Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 1st January 2022

Correct Answer: D. Jharkhand        

Explanation: The Jharkhand government has decided to give a concession of ₹25 per litre petrol to motorcycles and scooter riders.This scheme will be implemented from 26 January, 2022.The move will benefit two-wheeler riders especially the poor and middle class as the petrol prices are very high since past few months.

Correct Answer –C. Federal Bank

Explanation: The Federal Bank signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Schwing Stetter (India) Ltd, a subsidiary of Schwing GMBH, Germany, one of the largest manufacturers of Concrete and Construction equipment in India.The MoU would enable both Federal Bank and Schwing Stetter to offer customised financial solutions to their customers.The MoU was signed by Harsh Dugar, Group President and Country Head, Wholesale Banking, Federal Bank, and V G Sakthi Kumar Managing Director, Schwing Stetter India Pvt Ltd.

Correct Answer – C. Haryana

Explanation: Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar launched the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam portal and announced the setting up of Atal Park and Smriti Kendra in Gurugram.A patrika named ‘Vyavastha Parivartan Se Susashan’ along with the official calendar of year 2022 was also launched.Now all the problems of the public are being solved easily through CM Window. So far, more than 8.5 lakh issues have been resolved.

Correct Answer – B. Vikram Misri

Explanation: India’s former envoy to China Vikram Misri was appointed Deputy National Security Advisor in the National Security Council Secretariat.A career diplomat from the 1989 batch of the Indian Foreign Service, Mr Misri was appointed as India’s Ambassador to Beijing in 2019. The Ministry of External Affairs had earlier this month appointed Pradeep Kumar Rawat as the next ambassador to China.Mr Misri has served in various capacities at the Ministry of External Affairs, in the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi and in various Indian missions abroad in Europe, Africa, Asia and North America.Mr Misri has also been India’s Ambassador to Myanmar and to Spain.Before joining the government, he worked for three years in the private sector in the fields of advertising and advertising film-making.

Correct Answer – C. Shiv Sahay Singh

Explanation: The Hindu’s West Bengal correspondent Shiv Sahay Singh won the Ramnath Goenka award in the “Uncovering India Invisible” category for his 2019 story “Death by Digital Exclusion”.The story detailed the Jharkhand government’s decision to plug leakages in the PDS by linking all ration cards to Aadhaar.Beneficiaries, who could not link their ration card with Aadhaar or had no Aadhaar cards, were denied ration.This led to major distress among tribal communities.

Correct Answer – D. M.S.Sahoo

Explanation: Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has restructured its panel on market data that recommends policy measures pertaining to areas like securities market data access & privacy. The panel will now be chaired by M S Sahoo, former chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).The 20-member committee was earlier headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, ex-whole time member of SEBI.

Important Points-

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has set up an Advisory Committee for Leveraging Regulatory and Technology Solutions (ALeRTS) to enhance technological capabilities and explore suitable technology solutions for the early detection of market anomalies in December 2021. LeRTS is a 7-member committee headed by Madhabi Puri Buch, a former whole-time member of SEBI. Aarati Krishnan has been inducted as a member of the Securities & Exchange Board of India’s Advisory Committee on Mutual Funds.The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has constituted a four-member “high powered advisory committee on settlement orders.

Securities and Exchange Board of India: Founded: 12 April 1992. Headquarters: Mumbai. Agency executive: Ajay Tyagi. Markets regulator Security and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reconstituted its four-member Takeover Panel in August 2021

Correct Answer – D. VS Pathania

Explanation:  Director-General VS Pathania took over as the 24th Chief of Indian Coast Guard on 31 December. He is an alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and National Defence College, New Delhi. He is also the recipient of the President’s Tatrakshak Medal for Distinguished Service, Tatrakshak Medal for gallantry. Director-General VS Pathania succeeds 23rd DG Krishnaswamy Natarajan.

In August 2021, CDS General Bipin Rawat has presented a book “OPERATION KHUKRI” by authors Major General Rajpal Punia and Ms Damini Punia. The book highlights the Indian Army’s successful rescue mission in Sierra Leone as part of the United Nations. Indian Navy has commissioned the 4th Scorpene-class submarine INS Vela on November 27th, 2021. On November 22nd, 2021,  INS Visakhapatnam, was commissioned into the Indian Navy at the Naval Dockyard, Mumbai. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers (GRSE) launched the first large survey vessel Sandhayak for the Indian Navy on December 7th, 2021. On December 22nd, 2021, the Indian Navy’s indigenous stealth guided-missile destroyer ‘Mormugao’ went for her maiden sea trials.

Correct Answer – A. India

Explanation: India won the U-19 Asia Cup with a record eighth title as they defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets, won by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern or DLS method. The final of the U-19 Asia Cup title was played at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai, UAE. India has now won U-19 Asia Cup eight times, which includes a shared trophy in 2012. The team also owns the record of having never lost a final.

Important Current Affairs related to Cricket in 2021: South African wicket-keeper Quinton de Kock announced retirement from Test cricket on 30 December 2021. India has become the first Asian team to win a Test match at Centurion after beating South Africa by 113-run. Rishabh Pant has become the fastest Indian wicket-keeper to reach 100 dismissals in Test cricket. He achieved this feat against South Africa in Centurion on Dec 28, 2021.

Mohammed Shami has become the fifth Indian pacer to take 200 Test wickets. he achieved the feat against South Africa in Centurion on 29 Dec 2021. In December 2021, Rishabh Pant has been appointed as the brand ambassador of Uttarakhand. In February 2021, Rishabh Pant has won the inaugural ICC Player of the Month award 2021. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Geoff Allardice as the permanent CEO of the International Cricket governing body in November 2021. The President of BCCI, Sourav Ganguly has been appointed as the Chairman of the ICC Men’s Cricket Committee, during the ICC Board Meeting in November 2021.

• ICC Headquarters: Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• ICC Founded: 15 June 1909
• ICC Deputy Chairman: Imran Khwaja
• ICC Chairman: Greg Barclay
• In December 2021, the Board of Control for Cricket in India ( BCCI) has formed a committee for the differently-abled cricketers of the country.
• Harbhajan Singh has announced retirement from all forms of cricket in December 2021. He was the 1st Indian Cricketer to take Hat-trick wickets in Test Cricket.

Correct Answer – D. March 31, 2022

Explanation: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) extended the validity of the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) registration of NGOs expiring between September 29, 2020, to March 31, 2022. This comes days after on December 25 the MHA refused to approve the renewal application of Missionaries of Charity, an NGO founded by Mother Teresa.

Important Points:-

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has extended the deadline for KYC in bank accounts till March 31, 2022, from December 31, 2021.

Important facts related to FCRA: Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010 is an act of the Parliament of India, by the 42nd Act of 2010. Foreign contribution regulation Act 1976 or FCRA is a law of the government of India which regulates receipt of foreign contributions or aid from outside India to Indian territories. The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2020, made several changes to the existing Act 2010 in the year 2020, including making it mandatory for office bearers of any nongovernmental organisation (NGO) to provide their Aadhaar numbers. It also gives the government the power to hold a “summary enquiry” to prevent an organization from using foreign funds.

Correct Answer – B. Arif Mohammed Khan

Explanation: Jammu and Kashmir-based alpine skier Arif Mohammed Khan has become the first Indian athlete to qualify for two different events of the Winter Olympics 2022. He secured an Olympics quota spot in the men’s giant slalom event, after booking his first Winter Olympics ticket in the alpine skiing slalom category in November 2021. The Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics are set to take place from February 4 to 20.

Important Points

For the first time in history, an Indian will be competing in two different events at the Winter Olympics. While India was represented by two athletes – Jagdish Singh (cross country skiing) and Shiva Keshavan (luge) — in the 2018 Winter Games, Khan is the only person to have qualified for the 2022 Winter Games so far. Khan has represented India in more than 100 ski events held across the world and has been undergoing training in Europe for the most part of this year.

Correct Answer – A. Rs 1524 crores

Explanation: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has inaugurated the 356 Km long Bina Refinery (Madhya Pradesh)- POL Terminal at Panki (Kanpur, UP) Multiproduct pipeline project ( capacity of 45 million metric tonnes per annum) with an outlay of Rs 1524 crore (Rs. 1227 crores in UP and Rs. 297 crores in MP). The project has been completed and commissioned one month ahead of the approved completion schedule of December 2021 (3 years from PNGRB authorisation) and within the approved cost. It will provide for safe and efficient evacuation of products from Bina Refinery and also improve the availability of products in Eastern U.P, Central U.P., Northern Bihar and Southern Uttarakhand.

Some other projects inaugurated by PM Modi:

PM has also inaugurated the completed section of the Kanpur Metro Rail Project and undertook a metro ride from the IIT metro station to Geeta Nagar. The entire length of the Metro Rail Project in Kanpur is 32 Km and is being built at a cost of around ₹11,000 crores. PM also attended the 54th Convocation Ceremony of IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur.

Correct Answer – C. Jasprit Bumrah

Explanation: Jasprit Bumrah has achieved the milestone of picking 100 wickets away from home in 22 Test matches. Van der Dussen became Bumrah’s 100th Test victim in overseas conditions. The 28-year-old now has 105 wickets, out of which 101 have come away from home. Bumrah, who made his Test debut in South Africa in 2018, has played 25 Tests, 23 of which have come on the road.

Fewest wickets in Test career while reaching 100 away Test wickets:

• Jasprit Bumrah (India): 104
• Mohammad Amir (Pakistan): 118
• Michael Holding (West Indies): 136
• Zaheer Khan(India): 137
• Mohammed Shami (India): 140
• Andy Roberts (West Indies): 140

Correct Answer – C. Anupam Ray

Explanation: Senior diplomat Anupam Ray has been appointed as India’s next permanent representative to the UN Conference on Disarmament in Geneva. Ray, a 1994-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, is currently serving as a joint secretary in the MEA’s headquarters in Delhi. Ray will succeed Pankaj Sharma. Sharma, a 1991-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, has been appointed as India’s next ambassador to Mexico.

Correct Answer: D. Sanjay Arora

Explanation: ITBP director general Sanjay Arora will hold the additional charge of another border guarding force Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) as the latter’s chief Kumar Rajesh Chandra is set to retire on December 31. Arora, a 1988-batch officer of Tamil Nadu cadre, was appointed the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) DG in August and he took charge of the India-China LAC guarding force on September 1.The SSB is primarily tasked to guard unfenced Indian borders with Nepal and Bhutan.