Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 5th & 6th September 2021

Correct Answer: B. Russia

Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually addressed the plenary session of the 6th Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), organised in Vladivostok, Russia. An Indian delegation led by Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri and comprising leading Indian oil and gas companies are participating in the EEF Summit 2021 in Russia.On the sidelines of EEF, Petroleum Minister will also have meetings with Russian Energy Minister Nikolay Shulginov to review bilateral energy cooperation in the energy sector and with the Russian Minister for Development of Far East and Arctic Alexei Chekunkov to discuss the collaboration between Indian and Russian companies in that region. Petroleum Minister will also co-chair India-Russia Business Dialogue.

Correct Answer – A. Jounalist

Explanation:Former Rajya Sabha MP and senior journalist Chandan Mitra has passed away.He was the Editor and Managing Director of The Pioneer newspaper in New Delhi.Mitra was nominated as a member of the Rajya Sabha from August 2003 to 2009.In June 2010, Mitra was elected to another term in the Rajya Sabha by BJP from Madhya Pradesh.His term ended in 2016.In July 2018, he resigned from the BJP and joined the Trinamool Congress (TMC).

Correct Answer – B. 51

Explanation: Hurun Research Institute has released the Hurun India Future Unicorn List 2021, as per which India is the third-largest Unicorn/startup ecosystem in the world. The USA is on top followed by China on second.India has 51 unicorns according to the list. The USA has 396 and China has 277 unicorns.Zilingo is the top unicorn in the ranking in India with funding of USD 310.The headquarters of Zilingo is in Singapore. Bengaluru is the top Indian city in terms of the number of Unicorns headquartered in a city. Bengaluru has 31 unicorns followed by Mumbai which has 12 unicorns.

Correct Answer – C. Vartika Shukla

Explanation:  Vartika Shukla took charge as the first woman Chairperson and Managing Director of public sector enterprise Engineers India Ltd. She spearheaded the company’s innovative energy programmes, including biofuels, coal gasification, waste to fuel and hydrogen energy, among others.

About the Vartika Shukla:

A graduate in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, Shukla joined EIL in 1988 and has extensive consulting experience comprising design, engineering, and implementation of complexes in refining, gas processing, petrochemicals and fertilisers.

Important Points:

• Engineers India Ltd Founded: 1965.

Correct Answer – B. Gauri Lankesh Day

Explanation: The Canadian city of Burnaby has declared September 5 as “Gauri Lankesh Day”, as a tribute to the dead journalist on her death anniversary, her sister Kavitha Lankesh. The proclamation issued by the office of the Mayor of Burnaby Mike Hurley said Gauri Lankesh was a courageous Indian journalist who stood up for truth and justice, challenged superstition and social ills, and dedicated her life to serving the poor and oppressed.Gauri Lankesh, a left-leaning journalist who brought out a magazine “Gauri Lankesh Patrike”, was shot dead by two assailants on September 5, 2017 evening just outside her house in Bengaluru allegedly for her anti-Hindutva stand.

Correct Answer – B. Maharashtra

Explanation: The Maharashtra Government has decided to set up a world-class science city at Pimpri-Chinchwad near Pune to develop a scientific outlook among the students and prepare them to become students in future. To be named as ‘Bharat Ratna Rajiv Gandhi Science Innovation City’, a science Centre will be developed on one acre area in an eight-acre complex in the PCMC area.The Centre has granted an assistance of Rs 191 crore to build the Science city in the PCMC area.

Important Points:

• Maharashtra Governor: Bhagat Singh Koshyari;
• Maharashtra Capital: Mumbai;
• Maharashtra CM: Uddhav Thackeray

Correct Answer – C. Max Verstappen

Explanation: Max Verstappen won the Netherlands Grand Prix 2021 and reclaimed the Formula One championship lead from Lewis Hamilton.The Red Bull driver’s leading seventh win of the season and 17th of his career.Championship leader Lewis Hamilton could only manage second place in his Mercedes F1Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas was third.

Correct Answer – A. Union Health Secretary

Explanation:  Former Union Health Secretary Keshav Desiraju passed away in Chennai.He was a retired IAS officer and grandson of former President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.Desiraju was an IAS officer from the 1978 batch of Uttarakhand cadre. He had a Masters degree in Economics from the University of Cambridge and a Masters degree in Public Administration from the John F Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.He has held many positions with the governments of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh and the Government of India and retired as the Union Secretary in the Department of Consumer Affairs.After he retired, he was appointed as the chairperson of the governing board of the Population Foundation of India.

Correct Answer – B. Badminton

Explanation: India’s Suhas Lalinakere Yathiraj won silver medal of badminton SL4 category at 2020 Tokyo Paralympics.He lost gold medal match to the top seeded Lucas Mazur of France.The 38-year-old Suhas is currently the District Magistrate (DM) of Noida and became the first-ever IAS officer to win a medal at the Paralympics.Suhas had lost to Mazur, who has won three gold medals in European Championships as well.Suhas had earlier outwitted Indonesia’s Fredy Setiawan 21-9 21-15 in the semifinal.

Correct Answer – B. Gujarat

Explanation: The first meeting of the governing body of Vatan Prem Yojana was held where works to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore has been proposed to be completed by December 2022.The governing body of the Vatan Prem Yojana’s society had met in Gandhinagar under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Vijay Rupani.A presentation of details of the scheme was made before Rupani. A project management unit has been formed for the smooth implementation of the scheme, while it has also been made possible for donors to send money online.Under the scheme launched last month, NRIs can contribute 60 per cent of the cost of a village-level project, while the remaining will be borne by the state government.

Correct Answer – B. Bank of India

Explanation: State-owned Bank of India said LIC has picked up nearly 4 per cent equity shares of the bank through an open market transaction a day earlier.LIC has picked up nearly 3.9 per cent (15,90,07,791 shares) of the bank through open market acquisition on September 2, 2021.Before the latest acquisition of shares in the bank, LIC held over a 3.17 per cent stake in the state-owned bank.

Correct Answer – B. WHO

Explanation: The WHO added the Mu variant– known by scientists as B1621– to the list of “variants of interest”. The WHO’s variant of interest (VOI) designation suggests that the strain has genetic changes that may affect virus characteristics, such as increased transmissibility, disease severity, immune escape, diagnostic or therapeutic escape. The Mu variant has a “कांस्ती of mutations that indicate potential properties of immune escape”. VOIs have also been identified to cause significant community transmission or multiple Covid-19 clusters in multiple countries. Other VOIs named by the WHO include Eta, Iota, Kappa and Lambda. The WHO also lists four coronavirus variants of concern (VOCs): Delta, Alpha, Beta and Gamma.

Correct Answer – C. Italy

Explanation:  Minister of Health and Family Welfare Mansukh Mandaviya on 5 September 2021 participated in the G-20 Health Ministers Meeting 2021, presided by Italy. The theme of the meeting was “People, Planet & Prosperity”. Mandaviya shared India’s response to monitoring the Global Health Impact of the pandemic, with a detailed assessment of its consequences in implementing Sustainable Development Goals.

The G20 is made up of 19 countries and the European Union. The 19 countries are: 1. Argentina. 2. Australia. 3. Brazil. 4. Canada. 5. China. 6. Germany. 7. France. 8. India. 9. Indonesia 10. Italy. 11. Japan. 12. Mexico. 13. Russian Federation. 14. Saudi Arabia. 15. South Africa. 16. South Korea. 17. Turkey. 18. UK. 19. USA.

Correct Answer: D. 27

Explanation: Himachal Pradesh Government on 5 September 2021 signed 27 Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) worth Rs 3,307 crore with various industrial organizations. A total of 6 MoUs worth Rs 1,000 crore were signed for setting up ethanol plants in the State. M/s Metaphysical Health Care Pvt Ltd, a franchisee of Apollo Hospitals, will invest Rs 150 crore to set up a 250-bed hospital. M/s Nachiketa Paper Ltd. will set up an industry of manufacturing craft and duplex boards with an investment of Rs 100 crore.  The Industries Minister said that the proposals received are aimed at encouraging investment in ethanol, medical devices, education and skill development, pharmaceuticals, paper manufacturing, food processing, healthcare, automobiles, electronic manufacturing and industrial sectors.Himachal is the only state in the north India region to have a State-of-the-art Defence Park at Nalagarh.

Correct Answer: A. INS Hansa

Explanation: INS Hansa, the Indian Navy’s premier air station, celebrated its diamond jubilee on 05 September 2021. The Naval Jet Flight set up at Coimbatore in 1958 with Sea Hawk, Alize, and Vampire aircraft was later commissioned as INS Hansa on 05 September 1961. The air station also supports civil aviation by handling domestic and international flights 24×7, with an average of 29000 flights in a year. President Ram Nath Kovind awarded the President’s Colour to Indian Naval Aviation at a ceremonial parade at INS Hansa in Goa on September 6, 2021. After the liberation of Goa, Dabolim airfield was taken over by the Navy in April 1962 and INS Hansa shifted to Dabolim in June 1964. The air station will soon operate the Boeing P8I long-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft with the commissioning of INAS 316.

The President’s Colour is the highest honour bestowed on a military unit in recognition of its exceptional service to the nation.

Correct Answer: A. Dr Jitendra Singh

Explanation: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh has inaugurated the latest upgraded state-of-the-art Doppler Weather Radar (DWR) and indigenous GPS-based Pilot Sonde at Indian Meteorological Office in Jammu. The DWR would help in providing real-time monitoring and providing weather forecasts in different sectors including agriculture and tourism forecasts especially for the pilgrims of Mata Vaishno Devi. GPS-based pilot sonde provides high precision of Pressure, wind speed and wind direction, excellent Data availability and quality with error detection and correction.

In addition to DWR system installed, Dr Jitendra Singh referred to several new scientific establishments set up in the region during the last few years under the Modi government which included: North India’s first Biotech Industrial Park at Kathua. North India’s first Space/ISRO Centre at Central University. India’s lavender led Purple Revolution and the first Cannabis Medicinal Plant launched by IIIM Jammu. The first-ever National Institute of High Altitude Medicine at Bhaderwah. The first-ever Mega -quintal Seed Processing Plant at Kathua. Latest Weather forecast instrument installed at SanjhiChhat for convenience of Vaishno Devi pilgrims. High altitude Radio Relay Station at Patnitop.

Correct Answer: D. Bangladesh

Explanation: The Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed left Dhaka for a three-day official visit to India on 4 Sept 2021. He is leading an 8 member delegation during the visit. He will hold meetings with the National Security Advisor of India, Chief of Defence Staff, Chiefs of Army, Navy and Air staff, Defence Secretary. His visit will conclude on 8 September 2021.

The Bangladesh Army Chief will discuss issues of bilateral importance to strengthen the cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries. He will also visit some of the defence establishments and National Defence College.

Bangladesh:

• Capital – Dhaka.
• Currency – Bangladeshi Taka

Correct Answer: D. 8th

Explanation: The 8th National Level Exhibition and Project Competition (NLEPC) for the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK (Million Minds Augmenting National Aspiration and Knowledge) commenced on 4 September 2021. It showcased the innovative ideas from 581 students representing various states and UTs of the country. The award ceremony of the NLEPC of the INSPIRE Awards – MANAK will be held in a virtual mode on 8 September 2021.

The INSPIRE Awards – MANAK scheme is aligned with the ‘Start-up India’ initiative launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India. The scheme aims to motivate students in the age group of 10-15 years and studying in classes 6 to 10 to become future innovators and critical thinkers.

Correct Answer: B. Ashish Shiradhonkar

Explanation: The Supreme Court has constituted a committee that will be headed by Ashish Shiradhonkar. He is heading the e-courts project in National Informatics Centre, to develop a technological platform streamlining the appeal filing process related to direct and indirect taxation matters.The panel will monitor the development of the platform and coordinate with other stakeholders.

The committee will complete its work in three months and will have members from revenue department, CBDT and CBIT. The National Informatics Centre (NIC) is collaborating to integrate the Legal Information Management and Briefing System (LIMBS) with the e-office mechanism so that real time tracking of cases can be done.