ENGLISH QUIZ 21.03.2020

1. Which payments bank will start issuing Visa debit cards to its customers?

A. Paytm

B. Airtel

C. Aditya Birla

D. India Post

2. Scientists of which Institute have developed a starch based ‘Hemostat’ material?

A. AIMS

B. INST

C. IMI

D. CMC

3. Which company has been named Arundhati Bhattacharya as its India CEO?

A. SBI

B. Amazon

C. Salesforce

D. TCS

4. What is theme of the International Day of Happiness 2020?

A. Have right to live happy

B. Forgotten Sufferers

C. Never Alone

D. Happiness for All, Together

5. With which country India has signed the capital acquisition contract for the procurement of Light Machine Gun (LMGs)?

A. Israel

B. Russia

C. America

D. France

6. According to Railway Minister Piyush Goyal by which year the Banihal to Katra Railway link to be completed?

A. 2021

B. 2022

C. 2023

D. 2024

7. Which of the following celebrities collaborates with WHO to spread awareness over COVID-19?

A. Shilpa shetty

B. Salman Khan

C. Priyanka Chopra

D. Amir Khan

8. Which country will host the World Cities Summit (WCS) 2020?

A. India

B. Malaysia

C. Australia

D. Singapore

9. Who has been appointed as new MD of Google Cloud India?

A. Karan Bajwa

B. Goyal

C. Mahendra Goyal

D. Rajiv Sharma

10. Patil Puttappa who recently passed away belonged to which field?

A. Acting

B. Journalism

C. Politics

D. Comedy

11. Consider the following statements related to Electricity production in India:

1. According to a report, Karnataka is the largest market for solar power in the open access mode based on total installations at the end of December 2019.

2. It was followed by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana.

3. As per the latest key world energy statistics published by the International Energy Agency in 2018, India is the 3rd largest producer of electricity in the world.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

12. Consider the following statements related to permitting abortions:

1. LS passes bill raising upper limit for permitting abortions from 20 to 24 weeks.

2. The amended bill proposes increasing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 28 weeks for special categories of women such as vulnerable women including survivors of rape

3. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment bill aims to ensure the safety and well-being of women.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A. 1 and 2 are correct

B. 1 and 3 are correct

C. 2 and 3 are correct

D. All of the above

13. Consider the following statements:

1. Supreme Court strips Manipur Minister of his office.

2. The apex court has also been restrained him from entering the Legislative assembly.

Which of the above statement/statements are correct?

A. 1 only

B. 2 only

C. Both 1 and 2

D. Neither 1 nor 2

Answers:-

Answer: A

Explanation

Paytm Payments Bank Ltd (PPBL) has partnered with Visa to issue Visa debit cards. Now, Paytm will issue over 10 million new digital debit cards in FY 2020-2021 to its customers. PPBL will issue Visa virtual debit cards to its customers and facilitate them to transact at all merchants accepting payments through cards. It will also enable its customers to make international transactions using their Visa debit cards.

Answer: B

Explanation

Scientists from the Institute of Nano Science and Technology (INST), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science & Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology in India, have developed a starch-based ‘hemostat’ material.

Objective

• This will help to concentrates the natural clotting factors in blood by physically absorbing excess fluid.

How does it work?

• These are the biodegradable microparticles that combine to form a gel on a wound offer significant improvements over existing alternatives.
• The product has increased absorption capacity, improved absorption, inexpensive, biocompatible as well as biodegradable.
• Hemostat materials absorb excel fluid by concentrating the natural clotting factors in the blood that are critical for stopping the blood flow; however, the bleeding can restart when non-biodegradable materials are removed.

Answer: C

Explanation

Former State Bank of India (SBI) chairperson Arundhati Bhattacharya will head the India operations of US cloud-based service provider Salesforce.com Inc. She is likely to join the company in April and will be based in Mumbai. Bhattacharya, 64 is currently the chairman of SWIFT India, which is part of a global payments network. She retired from SBI in 2017 after leading the bank for four decades in several roles. Bhattacharya was the first woman to head the bank. “She is a hugely credible name who comes with a wealth of experience and will help Salesforce expand in India,” a source told the Reuters.

Answer: D

Explanation

Every year on March 20, individuals across the world celebrate International Day of Happiness. It was initially founded and conceptualised in 2006 by Jayme Illien, CEO of the United Nations New World Order project. The resolution was initiated by Bhutan, a country which recognized the value of national happiness over national income since the early 1970s and famously adopted the goal of Gross National Happiness over Gross National Product. Also known as Happiness Day, it was established to advance happiness as a fundamental human right for all.

Theme “Happiness For All, Together.”

Answer: A

Explanation

The Indian Armed Forces’ long-standing requirement of a modern state-of-the-art Light Machine Gun (LMG) has finally fructified. The Acquisition Wing of Ministry of Defence has signed the capital acquisition contract with Israel Weapons Industries for procurement of 16,479 LMGs at a cost of Rs 880 crore with the approval of Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh.

The contracted Negev 7.62X51 mm LMG is a combat proven weapon and currently used by several countries around the globe. This LMG will greatly enhance the lethality and range of a soldier vis-a-vis the presently used weapon.

The provisioning of this operationally urgent and very critically needed weapon will boost the confidence of the frontline troops and provide much needed combat power to the Armed Forces.

Answer: B

Explanation

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal announced that Banihal to Katra railway link (111-km long) in Jammu and Kashmir will be completed by 2022. The railway line will include the Chenab Bridge, which will be the highest railway structure of its kind in the world with a height of 359 m above the river. The railway is expected to cross over 750 bridges and pass through over 100 km of tunnels, the longest of which is 11,215 m.

Answer: C

Explanation

Actress Priyanka Chopra (37-year) urged followers to rely on authentic sources of information about coronavirus and arranged an Instagram live with top personnel of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness about the pandemic. Priyanka documented her videos on Instagram stories where she expressed the importance of only relying on authentic information about the highly contagious disease. Priyanka and her husband Nick Jonas are on day 8 of self-isolation.

Answer: D

Explanation

World Cities Summit’ is a global biennial conference hosted by Singapore. This year, World Cities Summit (WCS) 2020 is scheduled to be held from July 5 to 9.

The theme of this year’s summit as announced by the Singapore government is ‘Liveable and Sustainable Cities: Adapting to a Disrupted World’. Leaders from several governments and industry experts discuss on challenges in climate change, social shifts and technological disruptions.

Currency of Singapore: Singapore dollar.

Capital of Singapore: Singapore.

Answer: A

Explanation

Google appointed Karan Bajwa as Managing Director (MD) of Google Cloud in India. He will advise Google Cloud’s work with the local developer ecosystem and India-based Global System Integrators (GSIs). Google Cloud’s field sales, partner, and customer engineering organizations in India will report to Bajwa. He will be responsible for driving all revenue and go-to-market operations for Google Cloud’s extensive solution portfolio that includes Google Cloud Platform and G Suite in the country.

Karan Bajwa

• Karan Bajwa is a senior leader with over three decades of leadership experience.
• He recently served as MD for India and South Asia for IBM.
• Before that, he worked as an MD in Microsoft for nine years.
• He led the company’s operations in India. He worked with Cisco Systems in India and Singapore.

Answer: B

Explanation

Veteran journalist and former Rajya Sabha member Patil Puttappa passed away due to age-related ailments. Puttappa represented Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha for two terms. He was also the first president of the Kannada Watchdog Committee and was also the founder-president of the Border Advisory Committee. Fondly referred to as “PaPu”, Puttappa was the founder-editor of weekly “Prapancha” and also edited “Navayuga”.

Answer: A

Explanation

According to a report, Karnataka is the largest market for solar power in the open access mode based on total installations at the end of December 2019. It was followed by Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana and Haryana.

Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Andhra Pradesh have favourable policies for captive and group captive projects. The average open access tariff in these states range from Rs 3.50 to Rs 5 per kWh with a yearly escalation of 1 per cent to 2 per cent depending on contract terms.

India’s status globally,

• As per the latest key world energy statistics published by the International Energy Agency in 2019, India is the 3rd largest producer of electricity in the world.
• It also ranks 106th in terms of per capita consumption in.

About the International Energy Agency

• It is a Paris-based autonomous intergovernmental organization.
• It has been established in the framework of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1974 in the wake of the 1973 oil crisis.
• The IEA acts as a policy adviser to its member states but also works with non-member countries, especially China, India, and Russia.
• The Agency’s mandate has broadened to focus on the “3Es” of effectual energy policy: energy security, economic development, and environmental protection.

Answer: B

Explanation

Dr. Harsh Vardhan, Minister of Health and Family Welfare begins his reply on the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020. The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 is passed by the House. The Union Cabinet had approved the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill on January 29, 2020 under the chairmanship of PM Narendra Modi.

Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment bill: Key Features

• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) Bill, 2020 proposes requirement for an opinion from one provider for termination of pregnancy up to 20 weeks of gestation and introducing the requirement of opinion from two providers for termination of pregnancy up to 20-24 weeks of gestation.
• The amended bill proposes increasing the upper gestation limit from 20 to 24 weeks for special categories of women such as vulnerable women including survivors of rape, victims of incest and others such as differently-abled women and minors.
• Under the amendment bill, the upper gestation limit will not apply in cases of substantial foetal abnormalities diagnosed by the Medical Board. The composition, functions and other details of the Medical Board will be prescribed subsequently in Rules under the Act.
• Further, the name and other details of the woman whose pregnancy has been terminated shall not be revealed except to a person authorised by the law.

Significance

• The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Amendment bill aims to ensure the safety and well-being of women.
• The proposed increase in gestation limit will ensure dignity, autonomy, confidentiality and justice for women who need to terminate their pregnancy.

Background

• The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare proposed the amendments in the termination of pregnancy bill after extensive consultation with various stakeholders and several ministries.
• The move aims to increases the access of women to safe abortion services, taking into account the advances made in medical technology.
• Recently, several petitions were submitted to the Courts, seeking permission for aborting pregnancies at a gestational age beyond the current permissible limit on grounds of foetal abnormalities or pregnancies due to sexual violence faced by women.

Answer: C

Explanation

For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court removed the Manipur Minister Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh from the state cabinet. The apex court has also been restrained him from entering the Legislative assembly.

Key Highlights

• The bench said that the court is taking this decision, in such a situation, by invoking its privilege under Article 142 of the Constitution. The bench has now fixed the next hearing on 30 March.
• Shyamkumar contested in the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly on a Congress ticket and became MLA.
• The Supreme Court bench said that Parliament should reconsider that the disqualification of the members should remain with the speaker.
• Supreme Court also said that there should be an independent body like the tribunal of retired judges or others to take a quick decision on disqualification so that the work of democracy continues properly.

Background

• Thounaojam Shyamkumar Singh became an MLA on Congress party’s ticket but later he joined BJP. After that, he was also made a minister in the government. Other congress ministers filed petitions against him in April 2017. They were demanding that T Shyamkumar should be disqualified from the post as he has broken the norms.
• In January, the Supreme Court had asked the Manipur speaker to decide on the disqualification of T. Shyamkumar in four weeks. The assembly speaker couldn’t take any decision on the disqualification of T. Shyamkumar.
• After that, Congress legislators Fazur Rahim and K.K. Meghchandra moved the Supreme Court to disqualify the minister. Now, the Supreme Court has delivered its decision.

Article 212

• According to the Article 212, the courts in India including Supreme Court cannot interfere in the proceedings of the Legislature of state.
• No members, officers of the state are subjected to jurisdiction while exercising his duties or regulating procedures, maintaining order.
• This has been over ruled by SC in this matter invoking Article 142.
• This is because, the matter was left unsolved.
• Also, under Anti-Defection law, the winning members cannot shift parties. Such members according to the law are considered disqualified.

Article 142

• The Supreme Court under the article 142 can pass an order doing “complete justice” to matter pending before it.