Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 31st December 2020

Correct Answer: C. Skyroot Aerospace

Explanation: Indian Space startup, Skyroot Aerospace has successfully test-fired a solid propulsion rocket engine, named Kalam-5. With this, it has become the first private company of India to successfully design, develop and test a full solid-fueled rocket stage. This crucial propulsion technology will be used for their maiden rocket Vikram-1, which is under active manufacturing and is targeted to be launched in December 2021 with the help of ISRO. Kalam is a series of five solid-fueled rocket engines with a thrust ranging from 5kN to 1000kN (approx 100Tons).  The remaining four motors are in various stages of manufacturing and will be tested in 2021.

Correct Answer – C. Madhya Pradesh

Explanation: Madhya Pradesh govt approved Dharma Swatantrya (Religious Freedom) Bill 2020. Under this, forced conversion of a woman will be punishable for a term up to 10 years and minimum fine of Rs 50,000. Specific provisions are also made in the cases of religious conversion of minors, groups, or those belonging to scheduled castes and scheduled tribes.

Correct Answer – A. Serum Institute of India

Explanation: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has inaugurated India’s first pneumococcal conjugate vaccine named as “Pneumosil”. Pneumosil has been developed by Serum Institute of India Private Limited (SIIPL) in collaboration with Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Correct Answer – D. Maharashtra and West Bengal

Explanation:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi has flagged off the 100th ‘Kisan Rail’ on 28th December 2020. The 100th run of the Kisan Rail was flagged off from Sangola in Maharashtra to Shalimar in West Bengal virtually. Kisan Rail is a mobile cold storage to move perishable things like fruits, vegetables, milk, fish, etc., with complete security. The first Kisan Rail was introduced from Devlali in Maharashtra to Danapur in Bihar on August 7, 2020, which was further extended up to Muzaffarpur. Currently, of only a handful of trains plying across the India connecting states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar and Nagpur, there are nine Kisan Rail running on nine routes.

Correct Answer – B. R P Tiwari

Explanation: UGC set up a seven-member committee to consider the issue (of) holding common entrance test at undergraduate level only from the next academic year. The committee is to be headed by Vice-Chancellor of Central University of Punjab R P Tiwari.

Correct Answer – A. RC Singh

Explanation: Second-term Rajya Sabha MP, RCP Singh has been elected as the National President of Janata Dal (JD-independent). He succeeded Nitish Kumar, who stepped down to hand over the reins of the party to him. Prior to this, he was general secretary of JD (U).

Correct Answer – A. Arya Rajendran

Explanation: Arya Rajendran (21-years) has been elected the new mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, of Kerala. Arya is a second-year student of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Mathematics at the All Saints College. She is also the state president of Balasangam, the children’s wing of the CPI(M).

Correct Answer – A. ICICI Bank

Explanation: ICICI Bank has announced to collaborate with Google to issue FASTag. Now, Customers will be able to order, track and recharge ICICI Bank FASTag via the Google Pay app. The new partnership will now allow users to conveniently order, track, and recharge ICICI Bank FASTags from the app itself.

Correct Answer – D. Hemant Kumar Pandey

Explanation:  Senior scientist Hemant Kumar Pandey has been honoured with DRDO’s ”Scientist of the Year Award” for his contribution in developing several herbal medicines, including the popular drug Lukoskin meant for the treatment of leucoderma. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had recently facilitated the scientist at an event here with the prestigious award that comprises a certificate and cash prize of Rs 2 lakh. The scientist has developed six herbal drugs so far, Lukoskin used for treating leucoderma or Vitiligo, a condition in which white patches get developed on the skin, has been most widely appreciated and found huge acceptance in the market.

Correct Answer – B. Rajat Datta

Explanation: The central government appointed Vice-Admiral Rajat Datta as the next Director-General of the Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS). DGAFMS is the senior-most medical officer in the three services who looks after all the hospitals of the force. He will succeed incumbent Lieutenant General Anup Bannerjee and assume the office on January 1, 2021.

Correct Answer – D. Selena Quintanilla Perez

Explanation: Selena Quintanilla Perez will be posthumously honoured with the Grammy’s Lifetime Achievement Award. The beloved Tejana singer was selected as a recipient of the Recording Academy’s award to recognize her outstanding accomplishments in the music industry. The posthumous award will be presented at the 63rd Annual Grammy Awards on January 31, 2021.

Correct Answer – B. Indonesia and Peru

Explanation: The Bureau of the FIFA Council cancelled the 2021 editions of men’s U-20 and U-17 World Cup due to the ongoing pandemic and decided to give the hosting rights to Indonesia and Peru for the 2023 editions. The two host countries, Australia and New Zealand will automatically qualify for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

Correct Answer – D. South China Sea

Explanation:  The Indian Navy and Vietnamese Navy undertook the naval passage exercise PASSEX in the South China Sea. The two-day exercise was conducted s part of efforts to boost maritime cooperation between the two countries. The Indian Naval Ship (INS) Kiltan took part in the exercise. INS Kiltan, reached Vietnam’s Nha Rong Port in Ho Chi Minh City, carrying humanitarian assistance to deliver 15 tonnes of relief material for flood-affected people under Mission Sagar-III. This mission of INS Kiltan is part of India’s Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) assistance to Friendly Foreign Countries during the ongoing pandemic.

Correct Answer: B. Indian Dance

Explanation: Padma Shri awardee dance historian and critic, Sunil Kothari has passed away. He was qualified as a Chartered Accountant, before turning to the study of Indian dance forms. He authored more than 20 books on the subject of Indian dance forms. The noted dance scholar Kothari received numerous titles and awards for his contribution to Indian dance forms. Some of them include the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award (1995); the Padma Shri bestowed by the Government of India (2001); and the Life Time Achievement Award of the Dance Critics Association, New York, USA (2011).