Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 2nd & 3rd January 2022

Correct Answer: B. Zishaan A Latif

Explanation: Zishaan A Latif won Ramnath Goenka Award in the Photo Journalism category.He won the award for his photo essay, The arduous struggle for inclusion in the NRC, which was published in The Caravan in October 2019.He documented the plight of people who were dropped from the National Register of Citizens (NRC), and put a face to an untold human story.

Correct Answer – C. Sudan

Explanation: Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has announced his resignation amid political deadlock following a military coup that derailed the country’s fragile transition to democracy.Hamdok, a former United Nations official seen as the civilian face of Sudan’s transitional government, was reinstated in November amid international pressure in a deal that called for an independent technocratic cabinet under military oversight led by him.Hamdok’s resignation came after Sudanese security forces violently dispersed the pro-democracy protesters against the October 25 military coup, killing at least two people.

Correct Answer – C. Isha Ambani

Explanation: Board member of Reliance Jio Infocomm, Reliance Retail and Reliance Foundation, Isha Ambani was appointed on the Board of Trustees of the prestigious Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art.The appointment is for 4 years. Apart from Isha Ambani, Carolyn Brehm, founder and CEO of the consulting firm Brehm Global Ventures LLC and lecturer, and Peter Kimmelman, also joined the board. Antoine van Agtmael is the chair of the museum’s board of trustees.

About the Museum:

The museum collection of Asian art includes more than 45,000 objects, dating from the Neolithic period to the present, originating from the ancient Near East to China, Japan, Korea, South and Southeast Asia and the Islamic world. Opened as the Freer Gallery of Art in 1923, the museum will celebrate its centennial in 2023.

Correct Answer – B. Nodirbek Abdusattorov

Explanation: A little-known 17-year-old from Uzbekistan made a clean sweep of Magnus Carlsen and the global chess elite.Incidentally he set sets a world age record.He becomes the youngest ever world champion in open competitions.Nodirbek Abdusattorov won the World Rapid championship in Warsaw, claiming en route the scalps of Magnus Carlsen and the No 1’s last two challengers, Fabiano Caruana and Ian Nepomniachtchi.In rapid chess each player has 15 minutes for all moves, plus a 10 second per move increment.At 17 years three months Abdusattorov becomes the youngest ever world champion in open competition, surpassing Ruslan Ponomariov at 18 in the Fide version of the then disputed classical crown in 2001 and Carlsen, also at 18, in the 2009 World Blitz.

Correct Answer – C. Mumbai

Explanation: The financial capital of Mumbai is set to get a new transportation solution with the commissioning of state-of-the-art water taxi services.The services would be formally launched in January by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the exact dates are being finalised.The project is a joint initiative of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) and Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB).Infinity Harbour Services LLP and West Coast Marine will be the two service operators.From Mumbai, the two points for the services would be the International Cruise Terminal at Ballard Pier and Domestic Cruise Terminal (DCT) at Ferry Wharf.The government is working on various routes from DCT to Nerul, Belapur, Vashi, Airoli, Rewas, Karanja, Dharamtar, Kanhoji Angre Island and Thane. Another route is from ICT to Elephanta Island, which is a tourist spot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Correct Answer – A. Smriti Mandhana

Explanation: Indian women’s team cricketer Smriti Mandhana has been nominated for the prestigious Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy for ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year-2021 award.She has scored 855 runs in 22 internationals, at an average of 38.86 with one century and five halfcenturies.Besides her, other three cricketers – England’s Tammy Beaumont, Australia’s Lizelle Lee and Ireland’s Gaby Lewis are also being nominated.

Correct Answer – D. Meerut

Explanation:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of Major Dhyan Chand Sports University at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh on 2 Jan 2022. This university will be established at an estimated cost of ₹700 crores at Salawa and Kaili villages of Sardhana town in Meerut. The varsity will have the capacity of training 1,080 sportspersons including 540 female and 540 male ones. The Dhyan Chand Sports University will be equipped with modern and state-of-the-art sports infrastructure including synthetic Hockey ground, Football, etc.

Important Points

PM Narendra Modi has been invited as the chief guest at the 54th convocation ceremony of the IIT Kanpur on 28th Dec 2021. Amid the Omicron scare, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced the Covid-19 vaccine for children and booster doses for Health workers and senior citizens in December 2021. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has laid the foundation stone of Ganga Expressway in Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh in December 2021. In October 2021, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched the Indian Space Association (ISA). Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been named among the 100 most influential people of 2021 by Time Magazine. In August 2021, Narendra Modi has become the first Indian Prime Minister to chair an open debate at United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Correct Answer – C. France

Explanation: France became the sixth country in the world to report over 10 million Covid infections since the outbreak of the pandemic. France joined the US, India, Brazil, Britain, and Russia in having had more than 10 million cases. Masks had been compulsory from the age of 11 in France. Now, children aged six and older will have to don a mask on all means of public transport within national borders.

Important Points

The Navies of India and France carried out the 6th edition of the biennial training exercise “EX SHAKTI 2021” from November 15 to 26, 2021 in Frejus, France. France has successfully launched a state-of-the-art satellite namely ‘Syracuse 4A’ into orbit which was carried off by Ariane 5 rocket from Kourou, in French Guiana.

France: Capital: Paris Currency: Euro Prime Minister: Jean Castex President: Emmanuel Macron Fencer Bhavani Devi has won the Charlellville National Competition in France. Former France footballer Jean-Pierre Adams, who had been in a coma for 39 years, has passed away. The 7th edition of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), concluded in France on July 01, 2021

Correct Answer – B. Telangana

Explanation: Telangana stood first in the implementation of the Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM). Tamil Nadu and Gujarat took the second and third positions respectively. Sangareddy and Kamareddy districts stood in the first two positions among the 300 clusters across the country. Shyama Prasad Mukherji Rurban Mission (SPMRM) was launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Rural Development.

Chief Justice of India (CJI) Justice NV Ramana, and Chief Minister of Telangana K Chandrasekhar Rao has inaugurated India’s First International Arbitration and Mediation Centre (IAMC) at Phoenix VK Tower at Hyderabad, Telangana. Pochampally village in Yadadri Bhuvanagiri district of Telangana, known for its famous hand-woven Ikat saris, was selected as one of the best tourism villages by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO). The nine-day floral festival, the Bathukamma festival was celebrated during Durga Navratri in

Telangana. Telangana: Capital: Hyderabad Governor: Tamilisai Soundararajan Chief Minister: K. Chandrashekar Rao

Correct Answer – C. Japan

Explanation: The Inmarsat-6 F1 satellite was launched from the H-2A rocket on 22 December 2021 from Japan’s Tanegashima Space Center. The I-6 satellites will be compatible with already-operational ELERA and Global Xpress networks. The H-2A is Japan’s primary medium-lift launcher. It has sent Japan’s Hayabusa2 asteroid sample-return mission (in 2014) and the United Arab Emirates’ Hope Mars orbiter (in 2020).

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency: Founded on 1 October 2003 Headquarters: Chōfu, Tokyo, Japan Japan has introduced a minibus lookalike world’s first dual-mode vehicle (DMV) in its town of Kaiyo. Fumio Kishida, leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has been re-elected as the Prime Minister (PM) of Japan following the victory of the LDP in the 2021 Parliament election in November 2021. The fifth edition of India – Japan Maritime Bilateral Exercise JIMEX was held in the Arabian Sea from 06 to 08 October 2021. Japan’s Yuto Horigome has won the first-ever skateboarding competition at the Olympic Games, taking gold in men’s street event at the Ariake Urban Sport in Tokyo.

Correct Answer – C. USA

Explanation: The United States cut Ethiopia, Mali, and Guinea from access to a duty-free trade program, following through on President Joe Biden’s threat to do so over alleged human rights violations and recent coups. US Trade Representative (USTR) terminated the three countries from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) “due to actions taken by each of their governments in violation of the AGOA Statute.Ethiopia would be cut off from the duty-free trading regime due to alleged human rights violations in the Tigray region, while Mali and Guinea were targeted due to recent coups.

Important Points

The AGOA trade legislation provides sub-Saharan African nations with duty-free access to the US if they meet certain eligibility requirements, such as eliminating barriers to US trade and investment and making progress towards political pluralism. In 2020, 38 countries were eligible for AGOA.

Additional Information

US President Joe Biden has elevated Indian-American political advisor Gautam Raghavan as the head of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel. Max Verstappen (Red Bull – Netherlands) has won the 2021 United States Grand Prix held at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, United States. India-origin woman Sirisha Bandla travelled to the edge of the space aboard ‘VSS Unity’ of Virgin Galactic, which was scheduled to fly off on July 11 from New Mexico.

Correct Answer – D. Vinod Kannan

Explanation: Vinod Kannan took over as the chief executive officer (CEO) of the Vistara airline on 02 January 2022. Kannan replaced Leslie Thng who was the CEO from July 16, 2017, to December 31, 2021. Vistara is a 51:49 joint venture between Tata Sons Private Limited and Singapore Airlines (SIA). Deepak Rajawat has been elevated to take up the role of Vistara’s chief commercial officer.

Correct Answer – A. Ethiopia

Explanation: Ethiopia’s Ejegayehu Taye and Berihu Aregawi broke the world 5km records at the Cursa dels Nassos in Barcelona on 02 Jan, 22. Taye, 21, had set an Ethiopian 3000m record of 8:19.52 in 2021 and was the second-fastest woman in the world. The Diamond League 5000m champion stormed through the finish line in 12:49, taking two seconds off Cheptegei’s world record.

Correct Answer: B. ​ Odisha

Explanation: Odisha has touched a collection of Rs 4080.14 crore during December 2021, registering a growth of 43 per cent. This is also the second-highest ever gross collection of GST by the state since the launching of GST.” The successful auction of iron ore mines last year by the State Government is contributing significantly to an increase in tax revenue this year.

Important Current Affairs based on Odisha in 2021: On Karthika Purnima, which is also known as Boita Bandana is celebrated at various water bodies of Odisha. The state government of Odisha has launched a first of its kind road safety initiative named Rakshak, to train first responders of road accidents. Under the program, 300 master trainers will train 30,000 local people.

Chief Minister of Odisha, Naveen Patnaik has inaugurated the state’s longest bridge, ‘T-Setu’, built over the Mahanadi River in Cuttack District, Odisha in December 2021. Odisha partnered with United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) to launch “Mission Shakti Living Lab” for the financial empowerment of women in December 2021.

UN Capital Development Fund:

• Founded: 1966;
• Headquarters: New York, United States;
• Executive Secretary: Preeti Sinha.
• Cyclone Jawad has hit the north Andhra Pradesh, south Odisha coasts and Some parts of West Bengal in December 2021.

Correct Answer: B. ​ China

Explanation: China, in Shanghai, has opened two new driverless metro lines. With the two new lines, the total length of the city’s metro network extends to 831 kilometres.Till 2021, Shanghai operates 167 km of fully automatic metro lines, making it the first in the world. After Shanghai, Beijing and New Delhi take the second and third spot on the list of cities with the largest metro networks.

Additional Information

Important current affairs related to China in 2021: Pradeep Kumar Rawat was appointed as India’s new envoy to China in December 2021. China has launched a new group of satellites Shijian-6 05 for space exploration and new technology tests.

China

• Capital: Beijing;
• China Currency: Renminbi;
• China President: Xi Jinping.

On November 26th, 2021, Former Army Officer Maroof Raza has authored a new book titled “Contested Lands: India, China, and the Boundary Dispute”. China has launched the world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1 into space on November 9th, 2021. On October 25th, 2021, China has launched a new satellite named Shijian-21. The satellite will be used to test and verify space debris mitigation technologies.

Correct Answer: D. 15-18 years

Explanation: In India, the vaccination for the age-group 15-18 years has started from Jan 3, while the third dose for the vulnerable categories is to commence from Jan 10. Only ‘Covaxin’ is to be administered in this population category and additional doses of ‘Covaxin’ will be sent to all States and UTs. Those with the birth year of 2007 or before will be eligible for vaccination under this category.

Additional Information

Important current affairs related to coronavirus in 2021-22:

The project team of the University of Hong Kong (HKU) has produced the first anti-COVID-19 stainless steel. The United Kingdom pledged 105 million pounds ($141.7 million) in emergency aid to help vulnerable nations, particularly in Africa, suffering from highly transmissible Omicron coronavirus variant. On November 29th, 2021, World Health Organisation (WHO) has classified the new COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 as Omicron. New COVID-19 variant B.1.1.529 was first reported to WHO from South Africa on 24 November 2021.

• WHO Established:7 April 1948;
• WHO Director General:Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus;
• WHO Headquarters:Geneva, Switzerland.

Correct Answer: D. Ministry of Civil Aviation

Explanation: The Ministry of Civil Aviation has released a draft National Air Sports Policy (NASP) for public feedback on 03 Jan, 22. The policy seeks to leverage India’s potential for air sports and places a strong focus on ensuring international best practices in safety. The vision of the policy is to make India one of the top air sports nations by 2030.

Additional Information

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia is the Minister of Civil Aviation of the Government of India. Anupam Ray has been appointed as India’s new permanent representative at UN Conference on Disarmament. Pankaj Sharma, an Indian Foreign Service officer of the 1991 batch, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to Mexico. In December 2021, Indian diplomat Pradeep Kumar Rawat has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to China. 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. Sanjay Kumar Singh assumed charge as the Secretary of the Ministry of Steel in New Delhi.

Correct Answer: C. ​ Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu

Explanation: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu inaugurated 2 Colleges of Arts and Sciences in Kadmat and Andrott islands in Lakshadweep on 02 Jan 2022. VP Naidu, who is also the Chancellor of the Pondicherry University to which the colleges are affiliated, emphasized the importance of skill development. He expressed his happiness about his first official visit to the islands as the Vice President of India.

Additional Information Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu has released the memoir ‘Raj Kapoor: The Master at Work’ written by filmmaker Rahul Rawail on 14 December 2021. In December 20221, the Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled ‘Public Service Ethics- A Quest for Naitik Bharat’, authored by Prabhat Kumar. In December 20221, the Vice President of India, M. Venkaiah Naidu on the 72nd anniversary of the adoption of the ‘Constitution of India’ released a book titled “Democracy, Politics and Governance”,  authored by Dr A. Surya Prakash. Vice President (VP) M. Venkaiah Naidu launched a book titled ‘The Midway Battle: Modi’s Rollercoaster Second Term’ authored by Gautam Chintamani in December 2021.

Correct Answer: C. ​ Sudan

Explanation: Sudan’s Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has announced his resignation in January 2022 amid political deadlock following a military coup. Hamdok was reinstated in November 2021 amid international pressure in a deal.

Additional Information

Sudan is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the countries of the Central African Republic, Chad, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Libya, South Sudan, and the Red Sea. It occupies 1,886,068 square kilometres, making it Africa’s third-largest country by area, and the third-largest by area in the Arab League.

Sudan:

• Capital – Khartoum.
• Currency – Sudanese pound
• National Sport – Football