in six Indian states namely Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, and Rajasthan. STARS program will help India in renewing focus on addressing the ‘learning outcome’ challenge. It will also help the students in preparing for the jobs of the future via series of reform initiatives. These reform initiatives includes:

• Focusing more directly on the delivery of education services at the state, district and sub district levels.
• Addressing demands from stakeholders, especially parents, for greater accountability and inclusion.
• Equipping teachers to manage the transformation.
• Investing more in developing India’s human capital

Correct Answer – D. Hanoi, Vietnam

Explanation: The 36th edition of the biannual ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations)  Summit 2020 was held via video conferencing in Hanoi, Vietnam. The theme of the Summit was “Cohesive and Responsive ASEAN”. The main focus of the summit was on the COVID-19 epidemic response, post-pandemic recovery and further cooperation with partners. The 36th ASEAN summit was scheduled to be held in April 2020 in central Vietnam”s Da Nang, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

10 ASEAN member countries: Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Cambodia, Myanmar (Burma), Laos.

Correct Answer – B. Giriraj Singh

Explanation: Union Minister for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Giriraj Singh has launched the 1st Edition newsletter “Matsya Sampada” fisheries and aquaculture published by the Department of Fisheries and the operational guidelines of Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). This newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis.

About Matsya Sampada:

• Matsya Sampada is aimed to educate the fishers and fish farmers on the latest advancement in and best practices in fisheries and aquaculture.
• This newsletter will serve as a communication platform in informing the development in the sector to the stakeholders like fishers, fish farmers and the entrepreneurs all over the country and assist them with their businesses.
• The PMMSY flagship scheme was launched by the Government of India in May 2020 with Rs.20050 crore as an investment.
• The scheme focuses on sustainable and responsible development in the sector of Fisheries and aquaculture. PMMSY is the largest investment in the fisheries sector with more than 100 activities.

Correct Answer – C. IIT Madras

Explanation: Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Union Minister of Human Resource and Development (HRD) launched the world’s first online B.Sc Degree in Programming and Data science through the webinar, the programme was prepared by Indian Institute of Technology, Madras(IIT-Madras).The programme is prepared with a focus on Data Science which is predicted to grow and provide 11.5 million job opportunities by 2026.

Correct Answer – B. Nagaland

Explanation: The Government of India has declared the entire Nagaland as “disturbed area”. The declaration has been made for a further period of six months i.e. till end December. Supporting the declaration, Ministry of Home Affairs mentioned in its notification that the area comprising the whole Nagaland is in a disturbed and dangerous condition and hence the use of armed forces for “the maintenance of public order” is necessary. Nagaland has been placed under the coverage of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) for almost six decades. The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) empowers the armed forces to search and arrest, and to open fire if it seems necessary for “the maintenance of public order”.

• Chief Minister of Nagaland: Neiphiu Rio;
• Governor:N. Ravi.

Correct Answer – D. Bangladesh

Explanation:  India and Bangladesh has signed an agreement for the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture Company (JVC). This 50:50 Joint Venture Company has been formed for LPG business in Bangladesh. The agreement was signed between the RR Holdings Ltd., Ras Al Khaimah, UAE, the holding company of Beximco LPG of Bangladesh, and IOC Middle East FZE, Dubai, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC). The Joint Venture Company (JVC) will help in reducing the import cost of LPG and provide it to the people of Bangladesh at an affordable price. It also aims to expand into other linked businesses such as LNG, Petrochemicals, including the LPG export through pipeline to the North East India.

• Prime Minister of Bangladesh: Sheikh Hasina;
• Capital: Dhaka;
• Currency:

Correct Answer – B. 2nd July

Explanation: World Sports Journalists Day is observed globally on 2nd July every year. The day aims to acknowledge the work of sports journalists & to encourage them to do better at their work. The day was established in 1994 to mark the 70th anniversary of the International Sports Press Association (AIPS). This year 2020 marks the 96th anniversary of AIPS.

• AIPS of Headquarters: Lausanne, Switzerland.
• AIPS of President: Gianni Merlo.

Correct Answer – B. India and Japan

Explanation: In order to promote mutual understanding, Indian Navy and Japanese Navy have conducted a day long Naval Exercise PASSEX (Passing Exercise) for tactical and communications training, towards the Malacca Strait in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). This was the 15th exercise undertaken by the navies of these two nations in the last three years. The overall content of this PASSEX was goodwill training and to promote understanding. The exercise consisted of four warships viz. Rajput-class destroyer INS (Indian Naval Ship) Rana and Kora-class missile corvette INS Kulish of Indian Navy and JS Kashima (TV 3508) and JS Shimayuki (TV 3513) of JMSDF’s training squadron.

Correct Answer – D. Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee and Prof Raj Chetty

Explanation: In the United States, two renowned Indian-Americans who have contributed towards the efforts in mitigating the COVID-19 health crisis are among the 38 immigrants honoured by a prestigious American foundation ahead of US Independence Day commemoration this year. Pulitzer Prize-winning author and oncologist Siddhartha Mukherjee and Professor of Economics at Harvard University Raj Chetty have been named by the Carnegie Corporation of New York as ‘2020 Great Immigrants’ honorees. Recipient of Padma Shri award in 2014, Dr Siddhartha Mukherjee has served at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as a physician and as the Associate Professor of Medicine at the Columbia University.

The noted biologist, oncologist and the author was awarded Pulitzer Prize in 2011 for his book: The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer. Raj Chetty was chosen as the recipient for the award for his efforts in launching a real-time economic impact monitor of COVID-19.

Correct Answer – B. 2036

Explanation:  Constitutional Referendum as proposed by the President of Russia Vladimir Putin during his address to the Federal Assembly on 15th January 2020 was held from 25th June to 1st July 2020. As per the votes during the Referendum, 77.95 percent of Russian citizens have voted in support of the Amendments to the 1993 Constitution of Russia. Only 21.23 percent of the Russian Citizens voted against the Amendments. Vladimir Putin’s second consecutive term (from 2012-2018, 2018-2024) would have ended in 2024, but now with a clear majority of the Russian’s having opted for the Constitutional Amendments, Putin can remain as the President of Russia until 2036.

Correct Answer: C. Carl Reiner

Explanation: Legendary comedian, Carl Reiner passed away. He was a prolific writer, comedian, director and actor. He had a run as a movie director with such films as “Oh, God!” (1977) and “The Jerk” (1979). He won several Emmys awards in writing and producing.