Current Affairs Quiz – August 08 and 09 2016

Current Affairs Quiz

1. Which State has been selected for the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project Award 2015?
a) Manipur
b) Rajasthan
c) West Bengal
d) Kerala

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Answer c) West Bengal. West Bengal has been selected for the All India Coordinated Rice Improvement Project Award 2015. This is the first time the state will be receiving this award. It was selected by the 51st committee from the Indira Gandhi Krishi Bikash Kendra. Earlier, West Bengal won the Krishi Kamran Puraskar for three consecutive years.The state has been selected for the award for its achievement in four key areas that include scientific research for seeds. The state government has also bagged the award for the second position for participating in International Agriculture and Horticulture Expo.

2. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches Mission Bhagiratha and lays Foundation Stone of key development projects in ______________
a) Andra Pradesh
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Karnataka
d) Telangana

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Answer d) Telangana. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, launched Mission Bhagiratha at Komatibanda Village, Gajwel, in Medak District of Telangana. The scheme has been launched by the State Government with an objective to provide safe drinking water to all. He also dedicated to the nation the 1200 MW Thermal Power Station of Singareni Collieries at Jaipur, in Adilabad district.

3. Which State government has set a target of planting over one crore saplings this year to increase the depleting green cover in the state?
a) Haryana
b) Himachal Pradesh
c) Maharashtra
d) Gujarat

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Answer b) Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh government has set a target of planting over one crore saplings this year to increase the depleting green cover in the state. Himachal Pradesh was the first state in country to earn carbon credit. Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 1.93 crore has been received from the central government as the first installment, which was distributed to self-help groups.

4. First-ever ‘Pizza ATM’ opens in _____________
a) USA
b) China
c) Japan
d) UK

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Answer a) USA. Pizza lovers in the US can now relish their favourite cheesy delicacy by using the first-ever ‘pizza ATM’ in the country installed at a university campus. The pizza vending machine on the campus of Xavier University (XU) in Ohio can hold seventy 12-inch pizzas and dispense them fresh and hot in just three minutes. Customers can select what kind of pizza they want using the 24-hour machine’s touch screen.

5. Jute Corporation to launch “Colours of Independence” campaign in ___________________
a) Mumbai
b) Vishakhapatnam
c) Bangalore
d) Chennai

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Answer b) Vishakhapatnam. Jute Corporation of India has been entrusted with the task of launching the week-long “Colours of Independence” campaign in Vishakhapatnam. The campaign was being launched in 70 cities across the country to commemorate 70 years of Independence. “A jute fabric will be set up in the CMR shopping mall and State HRD minister G. Srinivasa Rao will formally launch the programme by painting on it and the members of the public can participate later for the next seven days, till August 15.

6. IDFC Bank has appointed former Reserve Bank of India deputy governor _______________ to the bank’s board
a) Usha Thorat
b) Subir Gokarn
c) Chakrabarty
d) Anand Sinha

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Answer d) Anand Sinha. IDFC Bank, the newest lender in the country, has appointed former Reserve Bank of India deputy governor Anand Sinha to the bank’s board. In a notice to exchanges, the lender said Sinha would be joining as an additional director in the category of independent director on the board. His appointment comes into effect from August 1.

7. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch two new meteorological satellites in September. Who is the chairman of ISRO?
a) AS Kiran Kumar
b) Radhakrishnan
c) Mylswamy Annadurai
d) Madhavan Nair

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Answer a) AS Kiran Kumar. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will launch two new meteorological satellites next month. Speaking at the valedictory function of a Science Seminar in Dharwad , ISRO Chairman A S Kiran Kumar said the launch would further improve weather forecast in the country. He said weather changes that were observed every half an hour earlier would now improve to every 15 minutes observation. This would provide good quality atmospheric profiles over Indian landmass and adjoining areas.

8. Minister of Communications (Independent Charge) ___________________unveiled the Commemorative Postage Stamps on Rio Olympic Games
a) Jayant Sinha
b) Kalraj Mishra
c) Manoj Sinha
d) Ravi Shankar Prasad

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Answer c) Manoj Sinha. Minister of Communications Shri Manoj Sinha unveiled the Commemorative Postage Stamps on Rio Olympic Games and said the unique initiative will motivate the Rio-bound Indian athletes. Issuing stamps on games of wrestling, badminton, shooting and boxing, the Minister said, the Department of Posts had always issued special stamps on important occasions to rekindle the spirit of patriotism and for advancement of National Interest.

9. Food safety regulator FSSAI has sought public opinion for allowing up to _____ vegetable fats, other than cocoa butter, and up to 50% artificial sweetener Isomaltulose in chocolates
a) 5%
b) 10%
c) 15%
d) 20%

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Answer a) 5%. Food safety regulator FSSAI has sought public opinion for allowing up to 5% vegetable fats, other than cocoa butter, and up to 50% artificial sweetener Isomaltulose in chocolates. FSSAI added that these ingredients will be mentioned on labels as per regulations. This could reportedly benefit importers as the import and sale of chocolates containing vegetable fat is not allowed in India.

10. _______________ is the world’s ‘least miserable’ place: Survey
a) USA
b) Thailand
c) China
d) Spain

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Answer b) Thailand. The Misery Index, computed by adding inflation to the unemployment rate, has ranked Thailand as the least miserable place with a 1.11% score, out of 74 economies surveyed by Bloomberg. Singapore and Japan have been ranked second and third ‘least miserable’ respectively. Further, the South American nation Venezuela has been named the ‘most miserable’ with a score of 188.2%.

11. Which country has witnessed it’s highest-ever tea production during 2015-16, at 1233.14 million kilograms?
a) China
b) Kenya
c) Sri Lanka
d) India

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Answer d) India. Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the country has witnessed its highest-ever tea production during 2015-16, at 1233.14 million kilograms. She further said that India’s tea production has increased by 3% during the same period as compared to that of the last year. Sitharaman added that small tea growers contributed nearly 34% to the total output.

12. Which country is the ‘most miserable place’ in the world: Survey?
a) Japan
b) South Africa
c) Venezuela
d) India

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Answer c) Venezuela. South American nation Venezuela, with a score of 188.2%, has been ranked ‘most miserable’ in the world by the Misery Index (computed by adding inflation to the unemployment rate), out of 74 economies surveyed by Bloomberg. Declining oil revenues contributed to the economy’s 181% inflation, Bloomberg stated. Further, Bosnia and South Africa were named second and third ‘most miserable’ nations.

13. Which State government increased the house rent allowances (HRA) of government employees by 20%?
a) Uttar Pradesh
b) Maharashtra
c) Odisha
d) Uttarakhand

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Answer a) Uttar Pradesh. The Uttar Pradesh government increased the house rent allowances (HRA) of government employees by 20%. The move will reportedly benefit over 14.5 lakh employees and create an additional annual burden of ₹500 crore on the state exchequer. The state government also made it compulsory for all government departments and institutions to purchase khadi fabric from Gandhi Ashram.

14. ______________is the world’s first carbon negative country, meaning that the country’s forests absorb more carbon dioxide each year than it produces
a) Norway
b) India
c) Bhutan
d) Switzerland

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Answer c) Bhutan. According to a one-minute video, Bhutan is the world’s first carbon negative country, meaning that the country’s forests absorb more carbon dioxide each year than it produces. Around 72% of its land is under forest cover due to Bhutan’s strong environment protection policies. Interestingly, Bhutan is also the world’s only country to use gross national happiness to measure its growth.

15. Which State has the highest number of National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers among all Indian States?
a) Kerala
b) Tamil Nadu
c) Maharashtra
d) Karnataka

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Answer b) Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu has the highest number of National Service Scheme (NSS) volunteers among all Indian states, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka. Of more than 36 lakh volunteers, Tamil Nadu has over 4 lakh, while Maharashtra and Karnataka have over 3 lakh each. Launched in 1969, NSS requires enrolled students to put in 120 hours of community service every year.

16. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People is observed on?
a) August 9
b) August 10
c) August 11
d) August 12

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Answer a) August 9. The International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, which takes place every year on 9 August, was proclaimed by the General Assembly in December 1994. The right of indigenous peoples to education is also protected by a number of other international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

17. Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched a $15 million programme called _____________ for Indian startups
a) INDIA
b) BHARAT
c) NIDHI
d) YOJANA

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Answer c) NIDHI. Department of Science and Technology (DST) has launched a $15 million programme called ‘NIDHI’ for Indian startups. DST plans to support additional 15-20 incubators this year and has plans to provide all kinds of assistance to startups. The programme also aims to provide financial support to 20 student startups each year, which will be selected through a national level competition.

18. ___________________ became the first Indian to qualify for the apparatus finals of artistic Gymnastics at the Rio 2016 Olympics
a) Dipa Karmakar
b) Deepika Kumari
c) Heena Sidhu
d) Yelena Produnova

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Answer a) Dipa Karmakar. India’s Dipa Karmakar created history after she became the first Indian to qualify for the apparatus finals of artistic Gymnastics at the Rio 2016 Olympics. She is became the first Indian gymnast to enter the final on her debut at the quadrennial multi-discipline games when she finished eighth in the qualifying round.

19. With a total of 302 weeks as World No 1 in ATP World Rankings, Tennis player ___________________ holds the record for most number of weeks at the top spot
a) Andy Murray
b) Roger Federer
c) Novak Djokovic
d) Rafael Nadal

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Answer b) Roger Federer. With a total of 302 weeks as World No 1 in ATP World Rankings, Tennis player Roger Federer holds the record for most number of weeks at the top spot. The 17-time Grand Slam champion, who turns 35 on Monday, held the No 1 ranking for a record 237 consecutive weeks between 2004 and 2008.

20. Which country banned four cricket players for attempting to fix matches?
a) Australia
b) Sri Lanka
c) South Africa
d) Bangladesh

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Answer c) South Africa. Four South African cricketers, including former Test wicket keeper Thami Tsolekile, have been handed bans ranging from seven to 12 years for attempting to fix matches, Cricket South Africa (CSA) announced.

21. Kalikho Pul who passed away recently, He was former chief minister of _______________
a) Andra Pradesh
b) Arunachal Pradesh
c) Madya Pradesh
d) Assam

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Answer b) Arunachal Pradesh. Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul was found dead at his residence on Tuesday. He allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself. The Congress leader had become acting CM of the state in February this year. Later in July, Pul had been removed from the CM’s post after the Supreme Court reinstated the Nabam Tuki-led Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh.

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