Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 23rd & 24th January 2022

Correct Answer: C. Sushmita Sen

Explanation: Bollywood actress Sushmita Sen has been conferred with the International Association of Working Women Award at the Washington DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) 2021. The former Miss Universe has been felicitated for outstanding performance by a female actor in a TV series for her show ‘Aarya 2’.

The Aarya 2 series is created by Ram Madhvani and had released on December 10, 2021, on Disney+Hotstar. The DC South Asian Film Festival (DCSAFF) 2021 is organised virtually from January 16 to January 30, to showcase the best in alternative cinema from India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, and Sri Lanka.

Correct Answer: D. 2019

Explanation: The government of India has merged the flame of the Amar Jawan Jyoti at Delhi’s India Gate with the flame at the adjoining National War Memorial on January 21, 2022, ahead of Republic Day. The ceremony was led by the Integrated Defence Staff chief, Air Marshal Balabadhra Radha Krishna.

Why this decision was taken?

The decision to merge the two flames was taken keeping in mind that flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti payed homage to the martyrs of 1971 but none of their names are present there, while names of all Indian martyrs from all the wars, including 1971 and wars before and after it are housed at the National War Memorial. So housing the flame at the same place along with the names will serve as a true tribute to martyrs. This will also do away with upkeeping two flames for the same purpose. This means that after 50 years of continuous lightning, the flame at Amar Jawan Jyoti will no longer be present there.

About Amar Jawan Jyoti

The Amar Jawan Jyoti was inaugurated on the Republic Day of 1972 by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. The eternal flame of Amar Jawan Jyoti was lit in memory of soldiers who laid their lives during the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war.

About National War Memorial

The National War Memorial was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 25, 2019. The eternal torch of this memorial burns at the heart of the Smarak Stambh, the main pillar of the memorial, inside the Amar Chakra. The names of 25,942 soldiers have been inscribed in golden letters on granite tablets.

Correct Answer – D. Greta Thunberg

Explanation: A new species of rainfrog, discovered in the Panama jungle, has been named after Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg. The species has been named as Pristimantis gretathunbergae, or popularly known as the Greta Thunberg Rainfrog. The frog was originally discovered in 2012 and was thought to be part of the already categorised Pristimantis family. However, recent DNA analysis confirmed that the frog is a new species, according to the scientific journal Zookeys.

The new specimen of the tropical amphibian was discovered by an international team of biologists led by doctors Abel Batista, from Panama, and Konrad Mebert (Switzerland) in Cerro Chucantí, a private reserve located in the province of Darién. It was named after Greta Thunberg when conservation nonprofit The Rainforest Trust held an auction that allowed the winner to name new species. The frog was discovered at a reserve established by the conservation organization AdoptaBosque with support from Rainforest Trust.

Correct Answer – B. 19 January

Explanation:  Kokborok Day, also known as the Tripuri Language Day is annually celebrated across the Indian State of Tripura on 19th January with an aim to develop the Kokborok Language. The day commemorates the initial recognition of Kokborok as the official language in 1979. 19th January 2022 marks the observance of the 44th Kokborok Day. The Kokborok language, the official language of Tripura, is also known as Tripuri or Tiprakok. In 1979, Kokborok, along with Bengali and English, was declared an official language of the state of Tripura, India by the state government.

Important Points:

• Chief Minister of Tripura: Biplab Kumar Deb;
• Governor: Satyadeo Narain Arya

Correct Answer – D. 26%

Explanation: Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) flows to India fell by 26 per cent in 2021, compared to 2020, as per the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Investment Trends Monitor published. In 2020, FDI to India was recorded at USD 64 billion. This was 27 per cent more compared to USD 51 billion in FDI in 2019.

UNCTAD said that low FDI in India was mainly because large cross-border mergers & acquisitions (M&A) deals recorded in 2020 were not repeated. The global FDI flows increased by 77 per cent to an estimated USD 1.65 trillion in 2021, from USD 929 billion in 2020.

Correct Answer – B. Ratan Naval Tata

Explanation: Industrialist Ratan Tata will be bestowed with the highest civilian award of Assam ‘Asom Baibhav’ .Assam governor Jagdish Mukhi will confer the award to the former chairman of Tata sons on 24 January, 2022.The Assam government is conferring ‘Asom Baibhav’ to Ratan Tata for his contribution to setting up cancer treatment facilities in the state.Tata Trusts had signed an MoU with the Assam government in 2018, giving a formal share to this project.

Correct Answer – B. 23rd January

Explanation: Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose’s birth anniversary is marked as “Parakram Diwas”.The central govt has decided to celebrate his birthday on the 23rd January every year as Parakram Diwas to inspire people of this country.On this occasion, Narendra Modi unveiled the hologram statue of Netaji at India Gate.Trinamool Congress celebrate Bose’s birth anniversary as ‘Desh Nayak Diwas’.Bose, called as Netaji, was one of the most prominent leaders of Indian freedom struggle.

Correct Answer – C. Football

Explanation: Former India footballer and coach Subhash Bhowmik (72) passed away in Kolkata.He was Suffering from diabetes and kidney disease since a long time.Popularly known as ‘Bhombol da’ in Kolkata, Bhowmik was a successful footballer as well as coach.He was a part of the Indian team that won a bronze medal in 1970 Asian Games.Subhash won a total of 26 trophies in his club career – 18 in Mohun Bagan itself.

Correct Answer – A. Haryana

Explanation: Haryana and Himachal Pradesh govt have signed MoU to revive the Saraswati river in Panchkula.Under this, Haryana Government will construct a dam and a reservoir in Adi Badri area near Yamunanagar district, which is situated on the border of Himachal Pradesh.Cost of the project is estimated at Rs 215.33 crore and will be borne entirely by Haryana govt.Adi-Badri is considered as the origin of Saraswati river.Dam will be delivered 224 hectare mtr water from Som river.

Correct Answer – B. Vinod Rai

Explanation: Former comptroller and auditor general (CAG) of India, Vinod Rai has been appointed as the independent Chairman of Unity Small Finance Bank (Unity SFB).Unity Small Finance Bank has commenced operations as a small finance bank with effect from November 1, 2021 under Section 22 (1) of Banking Regulation Act, 1949.

Correct Answer – B. Yes Mutual Fund

Explanation: Yes Asset Management’s name has been changed to White Oak Capital Asset Management with effect from January 12, 2022. Further, Yes Mutual Fund will now be called White Oak Capital Mutual Fund. Founded by Prashant Khemka, White Oak Capital group provides investment management and advisory services for equity assets of over Rs 42,000 crore.

Important Points

In November 2021, White Oak Capital group announced the completion of the transaction to acquire the mutual fund business of Yes Bank. GPL Finance and Investments, a subsidiary of White Oak Capital group, had received capital markets regulator SEBI’s approval to acquire Yes Asset Management from Yes Bank in September 2021.

Correct Answer – A. Kumbalang

Explanation: Kumbalangi in Ernakulam district, Kerala has become the first-ever sanitary napkin-free village in the country. Under the initiative, titled Avalkayi (for her), around 5,000 menstrual cups have been distributed to women aged 18 and above. The other partners in the scheme were Indian Oil Corporation and HLL Management Academy through their ‘Thingal’ scheme.

Important Points

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden will be leading the project. The volunteers will give the women training on the use and advantages of using the menstrual cup. Menstrual cups are made of medical-grade silicone, rubber, or plastic and are usually reusable, which makes them a better option over sanitary pads or tampons. Menstrual cups are also cost-effective and environment-friendly compared to different menstrual products, making them a better option.

Additional Information

Kerala:

• Number of Districts – 14.
• Lok Sabha seats – 20.
• Rajya Sabha seats – 9.
• State Animal – Indian elephant.
• State Bird – Great hornbill.
• National Park: Anamudi Shola
• National Park, Eravikulam National Park, Mathikettan Shola National Park, Pambadum Shola National Park, Periyar National Park 1982, Silent Valley National Park
• Dams: Idukki Dam (Periyar river), Mullaperiyar masonry gravity dam (Periyar rive), Pazhassi Dam or Kulur Barrage (Valapattanam river).
• Registered GI: Aranmula Kannadi, Palakkadan Matta Rice, Balaramapuram Saris and Fine Cotton Fabrics

Correct Answer – D. Both 1 and 2

Explanation: Axis Bank and CRMNEXT, have been awarded the “Best CRM System Implementation” at IBS Intelligence Global FinTech Innovation Awards 2021. CRMNEXT is the leading enterprise CRM (customer relationship management) solution provider for financial services. Axis Bank implemented CRMNEXT for sales and service modernization enabling Straight through Processing and instant fulfillment.

Important Points

The platform also enables smarter lead processing automated routing, complete tracking, and visibility. CRMNEXT also delivered augmented analytics for real-time customer intelligence, seamless customer onboarding and enabled relationship managers with automated relationship programs.

Correct Answer – A. South Africa

Explanation:  South Africa has launched its first satellite constellation developed entirely in the continent of Africa. Three locally produced nanosatellites, which made up the country’s first Maritime Domain Awareness Satellite (MDASat) constellation, were launched from Cape Canaveral in the United States in January 2022. They are a part of SpaceX’s Transporter-3 mission.

Important Points

Transporter-3 carried a total of 105 spacecraft for various organisations and governments, including CubeSats, microsats, PocketQubes and orbital transfer vehicles. The launch of the first three satellites of the MDASat constellation comes three years after that of the most advanced South African nanosatellite to date, ZACube-2. The full MDASat constellation will be an operational constellation of nine cube satellites that will detect, identify and monitor vessels in near real-time in support of South African maritime domain awareness.

Additional Information

South Africa:

• Capital – Pretoria (Administrative capital), Cape Town (Legislative capital), Bloemfontein (Judicial capital).
• Currency – South African Rand

Correct Answer: A. PV Sindhu

Explanation: Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu on 23 Jan 2022 won the women’s singles title at the Syed Modi International badminton tournament. At the Babu Banarasi Indoor Stadium, Lucknow, she defeated Malvika Bansod 21-13, 21-16 in the summit clash. It was her second Syed Modi title after having annexed the BWF World Tour Super 300 event in 2017.

Additional Information

Tasnim Mir became the first Indian to grab World no 1 in Under-19 (U-19) Girls Singles category in the 2022 Badminton World Federation (BWF) Junior rankings. Nitesh Kumar won doubled gold at the 4th Para-Badminton National Championship, which concluded in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.  Kidambi Srikanth has become the first Indian man to win a silver medal at BWF World Championships.

Badminton World Federation:

• Founded: 5 July 1934;
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia;
• President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen (As of Jan 2022).

Ace Indian badminton player PV Sindhu defeated China’s He Bingjiao to win the bronze medal in the women’s singles event at the Tokyo Olympics on August 01, 2021.

Correct Answer: B. Vinod Sharma

Explanation: The Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management and professor Vinod Sharma have been selected for the Subhash Chandra Bose Aapda Prabandhan Puraskar 2022. They have been recognized for their work in Disaster Management. The award is given to recognize and honour the contribution and selfless service rendered by individuals and organizations in India in the field of disaster management.

Additional Information

The fifth edition of the World Congress on Disaster Management (WCDM) was virtually inaugurated by the Union Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh. World Congress on Disaster Management is a unique initiative of Disaster Management Initiatives and Convergence Society (DMICS). The first WCDM was held in 2008 in Hyderabad and inaugurated by Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam. India has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bangladesh over disaster management, resilience, and mitigation on a priority basis.

Correct Answer: A. 16 Contingents

Explanation: The Republic Day Parade will be held at Rajpath in Delhi on 26th January 2022. There will be a total of 16 marching contingents in the parade. The parade for 2022 will begin at 10.30 AM instead of the scheduled time of 10 AM.  The number of troops in marching contingents has been reduced from 144 to 96. 21 Tableaux from different Sates, UTs, Ministries, and Departments will participate in it.

Additional Information

Republic Day Of India:

India became independent on the 15th of august, 1947. Even after independence, the country did not have its own constitution. The government of India appointed a Drafting Committee on 28th of August 1947 to draft it and Dr, B. R. Ambedkar as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee. After almost 3 years, the 308 members of the Assembly, after many consultations and a few modifications finally signed a constitution on the 24th of January 1950, which came into effect on the 26th of January 1950.

Correct Answer: D. Archaeologist

Explanation: Renowned archaeologist, art historian, and Padma Bhushan awardee R Nagaswamy passed away in January 2022. He was the first director of the Tamil Nadu government’s Department of Archaeology. He was a recipient of various other awards, including the Tamil Nadu government’s ‘Kalaimamani’ Award.  He has published many books including the ‘Masterpieces of Early South Indian Bronzes’.

Correct Answer: A. Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA)

Explanation: The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has imposed a fine of ₹20 lakh on Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport (NSCBIA). It has been fined for violating safety norms by neglecting runway maintenance. Meanwhile, the West Bengal government has decided to construct a second airport in the vicinity of Kolkata with an aim to decongest the NSCBIA in Dumdum.

Additional Information

• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation is a statutory body of the Indian Central Government to regulate civil aviation in India.
• The Directorate General of Civil Aviation:
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Aviation Minister: Jyotiraditya Scindia (as of Jan 2022).
• Deputy Ministers: V.K. Singh (as of Jan 2022).
• Director-General: Arun Kumar (as of Jan 2022).