1) Odisha Foundation Day is observed every year on which date ?
Show Answer2) Princess Maria Teresa has become the first royal to pass away due to coronavirus. Did she belong to which country?
Show Answer3) The finance ministers of which international grouping will hold out virtual talks on the coronavirus crisis to push ahead of the economies?
Show AnswerThey were injecting $5 trillion into the global economy to head off forecasts of a deep recession.
US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin joined the emergency summit chaired by Saudi Arabia’s King Salman, who called for coordinated action while facing pressure to end an oil price war between Riyadh and Moscow
G20 Trade and investment ministers also held an extraordinary meeting, as they assess the impact of the crisis on global trade. This was attended by Piyush Goyal.
They were working to ensure the flow across borders of medical supplies and equipment which are in short supply in some hard-hit nations- as well as critical agricultural products, and other essential goods and services.
4) What is the new interest rate on public provident fund (PPF) schemes for the April-June quarter?
Show AnswerThe new interest rates will remain in effect for the first quarter of the financial year 2020-21, that is from April 1, 2020, to June 30, 2020.
5) Tata Power Joint venture has commenced commercial operations of 178 MW Shuakhevi Hydro Power Project in which country?
Show AnswerFurther, AGL will be soon commissioning the 9 MW Skhalta Hydro Power project which is also a component of the overall Shuakhevi Project scheme.
The project will generate around 450 GWh of clean energy to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases by more than 200,000 tonnes a year.
6) Which space agency has announced a New Sunrise Mission to study Giant Solar Particle Storms?
Show AnswerThe Sun Radio Interferometer Space Experiment (SunRISE) will look into how Sun generates and releases the giant weather storms, known as the solar particle storms, into space.
The mission will help in greater understanding of the solar system. The findings would safeguard astronauts from solar storms while they travel to Mars or the Moon.
SunRISE contains six CubeSats which will work together as a large radio telescope. Each of the CubeSats would run on solar power and would be of the size of a toaster oven
7) Which Company has overtaken TCS to become the most valued domestic firm by market capitalisation?
Show AnswerThe market capitalisation (m-cap) of RIL was Rs 7,05,211.81 crore, which was Rs 21,133.32 crore more than that of Tata Consultancy Services’ Rs 6,84,078.49 crore valuation on the BSE.
Shares of RIL zoomed 7.76 percent to close at Rs 1,112.45, while TCS rose 2.64 percent to Rs 1,823.05.
8) Arjun Dev who passed away recently was a famous ______________.
Show AnswerIn partnership with Indira, he wrote a number of extremely popular textbooks for the NCERT on Modern and Contemporary India and the World.
9) The government has extended the Foreign trade policy for one year till March 2021. The Exports during April-February fiscal have dipped by ________ per cent to 292.91 billion.
Show AnswerThe existing foreign trade policy 2015-20 which is valid up to March 31 this year is extended up to March 31, 2021. Various other changes are also made extending the date of exemptions by one year and extending validity of DFIA and EPCG authorisations for import purposes. The directorate general of foreign trade stated in a notification.
Exports during April-February this fiscal dipped by 1.5 per cent to USD 292.91 billion.
Imports during the period declined by 7.30 per cent to USD 436 billion, leaving a trade deficit of USD 143.12 billion.
10) Andrew Jack, who passed away at the age of 76 played the role of a major in which of the iconic films?
Show AnswerJack passed away at a hospital in Chertsey, England.
As a dialect coach in Hollywood, Jack worked on high-profile projects such as “Men in Black: International”, “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “Thor: Ragnarok” and two of the Avengers movies.
11) The Tourism Ministry has launched which Scheme to help foreign tourists stuck in various parts of the country & disseminate information regarding services which can be availed by them?
Show AnswerWith an aim to extend support to the foreign tourists who are stranded in India, the Ministry of Tourism has come up with a portal to disseminate information regarding the services that can be availed by foreign tourists who have stuck far away from their homeland, stated the official release.
The portal strandedinindia.com consists of information around COVID-19 helpline numbers and call centres that foreign tourists can reach out for help, information around Ministry of External Affairs control centres along with their contact information and information around state-based, regional tourism support infrastructure.
12) The Secretary-General of which international grouping has appointed a group of experts to strengthen the political dimension of the group?
Show AnswerAt their meeting in London last year, NATO leaders agreed to a forward-looking reflection process under the auspices of the Secretary-General.
It will offer recommendations to reinforce Alliance unity, increase political consultation and coordination between Allies, and strengthen NATO’s political role.
13) RBI has raised the Ways and Means Advances (WMA) limit for the first half of the financial year 2020-21 to ________ lakh crore from Rs 75,000 crore in the year-ago period.
Show AnswerThis hike in limit comes in the wake of expectation that the central government will step up expenditure in the social sector, including health and sanitation, following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The central bank provides financial accommodation to the government to tide over temporary mismatches in cash flow as WMA. This is intended to provide a cushion to the government to carry on its essential activities and normal financial operations.
The RBI stated it may float fresh market loans when the government utilises 75 per cent of the WMA limit.
14) Which bank has launched banking facilities on WhatsApp to help customers undertake banking facilities from their home?
Show AnswerThis will enable its retail customers to undertake a slew of banking requirements from their home at a time when they are advised to stay indoors in the wake of the nationwide lockdown to fight against coronavirus, it stated.
Using the service on WhatsApp, retail customers can check their savings account balance, last three transactions, credit card limit, get details of pre-approved instant loan offers and block and unblock credit and debit cards in a secure manner with end-to-end encryption for all messages.
Additionally, they can also get details of the nearest three ICICI Bank ATMs and branches in their vicinity. The customers can do all of these while they are on the social platform.
While bank branches continue to be open, banks and the Reserve Bank of India are encouraging customers to do online banking and use digital payments to ensure social distancing.
15) IBA has instructed banks to deposit how much amount in PMJDY accounts of women for three months, as recently announced by the Finance Minister.
Show AnswerThe Indian Banks Association (IBA) has written to member banks with respect to the direct cash transfer and logistics for withdrawal by the account holders, as part of Central assistance amid the pandemic.
Necessary beneficiary and bank account details have been collected by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), Ministry of Finance, for the purpose, stated the IBA in its note.
A meeting of the IBA Managing Committee decided to advise banks that, keeping in view the ongoing lockdown and the need for maintaining social distancing and sanitisation, they may take steps to ensure the seamless withdrawal of the amount by individual beneficiaries from their respective accounts.