Current Affairs Quiz – December 20 2017

Current Affairs Quiz

1. A hilarious photograph of an apparently delighted dormouse perched atop a flower has won a top prize at the 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards, The photo captured by ___________
a) Daniel Trim
b) Andrea Zampatti
c) Tibor Kercz
d) George Cathcart

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Answer b) Andrea Zampatti. A hilarious photograph of an apparently delighted dormouse perched atop a flower has won a top prize at the 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards. The photographer, Andrea Zampatti, 32, from Monticelli in Italy, took the photo while hiking on Mount Guglielmo. The adorable snap, which shows the cute rodent climbing up a yarrow flower in the Italian mountains, won the Creatures of the Land category. The photography competition aims to raise awareness of conservation through comedy – and received more than 3,500 entries from 86 countries.

2. Who took charge as the acting Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)?
a) Neil Gorsuch
b) Sonia Sotomayor
c) Samuel Alito
d) UD Salvi

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Answer d) UD Salvi. Justice Umesh Dattatraya Salvi took charge as the acting Chairperson of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), following the retirement of Justice Swatanter Kumar. Justice Salvi will continue in office until the date a new chairperson is appointed or the date of his superannuation, whichever is earlier.

3. The legwork on India’s first undersea tunnel bullet train corridor has begun in _______
a) Hyderabad
b) New Delhi
c) Mumbai
d) Bangalore

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Answer c) Mumbai. The legwork on India’s first undersea tunnel for Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train corridor has begun in Mumbai. The construction work of the 1.8-km tunnel is likely to start by the second half of 2018 and end by 2021, a senior official said. The 508-km-long rail project is expected to complete by August 15, 2022.

4. Which university going to launch India’s 1st-ever online sand art certificate course?
a) Manipal University
b) Jawaharlal Nehru University
c) Global Open University
d) Indira Gandhi National Open University

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Answer d) Indira Gandhi National Open University. Sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has collaborated with Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) and the Human Resource Development Ministry to launch the world’s first online certificate course on sand art in March 2018. Pattnaik, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2014, said that detailed instructional videos have been prepared for the course.

5. Which bank under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) by Reserve Bank of India recently?
a) Union Bank of India
b) United Bank of India
c) UCO Bank
d) Allahabad Bank

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Answer b) United Bank of India. The RBI has initiated additional actions under the Prompt Corrective Action (PCA) framework for city-based United Bank of India in view of the high net NPA, low leverage ratio and the need to raise capital based on the bank’s position as on March 31, 2017. United Bank of India said in a regulatory filing to the BSE that the apex bank had issued these actions in a letter dated December 19, 2017.

6. The Union Cabinet approved a plan to set up the country’s first National Rail and Transport University in _________
a) Gujarat
b) Kerala
c) Andra Pradesh
d) Haryana

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Answer a) Gujarat. The Union Cabinet approved a plan to set up the country’s first National Rail and Transport University in Gujarat’s Vadodara. This is aimed at providing skilled human resources and build the capability of the Indian Railways. In April this year, the Cabinet had approved setting up of the Rail Development Authority for improving the services offered to passengers.

7. Which bank has committed USD 125 million (around Rs 800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development?
a) Asian Development Bank
b) New Development Bank
c) Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
d) World Bank

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Answer d) World Bank. World Bank has committed USD 125 million (around Rs 800 crore) loan to India for the STRIVE project for skill development. The objective of the operation (‘Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement) is to improve access to quality and market-driven vocational training as well as apprenticeships.

8. The United Nations’ (UN) International Human Solidarity Day was observed on?
a) December 18
b) December 19
c) December 20
d) December 21

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Answer c) December 20. The United Nations’ (UN) International Human Solidarity Day is annually held on December 20 to celebrate unity in diversity. It also aims to remind people on the importance of solidarity in working towards eradicating poverty.

9. India has been ranked as the ______ most vacation deprived country due to heavy work schedule, according to a survey
a) Fourth
b) Fifth
c) Sixth
d) Eighth

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Answer b) Fifth. Globally India has been ranked as the fifth most vacation deprived country due to heavy work schedule, according to a survey. India ranks as the fifth most vacation deprived country globally with 60 per cent respondents corroborating with the view, Expedia Vacation Deprivation Report 2017. South Korea stood at number one position with 82 per cent, followed by France (66 per cent), Malaysia (65 per cent) and Hong Kong (64 per cent).

10. Which country parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories?
a) Russia
b) Iran
c) Iraq
d) France

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Answer d) France. France’s parliament has approved a law banning all exploration and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories. The French government claims the ban is a world first. However, it is largely symbolic since oil and gas produced in France accounts for just 1 percent of domestic consumption. The rest is imported.

11. Which country has launched the world’s biggest ever mechanism to reduce carbon, in the form of an emissions trading system?
a) Japan
b) China
c) Russia
d) USA

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Answer b) China. The world’s biggest emitter of greenhouse gases, China, has launched the world’s biggest ever mechanism to reduce carbon, in the form of an emissions trading system. China’s top governmental bodies gave their approval to plans for a carbon trading system that will initially cover the country’s heavily polluting power generation plants, and then expand to take in most of the economy. China has already set out a target of ensuring its still-growing emissions peak by 2030, a target experts say should be met. Which means the highest point will have been reached and emissions will begin to fall.

12. Who has received awards for the best player and top scorer in La Liga for the 2016/17 season?
a) Lionel Messi
b) Cristiano Ronaldo
c) Neymar
d) Philippe Coutinho

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Answer a) Lionel Messi. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has received awards for the best player and top scorer in La Liga for the 2016/17 season. Messi, who scored 37 goals in La Liga last season, earned his fourth Pichichi Trophy. Messi overtook Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo to win his record fifth Alfredo Di Stefano Trophy, given to the best footballer in the league.

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