Thursday, June 3, 2021

Current Affairs Quiz: June 2, 2021

Current Affairs 2 June 2021 Quiz

Read our Current Affairs and Newspaper Quiz daily to excel in General Awareness section of upcoming Competitive Exams.

Quiz from Current Affairs 1 June 2021 of A2Z – Click Here to Read Current Affairs of June 1, 2021
  1. The Health Dept of which state has launched ‘doctors ride towards village side’ programme ?
    A)Tamil Nadu
    B) karnataka
    C)Mahrashtra
    D) kerela
    E) Andhra Pradesh



  2. Centre has allocated how much amount to Gujarat under Jal Jeevan Mission ?
    A) Rs 3410cr
    B) Rs 3412 cr
    C) Rs 3411cr
    D)Rs 3441 cr
    E)Rs 3341 cr



  3. Union Health Ministry has approved annual plan of worth how much for J&K under National Health Mission ?
    A) Rs. 1163.40 cr
    B) Rs. 1162.40cr
    C) Rs 1160.40cr
    D)Rs 1156.40cr
    E)None of the above



  4. The Centre asked private TV news channels to display how many new national helpline numbers ?
    A) One
    B) two
    C) three
    D) four
    E) five



  5. Who has launched Horticulture CDP to ensure holistic growth of horticulture ?
    A) Narendra Modi
    B) Narendra Singh Tomar
    C) Rajnath Singh
    D) Yogi Adityanath
    E) Shivraj Singh Chauhan



  6. Who has chaired BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Virtual Meeting?
    A) Piyush Goyal
    B) Ravi shankar Prasad
    C) S Jaishankar
    D) Amit Shah
    E) None of the above



  7. Which Bank has announced 3 loan schemes amid fight against coronavirus ?
    A) Punjab National Bank
    B) State Bank of India
    C) Bank of Baroda
    D) Canara Bank
    E) Bank of India



  8. For the full financial year 2020-2021, India’s GDP has been contracted by how much percent? •
    A) 1.6%
    B) 5.8%
    C) 7.3%
    D) 7.6%
    E) 8.3%



  9. According to OECD, The world economy will expand by how much percent this year?
    A) 7.3%
    B) 5.8%
    C) 4.6%
    D) 5.5%
    E) none of the above



  10. Who has bagged gold medal at Asian Boxing Championship held in Dubai ?
    A) Amit Panghal
    B) Shiva Thapa
    C)Sakshi choudhary
    D) Sanjeet
    E) Monika



  11. Rear Admiral IB Uthaiah, VSM has took over as the Admiral Superintendent of which Indian Naval Dockyard ?
    A) Bombay
    B) Cochin
    C) Vishakhapatnam
    D) Goa
    E) Kolkata



  12. Which Organisation has given special award to Union Health minister Dr HarshVardhan for efforts in tobacco control ?
    A) FAO
    B) UNEP
    C) UNICEF
    D) WHO
    E) UNESCO



  13. Who has won the 2021 DUBLIN Literary Award sponsored by Dublin City Council ?
    A) Ana Castillo
    B) Yuri Herrera
    C) Valeria Luiselli
    D) Laura Esquivel.
    E) none of the above



  14. A group of how many oncologists and nurses have launched a helpline to support cancer patients ?
    A) 10
    B) 12
    C) 14
    D) 15
    E) 16



  15. Which IIT has developed India’s first indigenous temperature data logger for cold chain management ?
    A) IIT Delhi
    B) IIT Bombay
    C) IIT Ropar
    D) IIT Guwahati
    E) IIT Chennai



  16. Which organization has approved eight Chinese names for features around the area on the moon ?
    A) NASA
    B) ISRO
    C) IAU
    D) JAXA
    E) CNES



  17. Which space-tech startup has successfully tested India’s first privately built Hall Thruster?
    A) Skyroot Aerospace
    B) Agnikul Cosmos
    C) pixxel
    D) Bellatrix Aerospace
    E) none of the above



  18. Poul Schlueter has recently passed away. He was the longtime prime minister of which country ?
    A) Denmark
    B) Switzerland
    C) Israel
    D) Australia
    E) France



  19. The former Urdu newsreader of All India Radio Dr. Tarannum Riyaz passed away in New Delhi. She had received SAARC Literature Award in which year ?
    A) 2011
    B) 2013
    C) 2014
    D)2010
    E) 2012



  20. ” Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)” book has been authored by whom ?
    A) Vikram Seth
    B) Jhumpa Lahiri
    C) Chetan Bhagat
    D) Vikram Sampath
    E) khushwant singh



STATIC GK BASED ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

  1. Where is the HQ of Canara Bank?
    A)Mumbai
    B)Chennai
    C)Bengaluru
    D)NewDelhi



  2. Where is the HQ of Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development?
    A)Geneva
    B)NewYork
    C)Mumbai
    D)Paris



  3. Where is the HQ of World Health Organisation?
    A)NewYork
    B)Rome
    C)Paris
    D)Geneva



Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Static GK Quiz for Upcoming Exams Set – 579

    Static GK Questions for SBI PO/Clerk, IBPS RRB, IBPS PO/Clerk, RBI Assistant, LIC, NIACL, OICL, NABARD, SEBI and other competitive exams
  1. Ottawa is the capital of which country?
    A) Canada
    B) Fiji
    C) Palau
    D) Vietnam



  2. Where is “Gangotri National Park” situated?
    A) Himachal Pradesh
    B) Mizoram
    C) Nagaland
    D) Uttarakhand



  3. Where is the HQ of Razorpay Software Private Limited situated?
    A) Hyderabad
    B) Pune
    C) Mumbai
    D) Bengaluru



  4. The Beighton Cup is related to which sports?
    A) Hockey
    B) Tennis
    C) Horse Riding
    D) Badminton



  5. Where is the headquarter of International Hockey Federation (FIH) situated?
    A) Vienna
    B) Lausanne
    C) Rome
    D) London



  6. Nathpa Jhakri Dam is in Himachal Pradesh. It is built over which river?
    A) Beas
    B) Ravi
    C) Sutlej
    D) Krishna



  7. In which state is the Gangotri National Park located?
    A) Himachal Pradesh
    B) Gujarat
    C) Jammu & Kashmir
    D) Uttarakhand



  8. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport is in which city?
    A) Bengaluru
    B) Chennai
    C) Mumbai
    D) Hyderabad



  9. The Queen’s Stepwell, Patan is in which state?
    A) Uttar Pradesh
    B) Bihar
    C) Gujarat
    D) Goa



  10. What is the capital name of Assam?
    A) Guwahati
    B) Dispur
    C) Jorhat
    D) Silchar



Daily Current Affairs 2nd June, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 2 June 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

RDSO Becomes First Standards Body To Join Govt's 'One Nation, One Standard' Scheme
One Nation, One Standard scheme has been launched with an aim to synergize standards adopted by various Standard Development Organisations in the country. The voluntary integration scheme of multiple standard formulating bodies will bring uniformity in the quality of goods & services produced in the country and will boost the 'Brand India' image.
  • Lucknow-based RDSO, which sets standards for the railway sector, has become the first standards body in the country to join the central government's 'One Nation, One Standard' scheme that aims to ensure quality products to Indian consumers.
  • The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO) has now been recognised as a 'Standard Developing Organisation' by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), which is implementing the scheme.
  • The partnership will help RDSO, the sole R&D wing of the railways ministry, to realign its standard formulation procedures as per the code of good practices mentioned under the WTO-Technical Barriers to Trade (WTO-TBT).
Cabinet approves MoC between India, Japan in field of sustainable urban development
Cabinet approved Memorandum of Cooperation ( Moc) between India and Japan in the field of sustainable urban development.
  • A Joint Working Group (JWG) will be constituted to strategize and implement programmes on cooperation under the framework of the MoC.
  • The Joint Working Group will meet once in a year, alternately in Japan and in India.
Centre allocates Rs 7,000 cr grant to West Bengal under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2021-22
The Centre has allocated around seven thousand crore rupees grant to West Bengal under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2021- 22 to provide every household with assured tap water supply on regular and long-term basis.
  • At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, out of 163.25 lakh rural households in West Bengal, tap water supply to home was limited to only 2.14 lakh households which is about one per cent.


BANKING & FINANCE

RBI cancels licence of Pune-based Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank
The RBI said it has cancelled the licence of Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, Pune as the lender does not have adequate capital and earning prospects.
  • As per data submitted by Shivajirao Bhosale Sahakari Bank, more than 98% of the depositors will receive full amount of their deposits from the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC), the RBI said in a release.


BUSINESS & ECONOMY

OECD Cuts India Growth Forecast To 9.9% For FY22
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) cut its growth projection for India for FY22 to 9.9 per cent from 12.6 per cent estimated in March, as the second wave of coronavirus infections has paused economic recovery in Asia's third largest economy.
  • OECD said while India is projected to be the fastest-growing G20 economy in 2021, it will also be the one which is the furthest away from its pre-crisis GDP trend.
  • Prospects for the world economy have brightened but the recovery is likely to remain uneven and, crucially, dependent on the effectiveness of public health measures and policy support, according to the OECD's latest Economic Outlook.  
India's economy to grow at 9.3% in FY22: Moody's
India's economy will rebound in the current financial year to mark a growth of 9.3 per cent but the second Covid-19 wave has increased risks to the country's outlook with potential longer-term credit implications, Moody's Investors Service said.
  • The economy rebounded quickly from a steep contraction in 2020, it said. But risks to India's credit profile including a persistent slowdown in growth, weak government finances and rising financial sector risks have been exacerbated by the shock of coronavirus second wave.
SBI revises downwards India's FY22 economic growth forecast to 7.9%
As the second wave of Covid-19 and the resultant restrictions again cripple economic activities, the State Bank of India (SBI) has revised India's growth outlook downwards for the current financial year.
  • The latest SBI Ecowrap report has projected a 7.9 per cent growth for India's GDP, down from its previous projection of 10.4 per cent growth.
  • The SBI Ecowrap noted that the real GDP for FY21 in the provisional estimates has been revised upwards to Rs 135.13 lakh crore from Rs 134.09 lakh crore as per the second advance estimates.
TCS opens its first European innovation centre in Amsterdam
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) will bring universities, businesses, startups and government together at its latest innovation hub in Amsterdam to help use digital technology to solve sustainability challenges.
  •  It will focus on sustainability challenges faced by organisations and becomes the first in a network of hubs, known as TCS Pace Ports, in Europe.
  • TCS Pace Port Amsterdam is the third co-innovation center by TCS, after New York and Tokyo.


SPORTS

Brazil to host Copa America for 2nd consecutive time
In football, Brazil will host Copa America for the second consecutive time after Colombia and Argentina were stripped of hosting rights for the tournament.
  • South American soccer body CONMEBOL announced the decision hours after it ruled out Argentina amid an increase in COVID-19 cases in the country.
  • Colombia was removed as co-host as street protests against President Ivn Duque rocked the nation. South American teams are already training for the tournament and two rounds of World Cup qualifiers are starting this week.
Shafali Verma continues to top ICC women’s T20I batting rankings
Teenage India batswoman Shafali Verma continues to top the ICC women’s T20I batting rankings. The 17-year-old player, being touted as the successor to Smriti Mandhana, has 776 points and is leading second-placed Beth Mooney of Australia by 32 points.
  •  India's T20 vice-captain, Smriti, is fourth with 693 points. Jemimah Rodriques is the third Indian in the top 10 of the T20I batting rankings with 640 points.


APPOINTMENTS

Justice A.K. Mishra appointed NHRC chief
President Ram Nath Kovind formally appointed Justice Arun Kumar Mishra as the chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
  • Justice Mishra enrolled as a lawyer in 1978 and was elected the youngest chairperson of Bar Council of India in 1998-99.
  • He was appointed judge of Madhya Pradesh High Court in October 1999. He later served as chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court and Calcutta High Court before being elevated to the Supreme Court on July 7, 2014.
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation appoints Former Justice Vikramjit Sen as the Chairman
The Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF), which is soon going to be renamed as Indian Broadcasting & Digital Foundation (IBDF), the apex body of broadcasters and OTT operators, has announced the appointment of Justice (Retd.) Vikramjit Sen as the Chairman, along with six other eminent industry members for the newly formed Digital Media Content Regulatory Council (DMCRC).
  • The Council constitutes prominent personalities from the Media & Entertainment industry and Online Curated Content Providers (OCCPs), with experience in IPR, programming and content creation.
  • The Council includes national award-winning filmmaker Nikkhil Advani; Deepak Dhar, CEO and founder, Banijay Group; prominent artist, filmmaker and writer Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari; and creative writer and innovative director, Tigmanshu Dhulia. The other two members from the OCCPs include Ashok Nambisan, General Counsel, Sony Pictures Pvt. Ltd, and Mihir Rale, Chief Regional Counsel, Star and Disney India.
CII elects Tata Steel CEO and MD T V Narendran as its new president
Industry chamber CII said it has elected T V Narendran, CEO and MD, Tata Steel, as its new president for 2021-22.
  • He takes over from Uday Kotak, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank.
  • He was the Chairman of CII Eastern Region during 2016-17 and has led CII national panels on leadership and HR besides being Chairman of CII Jharkhand.
CBDT Chairman PC Mody's tenure ends, JB Mohapatra given additional charge
J B Mohapatra, a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service officer, was given the additional charge as CBDT chairman after the extended tenure of incumbent P C Mody ended.
  • Mohapatra, along with his two Indian Revenue Service (IRS) batchmates, was appointed to the CBDT only a few days back on May 27. His service ends in April next year.
  • Before this appointment, he was serving as the principal chief commissioner of Income Tax for the Andhra Pradesh and Telangana region. Mody, whose tenure came to an end, is a 1982-batch IRS officer.
Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh assumes charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff
Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff. Vice Admiral Singh was commissioned into the Indian Navy on 01st of July 1983 and specialized in Aviation.
  • The Admiral has held various challenging Staff, Command and Diplomatic assignments during his distinguished Naval career and has had wide ranging experience onboard diverse platforms.
  • He has commanded various frontline ships and Naval Air Squadrons including INS Himgiri, INS Ranvijay, INS Ranvir, INAS 551B, INAS 300 as well as the premier Air Base INS Hansa.


AWARDS

US, Hong Kong climbers set new records for scaling Mount Everest
Climbers from the United States and Hong Kong have set new records as they scaled Mount Everest this week.
  • Arthur Muir, 75, became the oldest American to climb the world’s highest peak at 8,848.86-metres (29,031 feet).Muir beat the record set by Bill Burke, who became the oldest American to climb the mountain at the age of 67 in 2009.
  • Separately, Hong Kong’s Tsang Yin-Hung, 45, scaled the peak in less than 26 hours, the shortest time taken by any woman after starting from the base camp. She beat the record set by Nepali woman Phunjo Jhangmu Lama in 2017, who climbed Everest in 39 hours and six minutes.
Utah Jazz's Jordan Clarkson wins 2020-2021 NBA Sixth Man of the Year
Jordan Clarkson, who has been fantastic for the Utah Jazz coming off the bench, was honoured by the League as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year 2021. 
  • He joins the elite company of some great players like James Harden, Lou Williams who have been honoured with this award before.
  • Clarkson, who is having a career year, has been instrumental to Utah's success this season and his ability to constantly hit the three-pointers with high efficiency, has helped them greatly this season.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

WHO names Covid-19 variants first found in India ‘Kappa’ and ‘Delta’
The B.1.617.1 and B.1.617.2 variants of Covid-19, first identified in India, have been named as 'Kappa' and 'Delta' respectively, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced as it named various variants of the novel coronavirus using Greek alphabets.
  • The naming of these variants do not aim at replacing the existing scientific names of these #SARSCoV2 Variants of Concern (VOCs) & Interest (VOIs), but is aimed at helping the public discussion about VOI/VOC.
IIT Guwahati researchers design "smart windows" to cut carbon emissions
IIT Guwahati researchers have developed a “Smart Window” material that can effectively control the amount of heat and light passing through it in response to an applied voltage.
  • This material can help in developing automatic climate control systems in buildings. Such materials can help develop efficient automatic climate control systems in buildings, the scientists claimed.
  • This study was recently published in the journal- ‘Solar Energy Materials & Solar Cells.


IMPORTANT DAYS

World Milk Day
World Milk Day is celebrated every year on 1st June to educate people about the importance of milk in our diet.
  • The theme of World Milk Day 2021 will focus on Sustainability in the dairy sector with messages around the environment, nutrition, and socio-economics.


Click here to read Daily Current Affairs

Tuesday, June 1, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 1st June, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 1 June 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

Karnataka: Health Dept launches ‘doctors ride towards village side’ programme
In Karnataka, the Health Department has launched Doctors ride towards village side programme.
  • Under this scheme, the Government provides necessary logistic support for the teams led by medical students to visit villages and provide better healthcare during the pandemic.MBBS final year students, BSc Nursing, BDS, MDS, Ayush graduating doctors are deputed to rural areas to carry out Covid tests.
  • A team of medical students, nurses, ASHA and Anganwadi workers visit door to door to identify vulnerable members of the family and carry out tests. They also distribute medicine kits wherever necessary. After the Rapid Antigen tests, if the report arrived is positive, the team helps the patients to be admitted in a hospital or in Covid Care Centre.
Centre allocates Rs 3411 Cr grant to Gujarat under Jal Jeevan Mission
Centre has allocated three thousand 411 Crore rupees grant to Gujarat under Jal Jeevan Mission to provide safe and potable piped drinking water to all the rural household in the state.
  • Out of which the first tranche of more than 852 Crore rupees for the current financial year has been released. Jal Shakti Ministry said, the Central Government’s allocation for the year 2019-20 was around 390 Crore rupees, which was raised to over 883 Crore rupees in 2020-21.
  • Gujarat has around 93 Lakh rural households, out of which now 83 per cent households are having piped water supply.
Union Health Ministry approves annual plan worth Rs. 1163.40 cr for J&K under National Health Mission
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir the Union Ministry for Health and Family Welfare has approved annual plan worth Rs. 1163.40 crore for the UT for financial year 2021-22 under National Health Mission in a way ahead towards strengthening healthcare system with special emphasis on Covid mitigation in Jammu and Kashmir. 
  • Against this, the Resource Envelope of funds comprising 90 per cent central allocation and 10 per cent state share is likely to be made available during the year amounting Rs. 795.83 crore, which is 8 per cent higher than the corresponding figures of the financial year 2020-21.
Govt Asks Private TV News Channels to Display Four New Helpline Numbers
The Centre asked private TV news channels to display four new national helpline numbers for the benefit of citizens as a part of the COVID-19 awareness initiative.
  • In order to further this cause, the private TV channels are advised to promote awareness of the following four national level helpline numbers by way of a ticker or such appropriate ways as they may consider at periodical intervals, especially during prime time.
  • The channels have been asked to display the National helpline number of Ministry of Health and Family Welfare -1075, child helpline number of the Ministry of Women and Child Development-1098, senior citizens helpline of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment- 14567(in Delhi, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand) and helpline number of National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS) for psychological support - 08046110007.
N S Tomar launches Horticulture CDP to ensure holistic growth of horticulture
Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar virtually launched the Horticulture Cluster Development Programme (CDP) to ensure holistic growth of horticulture.
  • The programme aims at growing and developing identified horticulture clusters to make them globally competitive.
  •  In a pilot phase, the programme will be implemented in 12 horticulture clusters out of the total 53 clusters selected for the programme.Based on the learnings from the pilot project, the programme will be scaled up to cover all the identified clusters.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

EAM S Jaishankar chairs BRICS Foreign Ministers' Virtual Meeting 
India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will chair a BRICS Foreign Ministers meeting virtually. India is hosting the meeting as the chair of BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa).
  • The leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa of the BRICS group will deliberate on the ways to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic, global and regional issues of concern, sustainable development, and terrorism.
  • The foreign ministers at the BRICS virtual meeting will also brainstorm ways to enhance intra-BRICS cooperation, especially people-to-people cooperation, and strengthening and reforming the multilateral system.


BANKING & FINANCE

Canara Bank announces 3 loan schemes amid fight against coronavirus
State-run Canara Bank announced three loan schemes as part of the fight against the pandemic under which it will offer healthcare credit, business and personal loan to individuals.
  • The Canara Chikitsa healthcare credit facility will offer loans from over Rs 10 lakh to Rs 50 crore to registered hospitals, nursing homes, medical practitioners, diagnostic centres, pathology labs and all other units engaged in the servicing healthcare infrastructure.The loan to be offered at a concessional rate of interest will have tenor of 10 years with moratorium up to 18 months.
  • The Canara Jeevanrekha healthcare business loan will offer loan up to Rs 2 crore at a concessional interest rate for manufacture and supply of healthcare products such as medical oxygen and oxygen cylinders and oxygen concentrators to registered hospitals and nursing homes or other manufacturers and suppliers.
  • Under the third category of loan -- Canara Suraksha personal loan scheme -- the lender will offer loan from Rs 25,000 - Rs 5 lakh as immediate financial assistance to customers for COVID-19 treatment during admission or post discharge.The scheme will offer moratorium of six months. Coming at a nil processing fee, the scheme will be valid till September 30, 2021.


BUSINESS & ECONOMY

India's GDP grows 1.6% in Jan-Mar, contracts 7.3% in 2020-21
The country's gross domestic product grew at 1.6 percent in the January to March quarter of the last fiscal year, showed government data.
  • In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal, agriculture grew at 3.1 percent; Manufacturin sector posted a growth of 6.9 percent and the growth in the Construction sector stood at 14.5 percent.
  • For the full financial year 2020-2021, country's GDP contracted by 7.3 percent.
World economy will expand by 5.8% this year: OECD
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has raised its 2021 global GDP growth forecast but warned that "too many headwinds persist" as not enough Covid vaccines are reaching emerging economies, making the world vulnerable to variants.
  • The world economy will expand by 5.8 percent this year, up from a previous estimate of 5.6 percent, the Paris-based Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development said in a report.
  • The 38-nation organisation, whose members account for 60 percent of global gross domestic product, applauded the rapid reaction of governments to prop up the economy.


SPORTS

Sanjeet bags gold medal at Asian Boxing Championships
Indian heavyweight boxer Sanjeet bagged Gold at the Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai. He defeated Olympic silver medalist  Vassiliy Levit of Kazakhstan in the men's 91kg final to hand India its second gold. Pooja Rani had clinched the first gold in the women's 75kg.
  • Sanjeet registered a convincing 4-1 win against Levit as the Indian contingent concluded its successful campaign with an unprecedented 15 medals, including two gold, five silver and eight bronze medals.
  • Earlier, Amit Panghal and Shiva Thapa lost their final matches and settled for Silver medals. Six-time world champion MC Marykom, Panghal, Thapa, Lalbuatsaihi and Anupama grabbed silver medals while eight boxers - Vikas Krishan, Simranjit Kaur, Lovlina Borgohain, Jaismine, Sakshi Chaudhary, Monika, Saweety, and Varinder Singh -- bagged bronze.
  • Thapa, a World Championships bronze medallist, is only the second male boxer in the world to win five medals at the Asian Championships.


APPOINTMENTS

Rear Admiral IB Uthaiah, VSM takes over as Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam
Rear Admiral IB Uthaiah, VSM took over as the Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam from Rear Adm Sreekumar Nair, NM at a formal ceremony held at ENC headquarters.
  • Rear Adm IB Uthaiah, VSM was commissioned into the Indian Navy in Nov 1987. The Admiral holds a B Tech Degree. In his 33 years of service, the Admiral has served the Indian Navy in various capacities, with appointments at the Warship Design Directorate, Training Academies, Naval Dockyard and at the Command and Naval Headquarters.
  • An alumnus of the Naval War College, he was awarded the Vishist Seva Medal (VSM) for distinguished service at Naval Dockyard and was instrumental in concluding major Warship construction contracts with Russian and Indian Shipyards as Principal Director.


AWARDS

WHO honours Dr Harsh Vardhan for efforts in tobacco control
This year WHO Director-General Special award has been given to Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan.
  • Every year, the World Health Organization, WHO recognizes individuals or organizations in each of the six WHO Regions for their accomplishments in the area of tobacco control.
  • Director-General of WHO, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that Dr Harsh Vardhan leadership was instrumental in the 2019 national legislation to ban E-cigarettes and heated tobacco products.
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli wins the 2021 Dublin Literary Award
Mexican author Valeria Luiselli has won the 2021 DUBLIN Literary Award, sponsored by Dublin City Council, for her novel Lost Children Archive (published by 4th Estate (Harper Collins) in the UK and Vintage Books (Alfred A. Knopf) in the USA.
  • With prize money of €100,000, the Award is the world’s largest prize for a single novel published in English.
  • Valeria Luiselli is the first writer from Mexico and the fifth woman to claim the prestigious award in its 26 year history.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Group of oncologists launch helpline to support cancer patients during COVID times 
A group of 15 oncologists and nurses have launched a helpline to support cancer patients, who face difficulty accessing healthcare owing to the lockdown and travel restrictions.
  • Launched by Karkinos Healthcare Private Limited, the helpline can be accessed by anyone at no cost between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. from Monday to Saturday.
  • The cancer care helpline Number: 9321350770 provides a platform that enables people to seek guidelines and advice from specialists.
IIT-Ropar develops AmbiTAG, India's first indigenous temperature data logger for cold chain management
Indian Institute of Technology, IIT Ropar in Punjab has developed a device - AmbiTag that records real-time ambient temperature during the transportation of perishable products, vaccines and even body organs and blood.
  • This device will helps to know that the item transported from anywhere in the world is still usable or perished because of temperature variation.
  • Shaped as USB device, AmbiTag continuously records the temperature of its immediate surroundings from - 40 to 80 degrees in any time zone for a full 90 days on a single charge.
International Astronomical Union approves Chinese names to identify areas on Moon
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) has approved eight Chinese names for features around the area on the Moon where China's spacecraft Chang'e-5 probe landed last year to collect samples from the lunar surface and return to Earth.
  • The Chang'e-5 space mission is China's maiden attempt to retrieve materials from an extra-terrestrial body. It was launched on November 24 last year.
  • It was the first attempt to bring the lunar samples in over 40 years after the US sent astronauts to the Moon to collect samples.
Spacetech Startup Bellatrix Aerospace Test Fires India’s First Privately Built Hall Thruster
The Bengaluru based space-tech startup “Bellatrix Aerospace” has successfully tested India’s first privately built Hall Thruster, which is a highly efficient electric propulsion system for satellite weighing 50 to 500 kg and it includes Elon Musk’s Starlink and Adrián Steckel’s OneWeb
  • Bellatrix said that the thruster would be ready for commercial use by the end of 2021.
  • As per the space-tech company, the thruster is also a critical technology for the “space taxi” that Bellatrix is developing, which will be able to ferry small satellites into multiple orbits.
Scientists launch World’s First Satellite System to watch over reefs
 
To monitor the coral bleaching issue, scientists working with the Allen Coral Atlas – a research initiative developed by Arizona State University (ASU), the University of Queensland, the National Geographic Society, Planet, and Vulcan – just launched the first global, satellite-based reef surveillance tool. 
  • The system can track bleaching events in near-real-time and provide an overall view of trends and changes in coral reef health.
  • The researchers involved in the project say the monitoring system can inform conservation efforts and policy by providing critical information about which reefs are under stress and which ones appear to be more resilient to events like marine heat waves.


OBITUARIES

Poul Schlueter, longtime Danish prime minister, passes away 
Poul Schlueter, Denmark's prime minister for over a decade who negotiated exemptions for his country to a key European Union treaty after Danes rejected the initial text in a referendum, has died. He was 92.
  • Schlueter was served as the prime minister of the country from 1982-1993.
Tarannum Riyaz, former Urdu newsreader of AIR passes away 
The former Urdu newsreader of All India Radio and recipient of SAARC Literature Award in 2014, Dr. Tarannum Riyaz passed away in New Delhi. She was 59.
  • A noted Urdu Novelist, short-story writer, critic and poetess, Tarannum Riyaz was suffering from COVID-19 infection and was admitted to a hospital. She was associated with Urdu Unit of All India Radio on a casual assignment basis till December 2019.
  • She had received many national and international awards for her literary work.


BOOKS & AUTHORS

“Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)” book by Vikram Sampath
Decorated historian and author Vikram Sampath has come out with the second and concluding volume of the book on the life and works of Veer Savarkar titled “Savarkar: A contested Legacy (1924-1966)”.
  • The book will hit the stands on July 26, 2021, under the publication of Penguin Random House India.


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Current Affairs Quiz: June 1, 2021

Current Affairs 1 June 2021 Quiz

Read our Current Affairs and Newspaper Quiz daily to excel in General Awareness section of upcoming Competitive Exams.

Quiz from Current Affairs 31 May 2021 of A2Z – Click Here to Read Current Affairs of May 31, 2021
  1. Which state is introducing a city-wide sewage surveillance system that will help officials track the virus at an early stage?
    A) Karnataka
    B) Madhya Pradesh
    C) TamilNadu
    D) Assam



  2. Recently which state government switched Liquor Policy from Prohibition to Restriction?
    A) Assam
    B) Andhra Pradesh
    C) TamilNadu
    D) Karnataka



  3. Recently government announced scheme to provide pension for dependents of Covid victims.The Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to how much per cent of the average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms?
    A) 90%
    B) 95%
    C) 85%
    D) 89%



  4. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced a special “PM-CARES for Children” scheme for all those orphaned due to COVID-19.How much corpus was announced under it?
    A) ₹4 lakh
    B) ₹5 lakh
    C) ₹8 lakh
    D) ₹10 lakh



  5. Recently which ministry formed a panel to define offences of speech, expression?
    A) Ministry of Rural Development
    B) Ministry of Finance
    C) Ministry of Defence
    D) Minsitry of Home Affairs



  6. Recently which organisation conducted war games Steadfast Defender 21?
    A) NATO
    B) BRICS
    C) UNICEF
    D) QUAD



  7. Which crypto exchange launched a lending platform where investors can lend their coins to the cryptocurrency exchange?
    A) Matic
    B) WRX
    C) Dogecoin
    D) ZebPay



  8. How much is the interest rate capped under Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme(ECLGS) which has been extended by the government?
    A) 7.5%
    B) 7.8%
    C) 8.0%
    D) 8.5%



  9. Who topped the Minimum Qualification Score section of the 50-m rifle prone event?
    A) Milan Soren
    B) Sanjeev Rajput
    C) Pratap Singh Tomar
    D) Tejaswini Sawant



  10. Which country to host remainder IPL 2021 tournament in September-October?
    A) UAE
    B) UK
    C) France
    D) Saudi Arabia



  11. Who clinched the Belgrade Open title 2021?
    A) Sebastian Vettel
    B) Roger Federer
    C) Alex Molcan
    D) Novak Djokovic



  12. Nazym Kyzaibay won gold at the 2021 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai.she represented which country?
    A) Iran
    B) Kazakhstan
    C) Iraq
    D) UAE



  13. Which team won the Champions League Title 2021?
    A) Polo
    B) Manchester United
    C) Manchester City
    D) Chelsea



  14. Assimi Goita was appointed as interim president of which country?
    A) Mali
    B) Syria
    C) Austria
    D) Kenya



  15. Which Bollywood star has received a golden visa for the UAE?
    A) Sanjay Dutt
    B) Varun Dhawan
    C) Amitabh Bachhan
    D) Pankaj Tripathi



  16. Which organisation to launch Nano Urea in the market next month?
    A) IFFCO
    B) ICAR
    C) IRSE
    D) CRIDA



  17. Which organisation has developed near-isothermal forging technology for aero-engines?
    A) DRDO
    B) BHEL
    C) ONGC
    D) BEML



  18. Who is the author of book titled “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020”?
    A) Amitav Ghosh
    B) Salman Rushdie
    C) Sohan Singh
    D) Renuka Tripathi



  19. When is World No Tobacco Day observed?
    A) May 31
    B) May 30
    C) May 29
    D) May 28



STATIC GK BASED ON CURRENT AFFAIRS

  1. Where is the HQ of DRDO?
    A) NewDelhi
    B) Kolkata
    C) Mumbai
    D) Chennai



  2. Which is the currency of UAE?
    A) Rupee
    B) Dirham
    C) Peso
    D) Dinar



  3. Which is the currency of Mali?
    A) Peso
    B) CFA Franc
    C) Dollar
    D) Euro



Static GK Quiz for Upcoming Exams Set – 578

    Static GK Questions for SBI PO/Clerk, IBPS RRB, IBPS PO/Clerk, RBI Assistant, LIC, NIACL, OICL, NABARD, SEBI and other competitive exams
  1. The purpose of Round Revolution is ___?
    A) Horticulture Production
    B) Oil seeds Production
    C) Cotton Production
    D) Potato Production



  2. United Nations Population is based at?
    A) New York
    B) London
    C) Paris
    D) Geneva



  3. In which state of India Fugadi folk dance is performed?
    A) Karnataka
    B) Kerala
    C) Goa
    D) Maharashtra



  4. Where is the War Heroes Stadium situated?
    A) Bihar
    B)Uttar Pradesh
    C)Punjab
    D)Jammu & Kashmir



  5. What is the currency of Argentina?
    A) Peso
    B) Dollar
    C) Kwanza
    D) Dinar



  6. Millau bridge is located in _____?
    A) France
    B) Germany
    C) USA
    D) Italy



  7. Which is the largest animal fair in India?
    A) Pushkar fair
    B)Nagaur cattle fair
    C)Sonepur cattle fair
    D)Bateshwar fair



  8. The world heritage site, the Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram located in which of the following Indian state?
    A) Kerala
    B) Tamil Nadu
    C) Himachal Pradesh
    D) Uttrakhand



  9. The Indian Institute of Foreign Trade is an autonomous public business school established in 1963 by the Government of India in ______?
    A) Chhattisgarh
    B) New Delhi
    C) Karnataka
    D) Uttarakhand



  10. Who is known as the “Father of Indian Constitution”?
    A) Rabindranath Tagore
    B) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
    C) Manmohan Singh
    D) Mahatma Gandhi



Daily Current Affairs 31st May, 2021

Daily Current Affairs 31 May 2021 for Banking/Insurance/SSC and other related exams.

NATIONAL NEWS

India’s first city-wide environmental surveillance platform for COVID launched
With the number of cases of COVID-19 surging across the county in the second wave of the pandemic, the Government of Karnataka is introducing a city-wide sewage surveillance system in Bangalore as the India's first city-wide initiative that will help officials track the virus at an early stage, even among asymptomatic individuals.
  • Assisting this effort is the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Skoll Foundation-supported COVIDactionCollab (CAC), an India-wide collaborative of over 300 organizations and networks working together to provide COVID-19 relief and recovery services to the country's most vulnerable communities.
Andhra Pradesh Govt Switches Liquor Policy from Prohibition to Restriction
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy announced a major shift in his government's liquor policy, moving away from prohibition (nishedham) to restriction (niyantrana). The state will implement restrictions on liquor in a phased manner to protect the families from the evil.
  • The government had taken over the liquor business in the state to "curb liquor sale" since earning profits was not the motive. It claimed that the number of retail liquor outlets has been reduced from 4,380 to 2,934 in the last two years.
  • Now that the government has escrowed revenue from liquor sale and borrowed more than Rs 10,000 crore from various banks, the policy has ostensibly been changed from prohibition to restriction. 
Govt announces scheme to provide pension for dependents of Covid victims
The government announced a string of measures, including a pension for dependents of those having lost their lives due to COVID-19, among other benefits for the families who lost their earning members to the pandemic.
  • Besides family pensions, insurance benefits under the Employees' Deposit-Linked Insurance (EDLI) scheme have been enhanced and liberalised. 
  • Dependent family members of such persons will be entitled to the benefit of pension equivalent to 90 per cent of the average daily wage drawn by the worker as per the existing norms.
  • This benefit will be available retrospectively with effect from March 24 last year and for all such cases till March 24, 2022.
PM-CARES for Children scheme: Govt announces Rs 10 lakh fund, free education for kids orphaned due to COVID
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, announced a special “PM-CARES for Children” scheme for all those orphaned due to COVID-19, which will include a corpus of ₹10 lakh for each child till he or she reaches 18.
  • Children who have lost both parents or their lone surviving parent or their legal guardian or adoptive parent due to COVID-19 will be supported under the scheme.
  • When a child turns 18, he or she will draw a monthly stipend from the corpus of ₹10 lakh in order to meet expenses for personal needs and higher education. On reaching 23, the child will get the entire ₹10 lakh.
  • The government will also assist such children with school education. They will be given admission in the nearest Kendriya Vidyalaya or in a private school as a day scholar.
Panel formed to define offences of speech, expression
A panel constituted by the Union Home Ministry to suggest reforms to the British-era Indian Penal Code (IPC) is likely to propose a separate Section on “offences relating to speech and expression.” 
  • As there is no clear definition of what constitutes a “hate speech” in the IPC, the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws is attempting for the first time to define such speech.
  • The committee is expected to submit its report soon. The suggestions received by the Committee for Reforms in Criminal Laws will be examined by the Ministry before the changes are adopted.
  • The committee was formed in the wake of Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000, that provided punishment for sending offensive messages through communication services being scrapped by the Supreme Court in 2015.


INTERNATIONAL NEWS

Nato conducts massive war games
As tensions with Russia simmer, thousands of NATO troops, several warships and dozens of aircraft are taking part in military exercises stretching across the Atlantic, through Europe and into the Black Sea region.
  • The war games, dubbed Steadfast Defender 21, are aimed at simulating the 30-nation military organization's response to an attack on any one of its members.
  • It will test NATO's ability to deploy troops from America and keep supply lines open.


BANKING & FINANCE

Crypto-exchange ZebPay launches lending platform
ZebPay launched a lending platform where investors can lend their coins to the cryptocurrency exchange and earn returns depending on the token and the time period it is loaned for. Lending facility will be available in two options — open term and fixed term.
  • The exchange has started off the facility with bitcoin (BTC), ether (ETH), tether (USDT) and dai (DAI).
  • Depending on the term of deposits, users will be able to generate returns of up to 3% on bitcoin, up to 7% on ether, up to 7% on dai and up to 12% on tether.
  • This can help provide investors an opportunity to earn a passive income by adding on to the returns gained from rise in crypto prices.


BUSINESS & ECONOMY

Centre expands scope of Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme to aid MSME sector amid disruption caused by 2nd wave of COVID-19
The Centre further expanded the scope of the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS) amid the economic disruption caused by the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic to aid Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) sector.
  • The ministry said, Under ‘ECLGS 4.0’, 100 percent guarantee cover will be extended to loans of up to two crore given to hospitals, nursing homes, clinics, medical colleges for setting up on-site oxygen generation plants.
  • The finance ministry said, interest rate has been capped at 7.5 percent for the same. It said, Civil Aviation sector to be eligible under ECLGS 3.0. The ministry said, Validity of ECLGS extended to September 30 this year or till guarantees for an amount of 3 lakh crore rupees are issued. Disbursement under the scheme has been permitted up to December 31 this year.


SPORTS

European Shooting Ch’ship: Tejaswini Sawant tops MQS section of 50-m rifle prone event
In the European Shooting Championship in Croatia, former world champion Tejaswini Sawant topped the Minimum Qualification Score section of the 50-m rifle prone event.
  • The 40-year-old Tejaswini shot 622.7 to finish ahead of three other compatriots and six Iranians. She will represent India in the 50-m rifle 3 positions event at the Olympic Games --- her maiden Olympics --- in July-August.
  • Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar shot 620.3 to finish second in the field of nine shooters while Sanjeev Rajput scored 619.7.
UAE to host remainder IPL 2021 tournament in September-October
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has announced that the remaining matches of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 will be played in the United Arab Emirates in September-October this year.
  • The dates for the IPL are yet to be announced. There are 31 remaining matches in this year's IPL.
Novak Djokovic clinches Belgrade Open title
In Tennis, world number one Novak Djokovic clinched the Belgrade Open title after defeating Slovakia's Alex Molcan in Serbia. Serbian maestro Djokovic outclassed first-time ATP Tour finals Molcan 6-4, 6-3 in 88 minutes.
  • With this win, Djokovic has so far captured three titles at his home nation and over all he secured 83 singles titles in his career.
Mary Kom settles for silver medal at 2021 Asian Boxing Championships
Indian pugilist Mary Kom, lost to two-time world champion Nazym Kyzaibay of Kazakhstan, to settle for silver medal at the 2021 ASBC Asian Boxing Championships in Dubai.
  • The five-time Asian Championships gold medallist Mary Kom was competing in high-octane 51kg final.
  • This is the second silver for Mary Kom at the Asian Championships who has previously won silver in 2008.
Chelsea win the Champions League 2021
Chelsea clinched the Champions League title for the first time in almost a decade after winning the 2020-21 final 1-0 against Manchester City in Porto.
  • Chelsea have won the UEFA Champions League for a second time and the first of Tuchel's managerial career.


APPOINTMENTS

Mali court appoints Assimi Goita as interim president
 
Mali’s constitutional court in Bamako, announced that colonel Assimi Goita, interim VP and leader of a military coup will be the new interim President of Mali.
  • Goita, 38, will be ‘President of the transition, head of state’ after Ndaw and Ouane had to resign during their detention.


AWARDS

Sanjay Dutt receives UAE's golden visa
Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt said he has received a golden visa for the UAE.
  • The Golden Visa system essentially offers long-term residency to people with outstanding talents.
  • In 2019, UAE implemented a new system for long-term residence visas enabling foreigners to live, work & study there without the need of a national sponsor & with 100% ownership of their business.


SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

IFFCO to launch Nano Urea in the market next month
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative (IFFCO) will launch Nano Urea in the market next month.
  • 500-ml Nano Urea, which costs 240 rupees, is equivalent to 45kg of normal urea. Besides reducing the cost of cultivation, it increases the yield.
  • Chemicals and Fertilizers Minister DV Sadananda Gowda said, the Nano Urea will be a game changer for farming sector as it is expected to reduce the consumption of normal urea substantially thus saving a huge sum on subsidy and forex. It is also eco friendly.


DRDO develops near-isothermal forging technology for aero-engines
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has announced a modest step towards achieving the ultimate aeronautical challenge, one that even resource-rich China is struggling to achieve: Developing a jet engine with the thrust to power a fighter in combat.
  • The DRDO established the near-isothermal forging technology to produce all the five stages of high-pressure compressor (HPC) discs out of difficult-to-deform, titanium alloy, using its unique 2000 MT (metric tonne) isothermal forge press.
  • With this development, India has joined the league of limited global engine developers to have the manufacturing capabilities of such critical aero engine components.


BOOKS & AUTHORS

Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020” BOOK by Salman Rushdie
The book titled “Languages of Truth: Essays 2003-2020” BOOK written by Salman Rushdie has been released.
  • In this book, Rushdie attempts to perform a defensive castling move.
  • He suggests his work has been misunderstood and mistreated because the literary culture has turned from brio-filled imaginative writing toward the humbler delights of “autofiction,” as exemplified by the work of Elena Ferrante and Karl Ove Knausgaard.


IMPORTANT DAYS

World No-Tobacco Day
Every year on May 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) observes World No Tobacco Day to spread awareness about the dangers of using tobacco.
  • For this year, the world health body has launched a campaign, 'Commit to Quit,' to observe the day. While launching the campaign, it urged all countries to play their part by joining and creating tobacco-free environments by giving people the information, support, and tools they need to quit and quit for good.


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