Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 7th January 2021

Correct Answer: D. L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering

Explanation: L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering (LTHE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Turbo has bagged an over Rs 7,000 crore order from HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd (HRRL) for setting up a dual-feed cracker unit (DFCU). HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Ltd is a joint venture between Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL) and the Government of Rajasthan. The DFCU is used to convert Refinery Naphtha and Offgases to produce polymer grade Ethylene and Propylene by the process of thermal cracking.

Correct Answer: A. Amit Shah

Explanation: Union Home Minister Amit Shah released the inaugural issue of the “National Police K-9 Journal”. The journal comprises different sections in Hindi and English. A special ‘Police K9 Cell’ was established in November 2019 under the Police Modernisation Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs with the mandate of ‘Mainstreaming and Augmentation of Police Service K9s in the country’.

Correct Answer: D. United States

Explanation: The U.S. Congress has passed the ‘Malala Yousafzai Scholarship Act’ to increase the number of scholarships for Pakistani women in higher education under merit and needs-based programme. The bill was passed by the United States Senate by a voice vote on January 1. The bill now heads to the White House for U.S. President Donald Trump to sign into law. The bill requires the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to award at least 50% of scholarships under a Pakistan-based higher education scholarship programme to Pakistani women, from 2020 to 2022, across a range of academic disciplines and in accordance with existing eligibility criteria. The bill also requires USAID to consult with and leverage investments by the Pakistani private sector and Pakistani diaspora in the United States to improve and expand access to education programmes in Pakistan.

Correct Answer: B. Goa Shipyard Limited

Explanation: Indian Army has inked a contract with Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) to procure 12 Fast Patrol Boats for surveillance and patrolling of large water bodies, including those in high altitude areas like Pangong Tso lake in Ladakh. Pangong Tso’s 134-km length is divided into eight ‘fingers’, military parlance for mountain spurs jutting into the water body that is contested by both sides. The lake is frozen with the onset of winters, and the Army plans to deploy around two dozen such boats by next summer.

• The indigenously-built boats will be delivered by May 2021 by the Defence sector Public Sector Undertaking (PSU), GSL.
• The GSL will also carry out maintenance of these boats for four years.
• The need for these new high-speed boats to patrol the Pangong Tso lake was felt in the wake of the military tussle between the Indian and the Chinese troops, leading to the tense situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Correct Answer: B. Pankaj Mithal

Explanation: Justice Pankaj Mithal has been appointed as the new Chief Justice (CJ) of the Common High Court for the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and Union Territory of Ladakh. Chief justice Mithal has been appointed in view of the retirement of chief justice Gita Mittal recently. Chief Justice Mithal was administered the oath of office by Lieutenant Governor of J&k, Manoj Sinha.

Correct Answer: A. Sanjay Kapoor

Explanation: Sanjay Kapoor was elected president of the All India Chess Federation (AICF) while Bharat Singh Chauhan retained the secretary’s post. Kapoor, representing Uttar Pradesh Chess Association, defeated incumbent PR Venketrama Raja in a close contest. Kapoor received 33 votes as against 31 of Raja. Chauhan beat Ravindra Dongre 35-29. Apart from the president, secretary and treasurer, six vice-presidents and six joint secretaries were also elected.

Correct Answer: D. Bengaluru

Explanation: The much-awaited train services from Bengaluru city to Kempegowda International Airport has started on the 4th January 2021. The first train left KSR Bengaluru at 4.45 a.m and reached the newly-built halt station near the Airport at 5.50 a.m. This train service comes as a huge relief for passengers and thousands of people working at the airport.

Correct Answer: A. Kerala

Explanation: The fourth Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF 2021), aimed at the global discussion and development of Ayurveda, will be held from March 12 to 19 as a virtual meet. The event, which showcases Ayurveda as a global treatment programme, will serve as a meeting place for those working towards this goal around the world. The festival, which was scheduled to be held in Angamaly from May 16 to 20 last year was postponed due to COVID-19. The festival will feature 12 seminars per day at five venues. The conference will focus on the relevance of Ayurveda in the post-COVID world and the potential of Ayurveda in enhancing immunity. This exhibition will be held online and will have stalls of ayurvedic companies from all over the world.

Correct Answer: C. Hubbali, Karnataka

Explanation: Karnataka’s Hubballi Railway station officially Shree Siddharoodha Swamiji railway station is set to get the “world’s longest railway platform” of 1500 plus meters’ length and 10 meters width. The platform will be inaugurated in March 2021. The construction of the platform is done with an expenditure of Rs. 90 core for remodeling of wards, building work, signalling, third entrance construction, electrical and other related works. This project is a part of doubling between Hubbali and Bengaluru which is underway since November 2019.

Correct Answer: A. Kerala

Explanation: The central government notified a zero to 1 km area around the boundary of Mathikettan Shola National Park in Idukki district, Kerala as an Eco-sensitive zone. The area of the Eco-sensitive Zone is 17.5 square kilometres. The notification was issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This is to conserve the uniqueness of Shola forest in Mathikettan and its importance as an elephant corridor.

Correct Answer: C. Delhi

Explanation: The Department of Art, Culture and Language of the Delhi government set up a Tamil academy to promote the South Indian language and culture in the Capital. It also appointed former municipal councillor and member of the Delhi Tamil Sangam N. Raja as vice-chairman of the academy. It is diversity that forms Delhi’s vibrant and cosmopolitan culture as people from all parts of the country come to settle in the Capital for work.

Correct Answer: D. Madhya Pradesh

Explanation: Continuing its mission to improve the livelihoods of the tribals (both forest dwellers and artisans) and work towards tribal empowerment, TRIFED has decided to explore a convergence and build a partnership with Akhil Bhartiya Vanvasi Kalyan Kendra. In this regard, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between the two organisations to work together for setting up of TRIFOOD Parks in 5 districts in Madhya Pradesh. The two organisations will work together by undertaking various initiatives all aimed at improving the livelihood of tribal people and implementation of the Van DhanYojana through the mobilization of Self Help Groups (SHGs) / VanDhanVikas Kendra (VDVKs) / VPCs / TRIFOOD Parks.

Correct Answer: A. Politics

Explanation: Former Maharashtra cabinet minister and seven-time Congress MLA Vilas Patil Undalkar has passed away. The veteran Congressman, Undalkar, who was popularly known as ‘kaka’, was elected seven times from Karad-South Assembly constituency for a record 35 consecutive years, from 1980 to 2014. Undalkar held the Cooperation and Law and Justice portfolios in the State Cabinets during the previous Congress-led state governments.

Correct Answer: D. Film Direction

Explanation: Tamil director and writer Ilavenil passed away in January 2021. The director is known for his film Uliyin Osai, which was written by Karunanidhi, and produced by S. P. Murugesan. The film released on 4th July 2008 and it featured Vineeth and Keerthi Chawla in the lead roles. Ilavenil had worked in popular movies like Alladista, Pen Singam.