Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 29th January 2022

Correct Answer: C. 92

Explanation:  PM Narendra Modi launched the Pandit Jasraj Cultural Foundation on the occasion of the 92nd birth anniversary of the Indian classical vocalist, on 28 January 2022. The Foundation has been founded by Pandit Jasraj’s son Shaarang Dev Pandit, and his daughter, Durga Jasraj. The main objective of it is to protect, preserve, develop and promote the national heritage, art, and culture of India.

Important Points

Pandit Jasraj’s career spanned over 75 years resulting in national and international fame, respect, and numerous major awards and accolades.He passed away on August 17, 2020, after he suffered from cardiac arrest at his home in New Jersey.  Mr. Jasraj won three of the highest civilian honors for Indian citizens: the Padma Vibhushan in 2000, the Padma Bhushan in 1990, and the Padma Shri in 1975.  He became the first Indian musician to have a minor planet named after him: Panditjasraj, which orbits the sun between Mars and Jupiter.He was also a teacher, instructing generations of musicians in the nuances of the 19th-century style known as Mewati Gharana.

Correct Answer – C. United Kingdom

Explanation: India and the United Kingdom on 28 Jan 2022 concluded the first round of negotiations, for a bilateral Free Trade Agreement. The talks covered 26 policy areas including trade in goods and services such as financial services and telecommunications, etc. The second round of negotiations is due to take place on 7-18 Mar’22. Both have set a target to conclude negotiations by the end of 2022.

Important Points:

The negotiations included areas such as trade in goods and services—including financial services and telecommunications, investment, intellectual property, customs, sanitary and phytosanitary measures.

Additional Information

About United Kingdom:

• Capital: London
• Currency: the pound sterling
• Indian High Commissioner: Gaitri Issar Kuma

Correct Answer – D. Sarjubala Devi

Explanation: Indian woman boxer and Olympian Sarjubala Devi has signed a deal with leading Indian boxing promoter Mujtaba Kamal and Grassroot Boxing Promotions and Management in Imphal.  She is a silver medallist in the 2014 AIBA World Boxing Championship in Korea and a former Youth World Boxing gold medallist. She will be making her professional boxing debut on February 26, 2022, in Dubai.

Important Points

Sarjubala is also a four-time national champion and has represented India in many international tournaments. Mujtaba’s company currently manages some of the top Indian professional boxers like Sabari J (current WBC India champion), Karthik S (WBC Asian silver winner), Faizan Anwar, and Lalrinsanga Tlau (WBC youth world champion).

Correct Answer – B. Hockey

Explanation: Former Hockey mid-fielder Charanjit Singh has passed away, after suffering a cardiac arrest and prolonged age-related illnesses. He was 90. He was the Captain of the Indian hockey team which won gold in the Tokyo Olympics of 1964. He was also a member of the Indian team which won silver medals in the 1960 Games in Rome, and in the 1962 Asian Games at Jakarta.

Correct Answer- A. Marathi

Explanation:  Renowned Marathi author and social activist Anil Awachat has passed away. Awachat was the founder of a de-addiction center called Muktangan Rehabilitation Center in Pune in 1986. He was known for his several Marathi books like “Manasa”, Swatahavishayi, “Gard”, “Karyarat”, “Karyamagna” and “Kutuhalapoti”.

In the early 1970s, he edited a popular Marathi journal called Sadhana which featured his trenchant writings on social issues, notably in his reportage of the 1972 drought that ravaged Maharashtra. His many books include ‘Kondmara’ (1985) on Dalit atrocities and ‘Dharmik’ (1989), a penetrating expose on the cult of false godmen in Maharashtra.

Correct Answer – B. Bharat Electronics Limited

Explanation: Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Hyperion Global Group, LLC, a United States based infrastructure telecommunication distribution company, have entered into a contract to develop, manufacture and supply Internet of Things (IoT) devices for the US market.BEL will manufacture and supply IoT devices worth $73 million to Hyperion during the first year of commencement of supply with a provision to negotiate and supply upgrades of the products, worth $365 million, in the next five years.Hyperion’s next generation global telecommunications infrastructure is said to be the key to unlocking unprecedented levels of performance and speed made possible by the combination of IoT and 5G. Hyperion would accomplish this by strategically implementing a six-phase strategy to meet its customer demands.

Correct Answer – B. Singer

Explanation:  Sandhya Mukherjee is a legendary singer.A classical and semi-classical singer, Ms Mukherjee has sung for numerous Bengali movies and for a number of Hindi movies and has worked with leading music directors including SD Burman, Madan Mohan, Naushad, Anil Biswas and Salil Chaudhury.On the eve of India’s Republic Day this year, Mukherjee, now 90, was conferred with Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian honour in the country, for her contribution to music.She, though, has refused to accept the honour, calling it “insulting and demeaning”.

Correct Answer – A. Nordic countries

Explanation: The United Nations’ cultural agency, UNESCO, inscribed the Nordic “clinker boats” to its Heritage List.For thousands of years, wooden sailboats have allowed northern Europeans to spread influence, trade, and even conflict across continents and seas.The UNESCO designation was requested jointly by Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden, and Norway.The term “clinker” is said to refer to the way the building’s wooden boards were attached.The use of overlapping longitudinal hardwood hull planks distinguishes wooden clinker boats.

Correct Answer – E. Kerala

Explanation:  Tamil Nadu now has its own drone manufacturing corporation — the Tamil Nadu Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Corporation — established at a cost of ₹10 crore at the Anna University.The corporation will design, manufacture and trade all types of drones and allied systems.Drones were used by the State police department and later by the Disaster Management Department to conduct surveys in mines and for aerial photography.The Centre for Aerospace Research on the Madras Institute of Technology campus of Anna University has been producing drones with financial assistance from the State government

Correct Answer – C. Rs. 3 Crore

Explanation: The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has asked all public sector banks and insurance companies to ensure that they seek recommendations from its advisory board regarding all cases of fraud involving Rs 3 crore and more.The probity watchdog had issued an order in this regard to the chief executives and CVOs of all public sector banks and insurance companies.The CVC had on January 6 expanded the ambit of the Advisory Board for Banking and Financial Frauds (ABBFF), which conducts first level examination of large bank frauds, to cover all such cases involving amounts of Rs 3 crore and above besides examining the role of all levels of officials.

Correct Answer – D. Both Option 1 and 2

Explanation: Finance Ministry has granted additional borrowing permission of Rs 7,309 crore to two states for undertaking the stipulated reforms in the power sector. Rajasthan has been allowed to borrow additional Rs. 5,186 crore. Andhra Pradesh has been allowed to borrow additional Rs. 2,123 crore as an incentive to embark on the reform process.

Additional Information

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has released a 5-year roadmap and Vision Document 2.0 for the electronics sector.  The Board of Directors of Adani Power Limited (APL) has approved the appointment of Shersingh B Khyalia as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Adani Powers. State-owned power generation company NTPC Ltd. has acquired a 5 percent equity stake in Power Exchange of India Ltd (PXIL). The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations has signed an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh Government to train the farmers in good farm management practices in December 2021. Former Governor of Tamil Nadu and former Chief Minister of the unified State of Andhra Pradesh, Konijeti Rosaiah passed away in December 2021. Andhra Pradesh has been named the best marine state in the country by the Department of Fisheries in November 2021.

Correct Answer – D. Both Option 1 and 2

Explanation: Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd (SPMCIL) has set up New Bank Note Printing Lines each at Currency Note Press, Nashik, and Bank Note Press, Dewas. SPMCIL is a wholly-owned Schedule ‘A’ Company of the govt. It is engaged in the manufacture of security paper, minting of coins, the printing of currency and banknotes, non-judicial stamp papers, postage stamps, etc.

Additional Information

There are four banknote presses, four mints, and one paper mill in the country. The government-owned presses are at Nasik (Western India) and Dewas (Central India). The other two presses are at Mysore (Southern India) and Salboni (Eastern India). Coins are minted in four mints owned by the Government of India. The mints are located in Mumbai, Hyderabad, Calcutta, and NOIDA.

Correct Answer – D. Street Student

Explanation:  Tata Literature Live! Literary Awards for 2021 were announced in November 2021. They were announced at the grand finale of Mumbai LitFest which was held from 18th to 21st November.  A Death in Shonagachhi by Rijula Das won the First Book Award – Fiction. Asoca: A Sutra by Irwin Allan Sealy won the Book of the Year Award – Fiction. HarperCollins won the Publisher of the Year Award.

Correct Answer – A. Larsen & Toubro Ltd

Explanation: L&T Hydrocarbon Engineering, a subsidiary of L&T, has secured an order valued between ₹2,500 cr and ₹5,000 cr to develop ONGC’s 350 km sub-sea pipelines in India’s west coast.

The company has secured a contract from ONGC for the seventh development phase of their Pipeline Replacement Projects (PRP-VII).The contract involves engineering, procurement, construction, installation, and commissioning of the pipelines and related offshore works.

Additional Information

Energy major Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on January 3 appointed Alka Mittal as its first woman Chairman & Managing Director (CMD).

​Oil and Natural Gas Corporation:

• Headquarters: Delhi.
• CEO: Shubhash Kumar (As of Jan 2022)
• Founder: Government of India.
• Founded on: 14 August 1956