Current Affairs Quiz
1. Who took charge as managing director and chief executive of IT major Infosys?
a) Ravi Venkatesan
b) Pravin Rao
c) Salil Parekh
d) Nandan Nilekani
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Answer c) Salil Parekh. Salil Parekh took charge as managing director and chief executive of IT major Infosys. For Parekh, who has come on board for tenure of five years, top priorities would include bringing back focus on revenue growth and business strategy.
2. Who has been appointed as Chairman of Ayana Renewable Power?
a) PJ Nayak
b) VK Sharma
c) HC Ganesh
d) KG Rawat
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Answer a) PJ Nayak. The UK’s development finance institution, CDC has formed a new company Ayana Renewable Power that will focus on operations in India and neighbouring South Asian countries. The firm has also appointed PJ Nayak as the chairman and Shivanand Nimbargi as managing director and CEO of Ayana Renewable Power. Ayana will develop hundreds of MWs of generational capacity targeting underserved Indian states and neighbouring countries in South Asia including Bangladesh, Nepal, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Ayana is 100 per cent funded by CDC, and will be run by an independent board and management team.
3. Traditional folk art form festival ‘Utsavam 2018’ will be held in _________
a) Tamil Nadu
b) Kerala
c) Andra Pradesh
d) Karnataka
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Answer b) Kerala. ‘Utsavam 2018’, conceived as an attempt to rejuvenate traditional folk art forms of Kerala, will be held across the state from January 6 to 12. The festival, organised by the state tourism department, would be held in 28 venues in 14 districts with participation of more than 5000 artists. The Ustavam will showcase various art forms, including Kolkali, Theyyam, Irulnritham, Ganabali, Paanaporatt and Kaakirinaatakam.
4. The Indian Railways will soon launch its own debit card in association with ______________ and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to promote cashless payments
a) Canara Bank
b) Dena Bank
c) ICICI Bank
d) State Bank of India
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Answer d) State Bank of India. The Indian Railways will soon launch its own debit card in association with State Bank of India (SBI) and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to promote cashless payments, reports said. It reportedly will organise a monthly lottery and give 100% cashback to 10 winning passengers. The decision comes in the wake of IRCTC losing ₹600 crore post demonetisation.
5. The Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated an online portal ________ in New Delhi
a) BARI
b) NARI
c) FARI
d) VARI
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Answer b) NARI. The Minister of Women & Child Development, Maneka Sanjay Gandhi has inaugurated an online portal NARI in New Delhi. Users can log on to www.nari.nic.in to access information on different programmes offered by various state governments as well as the Centre. Developed by the Ministry of Women & Child Development, the portal will provide women citizens with easy access to information on government schemes and initiatives for women.
6. Merchants won’t have to pay any Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) to banks on all debit cards, BHIM UPI, and Aadhaar-based transactions of up to _________ from January 1
a) 500
b) 1000
c) 2000
d) 5000
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Answer c) 2000. Merchants won’t have to pay any Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) to banks on all debit cards, BHIM UPI, and Aadhaar-based transactions of up to ₹2,000 from January 1. MDR is the rate charged to a merchant by a bank for providing debit and credit card services. The charges will be reimbursed by the government to banks for next two years.
7. India’s first floating market is set to open for public in January 2018, in _________
a) Mumbai
b) Chennai
c) Bangalore
d) Kolkata
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Answer d) Kolkata. India’s first floating market is set to open for public in January 2018, in Kolkata. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will inaugurate the market, which has been designed along the lines of floating markets seen in Bangkok. A water body in Patuli area was transformed into the floating market by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) in collaboration with the municipal corporation. It will house over 200 shops.
8. Which country has developed a new underwater surveillance network along the maritime Silk Road, which includes the Indian Ocean?
a) China
b) USA
c) Russia
d) India
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Answer a) China. China has developed a new underwater surveillance network along the maritime Silk Road, which includes the Indian Ocean. The network will reportedly help China’s Navy to track target vessels more accurately while protecting the nation’s interests in the waterway. China last year established its first foreign military naval base in Djibouti which controls access to the Indian Ocean.
9. Which state government has launched the ‘Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru’ programme?
a) Telangana
b) Odisha
c) Andhra Pradesh
d) Jharkhand
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Answer c) Andhra Pradesh. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu called on the people to take part in the ‘Janmabhoomi-Maa Vooru’ programme to be launched. Janmabhoomi Maa Ooru is a great havan and everyone should take up this as a social responsibility. This initiative is a clarion call for all the public to come together, join hands and do all works.
10. Which state government has directed the irrigation department to implement the integrated solar-based micro irrigation scheme in all districts of the state?
a) Maharashtra
b) Haryana
c) Uttar Pradesh
d) Gujarat
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Answer b) Haryana. Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has directed the irrigation department to implement the integrated solar-based micro irrigation scheme in all districts of the state. He constituted a committee under the Chairmanship of Haryana Renewable Energy Development Agency (HAREDA) chairman to chalk out a strategy in this regard. At present, such scheme is being implemented on pilot basis in commands of 14 different canal outlets spread over 13 districts of the state at a cost of Rs 24.65 crore.
11. The Indian Railways have decided to give a discount of Rs._____ to passengers if food booked for the journey isn’t served on time in the train
a) 50
b) 75
c) 100
d) 200
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Answer c) 100. The Indian Railways have decided to give a discount of ₹100 to passengers if food booked for the journey isn’t served on time in the train. The discount will be adjusted in the next order of food or beverages, a rail official said. The facility will be valid for online and offline purchase as well as for a cash refund.
12. Cobblers in __________ can now look forward to getting bank loans of up to Rs 15,000 for setting up kiosks in the state under a new scheme
a) Kerala
b) Manipur
c) Rajasthan
d) Haryana
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Answer d) Haryana. Cobblers in Haryana can now look forward to getting bank loans of up to Rs 15,000 for setting up kiosks in the state under a new scheme. Under the Differential Rate of Interest (DRI) Scheme, financial assistance at concessional rate of four per cent interest is provided by public and private sector banks to selected low-income groups for boosting their productive endeavours. The government will also ensure back-up arrangement for repayment of bank loan through the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund in case of any eventuality.
13. A law mandating equal pay for men and women in _________ came into effect, making it the first country to have such a legislation
a) Iceland
b) Finland
c) Switzerland
d) Australia
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Answer a) Iceland. A law mandating equal pay for men and women in Iceland came into effect, making it the first country to have such a legislation. Businesses and government agencies employing at least 25 people need to obtain equal pay policies’ certification, or they would face fines. The World Economic Forum has ranked Iceland as the world’s most gender-equal country.
14. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has provided financial assistance of Rs 10,000 crore to __________ by end of the third quarters of the current financial year
a) Bihar
b) Gujarat
c) Odisha
d) West Bengal
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Answer c) Odisha. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has provided financial assistance of Rs 10,000 crore to Odisha by end of the third quarters of the current financial year. Under refinance channel, the NABARD has so far extended Rs 4,861 crore to cooperative banks for production of crops by about 3 million farmers in the state. Under Long Term Refinance scheme of the NABARD, banks in Odisha have availed credit support of Rs 624 crore, which have facilitated creation of private sector farm assets.
15. Anwar Jalalpuri who passed away recently was a/an
a) Poet
b) Actor
c) Economist
d) Politician
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Answer a) Poet. Famous poet Anwar Jalalpuri, who translated Bhagwat Gita and Gitanjali into Urdu, died in Lucknow on January 2 at the trauma centre of King George’s Medical University. Some of his important literary works include Rahrau se Rahnuma Tak, translations of Gitanjali and Bhagwat Gita to Urdu, and he also wrote dialogues for TV serial Akbar the Great.
