Current Affairs PDF

Current Affairs Quiz: 22 August 2023

AffairsCloud YouTube Channel - Click Here

AffairsCloud APP Click Here

AffairsCloud brings you the complete and important daily Current Affairs Quiz 22 August 2023 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 2023 updates.

Our Current Affairs August 2023 events will help you to get more marks in Banking, Insurance, SSC, Railways, UPSC, CLAT and all State Government Exams. Also, try our Current Affairs Quiz.

    1. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the State of School (Elementary) Education in Rural India report released in August 2023?
      A) Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education released India’s first “State of School (Elementary) Education in Rural India” report during the Transforming Rural India (TRI)’s India Rural Colloquy 2023 (IRC) held in New Delhi, Delhi.
      B) The report revealed that a total of 78% of parents of girls and 82% of parents of boys wanted to educate their children to graduation and above.
      C) The survey indicated that 49.3% of children aged between 6 to 16 years have access to smartphones in rural India.

      1) Only A
      2) Only A & B
      3) Only B & C
      4) Only A & C
      5) All A, B & C
      Answer- 5) All A, B & C
      Explanation:
      Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Ministry of Education released India’s first “State of School (Elementary) Education in Rural India” report during the Transforming Rural India (TRI)’s India Rural Colloquy 2023 (IRC) held in India Habitat Centre, New Delhi, Delhi.
      • The report revealed that a total of 78% of parents of girls and 82% of parents of boys wanted to educate their children to graduation and above.
      • The study focused on children in rural communities between the age group of 6-to-16-year-old.
      • School Drop-out Rate: The data reveals that one-fourth of male children dropped out of school during primary schooling and the female primary school dropout rates were higher, with around 35%.
      • The survey indicated that 49.3% of children aged between 6 to 16 years have access to smartphones in rural India.
      • Among parents who never went to school, 28.7% regularly inquire about school education, while 25.1% rarely or never do so.

    2. According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data released in August 2023, Bank credit growth to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has decelerated on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in the first three months (April-June) of the Q1FY24.
      The Credit to medium industries grew by __________ in June 2023.

      1) 11.8%
      2) 14.2%
      3) 12.5%
      4) 15.2%
      5) 13.2%
      Answer-5) 13.2%
      Explanation:
      According to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data, Bank credit growth to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) has decelerated on a year-on-year (y-o-y) basis in the first three months (April-June) of the FY24 i.e. Q1FY24.
      • Banks’ cautious attitude towards risk makes them hesitant to provide loans to small units, leading to a deceleration in bank credit growth.
      i. Credit to medium industries grew by 13.2% in June 2023 (compared to 47.8% in June 2022).
      ii. The Expert Committee on MSME, constituted by RBI in December 2018, has estimated the overall credit gap in the MSME sector to be in the range of Rs 20 to Rs 25 lakh crore.
      iii. RBI has issued comprehensive guidelines to the Regulated Entities (REs) regarding penal charges in loan accounts to ensure fairness, transparency, and accountability in the lending practices of financial institutions. These will come into effect from January 1, 2024.
      • RBI issued these instructions under sections 21, 35A and 56 of the Banking Regulation (BR) Act, 1949, sections 45JA, 45L and 45M of the RBI Act, 1934, and section 30A of the National Housing Bank (NHB) Act, 1987.

    3. Which of the following points is/are “correct” with respect to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) initiative in August 2023?
      A) The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has reviewed guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-Banking Financial Companies (IDF-NBFCs) to enhance their role in infrastructure financing and align regulations across NBFCs in this sector.
      B) IDF-NBFCs must maintain a Net Owned Fund (NOF) of at least Rs 500 crore & can issue rupee or dollar-denominated bonds with a minimum maturity of 3 years.
      C) RBI advised banks and finance companies to reset Floating Interest Rate on Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) for select personal loans in response to rising interest rates through the new rules, w.e.f. December 31, 2023.

      1) Only A
      2) Only A & B
      3) Only B & C
      4) Only A & C
      5) All A, B & C
      Answer-4) Only A & C
      Explanation:
      The Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in consultation with the Government of India (GoI), has reviewed guidelines for Infrastructure Debt Fund-Non-Banking Financial Companies (IDF-NBFCs) to enhance their role in infrastructure financing and align regulations across NBFCs in this sector.
      • The updated regulations for IDF-NBFCs will be effective from August 18, 2023.
      i. IDF-NBFCs must maintain a Net Owned Fund (NOF) of at least Rs 300 crore.
      ii. IDF-NBFCs can issue rupee or dollar-denominated bonds with a minimum maturity of five years.
      iii. RBI advised banks and finance companies to reset Floating Interest Rate on Equated Monthly Instalments (EMI) for select personal loans in response to rising interest rates through the new rules, w.e.f. December 31, 2023. This will apply to both new and existing borrowers.

    4. Name the bank that has recently (in August ‘23) launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application
      1) Bank of Maharashtra
      2) Canara Bank
      3) Axis Bank
      4) Bank of India
      5) IndusInd Bank
      Answer-2) Canara Bank
      Explanation:
      Canara Bank launched its Unified Payments Interface (UPI) Interoperable Digital Rupee mobile application, called the “Canara Digital Rupee app”, as a part of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)’s Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) pilot project.
      i. Canara Bank is now the first among the public and commercial sector banks to provide this feature in its CBDC mobile app, Canara Digital Rupee app.
      ii. The app has been created in accordance with RBI guidelines and is powered by advanced blockchain technology to ensure great security and efficiency.

    5. Which bank has recently (in August ‘23) contributed Rs 22.5 crore to set up a Banking Data and Analytics Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B)?
      1) HDFC Bank
      2) ICICI Bank
      3) State Bank of India
      4) Axis Bank
      5) YES Bank
      Answer-3) State Bank of India
      Explanation:
      State Bank of India (SBI) is contributing Rs 22.5 crore through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) arm, SBI Foundation, to set up a Banking Data and Analytics Hub at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (IIT-B), Mumbai, Maharashtra, to tackle the distinct challenges facing by the Indian banking and financial services industry.
      i. The collaboration will boost SBI’s AI (Artificial Intelligence) capabilities and promote the exchange of innovative concepts through cooperation between the banking industry and academia.
      ii. The partnership’s positive impact will extend to the entire Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance sector (BFSI) sector, facilitating the incorporation of emerging technologies such as ChatGPT.

    6. Which bank has recently (in August ‘23) appointed 4 directors, Ketan Shivji Vikamsey, Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape, Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat to the central board of the bank?
      1) State Bank of India
      2) Punjab National Bank
      3) Canara Bank
      4) Bank of India
      5) Bank of Maharashtra
      Answer-1) State Bank of India
      Explanation:
      The State Bank of India (SBI) has appointed four directors namely Ketan Shivji Vikamsey, Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape, Rajesh Kumar Dubey, Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat to the central board of the bank.
      • They were appointed for a period of 3 years with effect from 26th June 2023 to 25th June 2026.
      • Ketan Shivji Vikamsey and Mrugank Madhukar Paranjape have been reappointed as the director (elected under Section 19(c) of SBI Act 1955) at SBI’s Central board.
      • Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat have been appointed as the Directors (elected under section 19 (c) of the SBI Act, 1955) at SBI’s Central Board.
      • Rajesh Kumar Dubey and Dharmendra Singh Shekhawat have replaced B Venugopal and Ganesh Natarajan, whose tenure as Director ended on 25th June 2023.

    7. In August 2023, the Indian Army inducted the first Swathi Mark II Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar(WLR), a lighter and compact version WLR for mountains & high-altitude areas.
      Which company has developed the Swathi Mk II Mountain variant WLR?

      1) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
      2) BEML Limited
      3) Bharat Dynamics
      4) Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
      5) Bharat Electronics Limited
      Answer-5) Bharat Electronics Limited
      Explanation:
      The Indian Army inducted the first Swathi Mark II Mountain variant Weapon Locating Radar(WLR), a lighter and compact version WLR for mountains & high-altitude areas.
      i. The WLR was flagged off by Lieutenant General JB Chaudhari, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (CD&S) in Agra, Uttar Pradesh(UP).
      ii. Swathi Mk II was developed by Bharat Electronics Limited(BEL), a Navratna Public Sector Enterprise(PSE) under the Ministry of Defence(MoD), in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
      iii. The SWATHI WLR mountain version is the result of a collaborative effort between Radar House Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), a premier laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), along with BEL.

    8. In which state/UT, NTPC Limited has recently (in August ‘23) begun the trial of India’s 1st hydrogen bus?
      1) Himachal Pradesh
      2) Jammu and Kashmir
      3) Ladakh
      4) Uttarakhand
      5) Delhi
      Answer-3) Ladakh
      Explanation:
      NTPC Limited (formerly known as National Thermal Power Corporation), a Maharatna Public Sector Undertaking(PSU) under the Ministry of Power (MoP), has begun the trial of India’s 1st hydrogen bus in Leh, Union Territory (UT) Ladakh.
      i. This marks India’s 1st-ever use of hydrogen buses on public roads. The first hydrogen bus arrived in Leh, marking the initiation of a 3-month process involving field trials, roadworthiness tests, and necessary regulatory steps.
      ii. The first of its kind Green Hydrogen Mobility Project at 11,562 ft is co-located with a dedicated Solar plant of 1.7 MW for providing renewable power.

    9. Which country’s Women’s football team has recently (in August ‘23) won the Fédération Internationale de football Association(FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 by defeating England?
      1) United States of America
      2) Germany
      3) Sweden
      4) Japan
      5) Spain
      Answer-5) Spain
      Explanation:
      Spain Women’s football team (nicknamed La Roja) won the Fédération Internationale de football Association (FIFA) Women’s World Cup 2023 by defeating England 1-0 in the finals at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia on 20th August 2023.
      i. This marks Spain’s 1st title at the senior level and they won 1st Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2022 and two U-17 FIFA World Cups in 2018 & 2022.
      • England’s Mary Earps was awarded the Golden Glove following her incredible campaign, including key saves in the final against Spain.
      • Hinata Miyazawa (Japan) was awarded the Golden Boot award with a total of five goals.
      ii. Spain and Germany become the only two countries to win both men’s and women’s World Cup titles.
      iii. The 9th edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup was co-hosted for the first time by Australia and New Zealand from 20th July to 20th August 2023.
      • Mascot: ‘Tazuni’, a fun football-loving penguin named as the mascot of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
      • Spain becomes the fifth nation to win the Women’s World Cup after the United States of America(USA), Germany, Norway and Japan.

    10. When was the Sadbahavana Diwas/ Harmony Day 2023 observed across India to celebrate the birth anniversary of India’s 6th Prime Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi?
      1) 20th August 2023
      2) 18th August 2023
      3) 21st August 2023
      4) 17th August 2023
      5) 19th August 2023
      Answer-1) 20th August 2023
      Explanation:
      Sadbahavana Diwas, also known as Harmony Day, is annually celebrated on 20th August across India to celebrate the birth anniversary of India’s 6th Prime Minister (PM) Rajiv Gandhi.
      i. The Sadbahavana Diwas 2023 (20th August 2023) marks the 79th birth anniversary of former PM Rajiv Gandhi, who was born on 20 August 1944.
      ii. The first Sadbhavana Diwas was observed in 1992, a year after Rajiv Gandhi was assasinated by a suicide bombing in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu on 21st May 1991.
      • 21st May, the death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi was declared National Anti-Terrorism Day.
      iii. The Indian Government honoured him with the Bharat Ratna (posthumously) in 1991 for his public service.