Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 9th January 2021

Correct Answer– A. SIDBI

Explanation– Tata Power, India’s largest integrated power company, announced its partnership with SIDBI (Small Industries Development Bank of India) to offer easy and affordable financing scheme for MSME customers in the rooftop solar segment. This scheme will empower MSMEs to adopt sustainable energy for their businesses and promote greener.

• Easy and affordable financing has been one of the barriers for penetration of Solar in the MSME sector in the country.
• In order to address this challenge, Tata Power and SIDBI have joined hands to design a unique Solar financing solution for the MSME customers helping them switch to rooftop solar without any collateral at an interest rate less than 10%.
• This will also be complemented with a quick sanction and disbursement process (within 7 days with disbursement in 4 days).
• This financing scheme is exclusively for MSME customers of Tata Power for both off-grid and on-grid connections.

Correct Answer– A. Kerala

Explanation– The Kerala government has declared bird flu as a state disaster. A high alert has been issued in Kottayam and Alappuzha districts where the disease has been detected primarily. Bird flu was detected in the state when samples of dead ducks were tested in some parts of both the districts. However, it has been clarified that the disease has not been transmitted to people.

Correct Answer– D. Uttar Pradesh

Explanation– Uttar Pradesh government launched a special program named as Kisan Kalyan Mission for farmer welfare and to double the farmer’s income of the state, on January 2021. A 3 week-long campaign will be organised in every development block of all 75 districts. Under this program, the UP government will also felicitate 100 ‘progressive farmers’ in each district of the state.

Correct Answer– C. Alexander Ellis

Explanation– Alexander Ellis has been appointed as the new British High Commissioner to India in succession to Sir Philip Barton. Mr Ellis will take up his appointment from January 2021. He was holding the portfolio of Deputy National Security Adviser in the UK. He has earlier served in Lisbon and Brazil as well.

Correct Answer– A. RBI

Explanation– The RBI has announced operational guidelines for the Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) scheme. It is aimed at encouraging the deployment of more digital payments infrastructure across tier-3 to tier-6 centres. The fund will be used to subsidize banks and non-banks for deploying payment infrastructure, which will be contingent upon specific targets being achieved.

Correct Answer– A. Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP)

Explanation– Khadi and Village Industries Commission has signed an MoU with Indo-Tibetan Border Police, ITBP for supply of 1,72,000 cotton durries every year. The total value of these durries is eight crore 74 lakh. The agreement has been signed for one year which will be renewed thereafter. The development comes after Home Minister Amit Shah gave instructions to the paramilitary forces to encourage local products to support the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan. The cotton durries will be produced by Khadi artisans in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.

Correct Answer– C. R Kaushik

Explanation– A book titled ‘India’s 71-Year Test: The Journey to Triumph in Australia’ and one which reflects on India’s previous 12 tours Down Under, was launched. The book, a Bradman Museum initiative, is authored by senior cricket scribe R. Kaushik, and it chronicles a rivalry that has given a fillip to Test cricket. In his foreword to the book, Shastri wrote: “Australians hate losing, and it’s a thought process entertained not just by the 11 on the field, but the whole nation, the fans and the media. When a team tours Australia, there is a combined assault like no other.”

Correct Answer– B. 5.4%

Explanation–  According to the Global Economic Prospects (GEP-January 2021) report released by the World Bank (WB), India is expected to grow at 5.4% in the Financial Year (FY) 2021-22 & 5.2% in FY 2022-23 after an expected contraction of 9.6% in FY 2020/21.

• Global Economy is expected to expand by 4% in 2021.
• The major causes of India’s contraction are sharp declines in household spending & private investment.
• The report also states that Vaccine Deployment & Investments as the need to sustain the Global recovery.
• The Global economy is set to have contracted by 4.3 % in 2020
• GEP is WB’s semi-annual report which reflects the state of the World Economy.

Correct Answer– C. Karan Bajwa

Explanation– Google Cloud announced the elevation of Karan Bajwa as its new leader for the Asia Pacific. Presently, Bajwa leads Google Cloud in India. He will lead all regional revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud, including on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and Google Workspace. Bajwa succeeds Rick Harshman who leaves the organisation for a new opportunity.

Correct Answer– B. Tata Power

Explanation– Tata Power announced its partnership with SIDBI to provide a finance scheme to the MSME players in the rooftop solar segment. Tata Power and SIDBI have joined hands to design a solar financing solution to help MSME players with financial aid without any collateral at an interest of less than 10 per cent. The scheme will also be complimented with a sanction time of seven days and disbursal of money in four days. The benefits of the scheme can be availed by both off-grid and on-grid solar connections.

Correct Answer– D. Shivalik Mercantile Cooperative Bank

Explanation– Uttar Pradesh-based, Shivalik Mercantile Co-operative Bank (SMCB) has become the first urban co-operative bank (UCB) in India to receive a licence from RBI to operate as a Small Finance Bank (SFB). The RBI had given an 18-month timeline to commence business. SMCB received the commercial banking license from banking regulator Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on January 06, 2021, to transition to an SFB, under the voluntary transition scheme. The Shivalik Small Finance Bank (SSFB) will start its banking operations from April 2021.

SSFB operates through 31 branches and over 250 banking agents in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, and Uttarakhand with 400,000 customers. As on March 31, 2020, the total deposit base of the bank stood at Rs 1,140 crore and total advances stood at Rs 719 crore.

Correct Answer– C. 9th December

Explanation– Pravasi Bharatiya Divas or NRI Day is celebrated every year on January 9 to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The day is celebrated every year to mark the contribution of the overseas Indian community in the development of India. The aim of celebrating the day is to provide a platform for NRI to express their perceptions about India and thereby involve them in Indian developmental activities. The theme of 16th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas Convention 2021 is “Contributing to Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is celebrated on January 9, as Mahatma Gandhi returned from South Africa on the day in 1915. In 2015, the day was declared biennial. In 2018, the day was widely celebrated in Singapore. In 2019, the event was celebrated in Varanasi.

Correct Answer–  C. Claire Polosak

Explanation– Claire Polosak became the first female umpire to officiate in a men’s Test match when she took up the role of a fourth umpire for the India vs Australia third Test match. The 32-year-old already holds the distinction of being the first woman to officiate (as an on-field umpire) in a men’s ODI match. Polosak had umpired in ICC’s World Cricket League Division 2 final match between Namibia and Oman in 2019. In Sydney though, Polosak will officiate as a fourth umpire.

Correct Answer– C. Alan Burgess

Explanation– The world’s oldest living first-class cricketer Alan Burgess has passed away at the age of 100. A right-hand batsman and slow left-arm bowler, Alan appeared in 11 first-class matches for Canterbury from 1940/41 to 1951/52 and also for New Zealand Services in England in 1945. He took 6-52 on debut against Otago at Lancaster Park in a match that began on Christmas Day 1940. Alan Burgess was a tank driver for New Zealand’s forces in England during the Second World War. Following his death, India’s Raghunath Chandorkar is now the oldest first-class cricketer alive.