Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 9th February 2023

Correct Answer:  B. Saravana U

Explanation:  Saravanan U is set to be the next Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), a Miniratna PSU under the Department of Fertilizers. He has been recommended for the post by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) panel. Presently, he is serving as CMD of Madras Fertilizers Limited (MFL). The NFL’s CMD post fell vacant after its former head Virendra Nath Datt superannuated.

Correct Answer:  D. GreenKo Group

Explanation:  Germany-based Uniper has signed an agreement with Greenko ZeroC to source green ammonia from the latter’s Kakinada facility in Andhra Pradesh. The two companies intend to negotiate pricing, supply and tenure structure for a supply and purchase agreement for 2,50,000 tonnes per annum of green ammonia (GASPA) based on the heads of terms.

• Greenko’s Kakinada project is a multi-phase green ammonia production and export facility which is in the process of adding up to 1 MTPA of green ammonia production capacity by 2027.
• At present, Kakinada unit produces green ammonia based on an electrolyser powered by round-the-clock electricity produced by 2.5 GW of renewable assets.

Correct Answer:  B. 7.14 per cent

Explanation:  India’s unemployment rate fell to 7.14% in January, the lowest in four months, from 8.30% in the previous month, data from the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE) showed. The urban unemployment rate declined to 8.55% in January from 10.09% in the previous month, while the rural unemployment rate slipped to 6.48% from 7.44%, the data showed. Unemployment Rate 06 Feb 2023*

• India 2%
• Urban 3%
• Rural 7%

Among the states, unemployment was the highest in Jammu and Kashmir at 21.8% closely followed by Haryana at 21.7% and Rajasthan at 21.1%. Joblessness in Delhi in January was at 16.7%, Goa at 16.2%, Assam at 16.1% and Tripura at 16%, the data added. On the other hand, as per the data unemployment was the lowest in states such as Chhattisgarh at 0.5% followed by Odisha at 1.5%, Tamil Nadu at 1.8% and Madhya Pradesh at 1.9%.

Correct Answer:  D. LeBron James

Explanation:  LeBron James became the all-time leading scorer in the National Basketball Association (NBA), surpassing a record held by the great Kareem Abdul Jabbar since 1984. He pushed his career total to 38,388 points and broke the record that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar held for nearly four decades. He has won four NBA titles, competing in a total of 10 NBA finals. He has a career average of 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists, having played 1409 games over a 20-year-long career that started in 2003. This season, aged 38, LeBron has defied age and expectations, averaging 30/8.5/7.1 for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Correct Answer:  B. USD 89,127 million

Explanation:  During 2021-22, India received foreign inward remittances of USD 89,127 million which was the highest ever inward remittances received in a single year. This was stated by Union Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha.  The World Bank defines remittance as the sum of worker’s remittances, compensation of employees, and migrants’ transfers as recorded in the IMF Balance of Payments. Workers remittances are current transfers by migrant who are considered residents in the source. Remittances are a vital source of household income for low and middle income countries.

The highest share of 5 major countries in inward remittances to India through Authorised Dealer (ADs) banks are from the United States (23.4%), followed by United Arab Emirates (18%), United Kingdom (6.8%), Singapore (5.7%) and Saudi Arabia (5.1%). In 2017-18, the remittances were at USD 69,129 million, and have been rising since. The data for the past five years on inward remittances is as below.

• 2017-18- 69,129 US $ million
• 2018-19- 76,396 US $ million
• 2019-20- 83,195 US $ million
• 2020-21- 83,195 US $ million
• 2021-22- 83,195 US $ million

Correct Answer:  C. Natasha Perianayagam

Explanation:  A 13-year-old girl, Natasha Perianayagam won the title of “world’s brightest” student. Natasha Perianayagam, an Indian American, was named to the list compiled by the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth in the United States. Natasha has been listed on the “world’s brightest” list, previously she also took the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY) test in 2021, when she was still in the 5th grade. The test is a worldwide operation, with over 1500 students participating in the project across 76 countries.

• Natasha Perianayagam is a student at Florence M. Gaudineer Middle School in New Jersey, US.
• In 2021, Natasha’s results in the verbal and quantitative sections of the test came up to the 90th percentile of an advanced standard-level performance, which put her on the honors list.
• This year, Natasha was awarded for her exceptional performance in the SAT, ACT, School, and College Ability Test, or other similar tests, which were taken as part of the CTY Talent Search by the organization.
• According to the university, CTY used testing methods above grade level to pick out the advanced students in the crowd of 15,000 to prove their above-grade-level academic talent.
• Natasha was among the students who appeared for the CTY test across 76 countries in the 2021–22 Talent Search Year.
• While Natasha passed the CTY ceremony, less than 27 percent of the students who took the test could make it. The students received high or grand honors based on their test scores.

Correct Answer:  B. NTPC Limited

Explanation:  The country’s largest power generating company, NTPC Limited has been honoured with ‘ATD Best Awards 2023’ by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), USA. This is the sixth time that NTPC Limited has won this award for demonstrating enterprise success in the field of talent development. The foundation of NTPC’s culture has always been to engage employees through creative techniques. The award is testimony to NTPC’s contemporary HR practices.

The ATD Best Awards recognises organisations that demonstrate enterprise through talent development. NTPC has been successful in creating an ecosystem, which empowers employees to enhance their skill sets. The award includes small and large private, public, and not-for-profit organizations from across the globe. The Association for Talent Development, USA is the world’s largest association in the field of talent development and ATD’s BEST AWARD is most coveted recognition in Learning and Development.

Correct Answer:  A. Punjab

Explanation:  The Punjab government in February 2023, approved a new policy for industries and electric vehicles for a period of five years. The new Industrial policy will focus on MSME, infrastructure, and power.  Under the new policy, the govt will develop 15 industrial parks of various industrial sectors and 20 rural clusters across the state.  Other major focus areas of the policy are startup and entrepreneurship, large enterprises, innovation, skill development, ease of doing business, fiscal and non fiscal incentive, export promotion logistics, stakeholder engagement and grievance redressal. The new policy also outlined the thrust sectors for the purpose of higher fiscal incentives such as the manufacturing of auto and its components including EVs, sports goods including fitness equipment, hand tools including power tools and machine tools, etc.

Correct Answer:  C. K.M. Mammen

Explanation:  MRF Ltd. Chairman and Managing Director K.M. Mammen was presented the ATMA Lifetime Achievement Award by Maruti Suzuki India MD & CEO Hisashi Takeuchi at the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers’ Association (ATMA) Annual Conclave 2023 in New Delhi. It is noted that Mammen has been at the helm of every landmark achievement that has brought MRF to the milestone of over INR 19,000 crore turnover and in its ranking, of being amongst one of the top tyre companies in the world.

ATMA conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award upon its past chairman Mr. Mammen in recognition for his distinctive and outstanding leadership qualities, invaluable contribution to the Indian tyre industry and for leading the industry from the front for over 20 years. Mr. Mammen has been at the helm of every landmark achievement that has brought MRF to the milestone of over ₹19,000 crore turnover and in its ranking, of being amongst one of the top tyre companies in the world.

Correct Answer:  C. MobiKwik

Explanation:  India’s leading fintech, MobiKwik has become the first fintech apps to support RuPay Credit Cards on UPI. The development brings a new level of convenience to the millions of Indians who use UPI for their daily transactions. With nearly 50 million users possessing one or more credit cards, this is a significant milestone in India’s drive towards a cashless economy. With RuPay Credit Cards now linked directly to UPI IDs, MobiKwik’s customers can easily make payments to merchants by scanning the UPI QR code and using UPI PIN for payment authentication.

• The feature not only provides a smooth and secure payment experience for MobiKwik’s customers but also opens up new opportunities for Indian merchants to be part of the credit ecosystem with the acceptance of credit cards using asset-lite QR codes without the need for point-of-sale terminals, said the company.
• The integration will also help in the development of new credit products on existing UPI rails that will drive credit penetration in smaller cities that largely remain underserved.
• RuPay Credit Cards are issued by all major banks for incremental cards for both commercial and retail segments.
• The integration of RuPay Credit Cards with UPI is in line with the National Payments Corporation of India and RBI’s vision to boost credit card acceptance across merchants that are not part of the credit ecosystem.
• The new feature will follow the existing UPI standard transaction limits.

Correct Answer:  B. Salman Rushdie

Explanation:  Salman Rushdie published his new novel “Victory City”, an “epic tale” of a 14th-century woman who defies a patriarchal world to rule a city. The much-anticipated work tells the tale of young orphan girl Pampa Kampana who is endowed by a goddess with magical powers and founds the city, in modern-day India, of Bisnaga, which translates as Victory City. Brilliantly narrated in the style of an ancient epic, Victory City is a saga of love, adventure, and myth that is in itself a testament to the power of storytelling. 12 Notable Salman Rushdie Books

1. Grimus (1975)
   2. Midnight’s Children (1981)
   3. Shame (1983)
   4. The Satanic Verses (1988)
   5. The Moor’s Last Sigh (1995)
   6. The Ground Beneath Her Feet (1999)
   7. Fury (2001)
   8. Shalimar the Clown (2005)
   9. The Enchantress of Florence (2008)
   10. Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights (2015)
   11. The Golden House (2017)
   12. Quichotte (2019)

Correct Answer:  B. Vir Das

Explanation:  UnCrave, the plant-based meat brand by Licious, unveiled popular comic, actor, and musician Vir Das as its Brand Ambassador. UnCrave understands how meat-lovers feel without meat and fulfills this gap with the most meat-like, vegetarian solution through its plant protein-based meat products. The actor will also do a campaign for the brand which consists of a series of films, the first of which is titled, ‘Without Meat‘ in which, in his signature style, Das describes a life without meat. The campaign has been conceptualised by Tilt Brand Solutions, which includes a series of films where Das addresses various scenarios from a meat-lover’s perspective. The campaign also marks the launch of a new product by the brand – the ‘Mutt~n Galouti Kebab’. This week, its competitor, Virat Kohli, Anushka Sharma-backed Blue Tribe has also tied up with Inox CInemas to expand its presence across India to offer vegetarian meals and snack options to its customers.

Correct Answer:  C. Pakistan

Explanation:  Veteran Pakistan wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal has announced his retirement from all forms of cricket. Prior to the 2023 edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). Akmal was earlier named as the batting consultant for the Peshawar Zalmi, led by Babar Azam, for the upcoming edition of the PSL. The 41-year-old said that he is keener on taking up managerial roles with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).

Akmal made his debut for Pakistan back in 2002 and went on to play until 2017. In 53 Tests, 157 ODIs and 58 T20Is, the right-handed batter scored 2648, 3236 and 987 runs respectively, with the help of 11 hundreds and 27 fifties. He last donned the national colours in an ODI against the West Indies back in April 2017 at the Providence Stadium in Guyana. Akmal also remains second in the list of leading run-scorers in the history of the PSL. From 2016 to 2022, he played for the Zalmi, where he scored 1972 runs at an average of 27.38 and a strike-rate of 136.94 with three hundreds and 12 fifties to his name.

Correct Answer:  C. Ahmedabad

Explanation:  A two-day Urban-20 City Sherpas’ meet began on 9 February in Ahmedabad. More than 30 international cities are participating in this two-day event to discuss the sustainable development of U20 cities. Following the meeting, a draft communique will be finalised which will be issued during the Mayors Summit later this year. The meeting is being organized by the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation. The purpose of the meeting is to focus on fostering solidarity between cities to find common solutions that are in line with the overall objectives of the G20. This is the third meeting to be held in Gujarat as part of India’s chairmanship of the G20.

The U20, one of the G20’s engagement groups, provides a forum for cities in the G20 countries to discuss and collectively address key urban development issues – climate change, social inclusion, sustainable mobility and affordable housing. Six priority areas of U20 

• Environment-friendly behaviour,
• Water security,
• Climate finance,
• Local identity,
• Urban planning and administration
• Digitalisation of urban amenities