12,March, 2019 Current Affairs - Daily Current Affairs
12,March, 2019 Current Affairs - Daily Current
Affairs
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1.
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As per the
Trends in International Arms Transfers-2018 report, India is the __________
largest importer of weapons in the world.
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
India is the
second largest importer of weapons in the world, as per the annual report
'Trends in International Arms Transfers-2018' released by the think tank
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Saudi Arabia is now
the world's largest weapons importer. After maintaining its position of
world's largest arms importer for about 8 years, India dropped down to be the
second largest importer of weapons during 2014-18. India accounted for 9.5%
of the global total imports during 2014-18, while Saudi Arabia accounted for
12% of the total imports during the period.
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2.
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Name the
country, where the entire government has resigned after failing to achieve a
key policy goal on social welfare and healthcare reform.
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Finland's Prime
Minister Juha Sipila, along with his cabinet, resigned after failing to push
through parliament plans to overhaul health services and social care in the
face of an aging population, just a few weeks before the general elections.
He tendered his resignation to President Sauli Niinisto, who asked him to
stay on as caretaker until the elections in April 2019.Statistics Finland has
estimated that more than a quarter of the population will be aged over 65 by
2030, making a more cost-effective welfare state a top priority. The Prime
Minister's proposed solutions included creating regional authorities for
health and welfare services, rather than the local municipalities that
currently manage the system, and offering including private companies in the
healthcare system to a greater extent to offer "freedom of choice".
The plan involved a drastic reorganization of the way health care is
administered at a local level as well as a greater role for the private
sector.
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3.
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Who launched
the Indian Urban Observatory and Video wall at New Delhi?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Minister of
State (I/C) for Housing and Urban Affairs, Hardeep S Puri, inaugurated the
state-of-the-art India Urban Observatory and Video Wall at New Delhi. The
India Urban Observatory will plug into the sources of data from cities, both
from real-time and archival sources. It will help in getting up-to-date
information on a meaningful set of indicators over various domains such as
transport, health, environment, water, finance and so on, which will further
assist in developing best practices, future strategies and policy
interventions as and when required.
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4.
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Who among the
following has taken charge as the Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC)?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Dr. A.K.
Mohanty, Distinguished Scientist and Director, physics group of the Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Director, Saha Institute of Nuclear
Physics, Kolkata took over as Director, BARC from Mr. K.N. Vyas, Chairman,
Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary to the Government of India, Department
of Atomic Energy. Dr. Mohanty graduated from the 26th batch of the BARC
Training School and joined Nuclear Physics Division of Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre in 1983. Dr. Mohanty is the recipient of Young Scientists Award of
Indian Physical Society (1988), Young Physicist Award by Indian National
Science Academy (1991) and Department of Atomic EnergyHomi Bhabha Science
& Technology Award (2001).
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5.
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Surat Metro
Project springs up expected to serve the masses by __________.
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Surat Metro
Project springs up expected to serve the masses by 2024. The Government of
India approved the Surat Metro Rail Project having two Metro Rail Corridors
with a combined length of 40.35 km. The project will be completed in 5 years
at an estimated project cost of Rs. 12020.32 Crore This project will provide
continuous availability of affordable, reliable, safe, secure and seamless
transport system in the urban agglomeration of the city. It will reduce the accidents,
pollution, travel time, energy consumption, anti-social incidents as well as
regulate urban expansion and land use for sustainable development.
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6.
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Defence
Research and Development Organization successfully test fired the PINAKA
guided WEAPON rocket system which state?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Defence Research
and Development Organization (DRDO) successfully test fired the PINAKA guided
WEAPON rocket system from Pokhran range in Rajasthan. The weapon system is
equipped with state-of-the-art guidance kit comprising of an advanced
navigation and control system. The weapon systems impacted the intended
targets with high precision and achieved desired accuracies.
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7.
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Who among the
following has been appointed as the head of Citibank India?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Ashu Khullar has
been appointed by the Citibank as its India head, w.e.f 1st April 2019. He
currently holds the position of head of Asia-Pacific capital markets. He
succeeds Pramit Jhaveri who has been appointed as the Vice Chairman of
banking, capital markets and advisory for Asia Pacific from April 1. Since
the post of Vice Chairman of banking, capital markets and advisory has been
specially created for Pramit Jhaveri, he has no predecessor. They'll be
required to report to Francisco Aristeguieta, CEO of Citigroup Asia Pacific.
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8.
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Which country
is planning to release a digital currency called "SOV"?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
The Marshall
Islands is planning to release a digital currency called "SOV" this
year in 2019, however, the launch date of the currency has not been decided.
Neema, an Israel-based company, is partnering with the Marshall Islands
government to develop the digital currency.With SOV, every account would be
fully identified and buyers would be checked against the US Office of Foreign
Asset Control so that only legitimate, law-abiding people can use the
currency.
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9.
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Which bank has
sanctioned a loan Rs 689 crore to over 1,600 Micro, Small and Medium
Enterprises (MSMEs)?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
State-owned
Punjab National Bank (PNB) has sanctioned loans worth Rs 689 crore to over
1,600 Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through the
psbloansin59minutes.com portal as part of its effort to promote such
industries. Under the Mudra Yojana, the bank has offered loan to over 2.69
lakh small entrepreneurs this fiscal (till February 14, 2019).
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10.
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How many
Indians have been appointed as the members of technical committees of Asian
Gymnastic Union?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
5 Indians have
been appointed as members of various Technical Committees of Asian Gymnastics
Union for a period of 4 years, from 2019 to 2022. They are Deepak Kabra -
Men's Artistic Gymnastics; Akshata Shete - Rhythmic Gymnastics; Sumith MR -
Acrobatic Gymnastics; Makarand Joshi - Aerobic Gymnastics; Narayan Shashi -
Gymnastics for All.
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11.
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Shri Kishan
Dan Dewal has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to which of the
following country?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
Shri Kishan Dan
Dewal, presently Deputy High Commissioner of India to the Republic of
Mauritius, has been appointed as the next Ambassador of India to the Republic
of Armenia and is expected to take up the assignment shortly.
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12.
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Ministry of
Commerce & Industry organised the 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on
India-Africa Project Partnerships in which city?
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Answer: Option B
Explanation:
Ministry of
Commerce & Industry will be organizing the 14th CII-EXIM Bank Conclave on
India-Africa Project Partnerships, in association with Confederation of
Indian Industry and EXIM Bank of India in New Delhi. The event will mark the
deepening of India-Africa economic and business ties and pave the way for a
whole range of cross-border project partnerships. The conclave brings senior
Ministers, policymakers, officials, business leaders, bankers, technologists,
start-up entrepreneurs and other professionals from India and Africa on a
common platform in a spirit of partnership.
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13.
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Which of the
following famous personality received Padma Vibhushan this year?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
The Padma
Vibhushan, which is India's second highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna,
was conferred to Larsen & Toubro chairperson Anil Manibhai Naik. The
other recipients of Padma Vibhushan this year are folk artist Teejan Bai,
Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, and writer and theatre personality
Balwant Moreshwar Purandare.
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14.
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How many
projects were signed between India-Bangladesh recently?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
India-Bangladesh
jointly inaugurated 4 development projects. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and
his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina jointly unveiled e-plaques for
development projects in Bangladesh through video conferencing. This was the
sixth such video conference between PM Modi and Prime Minister Hasina. It
includes Supply of buses and trucks; Inauguration of 36 community clinics;
Inauguration of 11 water treatment plants; Extension of National Knowledge
Network to Bangladesh.
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15.
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Researchers
from which of the following institute developed an app to detect fake
currency?
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Answer: Option C
Explanation:
An app to detect
fake currency has been developed by Researchers at IIT Kharagpur. The app
works as follows: Upload the image of the currency note. The app would then
perform verification of its authenticity with the help of 25 features that
have been extracted from both the sides of the note. If a fake note is
detected, a notification will be sent to the user.
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16.
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With Which
country India signs the new visa agreement including immigration offices,
border points and customs authorities?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
The new visa
agreement between India and Maldives came into force. The new policy provides
a liberal visa policy for Maldivian citizens seeking medical treatment as
well as education and business opportunities in India. The agreement has come
into effect after all formalities including information being provided to all
immigration offices, border points and customs authorities have been
completed.
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17.
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The Madhya
Pradesh Government increases the Reservation Quota of OBCs to __________.
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
The Madhya
Pradesh government issued an ordinance increasing reservation quota for the
Other Backward Classes (OBC) to 27% from the current 14%. The announcement
was made by the state's Law and Legal Affairs Minister PC Sharma. The
ordinance was issued and notified after it received the assent from the
state's Governor Anandiben Patel.
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18.
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Who conferred
the winners of Web Wonder Women contest?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
The Union
Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi, felicitated the 30
winners of the 'Web Wonder Women' contest organized by the Ministry of Women
and Child Development in New Delhi. Maneka Gandhi, along with a panel of 10
judges, finalized the names of 30 women who have impacted and influenced
society through social media. The women were selected from over 240
nominations received under the categories media, awareness, legal, health,
governmental, food, environment, development, business and art.
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19.
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Who was
conferred Honorary Doctorate from the University of Peace?
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Answer: Option D
Explanation:
Vice President
Venkaiah Naidu was conferred Honorary Doctorate from the UN established the
University of Peace. He is the first Indian to receive an honorary doctorate
from the University of Peace. The university has stated that the degree of
"Doctor Honoris Causa" (Doctor of Philosophy) was conferred on the
Indian Vice President recognising his contribution to the Rule of Law,
democracy and sustainable development in India. The University of Peace was
established in accordance with the Resolution 35/55 passed by the United
Nations General Assembly in 1980. The main campus of the University of Peace
is located in Costa Rica. It aims to be a forward-thinking, transformational
and inspirational educational institution dedicated to the goals of quality
teaching, research, and service for serving humanity in building a peaceful
world.
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20.
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Who has become
the first-ever Thari Hindu woman to be elected to the Senate of Pakistan?
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Answer: Option A
Explanation:
Krishna Kumari
Kohli has become the first-ever Thari Hindu woman to be elected to the Senate
of Pakistan in March 2018 and chaired the session of the Upper House of
Parliament on the occasion of the International Women's Day (IWD-2019). She
is known for her campaigns for women's rights, against bonded labour, and
against sexual harassment in the workplace. Her election to Senate represented
a major milestone for women and minority rights in Pakistan. Krishna belongs
to the Kohli community from the remote village of Dhana Gam in Nagarparkar
area of Sindh province where a sizeable number of Hindus live. Hence, Krishna
became the first Hindu Dalit woman and the 2nd Hindu woman elected to the
Senate after Ratna Bhagwandas Chawla.
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