December 2020 Flashcards
(288 cards)
1
Q
How much money has the government of India allocated to Mission COVID Suraksha ?
A
INR 3000 crore in a timeline of 12 to 18 months.
This has been divided in three phases.
INR 900 crore must be allocated in each phase.
The mission has been led by Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and implemented Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
So far DBT has supported 10 vaccines, 5 of which are in human trials including the Russian Vaccine Sputnik-V and 3 of which are in an advanced stage.
The mission has been approved by National Technical Advisory Group (NTAGI)
2
Q
What are the three vaccine candidates under Phase 3 in India of the mission COVID Suraksha?
A
- Sputnik V Vaccine of Russia is at Phase 3 human trials in India by Hyderabad based Hetero Biopharma
- Covaxin, an indigenously developed Corona vaccine candidate is produced and tested by Bharat Biotech in partnership with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
- Covishield, developed by Pune based Serum Institute of India, in phase 3 with Oxford University vaccine
3
Q
Who is developing the Sputnik V Vaccine?
A
Hyderabad based Hetero Biopharma
The vaccine is being Russia is at Phase 3 of human trials.
4
Q
Who is developing the Covaxin?
A
It is being produced and tested by Bharat Biotech in partnership with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
5
Q
Who is developing “Covishield’ ?
A
Pune based Serum Institute of India (SII). It is in phase 3 and is being developed with Oxford University.
6
Q
What is the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) ?
A
The DCGI is the central organisation of the Government of India to provide licenses to drugs and also to set standards for manufacturing, sales, imports and distribution of drugs in India
It falls under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
7
Q
Union Minister, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
A
Dr. Harsh Vardhan
8
Q
Minister of State, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
A
Ashwini Kumar Choubey
9
Q
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
A
Founded in 1946
10
Q
When was Department of Biotechnology (DBT) formed?
A
1986
Falls under the Ministry of Science and Technology
11
Q
Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Secretary
A
Dr. Renu Swarup
12
Q
What country has topped the list for sending most number of Educated Migrants to OECD Countries?
A
India
According to data released by “Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development” (OECD)”, India sent 3.12 million highly educated migrants living in the OECD nations. 65% of India’s migrants have received vocation or academic training.
China was second on the list with 2.25 million (48.6%)
Philippines came third on the list with 1.89 million (53.3%)
The ILO stated that the most high skilled migrants belonged to the fields of health care, nurses.
13
Q
How many migrants in OECD countries according to the latest data released are highly educated ?
A
120 million migrants (30-35%) in OECD countries are highly educated
14
Q
When was the OECD founded and how many members does it have?
A
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development” (OECD)
It was founded in 1961.
It has 37 members
OECD countries are mostly high income economies with high Human Development Index (HDI) and are regarded as developed countries.
The member countries of OECD comprise 62.2% of the world’s GDP
15
Q
What are OECD member countries?
A
Australia, Austria Belgium Canada Chile Columbia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Israel Italy Japan Korea Latvia Lithuania Luxemborg Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Norway Poland Portugal Slovak Republic Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey UK USA
16
Q
OECD Secretary General
A
Angel Gurria
17
Q
OECD Headquarters
A
Paris, France
18
Q
What is the name of the latest report authored by Food and Agriculture Organisation which has been published in 2020 ?
A
“The State of Food and Agriculture” (SOFA) 2020
The theme of 2020 is - Overcoming Water Challenges in Agriculture
The report states that around 1.2 billion people across the globe are under high levels of water stress. This means that 1 out of every 6 people in the world are facing a severe water stress.
As per the report, the annual amount of freshwater available per person has declined by more than 20% for the past years.
SOFA presents three major entry points for action thet depend on each other, i.e,:-
(i) Technical and management options
(ii) The institutions and legal frameworks needed
(iii) the overall policy environment to promote sutainable water use
More than 520 million out of the 1.2 billion people at risk live in rural areas and around 660 million people live in small urban centres and agricultural areas.
Around 50% of the 1.2 billion people lived in South Asia and 460 million people lived in east and southeast Asia. More than 20% of the population of Central Asia, West Asia and North Africa lived in agricultural areas with very high water shortage or scarcity.
19
Q
What two countries have launched a joint committee for Bilateral Fast Track Mechanism to increase investments ?
A
India and France
to increase investments in 18th Session of India France Joint Committee
20
Q
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs
A
Hardeep Singh Puri
21
Q
Minister delegate for Foreign Trade and Economic Attractiveness
A
Franck Riester
22
Q
What two countries are the biggest FDI Sources of India during April - September 2020?
A
Singapore and USA
(According to the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)’s Foreign Direct Investment Data)
Singapore has invested INR 62,084 (USD 8.30 billion).
USA has invested INR 53,266 crore (USD 7.12 billion)
USA overtook Mauritius, which was second during the first half of the current financial year.
Other top investors include:-
- Netherlands (INR 11,306 crore)
- UK (INR 10,155 crore)
- France (INR 8,494 crore)
- Japan (INR 4932 crore)
- Germany (INR 1498 crore)
- Cyprus (INR 355 crore)
23
Q
According to the DPIIT what sector in India has received the maximum amount of FDI equity flows?
A
Computer hardware and software sector
INR 1,31,169 crore
This was followed by services sector (INR 16,995 crores) and trading (INR 7,140 crores)
24
Q
What states in India received the most amount of FDI inflows so far in FY21?
A
Gujarat
followed by Maharashtra, Karnataka and Delhi
25
What is the word of the year according to Cambridge dictionary?
Quarantine (based on its data that "quarantine" is one of the most searched words in Cambridge dictionary this year)
Runners up for the word of the year - lockdown and pandemic
26
Word of the year 2020 as per Colin's dictionary
Lockdown
27
Cambridge's word of the year 2019
Upcycling
28
______ dictionary has for the first time decided not to select a word of the year
Oxford
29
Who has been appointed as the ambassador for BAFTA Breakthrough India 2020-21?
AR Rahman
He debuted as a music director in 1991 for the film "Roja"
He has also won 2 academy awards for original score and song in Slumdog Millionaire
30
India Grid Trust has signed a share purchase agreement to acquire 74% stake in _______
Parbati Koldam Transmission Company Ltd. (PKCL) from Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. (RInfra)
The remaining 26% is going to be held by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL)
31
Parbati Koldam Transmission Company (OKTCL)
Joint Venture between Reliance Infrastructure Limited (74%)
and
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited
It was incorporated in September 2, 2002
It is headquartered in Gurgaon
32
What is India Trust Grid ?
It is India's first listed power sector infrastructure investment trust, sponsored by KKR and Sterlite Power Grid Ventures Limited (SPGVL)
33
CEO and Whole time Director of India Trust Grid
Harsh Shah
34
India Trust Grid HQ
New Delhi
35
When was India Trust Grid established ?
2016
36
Who won the F1 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix 2020?.
Lewis Hamilton
```
Max Verstappen (Netherlands) was second
and
Alexander Albon (Thailand) was third
```
This is Hamilton's 11th win of the season.
The Championships were held at Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain. It was organised by Federation Internationale De Automobile (FIA)
37
Federation Internationale De Automobile (FIA) President
Jean Todt
38
Federation Internationale De Automobile (FIA) HQ
Paris, France
39
What veteran actor/ weightlifter of England has recently died at the age of 85?
Dave Prowse
He represented England in the Commonwealth Games in 1962 and played the role of Darth Vader in the original "Star Wars" trilogy
He won the British Weightlifting Championship in 1962
40
What organisation has authored the book "Future of Regional Cooperation in Asia and the Pacific" ?
Asian Development Bank
The book explores ways for economies in the Asia and Pacific region to work together to recover from COVID19.
As per the book, India was the 4th major host of Greenfield Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects and 8th Major host of cross border merger and Acquisition.
41
_______ state government has signed an agreement with International Digital Health & Artificial Intelligence Research Collaborative (I-DAIR) hosted at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva, Switzerland to develop and deploy digital technology in health sector
Punjab
It is the first government partner of I-DAIR to develop models of people centric digital infrastructures for health
42
_________ has set a new record for successfully manufacturing and testing India's highest rated auto transformer '500 MVA at the National High Power Test Lab (NHNPTL) ?
BHEL (Bharat Heavy Electronics Limited)
43
Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare 2020
November 30
The United Nation annually celebrates this day to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare and to reaffirm the commitment of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate chemicals weapons and promote world peace.
The day was first observed in 2016
44
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Director General
Fernando Arias
45
Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) HQ
Hague, Netherlands
46
When was Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) founded ?
April 29, 1997
47
International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People 2020
November 29
Adopted by the UN by a resolution in 1947 for partitioning Palestine into an Arab and Jewish states.
48
Food and Agricultural Organisation HQ
Rome, Italy
49
Food and Agricultural Organisation Director General
Qu Dongyu
50
____ parts of India have witnessed a higher increase in pollution levels as compared to _______ according to a study conducted by the Satellite Data from 2000-2019
Southern and Eastern parts
as compared to the Indo Gangetic plains
This is the first survey of its kind to look at air pollution spatially
Study also found that air pollution in rural India has increased at par with urban India
Kerala, Goa and Andhra Pradesh recorded the highest levels of pollution
The study has been commissioned by the central pollution control board,
The author of the study is professor Sagnik Dey from IIT Delhi
51
What state government has recently organised a sand art festival?
Orissa
Sand artist from all over the world participate. It is conducted at the Golden Beach of Chandrabhaga, Orissa.
Theme of 2020 - "Environment" and "COVID 19"
India's renowned sand Artist and Padmashree award is Sudarshan Patnaik is the chief curator of the event``
52
Where is the 31st edition of Konark Dance Festival being conducted?
Sun temple at Konark.
The 13th century Sun temple is dedicated to Hindu Sun god Surya. The temple is attributed to king Narsingh Deva - I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.
53
The ____ edition of the India Suriname Joint Commission Meeting was held virtually
7th
The meeting was co-chaired by Minister of State for External Affairs of India and minister of Foreign Affairs international business and international cooperation of the Republic of Suriname
54
Minister of State External Affairs of India
V Muraleedharan
55
Where is the next joint Commission meeting between India and Tsunami being held?
Paramaribo
In 2022
56
President of Suriname
Chan Santokhi
57
Capital of Suriname
Paramaribo
58
Currency of Suriname
Surinamese Dollar (SRD)
59
Ministry of External Affairs Union Minister
Dr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
60
Minister of state for the ministry of external affairs
V Muraleedharan
61
What is the name of of the annual conference between theIndia Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre?
"Health Talks"
This conference is being conducted in light of the 13th Sweden India Nobel Memorial Week 2020.
During the conference it was also announced that the innovation Centre is in the process of setting up a Centre for Excellence at AIIMS Jodhpur for cancer care
The centre is also organising an event titled "SHE STEM: Women Leading the Way" in partnership with Atal Innovation Mission, to encourage young girls to pursue stem fields
It is also organising a Sweden India Nobel Memorial quiz. The winner gets a prize of INR 1 lakh
62
What is the India Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre
It is a tripartite collaboration between the
- Swedish trade Commissioner Office
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi
- All India Institute of Medical Sciences Jodhpur
For developing innovative solutions for Healthcare
63
Why was the Swedish India Nobel Memorial week instituted?
It was instituted in the memory of Swedish inventor and philanthropist Alfred Nobel. It celebrates biggest contributions in the fields of innovation Entrepreneurship and creativity
64
Sweden capital
Stockholm
65
Sweden currency
Swedish Krona
66
Sweden Prime Minister
Stefan lofven
67
Where was 6th BRICS youth Summit 2020 held?
Ulyanonovsk, Russia
The meeting was addressed by Union Minister of youth affairs and sports of India
68
Theme of the 6th BRICS youth Summit 2020?
"BRICS: Challenges of the Time for young People"
69
Who is the Union Minister of youth affairs and sports in India
Kiren Rijiju
70
What country will host the BRICS games in 2021?
India
This will also be on the occasion of Khelo India Games.
71
When was BRICS formed?
2009
72
What country hosted the 12th BRICS summit?
Russia
73
India has formed a counter narcotics working group with what country?
United States
In its inaugural meeting, India was represented by Sachin Jain, Deputy Director General, Narcotics Control Board (NCB), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)
74
Narcotics Control board (NCB) HQ
New Delhi
75
Narcotics Control board (NCB) Director General
Rakesh Asthana
76
The national payment Corporation of India has completed private placement of how much of equity shares?
4.63 percent
Worth INR 81.64 crores
Each firm can hold up to 0.44% shares of the NCPI. With this placement total shareholder entities for NPCI stand at 67.
Some of the Shareholders are - AU Small Finance Bank Ltd, India Post Payments Bank Ltd, etc. along with digital payment fintechs including Amazon Pay, PayU India, PhonePe, Pine Labs, MobiKwik, BillDesk, etc.
Also added Standard Chartered Bank, Dhanlaxmi Bank and IDFC first bank limited.
Currently government banks such as Bank of Baroda, Punjab National Bank, Canara bank and State Bank of India on more than 40% of the stake.
The private placement was done on the instruction of RBI to broaden its share Holdings representing largest segment of participants. However this was also recommended by the Watal Committee back in December 2016
77
Who headed the Watal Committee?
Ratan Watal
78
_______ partnered with _____ bank to offer Collateral free instant digital loans to MSMEs.
Paytm
and
Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB)
79
Paytm founder and CEO
Vijay Shekhar Sharma
80
Paytm headquarters
Noida
81
When was Paytm founded?
August 2010
82
Paytm lending business CEO
Bhavesh gupta
83
Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB) Managing Director and CEO
Baskar Babu Ramachandran
84
Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB) HQ
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
85
When was Suryoday Small Finance Bank (SFB) launched?
January 23, 2017
86
NABARD has signed an agreement with _____ bank to take up joint intervention projects in Karnataka?
SBI
The agreement provide concessional refinance facility to beneficiaries of watershed development and tribal development projects.
This consequently aids the beneficiaries of:-
- Tribal Development Fund
- Watershed Development Fund
- Farmer Producer Organisation (FPOs)
- Self Help Group
- Joint Liability Groups
Agreement enables SBI to act as an implementing agency for digitising NABARD's SHGs and to on board NABARD's e shaktu portal across Karnataka.
87
National bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) chairman
Doctor Govinda Rajulu Chintala
88
NABARD HQ
Mumbai
89
SBI Chairman
Dinesh Kumar Khara
90
SBI HQ
Mumbai Maharashtra
91
What is the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) ?
It was established in 1994.
It is a voluntary Membership organisation of insurance supervisors and regulator from more than two hundred constituting 97% of the world's insurance premium.
It is the international standard setting body responsible for developing and assisting in the supervision of the insurance sector.
IRDAI is also a part of IAIS.
92
International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) HQ
Switzerland
93
Who is the newest member of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS) ?
International Financial Services Centre Authority
This membership is believed to aid in developing a global insurance hub at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT)
94
_____ and ______ digital payment banks partnered to enable Indian MSMEs to accept international payments.
Razorpay
and
PayPal
95
Razorpay CEO and Co Founder
Harshil Mathur
96
Razorpay HQ
Bangalore, Karnataka
97
PayPal HQ
San Jose, California
98
PayPal President and CEO
Dan Schulman
99
____________ has become India's first full fledged Consumer Neobank in Partnership with SBM Bank India
Finin (in partnership with SBM Bank India )
Finin has launched a Hyper personalised SmartBanking platform which helps users manage their money in a smarter and more secure way. It allows users to open a Savings Account in under 2 minutes.
100
SBM Bank India Limited HQ
Mumbai
101
SBM Bank India MD & CEO
Siddharth Rath
102
SBM Bank India established
December 2018
103
Finin established
2019
104
Finin Founder and CEO
Suman Gandham
105
Finin Co founder and Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Sudheer Maram
106
Finin HQ
Bangalore
107
What two zoos in India have been recognised by the Central Zoo Authority ?
Rajgir Zoo Safari, Nalanda, Bihar
| Shaheed Ashfaque Ullah Khan Prani Udyaan, Gorakhpur
108
Who chairs the Central Zoo Authority ?
Union Minister for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
109
Union Minister for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
Prakash Javadekar
110
HQ of Central Zoo Authority
New Delhi
111
What bank has launched the "Atmanirbhar Women Scheme" ?
Bank of Baroda
Under the scheme women can get loans at a 0.50% concession. The bank also offers agri gold loans at a concession of 0.25% and retail loans at 0.50% concessions
112
Bank of Baroda HQ
Vadodara (previously known as Baroda), Gujarat
113
MD & CEO of Bank of Baroda
Sanjiv Chadha
114
What are the projections of Fitch Rating, w.r.t Indian GDP growth in its Global Economic Outlook of December 2020 ?
GDP forecast changed to 9.4% (from a previous 10.5%)
for FY22 - 11%
and FY23 - 6.3%
115
What was Indian GDP growth in FY20?
4.2%
116
What two cities in Madhya Pradesh has the United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) inscribed as world heritage cities under its urban landscape city programme?
Gwalior and Orchha
With this inclusion, the total number of UNESCO World Heritage sites will increase to 40.
The UNESCO team will visit the cities in 2021 and prepare a masterplan for their development and conservation under the Historic Urban Landscape recommendation.
117
When was Gwalior established and by what ruler ?
In the 9th century
By Gurjar Pratihar Rajvansh, Tomar, Baghel Kachvaho and Scindias.
118
What is Orccha famous for ?
"Orchha" means "hidden place"
It is popular for its temples and palaces and was the capital of the Bundela Kingdom in the 16th century
119
What are the total number of world heritage sites across the globe?
1121
In India there 38 + 2 = 40
Indian sites include:-
- 30 cultural sites
- 7 Natural Sites
- 1 mixed site
120
When was Jaipur declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO ?
June 2019
121
United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) Director
Merchtild Rossler
122
United Nation Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) HQ
Paris, France
123
Who is the Indian Origin Chief Executive Officer of the WHO Foundation?
Anil Soni
124
WHO Foundation HQ
Geneva, Switzerland
125
Founder and Chairman of the Board of the WHO Foundation
Profesor Thomas Zeltner
126
When was the WHO Foundation founded ?
May 2020
127
Who is the interim PM of Romania ?
Nicolae Lonel Ciuca (previous Defence Minister)
128
Romania Currency
Romanian Leu
129
Romania Capital
Bucharest
130
Romania erstwhile PM
Ludovic Orban (centre right; leader of National Liberal Party)
131
What five time American grand slam doubles champion has recently passed away?
Dennis Ralston
He was the highest ranked American Tennis Player for three years.
132
SAARC Charter Day
December 8
Annually observed by SAARC member countries to mark the adoption of SAARC Charter by the members in 1985 to establish regional cooperation through SAARC
As part of SAARC Charter Day, Afghanistan hosted the SAARC Youth Platform's Webinar titled "Youth and Human Rights, Peace Resilience and Economic Situation of Afghanistan"
The youth advocacy network of Pakistan along with SAARC Youth Platform organised a webinar on "The New Possible, A New South Asia for a New Reality: Building Resilient Recovery"
133
When was the SAARC Charter adopted ?
1985
134
SAARC Member countries
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
135
December 8, 2020 marks _______ SAARC Charter Day
36th
136
Where was the SAARC Charter signed by heads of the member countries?
Dhaka, Bangladesh in 1985
Afghanistan was admitted as the 8th member of SAARC in the 14th SAARC summit in April 2007.
137
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary General
Esala Ruwan Weerakoon (Sri Lanka)
138
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretariat
Kathmandu, Nepal
139
When was SAARC established?
December 8, 1985
140
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member countries
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka
141
International Civil Aviation Day
December 7
To help create and strengthen worldwide awareness about the importance of international civil aviation. Also aims to create awareness about the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in promoting the safety, efficiency and regularity of international air transport.
142
What is the 2020 theme for International Civil Aviation Day?
"Advancing Innovation for Global Aviation Development"
This theme will continue till 2023
143
What is the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) ?
Specialised agency of the UN
144
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Secretary General
Dr. Fang Liu (China)
145
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) HQ
Montreal, Canada
146
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) President
Mr. Salvatore Sciacchitano
147
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) Member States
193 (including India, which is also the Council Member State)
148
Armed Forces Flag Day 2020
December 7
Observed to honour martyrs who have died protecting the country
149
When was the First Armed Forces Flag day observed ?
December 7, 1949
150
Theme of Armed Forces Flag Day 2020
"Gaurav Maah"
Funds are collected from the citizens through the distribution of small flags in return for a donation to assist security personnel who were disabled and for the families of those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
151
United Nations International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development (International Volunteer Day) 2020
December 5
2020 Theme is - "Together We Can Through Volunteering". The day is celebrated through United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Programmes
The "Blue Heart Emoji" will be associated with IVD 2020
152
Union Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports
Kiran Rijju
153
Who has produced the International Volunteer Day Anthem ?
United Nations Volunteers India and UNHCR
154
How was International Volunteer Day observed in India ?
- celebrated by Youth Affairs Ministry, UNDP and other UN agencies
- IVD Anthem
- Union Minister of Youth Affairs Ministry (Kiran Rijju) announced a list of "V Awardees 2020" to recognise efforts of volunteers.
155
United Nation Volunteer Programme Executive Coordinator
Olivier Adam (France)
156
United Nation Volunteer Programme Administered by
United Nations Development Programme
157
United Nation Volunteer Programme HQ
Germany
158
World Soil Day
December 5
To focus global attention on importance of healthy soil and to promote the sustainable management of soil resources.
The day is observed on December 5, as it marks the birthday of the late H.M King Bhumibol Aduyadej, King of Thailand, who played a major role in the World Soil Day Initiative.
159
When was the world's first soil day observed?
December 5, 2014
160
Who won the King Bhumibol World Soil Day Award 2020?
Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)
for coordinating agricultural education and research in India and for its commitment to raise awareness on the importance of healthy soil through World Soil Day 2019 with "Soil Health Awareness Week" from December 1 to December 7, 2019.
161
Who won the Glinka World Soil Prize 2020 as part of World Soil Day Award 2020?
Luca Montanarella (Senior Expert European Commission)
He was recognised as an active promoter of soil awareness in Europe.
162
Who won the Children Book Contest organised as part of World Soil Day Award 2020 by the FAO, The Union of Soil Sciences and the Global Soil Partnership?
- "The Science and Spectacle of Soil Life by Roly Poly" by Jiajia Hamner of US and Sharada Keats of Glbal Alliance for Improved Nutrition, UK
The Winner received a cash prize of a 1000USD
- Second Prize went to "Soil Biodiversity. What's most Important" Katelyn Lutes and Benjamin Ellery of Agriculture and Agri Food, Canada
The runner up received a cash prize of 500 USD
163
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) DG
Qu Dongyu
164
Food and Agricultural Organisation HQ
Rome, Italy
165
International Day of Banks
December 4
This was the first ever International Day of Banks and was observed by the United Nations to recognise the potential of banks to finance sustainable development.
Reaffirms the importance of achieving the targets of Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
166
Indian Navy Day
December 4
Theme: "Indian Navy - Combat Ready, Credible and Cohesive"
The activities of the 2020 Indian Navy Day are collectively termed as "Navy Week 2020"
167
December 4, 2021 will be celebrated as ______
Swarnim Vijay Varsh
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of India's victory in 1971 Indo Pak war
168
What is the theme of the Navy Week?
"Navy to Earth 2020"
As part of the Naval Week 2020, the Southern Naval Command has organised the "Operations Demonstration" in Ernakulam Channel, Kochi to showcase the skills and armed operations of the Indian Navy
169
Swarnim Vijay Varsh
December 16, 2021 (50th anniversary of the 1971 victory)
170
What was Operation Trident ?
It was launched by the Indian Navy on the night of December 4, 1971 during the Indo Pak war following the attack by Pakistan over Indian Air Bases December 3, 1971
Three missile boats - Nirghat, Veer and Nipat of the 25th Missile Vessel Squadron were dispatched to carry out the mission.
The operation was carried out at night as Pakistan did not have an aircraft to attack with bombs at night.
171
International Day of Persons with Disabilities
December 3
Theme: " Building Back Better: Toward a Disability Inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID19 World"
As part of the celebration UNESCO has organised a week long programme from 25th November 2020 to 3rdDecember, 2020
UNESCO will also organised a global awareness raising campaign "Tell our stories, enable our rights"
172
United Nations International Day for the Abolition of Slavery
December 2
Aim to eradicate modern form of slavery like human trafficking, sexual exploitation, child labour, etc.
173
National pollution control Day 2020
December 2
It is observed across India to honour the people who lost their lives in the Bhopal Gas tragedy in 1984
2020 marks the 36 anniversary of the Bhopal Gas tragedy
174
Theme of national pollution control day
"Raise awareness about importance of pollution control and educate people on how to prevent pollution"
175
What was the name of the gas released by pesticide plant in Bhopal gas tragedy?
Methyl isocyanate
It's spread across Bhopal and killed more than 3700 people. 5 lakh people were exposed to the gas
176
When did the Bhopal Gas tragedy take place?
December 1984
177
World computer Literacy Day 2020 ?
December 2nd
It is observed to raise awareness about the advanced gap and increase the access to computers and in information technology
National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) launched the World Computer Literacy Dat in 2001 to observe NIIT's 20th anniversary
178
National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) Chairman and co-founder
Rajendra S Pawar
179
National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) Vice Chairman and Managing Director
Vijay K. Thadani
180
National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) CEO
Sapnesh Lalla
181
National Institute of Information Technology (NIIT) HQ
Gurgaon
182
World AIDS Day
December 1
This day is one of the 9 days and 2 weeks that the member states of the WHO have mandated as "Official Global Public Health Days"
183
What is the 2020 theme for World AIDS Day
" Global solidarity resilient HIV services"
184
Who initiated the idea of world AIDS Day ?
Thomas Netter
and
James W Barn
In 1987
They were Public Information officers for the age Global program of WHO
Dr Jonathan Mann, Director of the AIDS Global Program finally approve the idea to annually celebrate World AIDS Day from December 1, 1988
185
When was the first World AIDS Day celebrated?
December 1, 1988
186
Raising Day of Border Security Force 2020
December 1
2020 marks the 56th such day
On this day, The Border Security Force (BSF), India's first line of Defence was raised in accordance with an Act of Parliament on December 1, 1965 after the India Pakistan War of 1965
The BSF has been guarding India's borders against Pakistan and Bangladesh since 1965.
187
Border Security Force Director General
Rakesh Asthana
188
Border Security Force HQ
Delhi
189
When was the Border Security Force established ?
December 1, 1965
| Motto - Duty for life (Jeevan Paryant Kartavya)
190
Who topped Fortune's Businesspersons of the Year 2020?
Elon Musk
Elon Musk has topped the list second time in a row
8th - Shantanu Narayan (CEO of Adobe)
9th - Ajay Banga ( CEO of Mastercard)
2nd - Lisa Su (CEO of AMD)
3rd - Jensen Huang (CEO o Nvidia)
191
What is the name of the JV between Indian Bank, Indian Overseas Bank, Karnataka Bank Ltd, Dabur Investment Corporation and Sompo Japan Insurance Inc?
Universal Sompo General Insurance Company
It recently launched an app called USGI PULZ to help monitor motor and health insurance policy details, documents, renewal etc.
192
Universal Sompo General Insurance Company MD & CEO
Sharad Mathur
193
Universal Sompo General Insurance Company HQ
Mumbai, Maharashtra
194
Who topped the Fortune 500 ranking list of Indian companies?
Reliance India Limited. This is the second time that it has topped the list
The 500th position is secured by IOL Chemicals & Pharmaceuticals
195
When was the first issue of Fortune 500 India published?
September 2010
with
Dibyendra Nath Mukherjee - Editor
Pavan Varshnei - President
196
Who is is the head of of the task force constituted by the Ministry of education for preparing a blueprint for imparting technical education in in the mother tongue?
Secretary of Higher Education - Amit Khare
The new education policy 2020 has mandated that medium of instruction up to the 5th grade (which cna be extended upto 8th grade) should be the mother tongue or the regional language.
The task force will submit a report in one month based on suggestions made by various stakeholders
197
Secretary of Higher Education
Amit Khare
198
Union Minister of education
Ramesh pokhriyal nishank
199
Who is appointed as the ambassador of the "Fit India" movement?
Kuldeep Handoo
He is a Srinagar born Wushu Coach and is the first Dronacharya Awardee from Jammu and Kashmir
He also serves as Inspector of Police in Jammu and Kashmir
200
Who who is the first Dronacharya Awardee from Jammu and Kashmir ?
Kuldeep Handoo
He is a former wushu athlete who has won
11 gold medals - National and
6 - on the International stage.
Also received:-
- The Jammu and Kashmir Police Medal Award for meritorious service
- The Parshuram Award (an honour of Sports Award in Himachal Pradesh)
201
Indian Air Force carried out the firing of __________ missile as part of a drill which took place at the Air Force Station in Surya Lanka Andhra Pradesh
Indigenously developed "Akash Missile System", which is a surface to air missile
and
"Igla Missile", which is also a surface to air, short range missile of Russian origin
202
What is the Akash Missile system?
It is a nuclear capable missile defence system developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. (BDL)
It is India's first indigenous missile designed by DRDO
It can fly up to a speed of 860 meters per second and has a range of 30 kilometres.
203
What is the Igla Missile?
It is a portable infrared homing surface to air missile. It is possessed by both the Indian Airforce and army
204
The Lattice developed by IIT Kanpur researchers for vibration isolation in high speed trains and stealth submarines has been inspired by _____
Damaru or Dambaru
It shows tremendous application in vibration isolation in high speed trains, stealth submarines and helicopter rotors.
theoretically, this could provide invisibility of an object either in optical or acoustic domain
It has been developed under the Scheme for Promotion of Academic Research Collaboration (SPARC) which promote research between Indian Institutions and the world's best institutions. Ministry of Education provides funds for infrastructure development and scholarship to the research fellows
205
What is the name of the 6th National Park proposed to be set up by Assam?
Raimona National Park
The park is being made out of the Ripu Reserve Forest under Manas National Park and Tiger Reserve. The proposal is to upgrade 422 square kilometres into a national park.
The report forest along with the Chirang reserve has the largest known population of endangered golden langur. .
Around 30% of this reserve forest has been encroached and cut down since 1989 because of insurgency related issues.
206
What are the names of the five national parks in Assam?
Kaziranga National Park; Manas National Park; Dibru Saikhowa National Park; Rajiv Gandhi Orang National Park; Nameri National Park
207
Who has been appointed as the new President of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and industry?
Uday Shankar
He is the first person from the media and entertainment industry to leader National industry chamber like FICCI.
- He was the editor and news director of TV Today Group.
- He also launched at that in 2000 and Headlines Today in 2003.
- He created hotstar, which is now globally known as Disney+ hotstar
- He was also president of the Walt Disney company for Asia Pacific and chairman of star and Disney India
- he also served as a president of Indian broadcasting Federation and chairman of FICCI's Media and Entertainment Committee
208
What state has recently cleared a proposal to rename all residential settlements and localities in the state based on caste names?
Maharashtra
209
What is the new name of Facebook backed Libra Association?
Diem
Libra Association (now Diem) is a Facebook back digital payment group.
"Diem" means day in latin. It now if two initially launch a single dollar backed digital coin. It has also changed the name of its currency to Diem.
210
What Muslim cleric described as a second Sir Syed Ahmed Khan recently passed away?
Maulana Kalbe Sadiq
He was the senior Vice President of All India Muslim Personal Law Board
211
What bank has recently launched a campaign to support the Dabbawalas of Mumbai who have been affected due to covid-19 pandemic?
HDFC Life with Ketto India
The campaign is called "PromisewalaDabba"
212
Who became the quickest batsman to score 12000 runs in ODIs?
Virat Kohli
Kohli is the sixth player to reach 12,000 runs list.
He also became the fastest batsman to score 22,000 International runs, which he achieved through 462 International innings.
He has surpassed Sachin Tendulkar who took 493 innings to achieve the International record.
He is the eighth batsman in the history of international cricket to reach the 22,000 International Run mark
213
What other batsman have reached the the mark of fastest batsman to score 22,000 runs?
- Kumar Sangakkara
- Ricky Ponting
- Mahela Jayawardene
- Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
- Rahul Dravid
- Brian Lara
- Sachin Tendulkar
214
What country is to host the 7 team FIFA club World Cup 2021?
Japan
This will be the 18th edition of FIFA club World Cup
Originally a 2014 world cup was scheduled to take place in China in 2021
215
What country is hosting the the 2020 edition FIFA club World Cup (17th edition) ?
Qatar
February 1st to 11th, 2021
216
FIFA (Federation Internationale De Football Association) President
Gianni Infantino
217
FIFA (Federation Internationale De Football Association HQ
Zurich, Switzerland
218
Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) Director
Lokesh Kumar Sinha
219
Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) location
Manali, Himachal Pradesh
220
Defence Terrain Research Laboratory director
Lokesh Kumar Sinha
221
Defence Terrain Research Laboratory Location
New Delhi
222
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) Chairman
Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy
223
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) HQ
New Delhi
224
Central pollution control board Chairman
SPS Parihar
225
Central pollution control board HQ
New Delhi
226
IIT Delhi chairman (Chairperson, Board of Governors)
Dr R Chidambaram
227
IIT Delhi director
Professor V Ramgopal Rao
228
Where is the Hirakud dam situated ?
Orissa
It is built across the Mahanadi river and is the longest dam in India
229
Tax Justice Network Chief Executive
Alex Cobham
230
Tax Justice Network HQ
Chesham, UK
231
Narcotics Control Board (NCB) DG
Rakesh Asthana
232
Narcotics Control Board (NCB) HQ
New Delhi
233
National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) Head Office
Mumbai, Maharashtra
234
National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) MD & CEO
Dilip Asbe
235
When was the National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI) founded?
2008
It was established by RBI and IBA under S.8 of the Companies Act, 2013
236
_____ is the regulator for National Payment Corporation of India (NCPI)
RBI
237
Paytm's Lending Business CEO
Bhavesh Gupta
238
When was Paytm founded?
August 2010
239
Suryodaya Small Finance Bank MD & CEO
Baskar Babu Ramachandran
240
Suryodaya Small Finance Bank HQ
Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra
241
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) Chairman
Dr. Govinda Rajulu (GR) Chintala
242
When was NABARD established?
July 12, 1982
243
When was State Bank of India (SBI) founded?
July 1, 1955
244
State Bank of India (SBI) HQ
Mumbai, Maharashtra
245
State Bank of India (SBI) Chairman
Dinesh Kumar Khara
246
Razorpay CEO and Co founder
Harshil mathur
247
Razorpay HQ
Bangalore, Karnataka
248
PayPal President and CEO
Dan Schulman
249
SBM Bank India HQ
Mumbai, Maharashtra
250
SBM Bank India MD & CEO
Siddharth Rath
251
When was Finin founded ?
2019
252
Finin Founder and CEO
Sunan Gandham
253
Finin Co Founder and COO
Sudheer Maram
254
Finin HQ
Bangalore, Karnataka
255
Sompo General Insurance Company Limited MD & CEO
Sharad mathur
256
Sompo General Insurance Company Limited HQ
Mumbai, Maharashtra
257
Union Minister, Ministry of Education
Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank'
258
Indian Air Force Chief of Air Staff
Rakesh Kumar SIngh Bhadauria
259
IAF HQ
New Delhi
260
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President
Sourav Ganguly
261
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) HQ
Mumbai, Maharashtra
262
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) HQ
Paris, France
263
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation Director General
Audrey Azoulay
264
International Labour Organisation DG
Guy Ryder
265
International Labour Organisation HQ
Geneva, Switzerland
266
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) Chairman
Birendra Singh
267
National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED)
Sanjeev kumar Chaddha
268
Administrator of the Laxmi Vilas Bank when it was under moratorium for 30 days
T.N. Manoharan
he is also the non executive chairman of Canara bank
269
MD & CEO of DBS Bank India Ltd
Surojit Shome
HQ- Mumbai
270
CEO of Aseem Infrastructure Finance Limited
Virendra Pankaj
271
MD & CEO of NIIFL (National Investment and Infrastructure Fund Ltd.)
Sujoy Bose
272
Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) President
Atul Kumar Gupta
HQ- Delhi
273
Netherlands Capital
Amsterdam
274
Netherlands Currency
Euro
275
World Food Program Executive Director
David Beasley
276
World Food Program HQ
Rome, Italy
277
World Food Program won the Nobel Peace Prize in ____
2020
278
New Chairman of International Cricket Council
Greg Barclay (New Zealand)
Replaces Shashank Manohar
279
CEO of International Cricket Council
Manu Sawhney
280
HDFC MD
Renu Sud Karnad
281
Indian Railway Board Chairman and CEO
Vinod Kumar Yadav
282
First CEO of Tata Consultancy Service
Faqir Chand Kohli
Received the Dadabhai Naoroji Award in 2000
Received the Padma Bhushan in 2002
283
Father of IT Industries in India
Faqir Chand Kohli
284
Tata Consultancy Services Chairman
Natarajan Chandreshekharan
285
NASSCOM Chairman
U B Pravin Rao (Currenct COO of Infosis)
286
NASSCOM president
Debjani Ghosh
287
Union Minister of Railway
Piyush Goyal
288
Tata Consultancy Services MD & CEO
Rajesh Gopinathan
