Current Affairs Quiz 20th and 21st April 2024 Quiz

Exp. In electronics exports, Tamil Nadu jumps to top on Apple’s India push

Driven by the aggressive India push from global major Apple, the southern state of Tamil Nadu has become the top state in terms of electronic goods exports in the financial year 2023-24, surpassing Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh.

The state posted a 78 per cent increase in exports from $5.37 billion in 2022-23 to $9.56 billion in 2023-24.

In 2023-24, Karnataka became the number two exporting state with $4.62 billion, contributing to 16 per cent of the national exports, followed by Uttar Pradesh with $4.46 billion worth of exports and 15 per cent of the national share.

The other top states in the list are Maharashtra ($3.09 billion), Gujarat ($2.75 billion), Delhi ($1.51 billion), Haryana and Telangana.

Exp. Bharti Airtel signs deal to merge Sri Lankan unit with Dialog Axiata

Bharti Airtel has signed an agreement to merge the operations of its Sri Lankan unit with Dialog, the island nation’s largest telecom provider and a subsidiary of Malaysia’s Axiata Group Berhad.

Dialog will acquire 100 per cent of the issued shares in Airtel Lanka.

Bharti Airtel Lanka, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Indian telecom giant, began commercial operations in Sri Lanka in 2009.

Dialog will acquire 100 per cent of the issued shares in Airtel Lanka. In return, Airtel Lanka will be granted a stake in Dialog.

Exp. Aegon Life Insurance gets new identity, will now be called “Bandhan Life’

Bandhan Financial Holdings has officially taken over Aegon Life Insurance and the latter will now be called Bandhan Life.

The private life insurer has also created a new brand identity for itself with the tagline ‘Bharat Ki Udaan, Bandhan se’.

Satishwar B., MD and CEO of Bandhan Life, said, “This transition sets the stage for an amazing new chapter for us as we become a part of the renowned Bandhan Group.

The updated product names, such as Bandhan Life iTerm Prime, reflect this new direction, inviting customers to explore the company’s enhanced offerings on its website.

About Bandhan Life Insurance Limited

• Founded – 2008
• Headquarters – Mumbai
• MD & CEO – Satishwar Balkrishnan

Exp. A new species Clouded Tiger Cat found in Brazil’s Rainforest

A new tiger species has been recently discovered in the dense rainforests of Brazil.

Named the clouded tiger cat (Leopardus pardinoides), this cat may be small but it is significant for biodiversity and conservation.

A small wildcat called the clouded tiger cat is about the same size as a housecat. It has a spotted coat that helps it blend in with its surroundings.

Scientists involved with the Tiger-Cats Conservation Initiative in Brazil have discovered that this feline is a distinct species from other similar cats. They concluded after studying the cat’s appearance, genetic diversity, and location.

About Brazil

• Capital – Brasília
• Currency – Brazilian Real
• President – Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

Exp. ITC Infotech to acquire Pune-based Blazeclan Technologies for Rs 485 crore

ITC Infotech has entered into a share purchase agreement for the acquisition of 100 per cent of the share capital of Pune-headquartered Blazeclan Technologies Private Limited.

The total consideration for the acquisition by its wholly owned subsidiary, ITC Infotech India Limited, is up to Rs 485 crore, including contingent consideration which is subject to the achievement of prescribed targets.

This acquisition is expected to augment ITC Infotech’s capabilities to service its customers in a multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environment with a focus on the partner ecosystem to accelerate future growth.

Blazeclan is a born-in-the-cloud consulting company providing cloud services on AWS, Azure, and GCP and provides cloud transformation solutions to customers globally.

Exp. RBI imposes Rs 60.3 lakh penalty on five co-operative banks

The Reserve Bank has imposed penalties totaling Rs 60.3 lakh on five co-operative banks for contravention of various regulatory norms.

A penalty of Rs 43.30 lakh has been imposed on Rajkot Nagarik Sahakari Bank for non-compliance with RBI directions on ‘ban on loans and advances to directors and their relatives, and firms/concerns in which they are interested’.

The central bank has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 5 lakh each on The Kangra Co-operative Bank (New Delhi), Rajdhani Nagar Sahkari Bank (Lucknow), and Zila Sahakari Bank, Garhwal (Kotdwar, Uttarakhand).

Besides, a penalty of Rs 2 has been imposed on District Co-operative Bank (Dehradun).

The penalties are based on deficiencies in regulatory compliance and are not intended to pronounce upon the validity of any transaction of agreement entered into by the banks with their respective customers.

Recent Penalties imposed on Banks by RBI

• IDFC First Bank (₹1 crore) – for non-compliance with certain directions on ‘Loans and Advances – Statutory and Other Restrictions’.
• LIC Housing Finance (₹7 lakh) – for non-compliance with certain provisions of the Fair Practices Code
• Nashik’s Janalaxmi Cooperative Bank (59.90 lakh) – for non-compliance with certain regulatory norms.
• Solapur Janata Sahakari Bank (28.30 lakh) – For sanctioning fresh loans carrying risk weights of more than 100 per cent in FY22.
• Chikkamagaluru District Cooperative Central Bank, Karnataka (50,000 rupees) – for delay in reporting of frauds to NABARD Rural Development (NABARD)
• DCB Bank (63.6 lakh) – for non-compliance with certain directions related to ‘interest rate on advances’

Exp. Nalin Prabhat appointed as DG of NSG

Senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nalin Prabhat has been appointed as the Director-General of National Security Guard (NSG).

Prabhat is a 1992 batch IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre. He is currently posted as Additional Director-General, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu and Kashmir.

The appointments committee of the Cabinet has approved his appointment as the chief of NSG till the date of his superannuation, August 31, 2028.

Before that, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) chief Daljit Singh Chaudhary was holding additional charge of NSG.

Additionally, the committee has also approved the appointment of Sapna Tewari as the Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau (IB). Tewari, a 1992 batch IPS officer of Odisha cadre, is currently working as Additional Director in the IB.

She has been appointed as the Special Director in IB for a tenure of two years from the date of assumption of charge or up to the date of her superannuation, April 30, 2026.

Recent Appointment in Defence Sector

• Chief of Naval Staff – Dinesh Kumar Tripathi (replace R. Hari Kumar)
• Joint Director in CBI – Anurag Kumar
• Inspector General in SPG – Love Kumar
• DG of National Investigation Agency (NIA) -Sadanand Vasant Date (replace Dinkar Gupta)
• DG of Bureau of Police Research & Development – Rajeev Kumar Sharma (replace Balaji Srivastava)
• DG of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) – Piyush Anand (Atul Karwal)

Exp. RBI approves Ajith Kumar’s appointment as Dhanlaxmi Bank Chief

The Reserve Bank of India has approved the appointment of Ajith Kumar K.K as the Managing Director & CEO of Dhanlaxmi Bank for three years.

Presently, Kumar is the Chief Human Resources Officer in Federal Bank in the cadre of President.

Kumar has over 36 years of experience with the Federal Bank in various facets of banking including Credit, Human Resources, Business, Branch Banking etc.

Recent Appointment in Banking & Insurance Sector

• CEO of BharatPe – Nalin Negi
• Additional Director Suryoday SFB – Deepak Kumar Sharma
• Independent director of RBL Bank -Murali Ramakrishnan
• Chief Distribution Officer of Future Generali India Insurance Company – Ramit Goyal (replace Raghavendra Rao)
• CFO of Punjab & Sind Bank – Arnab Goswamy (replace Mahima Agarwal)

Exp. Kaushik Rajashekara honored with International Fellowship by the Engineering Academy of Japan

Kaushik Rajashekara has been elected as an International Fellow of the prestigious Engineering Academy of Japan.

He is a distinguished professor at the University of Houston’s Cullen College of Engineering.

This honour recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of power conversion and the electrification of transportation.

Indian-Origin US Professor Honoured For Outstanding Contribution To Energy

In 2022, Mr Rajashekara received the most coveted prize in the field of international energy.

Recent Awards

• Earns Frost & Sullivan’s 2023 Indian Company of the Year Award – STT GDC India
• Honorary doctorate from the prestigious Vels University in Chennai – Ram Charan
• Young Global Leader in World Economic Forum’s Class 2024 – Adwaita Nayar
• South Asian Person of the Year award by Harvard University – Avantika Vandanapu
• American President’s Volunteer Award 2024 – Lokesh Muni

Exp. DRDO conducts successful flight test of Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile from Chandipur off Odisha coast

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight test of Indigenous Technology Cruise Missile.

The missile was test-fired from the Integrated Test Range, Chandipur off the coast of Odisha.

The flight of the missile was also monitored from the Su-30-Mk-I aircraft of the Indian Air Force. This successful flight test has also established the reliable performance of the indigenous propulsion system developed by the Gas Turbine Research Establishment, Bengaluru.

The missile is also equipped with advanced avionics and software to ensure better and more reliable performance.

Exp. India got 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 13th EGMO 2024

The 13th European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad (EGMO) was held in Tskaltubo, Georgia. The Indian team has performed quite commendably in this competition.

The 4-member Indian team has won a total of four medals including 2 silver and 2 bronze medals in the 13th EGMO 2024.

Gunjan Agarwal (Haryana) – Silver Medal

Sanjana Philo Chacko (Kerala) – Silver Medal

Larissa (Haryana) – Bronze Medal

Saee Vitthal Patil (Maharashtra) – Bronze Medal

The team is led by Sahil Mhaskar (Head), Ms Aditi Muthkhode (Deputy Head), and Ms Ananya Ranade (Supervisor) from the Chennai Mathematical Institute. His guidance and support have been instrumental in the success of the team.

Exp. India delivers 1st batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to Philippines

India has delivered the first batch of BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles to the Philippines, in reflection of the growing military ties between the two countries amid China’s military muscle-flexing in the South China Sea.

The supplies came over two years India signed a $375 million deal with the Southeast Asian nation to supply the weapon systems.

Under the January 2022 deal, India will supply three batteries of the missiles, their launchers and related equipment. It was the first export of the BrahMos missile by India.

BrahMos Aerospace Pvt Ltd, an India-Russian joint venture, produces the supersonic cruise missiles that can be launched from submarines, ships, aircraft, or land platforms.

BrahMos missile flies at a speed of 2.8 Mach or almost three times the speed of sound.

Exp. India finishes Asian Wrestling Championship 2024 with 9 medals

The senior Indian wrestling team finished their campaign at the 20th Asian Wrestling Championship by winning nine medals – 4 silvers and 5 bronzes.

A total of 30 Indian men and women wrestlers competed in the championship.

The men’s wrestlers participated in the freestyle and Greco-Roman events while the women’s team participated only in the freestyle events.

The 20th Asian Wrestling Championship 2024 was held in the Kyrgyzstan capital, Bishkek.

Exp. 20 April – World Circus Day

World Circus Day is observed on the third Saturday of April. This year, World Circus Day was celebrated on 20 April 2024.

This day is dedicated to the circus artists, performers, and creators who bring the magic of live entertainment to the fore. It is a time to recognize their hard work, dedication, and talent, as well as to raise funds for the circus industry.

It is an opportunity to showcase the unique skills and talents of circus artists and to raise awareness about the industry.

Established in 2010 by H.S.H. Princess Stéphanie of Monaco, World Circus Day highlights the importance of circus as a part of cultural heritage.

Q.15. National Civil Service Day is observed every year on which day?

राष्ट्रीय सिविल सेवा दिवस प्रत्येक वर्ष किस दिन मनाया जाता है?

(a) 19 April

(b) 20 April

(c) 21 April

(d) 22 April

(e) 23 April

Exp. 21 April - National Civil Service Day

National Civil Service Day is observed every year on 21 April.

Objective - To honour the achievements of the civil servants and acknowledge their efforts in ensuring that the people of the country are safe and happy.

After India became independent, the first batch of civil servants of the country were addressed by Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel. In this inspiring speech dedicated to the civil servants of the country, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel referred to them as steel frame of India.

In 1947, Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel announced that National Civil Service Day will be observed every year to honour the contributions of the civil servants for the country.

In Vigyan Bhavan, on April 21, 2006. The first National Civil Services Day was observed. Since then, the day is observed every year on the same day.

Exp. 20 April – Volunteer Recognition Day

Volunteer Recognition Day is observed every year on 20 April.

The significance of this day is to recognise, honour, and celebrate the selfless sacrifices of volunteers who work for the good of society.

Volunteers work for the betterment of society without expecting anything in return. We should take this opportunity to thank them for their good work. Their sacrifices deserve applause from the rest of the world.

The word ‘volunteering’ was first used in the 1630s, but it did not gain traction until the 1750s. During this time, volunteering was only seen as a way of helping others in need. It was not until the outbreak of the war in 1755 that the term ‘organized volunteering’ was born.

The first significant example of organized volunteering emerged from the Red Cross, which was founded by Henry Dunant in 1755. Dunant was inspired to write down his ideas in a book titled “A Souvenir of Solferino,” which emphasised the need to care for wounded soldiers, regardless of which side they were fighting on.