Current Affairs Quiz – March 31 2017

Current Affairs Quiz

1. Who has been appointed as Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC)?
a) Sanjana Mishra
b) Priyanka B Singh
c) Vanaja N. Sarna
d) Roshini Varma

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Answer c) Vanaja N. Sarna. Ms. Vanaja N. Sarna, IRS presently holding the charge as Member (Administration), has been appointed as Chairman, Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC). She is taking over on superannuation of Shri Najib Shah, IRS. Ms. Vanaja N. Sarna has served Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC) in several capacities over the last 36 years. She was also Additional Director General in Directorate General of Revenue Intelligence, New Delhi.

2. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed _____________ as the new vice chancellor of Nalanda University (NU)
a) Mihir Kanti Chaudhuri
b) Adya Prasad Pandey
c) Tirath Das Dogra
d) Sunaina Singh

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Answer d) Sunaina Singh. President Pranab Mukherjee has appointed Sunaina Singh as the new vice chancellor of Nalanda University (NU). The panel was formed after shortlisting 133 applicants, six of whom were earlier called for interview. They included former pro-VC of Patna University Ranjit Verma.

3. President Pranab Mukherjee inaugurated a five-day Namami Brahmaputra river festival in _________
a) Rajasthan
b) Assam
c) Haryana
d) Bihar

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Answer b) Assam . The biggest river festival of India, Namami Brahmaputra, begins in 21 districts of Assam. President Pranab Mukherjee will inaugurate the festival on the banks of the river, which is considered country’s only male river. Various cultural programmes, traditional sports, Brahmaputra Aarti, exhibition, film shows, seminars and competitions will be the part of the five-day festival. Spiritual leader Dalai Lama and several Union Ministers will also attend the festival.

4. The government lowered the interest rates on small savings deposits, including PPF, by _____ effective April 1
a) 0.5%
b) 0.4%
c) 0.3%
d) 0.1%

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Answer d) 0.1%. The government lowered the interest rates on small savings deposits, including PPF, by 0.1% effective April 1. This brings the interest rate on PPF down to 7.9%. The interest rates cut also affects savings in government schemes namely National Savings Certificate, Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme and Kisan Vikas Patra among others.

5. India signed first loan agreement with ___________________for US$ 350 million for Development and Up-gradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh
a) New Development Bank (NDB)
b) Asian Development Bank (ADB)
c) World Bank (WB)
d) None of these

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Answer a) New Development Bank (NDB). The Loan Agreement for New Development Bank (NDB) financing of US$ 350 Million for Development and Upgradation of Major District Roads Project in Madhya Pradesh was signed between Government of India and the New Development Bank (NDB). This is the First Loan Agreement for NDB assisted project in India.

6. ______________and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of their bank
a) South Indian Bank
b) Federal Bank
c) Karnataka Bank
d) Yes Bank

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Answer c) Karnataka Bank. Karnataka Bank and SBI Card have launched co-branded credit cards for the customers of Karnataka Bank. Through this alliance Karnataka Bank and SBI Card will launch two variants of the co-branded credit card – ‘Karnataka Bank Platinum SBI Card’ and ‘Karnataka Bank Simply SAVE SBI Card’. Karnataka Bank Simply SAVE SBI Card’ is aimed at value conscious consumers and offers rewards and features that enable customers to maximise their savings on their regular spends.

7. The three Day annual meeting of the New Development Bank, NDB, began in ____________
a) Brasilia, Brazil
b) New Delhi, India
c) Beijing, China
d) Moscow, Russia

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Answer b) New Delhi, India. The three Day annual meeting of the New Development Bank, NDB, began in national capital today with a focus on building a sustainable future. Tomorrow, BRICS Business Council will meet followed by the Opening Ceremony of the meeting of the NDB Board of Governors’. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley who is also the NDB Governor for India will deliver the address. Other speakers include NDB President K V Kamath, Minister of Finance of China among others.

8. The Union Cabinet has given its approval for updation of the existing Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and ________
a) Syria
b) Poland
c) Ukraine
d) Serbia

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Answer d) Serbia. The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has given its approval for updation of the existing Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Serbia which was signed on 31st January, 2003. The updation is as per latest International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) template keeping in view the latest developments in civil aviation sector and with an objective to improve the air connectivity between the two countries.

9. Which country has become the first country in the world to ban the metals mining nationwide?
a) Guatemala
b) El Salvador
c) Honduras
d) Costa Rica

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Answer b) El Salvador. El Salvador, Central America’s smallest nation, has become the first country in the world to ban metals mining nationwide following a long-running dispute with a Canadian-Australian company over an environmentally questioned gold project. El Salvador is desperate for cash — it is seeking to secure a lifeline from the IMF as its debt is expected to exceed 60 per cent of gross domestic product by the end of 2017.

10. Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu released the book titled “Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry” jointly authored by ______________
a) A.K. Mittal, Sanjay Chadha and Vidya Krishnamurthi
b) Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha and Ashwani Lohani
c) Bibek Debroy, Mahesh Kumar and Vidya Krishnamurthi
d) Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha and Vidya Krishnamurthi

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Answer d) Bibek Debroy, Sanjay Chadha and Vidya Krishnamurthi. Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu released the book titled “Indian Railway- The weaving of a National Tapestry” jointly authored by Shri Bibek Debroy (Member, NITI Aayog) Shri Sanjay Chadha (Joint Secretary, Ministry of Commerce) & Ms. Vidya Krishnamurthi. In addition, Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu also launched Hi-speed free Wi-Fi services for the visitors at National Rail Museum. Chairman, Railway Board, Shri A. K. Mital, the three authors of the book, Shri Ashwani Lohani, CMD, Air India and other Railway Board Members and senior officials were also present on the occasion.

11. ________________was named as the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016
a) SV Sunil
b) P. R. Shreejesh
c) Sardara Singh
d) V. R. Raghunath

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Answer a) SV Sunil. India forward SV Sunil was named the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Player of the Year for 2016, with Harmanpreet Singh chosen as the Promising Player of the Year in the continental body’s annual awards. SV Sunil was the favourite for the award among national team coaches of Asia, who made the nominations based on performances during 2016.

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