Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 19th January 2023

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Dear Readers, Daily Current Affairs Questions Quiz for SBI, IBPS, RBI, RRB, SSC Exam 2023 of 19th January  2023. 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 2023 & other competitive exams can make use of these Current Affairs Quiz.

 

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1) Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) unearths two 1200-year-old miniature stupas at which among the Heritage site in India?

(a) Agra Fort

(b) Khajuraho

(c) Nalanda Mahavihara

(d) Fatehpur Sikri

(e) Ellora Caves


2) Recently Padho Pardesh scheme has been discontinued. This Scheme comes under which among the following Ministry?

(a) Ministry of Education

(b) Minister of Minority Affairs

(c) Ministry of Labour and Employment

(d) Ministry of Women and Child Development

(e) Ministry of Health and Family Welfare


3) National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) notifies India’s first national
assessment regulator named ____________

(a) BHARATH

(b) SUGUNA

(c) SUBAM

(d) PRAKASH

(e) PARAKH


4) As per Reserve Bank of India (RBI) approval, Which Public Sector Bank holds special Rupee Vostro accounts of 3 Sri Lanka banks?

(a) Union Bank of India

(b) Canara Bank

(c) Indian Bank

(d) Indian Overseas Bank

(e) Bank Of India


5) NueGo, an electric intercity coach services brand Forms Strategic Partnership with which Fintech Service Provider for online bus ticket booking?

(a) Paytm

(b) PhonePe

(c) Google Pay

(d) Razorpay

(e) AmazonPay


6) Telangana Southern State Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) and which Fintech service company joins hands to simplify electricity bill payments for customers?

(a) MobiKwik

(b) AmazonPay

(c) PayPal

(d) PhonePe

(e) Paytm


7) VTB, the second-largest bank of which among the following country launches direct payments in Rupees?

(a) America

(b) Australia

(c) UAE

(d) Japan

(e) Russia


8) Private equity firm Apax Partners Partners to sell its entire stake in which finance company for ₹2,250 crores?

(a)Muthoot Finance Ltd

(b)Shriram Finance Company Limited

(c) HDB Finance Services

(d) Tata Capital Financial Services Ltd

(e) Mahindra & Mahindra Financial Services Limited


9) As per recent news, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) retakes ____________% stake in Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields of Russia  

(a) 10%

(b) 20%

(c) 30%

(d) 40%

(e) 50%


10) As per the report released by Finance Ministry, India’s exports drop __________ % in December, trade deficit inches up

(a) 12.2%

(b)22.2%

(c)32.2%

(d)42.2%

(e)52.2%


11) India’s fiscal deficit for FY23 is estimated at Rs 17.5 lakh crore, FY24 Rs 17.95 lakh crore. This data is released by which among the following report?

(a)Reserve Bank of India

(b)State Bank of India

(c)Finance Ministry

(d)Securities and Exchange Board of India

(e)National Institution for Transforming India


12) Government extends the tenure of Mr Sanjiv Chadha for about 5 months till 30 June, 2023. He is the MD and CEO of which bank?

(a)Bank of Maharastra

(b) Union Bank of India

(c) Canara Bank

(d) Indian Bank

(e) Bank of Baroda


13) Which among the following Drone Startup firm has recently developed India’s first 5G-enabled drone named Skyhawk?

(a)Matrixgeo Drones

(b)GarudaUAV Drones

(c)Squadrone

(d)IG Drones

(e)Vimana Drones


14) As per the recent report released by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2022 will be the __________ Warmest Year on Record as Warming Trend Continues

(a) 2nd

(b) 3rd

(c) 4th

(d) 5th

(e) 6th


15) Tech Mahindra &which among the following Tech Giant join hands to bring Cloud-powered 5G Core Network Modernisation to Telecom Partners?

(a)IBM

(b) Google

(c) Microsoft

(d) Deloitte

(e) Larsen and Toubro Infotech


16) Which writer has recently received the Federal Bank Literary Award 2023 for his book Oranweshananthinte Katha?

(a) K Venu

(b) Anand Kumar

(c) Bala Shivam

(d) Praveen Kishore

(e) Yuvraj Rathor


17) Which among the following film has recently bagged the Golden Kailasha award in Ajanta-Ellora film festival?

(a) Fouji ki family 2

(b)Naanera

(c) Chidi Balla

(d) Aata Sata

(e) Chehraa


18) Santokh Singh Chaudhary passed away. He belongs to which field?

(a) Doctor

(b) Writer

(c) Politician

(d) Cricketer

(e) Hockey Player


19) Prince William’s Godfather has passed away. He was the Last King of Constantine II of which country?

(a) Türkiye

(b)Italy

(c)Germany

(d) Poland

(e)Greece


20) AD Damodaran passed away, He was renowned___________

(a) Musician

(b) Scientist

(c) Director

(d) Actor

(e) Journalist


Answers :

1) Answer: C

The Patna circle of the s unearthed two miniature votive stupas dating back 1200 years during landscaping work near the Sarai Tila mound within the grounds of “Nalanda Mahavihara,” a world heritage site in the state’s Nalanda district.

The stupas, carved from stone, depict Buddha figures.

These two votive stupas (offered in fulfilment of a vow) were discovered by the ASI officials during landscaping near Sarai Tila mound within the premises of ‘Nalanda Mahavihara’.

Beginning in the 7th century CE in India, small miniature terracotta stupas became popular as votive offerings.

Devout pilgrims visiting various holy sites and temples throughout Asia would either purchase small votive offerings or make their own

The Nalanda Mahavihara site comprises the archaeological remains of a monastic and scholastic institution dating from the 3rd century BCE to the 13th century CE.

It includes stupas, shrines, viharas (residential and educational buildings) and important artworks in stucco, stone and metal.


2) Answer: B

The Ministry of Minority Affairs (MoMA) has discontinued the scheme of interest subsidy on education loans for overseas studies for students belonging to minority communities (Padho Pardesh).

All banks were notified by the Indian Banks’ Association last month about the discontinuation of the Padho Pardesh Interest Subsidy Scheme from 2022-23.

The scheme so far was being implemented through Canara Bank, the designated nodal bank.

The existing beneficiaries as on March 31, 2022, will continue to receive the interest subsidy during the moratorium period of the loan, subject to compliance with the extant guidelines, according to the Association’s communication to Banks.

The reason why the scheme has been discontinued could not be ascertained.


3) Answer: E

The National Council for Education Research and Training (NCERT) has notified India’s first national assessment regulator, PARAKH, which will work on setting norms, standards and guidelines for student assessment and evaluation for all recognised school boards in the country.

The regulator aims to set up assessment guidelines for all boards to help remove disparities in scores of students enrolled with different state boards.

PARAKH has been launched as part of the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP)-2020 which envisaged a standard-setting body to advise school boards regarding new assessment patterns and the latest research, and promote collaborations between them.

The Centre will also manage India’s participation in international assessments such as the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), and Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS), stated the expression of interest issued by NCERT last September.


4) Answer: C

Indian Bank has received the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulatory approval to hold special rupee Vostro accounts of 3 banks from Sri Lanka.

The public sector bank, which has had a long presence in the South Asian island nation, is expected to activate the special Vostro accounts in about a week.

About the Vostro account:

A Vostro account in local currency would allow Sri Lanka to import from India without dipping into its declining dollar supply.

The INR Vostro facility is part of the special trade settlement mechanism finalised by the RBI in July 2022.

The Vostro accounts would also help Sri Lanka to utilise the rupee lines extended by India.

It would contribute towards stabilising the Lankan economy.


5) Answer: A

India’s first premium electric intercity coach services brand, NueGo, has partnered with Paytm, India’s leading payments and financial services company and the pioneer of QR and mobile payments, launching a convenient bus ticket booking facility for its customers.

About the Partnership:

This partnership would allow commuters to digitally reserve the seat of their choice in all NueGo buses across India, providing a seamless digital booking experience.

Paytm will enable commuters to book tickets without being physically present inside the bus or at the ticket counter, making the travel experience even more seamless.

About NueGo:

NueGo, the flagship inter-city electric mobility coach brand of GreenCell Mobility is currently playing across India primarily on the Bhopal-Indore, Delhi-Chandigarh and Delhi-Jaipur routes.


6) Answer: B

Amazon Pay announced an association with Telangana Southern State Power Distribution Company Limited (TSSPDCL) to simplify electricity bill payments for TSSPDCL customers.

With this association, Amazon aims to make electricity bill payments instant, convenient, and rewarding for millions of customers.

About the Association:

Through this association, TSSPDCL customers can now pay their electricity bills on Amazon using Amazon Pay without any convenience fee and experience secure and seamless transactions without the hassle of standing in billing queues.

The customers also can earn cash backs on their first bill payment and exciting rewards on their future bill payments.

After filing the necessary details, customers can choose their preferred payment modes such as UPI, Amazon Pay Later, Credit Cards, Debit Cards, Amazon Pay Balance, or Net-banking to instantly complete the transaction.


7) Answer: E

VTB – Russia’s second-largest bank has launched a mechanism to receive direct payments in Rupees discarding the conventional mechanism involving Dollars and Euros, in a major boost to the India-Russia trade.

With this, Russian SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) will now be able to transact in INR, thus simplifying the payments while dealing with their Indian trading partners.

The mechanism of direct settlements allows fixing the price of a product and the payment in the national currency, and to receive individual quotes on market terms.

It also eliminates preliminary coordination of the transactions.

9 Russian banks, including VTB, opened special Vostro accounts in India to facilitate Russian-Indian trade in November 2022.

About VTB Bank:

Founded: 1990

Headquarters: Moscow, Russia

President and Chairman of the Management Board: Andrey L. Kostin


8) Answer: B

Private equity firm Apax Partners, through its arm Dynasty Acquisition, to sell its entire 4.63% stake in Shriram Finance for a total value of up to ₹2,250 crores and a floor price of ₹1,300 per share.

Dynasty Acquisition, which held 1.73 crore shares of Shriram Finance, had acquired the stake in Shriram City Union Finance from TPG Capital in 2015.

About Shriram Finance:

MD and CEO of Shriram Finance: YS Chakravarti

Shriram Finance has three major non-promoter shareholders: Piramal Group, private equity company TPG, and Apax Partners.

Shriram Finance is owned by the three companies collectively to the tune of 15%.


9) Answer: B

The overseas arm of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) has re-taken a 20% stake in the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas fields in the far east region of Russia.

Sakhalin-1 is a large oil and gas field in far-east offshore Russia, spread over 1,140 square kilometres, which includes three offshore fields namely Chayvo, Odoptu and ArkutunDagi.

The Sakhalin-1 project is operated by Exxon Neftegas (ENL), a subsidiary of Exxon Mobil which holds a 30% participating interest.

The project is estimated to hold approximately 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 17.1 trillion cubic feet (Tcf) in recoverable reserves.

The other former foreign shareholders in the project – Japan’s Sodeco consortium and ONGC Videsh – were asked to apply to the Russian government to regain their shareholdings in the project.

OVL acquired a 20% stake in the project in July 2001.


10) Answer: A

India’s merchandise exports contracted 12.2 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in December to $34.48 billion as slowing external demand amid recession fears in developed economies continued to weigh on outbound shipments, the data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed.

Still in the first nine months of the current financial year, exports grew nearly 9 per cent.

The latest decline in the value of outbound shipments can also be attributed to the statistical effect of a high base because December 2021 witnessed the second-highest monthly exports in the previous financial year at $39.3 billion.

Imports last month also contracted 3.46 per cent to $58.24 billion, amid falling commodity prices.

The trade deficit widened to $23.76 billion, against $21.06 billion in November last year but was still lower than the all-time high of $29 billion in September.


11) Answer: B

The upcoming Indian budget for 2023-24 will be a challenging one for the government to follow the roadmap for fiscal consolidation amidst a global environment of declining inflation, a top economist of the State Bank of India in a report.

For India, this could make things difficult to set a nominal gross domestic product (GDP) number significantly higher than 10 per cent, with a deflator of about 3.5 per cent.

But this could also mean a higher GDP growth than anticipated at about 6.2 per cent.

The fiscal deficit of the Indian government for FY23 will be about Rs.17.5 lakh crore.

According to Dr. Soumya Kanti Ghosh, Group Chief Economic Adviser, SBI, for FY23, total receipts of the Government would be higher than the budget estimates (BE) by around Rs 2.3 lakh crore, on account of higher direct tax receipts (about Rs 2.2 lakh crore), higher GST receipts (Rs 95,000 crore) but lower dividends (about Rs 40,000 crore), lower fuel tax net of cess (Rs 30,000 crore) and lower disinvestment receipts (about Rs 15000-20,000 crore).

According to the report, the government can give a hard push to Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY), by encouraging fresh registrations in a mission-drive mode, allowing one-time registrations for all leftover cases up to 12 years.


12) Answer: E

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Department of Financial Services for extending the term of managing director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bank of Baroda Mr Sanjiv Chadha for about 5 months till 30 June, 2023.

Meanwhile, the Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB), the headhunter for directors of state-owned banks and financial institutions, recommended the elevation of Executive Director (ED) Mr Debadatta Chand as managing director of Bank of Baroda.

Besides, the Bureau recommended Union Bank of India ED Rajneesh Karnataka for the position of MD & CEO in Bank of India.

The Bureau in November 2022 suggested the name of K Satyanarayana Raju for the position of MD and CEO of Canara Bank.

FSIB is headed by former secretary of, the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), Bhanu Pratap Sharma.


13) Answer: D

Startup firm IG Drones, which was born out of the Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology (VSSUT) campus in Odisha’s Sambalpur has developed a 5G-enabled drone named Skyhawk that is capable of vertical take-off and landing.

About the drone:

The drone can be used in defence and medical applications.

The drone can carry a 10 kg payload and has an endurance of around 5 hours.

As it’s a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing), it can be operated from any terrain without the need for a conventional runway.

It is equipped with capabilities like artificial intelligence and thermal imaging.

It is also capable of operating through satellites in case an internet link is not available.

The drone is IP67 rated and can be controlled through a combination of NavIC + GPS navigational satellites which remain connected in the upper range of 50 to 60 in case of failsafe activation. The drone can travel 100 km in 12 to 15 minutes at its maximum speed.


14) Answer: D

According to an analysis released by the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the earth’s average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest year on record.

Key Highlights:

According to scientists from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies (GISS), NASA’s leading centre for climate modelling, Continuing the planet’s long-term warming trend, global temperatures in 2022 were 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit (0.89 degrees Celsius) above the average for NASA’s baseline period (1951-1980).

The past 9 years have been the warmest since modern record-keeping began in 1880.

According to NASA, this means Earth in 2022 was about 2 degrees Fahrenheit (about 1.11 degrees Celsius) warmer than the late 19th-century average.

NASA scientists, as well as international scientists, determined carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions were the highest on record in 2022.

The reason for the warming trend is that human activities continue to pump enormous amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and the long-term planetary impacts will also continue.


15) Answer: C

A leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, Tech Mahindra and Microsoft, have announced a strategic collaboration to enable cloud-powered 5G core network modernization for telecom operators globally.

Key Highlights:

The 5G core network transformation will help telecom operators to develop 5G core use cases and meet their customers’ growing technological (Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), IoT (Internet of Things), and edge computing) requirements.

It will further enable us to modernise, optimise, and secure business operations and develop green networks with reduced costs and a faster time to market.

As a part of the collaboration, Tech Mahindra will provide its talent expertise, comprehensive solutions, and managed services offerings like “Network Cloudification as a Service” and AIOps to telecom operators for their 5G Core networks.

The partnership is in line with Tech Mahindra’s NXT.NOWTM framework, which aims to enhance the ‘Human Centric Experience.


16) Answer: A

Noted writer K Venu was conferred with Federal Bank Literary Award 2022 for his autobiography ‘Oranweshananthinte Katha.

Venu received the award from Balagopal Chandrasekhar, Chairman and Independent Director of Federal Bank, at a special event held as part of the Kerala Literature Festival.

Nandakumar V, Executive Vice President & Head – Branch Banking and Regi CV, Kozhikode Zonal Head, Federal Bank handed over the prize money. Writer M Mukundan presided over the function.

‘Oranweshananthinte Katha’ was chosen by the judging panel comprising writer and literary critic KC Narayanan, Sunil P Ilayidom and PK Rajashekharan.

10 works were shortlisted for the award.

Judging panel member P K Rajashekaran commented that the essence of the book brought back the memory of the most intense political timeline in the modern history of Kerala.

This is the first-ever literary award constituted by the Federal Bank.


17) Answer: B

Naanera, a Rajasthani film directed by Deepankar Prakash, bagged the Golden Kailasha award for the best movie at the Ajanta-Ellora film festival.

Naanera (Grandfather’s House) revolves around Manish.

Naanera also bagged awards for best director, best screenplay, best editor

The best picture award, announced by FIPRESCI India jury N Vidyashakar, included a trophy and a cash prize of Rs one lakh,

Kannada film Koli Esru (chicken curry), won awards for best child artist (Apeksha Chorna Halli) and best actress for Akshatha Pandavapura.

The film revolves around a young mother in the village who goes out of her way to fulfil her daughter’s wish to eat chicken curry.


18) Answer: C

Congress Member of Parliament (MP) from Jalandhar, Punjab Santokh Singh Chaudhary, Passed away at the age of 76 while taking part in the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

About Santokh Singh Chaudhary:

He was a former Cabinet Minister of Punjab and a member of parliament from Jalandhar (Lok Sabha constituency).

He won the 2014 Indian general election and the 2019 Indian general election being an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate.


19) Answer: E

Godfather to Prince William & Last King of Greece Constantine II Passed away at the age of 82.

About Constantine II:

Constantine was born in Athens on June 2, 1940.

When Constantine was an infant, the royal family fled Greece during the German invasion of World War II, moving to Alexandria (Egypt), South Africa.

Constantine II, the 2nd cousin of Britain’s King Charles III, is the only son of King Paul and Queen Frederica of Greece.

At the 1960 Rome Olympics, he participated in sailing and won a gold medal in the Dragon class along with 2 other Greek sailors.

He married Princess Anne¬Marie of Denmark in 1964.


20) Answer: B

Renowned scientist and former chairman of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) -National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST), Thiruvananthapuram Dr A D Damodaran passed away at the age of 87 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

About Dr A D Damodaran:

In the initial phase of his career, A D Damodaran served at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

He became the chairman of Kerala State Electronics Development Corporation (KELTRON).

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