Current affairs Exercises for CSEET

Q1. PM Modi has recently announced the “My Life, My Yoga” Video Blogging Contest. The program will be

jointly organised by Ministry of AYUSH and__________?

Answer: Indian Council for Cultural Relations

Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, has called upon each and every individual at national and international level to participate in the “My Life, My Yoga”(also called “Jeevan Yoga”) Video Blogging Contest. This contest is a joint effort by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).

2. ‘COVID-19 Technology Access Pool’ (C-TAP) is an international tool that calls for common ownership of vaccines, medicines and other diagnostic tools for COVID-19 treatment among the countries. The C-TAP has been launched by?

Answer: WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched an international project named ‘COVID-19 Technology Access Pool’ (C-TAP) on May 30, 2020.Till now 37 countries have joined this initiative of WHO, which calls for common ownership of vaccines, medicines and other diagnostic tools for COVID-19 treatment since patent right laws can act as a barrier to the sharing of crucial supplies.

3. Which bank has recently acquired 24.9 percent stake in Dish TV through pledge shares, to become the second largest shareholder of the company?

Answer: Yes Bank

Private sector lender YES Bank has acquired 24.19 percent stake in Dish TV India Ltd, making it the second- largest shareholder in the direct-to-home (DTH) company. Yes Bank Ltd has acquired the stakes by invoking pledges against 44.53 equity shares kept as collateral with the private lender for a loan.

4. Name the newly appointed CEO of food regulator FSSAI?

Answer: Arun Singhal

Senior bureaucrat Arun Singhal has been appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of India’s apex food regulator Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). He will succeed GSG Ayyangar.

5. As per Moody’s latest report, India’s Sovereign Rating has been changed to__________

Answer: Baa3

Moody’s Investors Service has downgraded India’s sovereign rating one notch to the lowest investment grade (Baa3) from ”Baa2”, with negative outlook. ”Baa3” is the lowest investment grade, just a notch above junk status.

6. Moody’s has revised the GDP growth rate of India for the financial year 2020-21. What is the projected growth rate?

Answer: -4%

Moody’s has also revised its FY21 GDP estimate for India to 4% contraction against 0% growth projected earlier. However, the economic growth is projected to pick up at 8.7% in FY22 and 6% in FY23

7. How much amount has been announced by the government as equity infusion in MSME through Fund of Funds (FoF), which will enable MSMEss to be listed?

Answer: Rs 50,000 cr

The Cabinet also approved a Rs 50,000 crore equity scheme for MSMEs. As per this scheme, MSMEs can now be listed.

8. What is the rank of India in the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2020 by StartupBlink?

Answer: 23

StartupBlink has launched the Startup Ecosystem Rankings Report 2020 that ranks 1,000 cities and 100 countries worldwide, based on their startup ecosystem strength and activity level. India has dropped 6 places to be ranked at 23rd spot in the latest ranking, with a score of 5.698. Last year it was placed at 17th spot.

9. Name the bank which has created a new and separate business vertical to focus on financial inclusion and micro-markets (FI&MM)?

Answer: State Bank of India

State Bank of India has created a new and separate business vertical to focus on financial inclusion and micro- markets (FI&MM). Under FI&MM, State Bank will offer loans predominantly for agriculture & allied activities, and micro/small enterprises and vastly improve the customer experience for the citizens.

10. Who has been appointed as the head of the committee for implementation of Rs 3 lakh crore collateral- free loan scheme for MSMEs?

Answer: Rajnath Singh

11. Which global brand has topped the Brand Finance’s 2020 Brand Value Report 5000?

Answer: Amazon

Brand Finance has released its annual Brand Value Report 5000 for the year 2020. It is for the third consecutive year that Amazon has retained the title of the world’s most valuable brand having brand valuation of $220,791 million. Google has jumped one place up to come second in the list at $159,722 million.

12. Name the portal unveiled by the government for MSME sector to make the smaller units big by solving their grievances and supporting them?

Answer: CHAMPIONS

On 01 June 2020, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi launched a portal called CHAMPIONS in an effort to empower the MSME sector. The technology platform CHAMPIONS stands for Creation and Harmonious Application of Modern Processes for Increasing the Output and National Strength. The portal is a one-stop-shop solution of MSME Ministry, which aims at making the smaller units big by solving their grievances, encouraging, supporting, helping and handholding.

13. Which is the top Indian brand in the 2020 Brand Value Report by Brand Finance?

Answer: Tata Group

Among Indian companies, Tata Group has once again retained its position as top Indian brand. It is the only Indian brand to feature in top 100. Globally, it is ranked at 85th spot with brand value of USD 20 billion, becoming the first Indian brand to cross this mark.

14. To be eligible for the Rs 3 lakh crore collateral-free loan scheme for MSMEs, the turnover of the company should be upto________

Answer: Rs 100 crore

The MSME units should have up to Rs 25 crore outstanding credit and Rs 100 crore turnover to apply for the loan scheme. The tenure of the loan will be 4-year with a moratorium of 12 months.

15. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has roped in ________ as the President of the industry body for 2020-21

Answer: Uday Kotak

The Managing Director & CEO of Kota Mahindra Bank, Uday Kotak has been appointed as the new President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the financial year 2020-21

16. Which Indian institution has emerged as the best institute in the THE Asia University Rankings 2020?

Answer: Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore

Time Higher Education (THE) released its annual THE Asia University Rankings 2020 on 03 June 2020, which lists 489 institutions from 30 countries and regions. 56 Indian institutes participated in the 2020 ranking, out of which 8 have made it to the top 100. Among the Indian institutes, Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore is the best institute. Globally it has been placed at 36th rank. 6 IITs have also made place in top 100.

17. Which is the first bank in the country to launch mobile app-based facility for opening current accounts in a paperless manner?

Answer: IndusInd Bank

IndusInd Bank has launched first-of-its-kind mobile app-based facility for opening current accounts in a paperless manner. IndusInd is the first bank in India to introduce this assisted mobile application based facility which will enable the Bank to open current accounts for self-employed individuals and businesses digitally, in just a few hours.

18. What is the theme of the World Environment Day 2020?

Answer: Time for Nature

The theme for 2020 is “Time for Nature”. The host nation for 2020 WED is Colombia in partnership with Germany.

19. The Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF) has been launched by which organisation?

Answer: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India has announced the creation of a Payments Infrastructure Development Fund (PIDF). The aim of this fund is to promote the usage of Points of Sale (PoS) infrastructure. The fund will encourage acquirers to deploy Points of Sale (PoS) infrastructure (both physical and digital modes) in tier-3 to tier-6 centres and north eastern states. The Reserve Bank will make an initial contribution of Rs 250 crores to the PIDF covering half the fund.

20. Who has been appointed as the new Indian Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO)?

Answer: Brajendra Navnit

Brajendra Navnit, a 1999 IAS officer of Tamil Nadu cadre has been appointed as India’s Ambassador to the Geneva-based World Trade Organization (WTO). He has been appointed for a period of three years. Navnit succeeds JS Deepak, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh cadre, whose tenure as India’s Ambassador to the global trade watchdog ended on May 31.

21. Name the Indian airport which has bagged the award for ACI Asia-Pacific Green Airports Platinum Recognition 2020?

Answer: Rajiv Gandhi International Airport

The Airports Council International (ACI) Asia-Pacific announced the results of the ACI Asia-Pacific Green Airports Recognition 2020 on 5 June 2020. The Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA), Hyderabad has received the Platinum award in the 15-35 Million Passengers Per Annum (MPPA) category for its water management practices.

22. Who has been conferred with the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 (WEOY)?

Answer: Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw

Indian billionaire entrepreneur Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw has been named as the EY World Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 (WEOY). She has been emerged as the winner from among a distinguished list of 46 Entrepreneur of the Year (EOY) country award winners from 41 countries and territories. Mazumdar-Shaw is the first woman entrepreneur from India and the third Indian to win the title in the award’s 20-year history.

23. What is the rank of India in the 2020 Environment Performance Index?

Answer:168

The 12th edition of the biennial Environment Performance Index (EPI Index 2020) was released by the Yale University on 4 June 2020 to indicate which countries are best addressing the environmental challenges. India has secured 168th rank in the 2020 EPI Index, among 180 countries, with a score of 27.6 out of 100.

24. What is India’s GDP growth projection for 2020-21 according to S&P Global Ratings?

Answer: -5%

S&P Global Ratings has projected Indian economy to shrink 5 percent in the current fiscal, i.e. 2020-21. The agency has also estimated the growth to rebound to 8.5 percent in 2021-22 and 6.5 percent in 2022-23.

25. What is the rank of Mukesh Ambani in the latest Bloomberg Billionaires Index 2020?

Answer: 12

India’s Mukesh Ambani is the 12th richest person in the world. The total net worth of Ambani is 57.2 billion.

26. Empays Payment Systems India and Mastercard has partnered to launch contactless ATM solution in India. This will make India as the only ________ country in the world to have contactless ATM facility.

Answer: Second

Empays Payment Systems India, a cloud-based payment solutions provider, has joined hands with Mastercard to launch contactless ATM solution in India, in order to mitigate the spread of the deadly coronavirus. Under the partnership, Mastercard will help Empays to launch ‘Cardless ATM powered by Mastercard®’. After USA, India is the only other country to make such contactless ATM facility available to users.

27. UNCTAD has released the World Investment Report 2020 to rank countries on the basis of FDI received by each of them in 2019. What is the rank of India in the list?

Answer: 9th

According to the World Investment Report 2020, of UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India emerged as the world’s ninth largest recipient of Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) in the year 2019. World Investment Report 2020 is the 30th edition of the annual report. The report reveals that India received USD 51 billion (approximately Rs 38.79 crore) in foreign investment in 2019, an increase of 20 percent over the previous year 2018 (USD42 bn).

28. Which state in India has become the top state to provide employment to the workers under the

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme MGNREGA?

Answer: Uttar Pradesh

Uttar Pradesh has become the top most state in the country to provide employment to the workers under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme MGNREGA. According to the data released by officials, the state provided employment to 57 lakh 12975 workers on 15 June 2020. These workers are engaged across 56,981 panchayats out of the total 58,000 panchayats in the state. Uttar Pradesh now accounts for 18 percent of the total workers employed under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) in the country and has generated 7.93 crore man-days.

29. Name the Indian companies which have featured in the 2020 Technology Pioneers list of WEF?

Answer: ZestMoney and Stellapps

Two Indian firms namely ZestMoney and Stellapps have figured in the 2020 Technology Pioneers list released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) on 16 June 2020.

30. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP)?

Answer: Urjit Patel

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Institute of Public Finance and Policy (NIPFP). His four-year term will begin from June 22, 2020.

31. How much amount has been approved for the centrally sponsored Pradhan Mantri Scheme for

Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises for five years?

Answer: Rs 10,000 crore

The Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Harsimrat Kaur Badal formally launched Pradhan Mantri Scheme for Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises as a part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan on 29 June 2020. The All India Centrally Sponsored Scheme has an outlay of Rs.10,000 crore for 5 years from 2020-21 to 2024-25