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Current Affairs Quiz: 19 August 2020

AffairsCloud brings you the complete and important daily Current Affairs 19 August 2020 Quiz to achieve more marks in Banking, Insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT, Railways and all other competitive Exams. We have prepared the current affairs quiz question from our daily current affairs 2020 updates.

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Questions Based on Current Affairs 19 August 2020

  1. The Manduadih railway station of which state is renamed as ‘Banaras railway station’?
    1) Madhya Pradesh
    2) Gujarat
    3) Maharashtra
    4) Uttar Pradesh
    5) Haryana
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) Uttar Pradesh
    Explanation:
    Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) approved the renaming of Manduadih Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh (UP) as ‘Banaras’. In 2019, Former Union Minister ManojSinha had written to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath requesting the change in name of the Manduadih Railway Station. Manduadih is a place in Varanasi situated about four kilometres from Varanasi Cantonment Station.

  2. Under which article of constitution the president of India gives nod for renaming Ministry of Human Resource Development to Ministry of Education?
    1) Article 86
    2) Article 77
    3) Article 75
    4) Article 80
    5) Article 79
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Article 77
    Explanation:
    In exercise of the powers conferred by clause (3) of article 77 of the Constitution, President Ram NathKovind amended the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules, 1961 by Government of India (Allocation of Business) Three Hundred and Fifty Sixth Amendment Rules, 2020, thereby, changing the name of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) as Ministry of Education. This renaming of ministry was among the key recommendations of the draft new National Education Policy (NEP), which was also cleared by the Union Cabinet in July 2020.

  3. Name the e-newsletter on health and nutrition which was released by Tribal Affairs ministry.
    1) SURAKSH
    2) PRAKRIT
    3) SWASTH
    4) ALEKH
    5) None of the Above
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) ALEKH
    Explanation:
    Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the first of its kind e-portal “Swasthya”, a tribal health and nutrition portal and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) also launched e-newsletter on health and nutrition ALEKH and opening of National Overseas Portal and National Tribal Fellowship Portal.Renuka Singh Saruta, MoS for Tribal Affairs released “ALEKH”, the quarterly e-newsletter.

  4. The two fly-overs of which city of Gujarat was named after Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj?
    1) Surat
    2) Ahmedabad
    3) Rajkot
    4) Gandhinagar
    5) Vadodara
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Ahmedabad
    Explanation:
    Chairman of Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation(AMC) Standing Committee, Amul Bhatt announced that in Gujarat two flyover bridges of Ahmedabad city will be named after late ArunJaitley and SushmaSwaraj. The flyover bridge at Income Tax circle, Ahmedabad will be named as ArunJaitley Flyover. The flyover at the Anjali cross road will be named SushmaSwaraj Bridge.

  5. Jharkhand government has introduced the new state emblem recently. What is the state animal of Jharkhand?
    1) Indian Elephant
    2) Leopard
    3) Great Indian Bustard
    4) Indian roller
    5) Great Hornbill
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) Indian Elephant
    Explanation:
    Draupadi Murmu, governor of Jharkhand and Hemant Soren Chief Minister of Jharkhand introduced the New State emblem at the Aryabhatta Auditorium, Ranchi. The Logo came into effect from 15th August 2020. The new circle shaped emblem incorporates and represents the progress of the state along with the traditions, cultural heritage and flora and fauna of the state. The logo represents reflects the real spirit of the state.The inner circle exhibits the motifs of dance representing the cultural heritage, tradition, musical instruments, folklore and dance of the state.The second ring in the logo depicts white elephants, which symbolizes the natural wealth and prosperity of the state. The Indian elephant is also Jharkhand’s state animal.The third ring showcases state flower Palash, reflecting the beauty of Jharkhand. Besides, the red colour in the flower is also a symbol of revolution, which reflects the struggle of people of the state.

  6. Which aircraft of Indian Air Force flied to Lebanon with 58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid recently?
    1) IAF A12
    2) IAF C17
    3) IAF E12
    4) IAF B14
    5) IAF D19
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) IAF C17
    Explanation:
    Indian Air Force (IAF)’s C17 plane flies to Lebanon with 58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid including medical, food supplies. One of the Indian Air Force Aircraft C17 has taken off with 58 MT of emergency humanitarian aid, including crucial medical and food supplies, to in the aftermath of the tragic blast on the 4th of this month.

  7. Indian Coast Guard has deputed a 10-member specialist pollution response team to which country to contain an oil spill from MV Wakashio on its South-Eastern coastline.
    1) Mauritius
    2) Sri Lanka
    3) Maldives
    4) Pakistan
    5) Bangladesh
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) Mauritius
    Explanation:
    The Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence, Indian Coast Guard has deputed a 10-member specialist pollution response team along with Pollution Response equipment to Mauritius for supplementing ongoing efforts to contain an oil spill from bulk carrier MV Wakashio on its South-Eastern coastline. The assistance is in line with the Prime Minister of India vision “SAGAR” – Security and growth for all in the Region and also to the commitment for shared responsibility and cooperation in the Indian Ocean between India and Mauritius during his visit in March 2016.

  8. The central government has set the target to achieve 10% bio-ethanol blending of petrol by which year?
    1) 2020
    2) 2022
    3) 2021
    4) 2023
    5) 2025
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) 2022
    Explanation:
    The government has set targets of 10% bio-ethanol blending of petrol by 2022 and to raise it to 20% by 2030 under the Ethanol Blended Programme (EBP). The EBP was launched in line with the National Biofuels Policy, 2018.Currently, the bioethanol blending in petrol stands at 5%.India celebrated World Biofuel Day on 10th August 2020 with the theme “Biofuels towards Atmanirbhar Bharat”.

  9. Under Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0 the finance ministry increased the maximum limit for purchase of AA/AA- bonds and Commercial Papers by Public Sector Banks from 25% to __________.
    1) 40%
    2) 35%
    3) 30%
    4) 50%
    5) 45%
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) 50%
    Explanation:
    Partial Credit Guarantee Scheme (PCGS) 2.0 which was launched on May 20, 2020 as a part of Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan has been extended by three months i.e. till November 11, 2020 in order to widen the coverage to include a larger number of non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), housing finance companies (HFCs) and microfinance institutions (MFIs) With regard to portfolio level, the maximum headroom permissible for purchase of bonds and CPs (Commercial paper), rated AA/AA-, by PSBs under the Scheme is also extended to 50% from the earlier 25% (i.e. Rs 11,250 crore).

  10. Which two countries have agreed the historic peace agreement namely ‘Abraham Accord’?
    1) UAE & Iran
    2) Iran & Iraq
    3) Israel & UAE
    4) Iraq & Kuwait
    5) Kuwait & UAE
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) Israel & UAE
    Explanation:
    Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the United Arab Emirates, have agreed for the Israel–United Arab Emirates peace agreement, or the Abraham Accord to establish full diplomatic ties. In this regard, Israeli will halt further annexation of Palestinian lands. This announcement was made by the United States (US) President Donald John Trump, who acted as mediator of this agreement. With this, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) became the first Gulf Arab state and only the third Arab nation after Egypt and Jordan to have active diplomatic ties to Israel.

  11. Muthoot finance has partnered with which insurance company to offer COVID-19 insurance cover against gold loan?
    1) Reliance General Insurance Company
    2) TATA AIG General Insurance Company
    3) Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company
    4) Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Company
    5) IFFCO Tokio General Insurance Company
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) Kotak Mahindra General Insurance Company
    Explanation:
    Muthoot Finance has partnered with Kotak Mahindra General Insurance to offer COVID-19 insurance cover of up to Rs 1 lakh under the initiative Muthoot Finance Ayush Gold Loan. The cover will be available only for the customers who avail gold loan from Muthoot Finance under the Muthoot Super Loan(MSL) scheme.

  12. Which state government has tied up with NPCI and Canara bank to launch digital payment services through UPI in villages and gram panchayats?
    1) Telangana
    2) Maharashtra
    3) Andhra Pradesh
    4) Karnataka
    5) Gujarat
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) Andhra Pradesh
    Explanation:
    Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy launched the digital payment services through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in 15, 004 village and ward secretariats through video conference.The Government of Andhra Pradesh has entered into a tie-up with National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI) and Canara Bank for this digitalisation process.

  13. Flipkart has signed MoU with which IIT to support the industry focused applied research?
    1) IIT Ropar
    2) IIT Patna
    3) IIT Delhi
    4) IIT Madras
    5) IIT Calcutta
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) IIT Patna
    Explanation:
    Flipkart signed a memorandum of understanding(MoU) with Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Patna to support the industry focused applied research in the fields like Artificial Intelligence(AI), Natural Language Processing(NLP) and Machine Learning(ML).

  14. Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was given the additional charge as Governor of Goa. Who has been appointed as the new governor of Meghalaya?
    1) Jagdish Mukhi
    2) B. D. Mishra
    3) Satya Pal Malik
    4) Biswabhusan Harichandan
    5) Phagu Chauhan
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) Satya Pal Malik
    Explanation:
    Ram NathKovind, President of India appointed Satya Pal Malik, Goa Governor as the Governor of Meghalaya. Meanwhile, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari was given the additional charge as Governor of Goa. Satya Pal Malik replaced Tathagata Roy who completed his 5-year term by serving as governor of Tripura for 3 years and remaining in Meghalaya. The appointments will be effective from the dates they assume charge of their respective offices.

  15. Rakesh Asthana has been appointed as the Director General of which central armed police force?
    1) Border Security Force (BSF)
    2) Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)
    3) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
    4) National Security Guard (NSG)
    5) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) Border Security Force (BSF)
    Explanation:
    Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the appointment of Rakesh Asthana, Gujarat cadre IPS officer of 1984 batch as the Director General (DG) of the Border Security Force (BSF), along with the Director General of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) till 31st July 2021– the date of his superannuation.

  16. Who has been appointed as the MD and head of national distribution of DBS Bank India Ltd?
    1) Preeti Priya
    2) Vikram Sud
    3) Rajesh Prabhu
    4) Prashant Joshi
    5) Shantanu Mitra
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) Prashant Joshi
    Explanation:
    DBS Bank India Ltd has appointed Prashant Joshi as Managing Director(MD) and Head of National Distribution. He will report to Surojit Shome, Managing Director and CEO of DBS Bank India Limited.

  17. Name the Indian cricketer who has been appointed as the brand ambassador of ‘Oakley’
    1) Jasprit Bumrah
    2) Rohit Sharma
    3) Virat Kohli
    4) Suresh Raina
    5) KL Rahul
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Rohit Sharma
    Explanation:
    Indian Limited-overs Team Vice-Captain Rohit Sharma has been appointed as Brand Ambassador of Sports eyewear brand, Oakley for a period of two years in India.

  18. Anil Mukim has got 6-month extension as the chief secretary of which state?
    1) West Bengal
    2) Odisha
    3) Bihar
    4) Tamil Nadu
    5) Gujarat
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-5) Gujarat
    Explanation:
    The Central government has approved the proposal of the Gujarat Govt to extend the tenure of 29th Gujarat Chief Secretary, Anil Mukim for 6 months(i.e., from September 1, 2020 to February 28, 2021) in view of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak. He was due to superannuate on August 31, 2020.He was appointed as Chief Secretary of Gujarat in November 2019, succeeding JN Singh, who retired in November 2019. N Singh had also been granted a 6-month extension.

  19. Who ranked top in Forbes’ list of highest paid actors for the year 2020 (Akshay Kumar ranked 6th)?
    1) Dwayne Johnson
    2) Ryan Reynolds
    3) Mark Wahlberg
    4) Vin Diesel
    5) Will Smith
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) Dwayne Johnson
    Explanation:
    As per the Forbes’ list of highest paid actors for the year 2020, Bollywood Actor Akshay Kumar ranked 6th with his estimated earnings of USD 48.5 million and is the only Indian features on the list comprising top 10 actors. The list is topped by Wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne Johnson for the consecutive second time, with an estimated net worth of USD 87.5 million followed by Ryan Reynolds(USD 71.5 million) and Mark Wahlberg(USD 58 million).

  20. Who among the following has been honored with Tamil Nadu chief minister’s special award on the 74th Independence Day celebration?
    1) KV Kamath
    2) Gita Gopinath
    3) Sundar Pichai
    4) Soumya Swaminathan
    5) None of the Above
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) Soumya Swaminathan
    Explanation:
    Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist of World Health Organisation(WHO) has received Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s(CM’s) special award on the 74th Independence Day celebration at Fort St George, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in recognition for her advisory role in combating the COVID-19 pandemic in the state,while the Chief Minister’s Best Practices award was bagged by the Department of Treasuries.

  21. Which edition of India-UAE joint commission meeting on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation held recently?
    1) 15th
    2) 11th
    3) 13th
    4) 8th
    5) 5th
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) 13th
    Explanation:
    13th Session of the India-UAE Joint Commission Meeting on Trade, Economic and Technical Cooperation was held virtually. Expanding economic partnership was the key agenda of the meeting. The meeting was co-chaired by Dr. SubrahmanyamJaishankar, Minister of External Affairs of India and Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the United Arab Emirates.

  22. What is India’s rank based on the number of organic farmers (9th in terms of area under organic farming)?
    1) 9
    2) 7
    3) 5
    4) 1
    5) 12
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-4) 1
    Explanation:
    In accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW), India ranked first in number of organic farmers and 9th in terms of area under organic farming. Notably, Sikkim was the first state in the world to become completely organic and other states including Tripura and Uttarakhand have set targets to be on the same line.

  23. Cricketer Laura Alexandra Marsh who announced retirement recently played for which national team?
    1) South Africa
    2) Ireland
    3) England
    4) New Zealand
    5) Australia
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) England
    Explanation:
    On August 13, 2020 England Spinner Laura Alexandra Marsh announced her retirement from all forms of Cricket. In December 2019, she announced retirement from International Cricket, and now has retired from Domestic Career as well.

  24. Which company has bagged the 13th edition IPL sponsorship rights which is going to be held in UAE (Sept – Nov 2020)?
    1) Vivo
    2) Dream11
    3) Unacademy
    4) Tata Sons
    5) Byju’s
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Dream11
    Explanation:
    Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has awarded the title sponsorship rights of Indian Premier League (IPL) 2020 to fantasy cricket league platform Dream11 with an average bid of Rs 234 crore per year(222 crores for the first year, Rs 240 crore & 240 crore for 2nd & 3rd year respectively) after Chinese mobile manufacturer Vivo exit from Sponsorship.IPL 2020 is to be held in UAE(United Arab Emirates) from September 19 to November 10, 2020.

  25. Pandit Jasraj who passed away in August 2020 is a renowned ________.
    1) Photographer
    2) Painter
    3) Politician
    4) Architect
    5) Vocalist
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-5) Vocalist
    Explanation:
    Pandit Jasraj, an Indian classical vocalist, belonging to the Mewati gharana (a musical apprenticeship tribe of Hindustani classical music) passed away at 90 in his home in New Jersey, New York, United States(U.S.) due to cardiac arrest. He was born on January 28, 1930 in Pili Mandori, a village in the Hisar district of Haryana. He is a recipient of the Padma Shri (1975), Padma Bhushan (1990) and Padma Vibhushan (2000).

  26. Angela Buxton who passed away recently is associated with which sport?
    1) Cricket
    2) Tennis
    3) Hockey
    4) Badminton
    5) Football
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Tennis
    Explanation:
    Angela Buxton, the former British tennis player and two-time Grand Slam Doubles champion and Equal Rights Pioneer, died at the age of 85. Angela Buxton was the doubles partner of Althea Gibson, who was the first Black person to win a major title in 1956. Angela Buxton & Althea Gibson together won the doubles titles at French Open and Wimbledon in 1956. Buxton also reached the singles final at Wimbledon that year but lost in the finals to American Shirley Fry.

  27. Russell Kirsch who passed away in 2020 is the inventor of which among the following?
    1) Camera
    2) Lens
    3) Scanner
    4) Graphics
    5) Pixel
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-5) Pixel
    Explanation:
    Russel A. Kirsch, the computer scientist credited with inventing pixel passed away at the age of 91 at his home in Portland, Oregon, United States. Pixels, the digital dots used to display photos; video and computer screens were invented by Russell Kirsch in 1957.He scanned the world’s first digital photograph.

  28. What is the theme for “India Healthcare Week” which was observed between 17th – 21st August 2020?
    1) “Redefining Healthcare Ecosystem”
    2) “Healthcare for Future”
    3) “Help to improve Healthcare”
    4) “Healthcare for better Future”
    5) None of the Above
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) “Redefining Healthcare Ecosystem”
    Explanation:
    Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare; Science & Technology and Earth Sciences virtually addressed the inaugural session of the two-day long CII Public Health Conference, where he inaugurated “India Healthcare Week” with the theme “Redefining Healthcare Ecosystem” from 17th – 21st August 2020. The week has been initiated by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in partnership with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) and the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy).

  29. Who has launched the first of its kind e-portal named “Swasthya”?
    1) Arjun Munda
    2) Harsimrat Kaur Badal
    3) Harsh Vardhan
    4) MahendraNath Pandey
    5) Narendra Singh Tomar
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-1) Arjun Munda
    Explanation:
    Union Minister of Tribal Affairs Arjun Munda inaugurated the first of its kind e-portal “Swasthya”, a tribal health and nutrition portal and Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) also launched e-newsletter on health and nutrition ALEKH and opening of National Overseas Portal and National Tribal Fellowship Portal. Through the Goal programme the MoTA and facebook is reaching out to the Tribal Youths and Girls over the digital platform to develop their entrepreneurial skills and to empower them in the social and economic sectors.The “Swasthya” portal is hosted on the National Informatics Centre (NIC) cloud under the domain name http://swasthya.tribal.gov.in/.

  30. Who has launched the VedKrishi.com an online farm to fork service promoted by farmers?
    1) Prakash Javadekar
    2) Nitin Gadkari
    3) Narendra Modi
    4) Amit Shah
    5) Nirmala Sitharaman
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Nitin Gadkari
    Explanation:
    Nitin JairamGadkari, Union Minister of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MoMSME) launched VedKrishi.com, an Online Farm to Fork Service, over a virtual platform. The portal is promoted by the farmers for selling toxic free farm produce. The platform was set up by the VedKrishi Farmer Producer Company, Nagpur based farmer producer Company.

STATIC GK based on Current Affairs

  1. Death Valley national park which is in news recently is located in which state?
    1) South Africa
    2) Iran
    3) Saudi Arabia
    4) Germany
    5) United States
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-5) United States
    Explanation:
    Death Valley (USA) registered a temperature of 54.4°C which, once verified, could be the highest temperature in more than a century. The temperature was recorded at the USA National Weather Service’s automated weather station at Furnace Creek on 16th August 2020. The Death Valley in southeastern California is the lowest point in the North American continent, and is a National Park. It is also the hottest and driest part of the continent.According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Death Valley’s all-time record high is 56.7°C taken on 10th July 1913 at Greenland Ranch.

  2. Which is the national river of India?
    1) Krishna
    2) Kaveri
    3) Ganges
    4) Hooghly
    5) Jhelum
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-3) Ganges
    Explanation:
    National Green Tribunal (NGT) has observed that the pollutants are still being discharged into the river Ganga, despite several directions of various courts. The states of Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar and West Bengal have failed in preventing discharge of untreated effluents in violation of provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.Ganga was declared as the ‘National River’ of India in 2008.Pollution-free environment is the constitutional right of every citizen and constitutional obligation of States.

  3. Modak Sagar lake is located in which state?
    1) Assam
    2) Karnataka
    3) Gujarat
    4) Odisha
    5) Maharashtra
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-5) Maharashtra
    Explanation:
    Modak Sagar, Maharashtra one of the seven reservoirs which supply water to the metropolis, started overflowing on August 19, 2020 night after which the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) opened a gate of Modak Sagar dam.

  4. Fermi Space Telescope is the telescope operated by which space agency?
    1) Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA)
    2) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
    3) Centre national d’étudesspatiales (CNES)
    4) Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
    5) China National Space Administration (CNSA)
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
    Explanation:
    An international team of researchers using data from Arecibo Observatory and the Fermi Space Telescope have discovered what they call a “gamma-ray heartbeat” coming from a cosmic gas cloud. The cloud is in the constellation Aquilla and “beats” in rhythm with a black hole 100 light-years away in a microquasar system known as SS 433. The results were published in the journal Nature Astronomy.Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is operated by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

  5. Betla National Park is located in which state?
    1) Bihar
    2) Jharkhand
    3) Odisha
    4) Punjab
    5) Chhattisgarh
    Answer & Explanation
    Answer-2) Jharkhand
    Explanation:
    Betla National Park is a national park located on the Chota Nagpur Plateau in the Palamu district of Jharkhand, India. The park hosts a wide variety of wildlife.





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