Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 18th March 2021

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Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs Questions Quiz for SBI, IBPS, RBI, RRB, SSC Exam 2021 of 18th March 2021. Daily GK quiz online for bank & competitive exam. Here we have given the Daily Current Affairs Quiz based on the previous days Daily Current Affairs updates. Candidates preparing for IBPS, SBI, RBI, RRB, SSC Exam 2021 & other competitive exams can make use of these Current Affairs Quiz.

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1) Nitin Gadkari will make a statement regarding ‘Vehicles Scrapping Policy’ soon. The vehicle scrappage policy will lead to a slash of ____ lakh crore expenditure on crude imports.

A) 15

B) 13

C) 10

D) 11

E) 12

2) Who among the following from India and Italian Ambassador Vincenzo De Luca recently met for ISA?

A) Narendra Modi

B) Prahlad Patel

C) NS Tomar

D) Harsh Vardhan Shringla

E) Nitin Gadkari

3) The Union Cabinet has given a nod to shut down Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation thus retiring all _____ its employees.

A) 80

B) 75

C) 70

D) 60

E) 65

4) Which country has signed the International Solar Alliance – ISA Framework Agreement recently?

A) Iceland

B) Netherlands

C) Germany

D) Italy

E) France

5) India-Bangladesh recently held a Water Resources Secretary level meeting in which city?

A) Chandigarh

B) Chennai

C) Delhi

D) Pune

E) Surat

6) The Foreign Affairs Minister of which country will make a two day visit to India?

A) UAE

B) Qatar

C) Oman

D) Uzbekistan

E) Kuwait

7) Who among the following has recently inaugurated the project “Awaam Ki Baat”?

A) Prahlad Patel

B) Amit Shah

C) Manoj Sinha

D) NS Tomar

E) Nitin Gadkari

8) Maitri Cycle Rally was recently organized by which of the following armed forces?

A) ITBP

B) RAF

C) RPF

D) BSF

E) CISF

9) The Government College for Women at Salaheri located in which state has been renamed as Shaheed Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat Government College for Women?

A) Gujarat

B) Haryana

C) Chhattisgarh

D) Bihar

E) Punjab

10) Doodh Duronto special trains have transported ______ crore litres of Milk to National Capital, New Delhi.

A) 9

B) 8.5

C) 8

D) 7.5

E) 7

11) Stop TB Partnership Board has appointed who among the following as Chairman of its International body?

A) Nirmala Sitharaman

B) Harsh Vardhan

C) Prahlad Patel

D) NS Tomar

E) Narendra Modi

12) Moudud Ahmed who passed away recently belonged to which political party?

A) BJD

B) AIADMK

C) Congress

D) BNP

E) BJP

13) Tech Mahindra has planned to buy _____ per cent stake in Perigord Asset Holdings.

A) 45

B) 70

C) 65

D) 60

E) 55

14) Who among the following has recently been nominated for NSDL top post?

A) Suresh Makhija

B) Rajesh Singh

C) Anand Tiwary

D) Priya Raj

E) Sanjeev Kaushik

15) I-T refunds of over Rs _____ lakh crore have been issued in FY21.

A) 4.2

B) 3.5

C) 2.1

D) 2.5

E) 3.4

16) Who among the following has been appointed as MD Senior Advisor, Team Head, at Julius Baer India?

A) Nalin Kumar

B) Sudhir Mehta

C) Nina Raj

D) Anand Gupta

E) Chirag Gandhi

17) Which edition of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum has been held Virtually?

A) 8th

B) 7th

C) 6th

D) 5th

E) 4th

18) New plant species of Crotalaria lamelliformis has recently been found in which state?

A) Punjab

B) Bihar

C) Haryana

D) Andhra Pradesh

E) Madhya Pradesh

19) Government forms experts committee for the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme which will be headed by who among the following?

A) Vimal Kapoor

B) HK Mittal

C) Sudhir Kumar

D) Angad Aggarwal

E) Anand Gupta

20) The 2020 World Air Quality Report has ranked _____as the World’s most polluted capital city.

A) Gurgaon

B) Chandigarh

C) New Delhi

D) Chennai

E) Hyderabad

21) Who among the following has Beaten Dutee Chand To Win 100m Gold- Federation Cup Athletics?

A) Naren Mehta

B) Raj Verma

C) Anandita

D) Sudhir Singh

E) Dhanalakshmi

22) Lou Ottens who passed away recently was the inventor of _____.

A) Pagers

B) Floppy disks

C) Pen drives

D) Cassette tapes

E) Music CDs

Answers :

1) Answer: C

Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari will make a statement regarding ‘Vehicles Scrapping Policy’ in both the Houses of Parliament.

Besides it, in business of the Lok Sabha, Appropriation Bill, 2021, Discussion and Voting on Demands for Grants in respect of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for 2021-22 and Demands for Grants on Account in respect of the Union Territory of Puducherry for 2021-22 and the Constitution (Scheduled Castes) Order (Amendment)

Bill, 2021 are listed.

In the business schedule of Rajya Sabha, the Insurance (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and Discussion on the working of Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Food Processing Industries are listed.

Vehicle scrappage policy in India:

The vehicle scrappage policy has been devised to promote sales of new vehicles with improved fuel efficiency and low pollution levels, as well as to slash India’s Rs 10 lakh crore expenditure on crude imports.

Around 1 crore aging vehicles are set to be scrapped once the policy is implemented, according to Gadkari.

2) Answer: D

Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla met Italian Ambassador Vincenzo De Luca and welcomed Italy’s accession to International Solar Alliance.

They also discussed Italy’s G20 Presidency and Vaccine Maitri.

About International Solar Alliance:

The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of 121 countries initiated by India, most of them being sunshine countries, which lie either completely or partly between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn.

Purpose of ISA:

The goal of the ISA is to set the ground rules, norms and standards for solar energy, in order to obtain a rapid and massive deployment in countries that are rich in solar resources but where the risks are still seen as high.

3) Answer: E

The Union cabinet gave its nod to shut down loss-making Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corp. of India Ltd (HHEC), and to offer voluntary retirement to all its 65 employees. The corporation has been continuously incurring losses since 2015-16 and not earning sufficient income to meet its running expenses.

About Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation:

Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India is an agency of the Ministry of Textiles, Government of India established in 1958 with main objectives to undertake exports of handicrafts, handlooms products, khadi and products of village industries from India and to undertake special promotional measures.

On the 17th of March 2021, the Government of India approved the closure of Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation of India.

4) Answer: D

Italy signed the International Solar Alliance under the amended ISA Framework Agreement.

The amendments to the Framework Agreement of the ISA entered into force, opening its Membership to all Member States of the UN.

The External Affairs Ministry said the Framework Agreement was signed by Italy’s Ambassador, Vincenzo De Luca.

The signed copies of the Agreement were received by Additional Secretary (ER), as the representative of External Affairs Ministry, which is the depositary of ISA Framework Agreement.

“The Italian Republic signed the framework agreement of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) after the amendments to the framework agreement of the ISA entered into force on 8 January 2021, opening its membership to all member states of the UN,” said by Srivastava.

5) Answer: C

The Secretary-level meeting between Water Resources ministries of India and Bangladesh under the framework of the Joint Rivers Commission was held in Delhi.

According to a press release issued by the High Commission of India, both sides noted that India and Bangladesh share 54 common rivers which directly impact the livelihood of people of two countries.

Both sides commended the close cooperation that exists between India and Bangladesh in the matter.

India and Bangladesh agreed to expand cooperation across an entire gamut of water resources issues including framework for sharing of river waters, mitigation of pollution, river bank protection, flood management and basin management among others.

A Joint Technical Working Group will provide inputs on the matter, said the press release.

The Indian delegation was led by Water Resources Secretary Pankaj Kumar while the Bangladesh delegation was led by Kabir Bin Anwar, Senior Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources.

Both sides agreed to schedule the next meeting at Secretary level under JRC framework at Dhaka at mutually convenient dates.

6) Answer: E

Foreign Affairs Minister of Kuwait Dr. Ahmed Nasser Al-Mohammed Al-Sabah arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to India.

He will meet External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar.

Answer: C

In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, initiated the project “Awaam Ki Baat” – a Radio program by launching its website at Raj Bhavan, Jammu.

The half-an-hour long Radio program to be aired every third Sunday of the month (to start from April), is one of the many sequential steps of broader program aimed at disseminating the progressive steps taken by the government and providing the public with a platform to speak, write and interact with the administration, thereby voicing their suggestions, ideas and creative proposals.

7) Answer: D

Giving a fillip to the Indo-Bangla friendship, the Maitri Cycle Rally, organised by BSF, completed its journey and reached its last stop at Silkore border outpost in Mizoram.

Director-General of BSF Rakesh Asthana extended greetings to the people of Bangladesh on the occasion of the 101th birth anniversary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujubur Rahman.

He wished that India and Bangladesh maintain their peaceful relations in the coming days too.

A delegation of Border Guard Bangladesh was also present there to mark the program.

During the over two months cycle rally, 12 BSF riders toured bordering areas of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Manipur, Meghalaya and Mizoram.

The rally was started from Panitar BoP in 24 North Pargana of West Bengal on 10th of January.

Maitri Cycle Rally is also a mark of paying tribute to the birth anniversary of the Father of Bangladesh, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The rally is also aimed at enhancing the friendship between BSF and BGB.

The rally is hoped to bolster the better management of the Indo-Bangla borders, supplement mutual cooperation, coordination and spirit of true friendship.

8) Answer: B

In Haryana, Government College for Women at Salaheri in Nuh district has been renamed as Shaheed Lieutenant Kiran Shekhawat Government College for Women, Salaheri.

This was informed by Haryana Education Minister, Kanwar Pal during the Question Hour during the Budget session of the Vidhan Sabha.

He further added that Yasin Meo Degree College in Nuh has 1,108 students.

9) Answer: E

Doodh Duronto special trains have transported seven crore litres of Milk to National Capital, New Delhi in the current financial year 2020-21, which is the highest ever transportation since its commencement.

Transportation of Milk from Renigunta of Andhra Pradesh was started in the year 2011-12 and initially Milk Tankers were attached to Regular Superfast trains to serve the purpose.

Since then, transportation of Milk has been done on a regular basis, transporting around 2 to 3 crore litres in every financial year.

There has been an increase in demand as the years passed by and in the year 2019-20, 4.4 crore litres were transported.

But in the month of April 2020, due to Covid lockdown, when all passenger trains came to a halt, Milk transportation was a challenging task to the Zone.

10) Answer: B

Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan has been appointed as the Chairman of the international body Stop TB Partnership Board.

He was appointed in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the movement to eradicate Tuberculosis from India by 2025.

Dr Harsh Vardhan will serve a three-year term, commencing from July this year.

About stop TB partnership:

The Stop TB Partnership is a unique international body with the power to align actors all over the world in the fight against TB.

The participation of a wide range of constituencies gives this global body the credibility and the broad range of medical, social and financial expertise needed to defeat TB.

The Partnership’s vision is a TB-free world.

The appointment of Dr Harsh Vardhan as the Chair of this prestigious global body is a proud recognition of India’s political commitment to the eradication of TB.

Established in the year 2000, the ‘Stop TB Partnership’ is mandated to eliminate Tuberculosis as a public health problem.

11) Answer: D

Barrister Moudud Ahmed, a standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has passed away.

He was 81.

About Moudud Ahmed :

Moudud Ahmed was born on May 24, 1940 in Noakhali’s Companigonj upazila.

Ahmed was a standing committee member of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

He had served as the

Prime Minister of Bangladesh (1988–1989),

Vice President of Bangladesh (1989–1990),

B Partnership Board.

Priya Subbaraman, Chief Regulatory Officer at National Stock Exchange (NSE,) and Sanjeev Kaushik, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, have been shortlisted for the post of MD and CEO of National Share Depository Services Ltd (NSDL), a leading provider of equity demat accounts.

12) Answer: B

On March 15, 2021, Tech Mahindra will acquire a 70 percent stake in Ireland-based Perigord Asset Holdings Ltd for around Rs 182 crore and plans to buy the remaining 30 per cent shareholding over a period of four years.

About the acquisition :

The acquisition will help in augmenting its expertise in the global pharmaceutical, healthcare and life science sectors.

The acquisition is a part of Tech Mahindra”s long-term growth plan to build presence across key markets in Ireland, Germany, USA, and India with enhanced global delivery.

13) Answer: E

Priya Subbaraman, Chief Regulatory Officer at National Stock Exchange (NSE,) and Sanjeev Kaushik, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, have been shortlisted for the post of MD and CEO of National Share Depository Services Ltd (NSDL), a leading provider of equity demat accounts.

Current NSDL MD and CEO GV Nagesh Rao has been serving since 2013 and is currently on extension.

The nomination and remuneration committee (NRC) of NSDL, after a slew of interviews, recommended the two names to market regulator SEBI.

About NSDL:

National Securities Depository Limited is an Indian central securities depository based in Mumbai.

It was established in August 1996 as the first electronic securities depository in India with national coverage.

14) Answer: C

The Income Tax Department said it has issued over 2 lakh crore rupees worth refunds to more than 2.1 crore taxpayers so far this fiscal.

Of this, personal income tax refunds of 73,607 crore rupees have been issued to over 2.06 crore taxpayers and corporate tax refunds of over 1.3 lakh crore rupees issued in 2.2 lakh cases.

Income tax refund:

When your income tax paid is more than your income tax liability for a given year, the excess amount paid is refunded by the Income tax department.

This refunded amount is known as “Income tax refund”

15) Answer: E

Global wealth manager Julius Baer has appointed Chirag Gandhi as MD Senior Advisor, Team Head, based in New Delhi.

It has also inducted five senior relationship managers to the India franchise during the calendar year.

The firm also welcomed a team of bankers from Avendus — Manish Khaitan in Mumbai and Abhinav Kumar in Bangalore — to further strengthen its west and south India coverage, it said in a statement.

Julius Baer Group:

Julius Baer Group AG, known alternatively as Julius Baer Group Ltd., is a small to medium sized generalist private Banking Corporation founded and based in Switzerland.

Headquartered in Zürich, it is among the older Swiss banking institutions

16) Answer: C

On March 16, 2021, The Sixth India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Women’s Forum meeting was held virtually.

The Forum discussed key issues that contribute towards the transformation of women’s lives

At the end of the conference, a joint declaration was also issued highlighting the shared IBSA goals and commitments for achieving gender equality in all spheres of life.

About IBSA Women’s Forum :

The India-Brazil-South Africa Trilateral Cooperation Forum is a unique platform which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents.

The meeting was led by the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India.

IBSA is committed to inclusive sustainable development, in pursuit of the well-being for their citizens and those from the other developing nations.

The principles, norms and values underpinning the IBSA Dialogue Forum are participatory democracy, respect for human rights, the Rule of Law and the strengthening of multilateralism. IBSA lays efforts in South-South cooperation beyond the conventional areas of exchange of experts and training.

17) Answer: D

A team of botanists has recently stumbled upon a new rattlepod species Crotalaria lamelliformis in the Sadasivakona grove area of Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh.

The discovery has been published in the latest edition of the noted international journal ‘Phytotaxa’.

It was discovered after a critical investigation from July 2018 to November 2020.

18) Answer: B

The government has constituted an experts advisory committee for the overall execution and monitoring of the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme.

The committee would be chaired by H K Mittal from the Department of Science and Technology.

About the Committee :

The committee will evaluate and select incubators for allotment of funds under the scheme, monitor progress and take all necessary measures for efficient utilisation of funds towards fulfilment of objectives of the scheme.

The other representatives would include members from DPIIT, department of biotechnology, science and technology, electronics and IT, Niti Aayog, and expert members from the startup ecosystem.

19) Answer: C

New Delhi was the world’s most polluted capital for the third straight year in 2020, according to IQAir.

A Swiss group that measures air quality levels based on the concentration of lung-damaging airborne particles known as PM2.5.

The study is based on India’s annual average of particulate matter PM2.5, airborne particles with less than 2.5 microns in diameter.

Globally, New Delhi is ranked as the 10th most polluted city in the world.

The topmost polluted city is Xinjiang in China followed by nine Indian cities.

Ghaziabad is the second most polluted city in the world followed by Bulandshahar, Bisrakh Jalalpur, Noida, Greater Noida, Kanpur, Lucknow and Bhiwari.

The global cities ranking report is based on PM2.5 data from 106 countries, which is measured by ground-based monitoring stations, most of which is operated by government agencies.

Notably, India was home to 35 of the world’s 50 most polluted cities in 2020, according to IQAir’s 2020 World Air Quality Report.

The IQAir report seeks to empower individuals, organizations and communities to breathe cleaner air through information, collaboration and technology solutions.

20) Answer: E

On March 16, 2021, Sprinter S Dhanalakshmi beat national record holder Dutee Chand to win the women’s 100m sprint final in the Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Championships in Patiala.

21) Answer: D

Lou Ottens, the Dutch engineer credited with inventing the cassette tape, passed away.

He was 94.

About Lou Ottens :

Ottens, born on 21 June 1926.

He equipped the device with a directional antenna that he called a “Germanenfilter” because it could avoid the jammers used by the Nazi regime.

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