2024 Latest Current Affairs, Daily Current Affairs in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020

1 .

Which institute partnered with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to work in areas of pavement engineering and intelligent transportation systems?

A)

IIT Kanpur

B)

IIT Madras

C)

IIT Roorkee

D)

IIT Guwahati

Correct Answer : IIT Madras

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) will collaborate with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Government of India, on Pavement Engineering and Intelligent Transportation Systems.

This includes research on novel pavement materials and technologies, hydrogen cell transportation, automatic vehicle classification, novel toll systems, incident management systems, traveller information systems, FastTAG data analytics and traffic simulations besides transportation safety, a release said.

Towards this, a ‘MoRTH Chair’ is being created at IIT Madras, to focus on R&D, teaching and training in Traffic and Highway Engineering. The Chair Professor will act as a Strategic Advisor to MoRTH in Road Transport and Highways.

Published On : August 21, 2021

2 .

Who was appointed as MD and CEO of Indian Bank?

A)

Chanda Kochhar

B)

Raghuram Rajan

C)

Shanti Lal Jain

D)

Dinesh Kumar Khara

Correct Answer : Shanti Lal Jain

The Appointments Committee of Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal to appoint Shanti Lal Jain as the new Managing Director(MD) and Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of the Chennai-headquartered Indian Bank, stated an information notice issued by the government on August 19, 2021.

Jain, 56, is currently the Executive Director of state-run Bank of Baroda. The Department of Financial Services had proposed his appointment as the MD and CEO of Indian Bank, which has now been approved by the ACC.

Jain has been assigned his new post for a period of three years with effect "from the date of assumption of office on or after 01.09.2021, or until further orders, whichever is earlier", the notice read.

"The appointment is extendable based on his performance by up to two years, or till attaining the age of superannuation (i.e.31.1.2024), or until further orders," it added.

Published On : August 21, 2021

3 .

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing with ____.

A)

NASA

B)

CNSA

C)

EUSA

D)

ISRO

Correct Answer : ISRO

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) signed an agreement for cooperation in remote sensing satellite data sharing, according to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Chairman of ISRO and Secretary in Department of Space, K. Sivan, Administrator of China National Space Administration, Zhang Kejian, Chief Executive Officer of South African National Space Agency, Valanathan Munsami, President of Brazilian Space Agency, Carlos Augusto Teixeira de Moura, and Director General of Russia’s State Space Corporation Roscosmos, Dmitry Rogozin, signed the agreement.

Published On : August 21, 2021

4 .

Which of the following state/UT will inaugurate the countryâ€™s first smog tower?

A)

Delhi

B)

Punjab

C)

Haryana

D)

Uttar Pradesh

Correct Answer : Delhi

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will inaugurate the country's first smog tower on August 23, 2021, at Baba Kharak Singh Marg, Connaught Place, said Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on 19-08-2021.

Gopal Rai said the smog tower will clean 1,000 cubic metres of air every second and reduce PM 2.5 and PM 10 levels in Delhi.

Rai added, "I am certain that the smog-tower built at the cost of Rs 20 crores will contribute immensely towards this cause. The smog tower will work with full force after the monsoon season. The scientists of the Delhi Pollution Control Committee will accordingly assess the performance of the tower and present a monthly report."

Environment Minister further added, "If the performance of the smog tower is found to be satisfactory, then we will replicate similar smog towers throughout Delhi."

"I am confident that the smog-tower will yield positive results for us. It must be noted that Central Government is also constructing one such tower at Anand Vihar. This is being done after Supreme Court ordered both Delhi and Central Government to immediately install smog towers in the national capital," stated the Environment Minister.

Published On : August 21, 2021

5 .

Which financial organization granted a loan of USD 500 million for the enhancement of the metro rail network in Bengaluru?

A)

Asian Development Bank

B)

New Development Bank

C)

World Bank

D)

World Trade Organisation

Correct Answer : Asian Development Bank

The Asian Development Bank will provide USD 500 million loans to expand the metro rail network in Bengaluru with the construction of two new metro lines totaling 56 kilometers. An agreement in this regard was signed between the Government of India and the ADB on 19-08-2021. The signatories to an agreement for the Bengaluru Metro Rail Project were Rajat Kumar Mishra, Additional Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, and Takeo Konishi, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission who signed for ADB.

The project will construct two new metro lines, mostly elevated, along Outer Ring Road and National Highway 44 between Central Silk Board and Kempegowda International Airport with 30 stations, ADB said in a release.

"This will help decongest traffic in the city area and provide seamless connectivity to the airport," it said.

The needs of vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, women, children, and differently-abled persons, will be reflected on the metro facilities, it added.

"The project supports the urban transformation of Bengaluru city into a more livable and sustainable city through support to urban public transport and urban development with concepts of transit-oriented development (TOD) and multi-modal integration (MMI)," said Konishi.

Published On : August 21, 2021

6 .

What is the rank of India in terms of crypto adoption?

A)

1st

B)

2nd

C)

3rd

D)

4th

Correct Answer : 2nd

India has ranked second in terms of crypto adoption worldwide behind Vietnam, but ahead of countries such as the US, UK, and China, according to the 2021 Global Crypto Adoption Index by blockchain data platform Chainalysis. This comes even as worldwide crypto adoption grew by 880% between June 2020 and July 2021, according to the report.

Published On : August 21, 2021

7 .

The Sanskrit Week is being observed from _______ in 2021 in India

A)

August 15 to August 21

B)

August 17 to August 23

C)

August 19 to August 25

D)

August 21 to August 27

Correct Answer : August 19 to August 25

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has greeted the people on the occasion of Sanskrit week beginning August 19, 2021 to August 25, 2021. Sanskrit week is being celebrated from August 19 to 25 to promote and popularise this ancient language.

In a message, the Prime Minister said, Sanskrit language is so rich that it touches every aspect of our life. Mr Modi said, it is a matter of joy that Sanskrit language is reaching more and more people through modern technolgy.

Published On : August 21, 2021

8 .

PM Narendra Modi recently inaugurated several projects related to Somnath Temple. In which state is the historic temple located?

A)

Maharashtra

B)

Uttar Pradesh

C)

Gujarat

D)

Madhya Pradesh

Correct Answer : Gujarat

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is all set to inaugurate multiple projects at Gujarat’s Somnath August 20, 2021 via video conferencing.

The projects that will be inaugurated include the Somnath Promenade, Somnath Exhibition Centre, and the reconstructed temple precinct of Old (Juna) Somnath.

The Prime Minister will also lay the foundation of Shree Parvati temple during the event. The temple will be constructed under a budget of Rs. 30 crore which will include the construction of Sompura Salats Style, development of Garbha Griha and Nritya Mandap.

The PMO released a statement which said that Somenath Promenade has been constructed under the PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme at a cost of Rs. 47 crore.

The Somnath Exhibition Centre has been developed under in the area of ‘Tourist Facilitation Centre’ which exhibits the dismantled parts of the Somnath temple and it’s architectural structure which is Nagar style of the old Somnath temple which was destroyed.

The reconstructed areas of the old temple has been done under the Somnath Trust Fund costing Rs. 3.15 crore. The whole old temple complex has been redeveloped for the safety of pilgrims and with increased capacity.

Published On : August 21, 2021

9 .

Which drugmaker's antibody cocktail therapy has proven to be successful at preventing COVID-19, as per a study?

A)

Pfizer

B)

Moderna

C)

Covaxin

D)

AstraZeneca

Correct Answer : AstraZeneca

Trial data from AstraZeneca on 20-08-2021 raised the prospect of a new treatment to prevent COVID-19 beyond vaccines, giving hope in particular for people who respond poorly to immunisation shots.

AstraZeneca, a UK-based biopharmaceutical company, on August 20, 2021, announced that its PROVENT Phase-III prophylaxis trial of its antibody cocktail therapy AZD7442, a combination of two long-acting antibodies (LAAB), met the primary goal of preventing COVID-19 in late-stage cases.

Published On : August 20, 2021

10 .

A 14-yr-old Indian, Diksha Shinde was selected as a panelist on which space agency's MSI Fellowships Virtual Panel?

A)

ESA

B)

NASA

C)

ISRO

D)

JAXA

Correct Answer : NASA

Diksha Shinde, who is a 14-year-old girl in Aurangabad, was selected as a panellist on Minority Serving Institution (MSI) Fellowships Virtual Panel of American Space Agency, NASA.

* She wrote a theory on black holes. It was liked and accepted at NASA.
* Her research paper on ‘We Live in Black Hole?’ was accepted by International Journal of Scientific and Engineering Research in May 2021.

* She won the research competition that was organised by International Astronomical Search Collaboration.

* She has been selected as a panellist for 2021 MSI Fellowships Virtual Panel in June.

* She will get training at NASA when she will turn 18. She will also attend a conference which will be held in October 2021. NASA will bear all her expenses.

Published On : August 20, 2021