Important G.K. & Current Affairs Questions – 18th February 2019

Correct Answer – B. Nagore Dargah

Explanation: The 462nd annual Kandoori festival has commenced at nearby Nagore Dargah, a famous Muslim pilgrim centre, with the hoisting of the holy flag. The 14-day long festival began Wednesday night after the holy flag was brought in a procession and hoisted, the managing trustee of the Dargah, Khalifa Masthan Saheb said. The Kandoori festival is held to commemorate the death anniversary of 16th century saint Hazrath Syed Shahul Hameed Quadir Wali, who migrated from his native Manickapur near Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh and lived in Nagore till his death.

Correct Answer – D. 33000 crores

Explanation: In a significant boost to development of infrastructure, connectivity, energy security and health care services in Bihar, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi unveiled projects worth Rs.33,000 crores  in Barauni today. Governor of Bihar, Laljee Tandon, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Modi Union Minister of Food and Consumer Affairs Ramvilas Paswan along with several other dignitaries were present on this occasion. PM addressed a public gathering after launching the projects. Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Patna Metro Rail Project at an estimated cost of Rs. 13,365 crores digitally by press of a button. It will have two corridors — Danapur to Mithapur and Patna Railway Station to New ISBT and is likely to be completed in five years. The project will ease the public transport in Patna and adjoining areas.

Correct Answer – B. Kolkata 

Explanation: For the overall empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangajan), a “Regional Conference on Deendayal Disabled Rehabilitation Scheme (DDRS”) is being organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India at Kolkata, West Bengal on 18^th February, 2019 (Monday). It will cover 13 States of Eastern & North Eastern region namely West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim & Tripura. The stakeholders i.e. the NGOs receiving grant under DDRS, State Government Officers & District level officers will be participating.

Correct Answer – B. IBBI

Explanation: The Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI), jointly with the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs (IICA), organised a two-day workshop on “Committee of Creditors: An Institution of Public Faith” on 15^th and 16^th February, 2019 in Mumbai. The Workshop was unique and the First of its kind for the benefit of Financial Creditors who comprise Committee of Creditors (CoC) under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, 2016. 28 Senior Officers (General Managers and Executive Directors) of the major Scheduled Commercial Banks participated in the Workshop.

Correct Answer – E. None of these

Explanation: The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, graced and addressed the closing ceremony of the Fourth Agri Leadership Summit, organised by the government of Haryana, in Ganaur, Sonipat, today (February 17, 2019). He also presented the Haryana Kisaan Ratna Puraskaar and the Haryana Krishi Ratna Puraskaar.

Correct Answer – D. 9750

Explanation: A uniform national minimum wage of Rs 9,750 per month or region-wise minimum wages ranging from Rs 8,892-Rs 11,622 per month for five regions (as of July 2018) have been recommended by an expert committee on determining the methodology for fixing the national minimum wage. The recommendations could form the basis for a national minimum wage in the country covering all workers — irrespective of their skills, sectors, occupations and rural-urban locations.

Correct Answer – D. Karnataka

Explanation: India’s first Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre has been established at Farmers Knowledge Centre in the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS) in Dharwad, Karnataka. Inaugurated by Union Minister Harsha Vardhan, the North Karnataka Agromet Forecasting and Research Centre (NKAFC) will benefit nearly 25 lakh farmers.The new Weather forecasting centre will help farmers prepare fields for sowing, harvesting, protecting crops from pest attacks, drought and floods.

Correct Answer – B. IWAI

Explanation: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) Friday launched a new portal — LADIS — that would ensure real-time information on available depth on stretches of national waterways. “Moving a step ahead towards ensuring optimum use of national waterways, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) launched a new portal LADIS (Least Available Depth Information System) here today,” the shipping ministry said. LADIS will ensure that real-time data on least available depths (LADs) is disseminated for ship, barge and cargo owners so that they can undertake transportation on national waterways (NWs) in a more planned way.

Correct Answer – B. Goa

Explanation: Former Goa deputy chief minister and BJP’s Mapusa legislator Francis D’Souza passed away after a prolonged illness on Thursday afternoon. Elected for five terms from Mapusa constituency, D’Souza was suffering from cancer for the past few months. When BJP was elected to power with a simple majority of 21 MLA in March 2012 elections, D’Souza was the only MLA to win elections with a margin of over 10000 votes, a record for that election.

Correct Answer  – D. 2.0 crore

Explanation: he Reserve Bank of India (RBI) decided to raise the criteria for ‘bulk deposits’ for banks to Rs 2 crore from the current Rs 1 crore, to provide more operational freedom to lenders to raise funds. Banks have been given discretion to offer differential rate of interest on the bulk deposits as per their requirements and asset-liability management (ALM) projections.