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Current Affairs Quiz: October 20 2018

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AffairsCloud brings you the complete and important daily Current Affairs October 20 2018 Quiz to achieve more marks in Banking , Insurance, UPSC, SSC, CLAT , Railways and all other competitive Exams. We have prepared the current affairs quiz from our current affairs today updates.

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  1. India has imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 185.51 US dollars per tonne for 5 years on some varieties of steel imports from which country?
    1) Bangladesh
    2) United States
    3) China
    4) Russia
    5) None of these
    Answer – 3) China
    Explanation:
    India has imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 185.51 US dollars per tonne for 5 years on some varieties of Chinese steel to protect domestic players from cheap imports from China. The revenue department has imposed the duty based on the recommendations of the Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR). A joint application was filed by domestic steel industries like JSW Steel Ltd, Sunflag Iron & Steel Co, Usha Martin, Gerdau Steel India, Vardhman Special Steels and Jayaswal Neco Industries before DGTR to initiate investigation on this issue. The DGTR performed investigations and made recommendations on anti-dumping duties on some steel products.

  2. Which state has become the first state in India to have 100% penetration of LPG in public sector oil companies?
    1) Maharashtra
    2) Andhra Pradesh
    3) Tamil Nadu
    4) Kerala
    5) None of these
    Answer – 4) Kerala
    Explanation:
    On October 18, 2018, Kerala became the first state in the country to have 100% penetration of LPG in public sector oil companies. With three bottling plants at Kochi, Kozhikode, and Kollam, LPG is being brought to 49.79 lakh customers through 308 distributors. The Indian Oil is also prepared to provide with new generation fuels like CNG and other green fuels. Indian Oil has 50% of the market share with the remaining being shared by HPCL and BPCL.

  3. Which state celebrated its 3rd Bihu festival known as the ‘Kati Bihu’ on 18th October 2018?
    1) Bihar
    2) Assam
    3) Gujarat
    4) Odisha
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Assam
    Explanation:
    On October 18, 2018, Assam celebrated its 3rd Bihu festival known as the ‘Kati Bihu’ festival across the state. The name of the other 2 Bihu festivals are: Rongali and Bohagi Bihu. The festival derives its name from the Assamese month of Kati. The festival is held at this time of the year since the granaries of the farmers usually remain empty and therefore it is known as Kongali (poor) Bihu. On the occasion of Kati Bihu, women, both in urban and rural areas, try to ward off evil and pray for a rich harvest by lighting earthen lamps.

  4. Where was the 8th European Congress on SME (Small and Medium Size Enterprises) held from 17th to 19thOctober 2018?
    1) New Jersey, United States
    2) Kotawice, Poland
    3) Sydney, Australia
    4) England, United States
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Kotawice, Poland
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, the 3-day 8th European Congress on SMEs concluded in Kotawice, Poland. The motto of the Congress was: “Science- Business-Self Government TOGETHER FOR ECONOMY”. This would engage in the challenges and possibilities of development of SMEs as Small and Medium-size Entrepreneurship is the most important sector of Polish Economy. It would see participation from representatives of Science, Politics and Economy as well as various foreign delegates.

  5. Which country became the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis, on 17th October 2018?
    1) United States
    2) Canada
    3) Australia
    4) Ireland
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Canada
    Explanation:
    On 17th October 2018, Canada became the second country after Uruguay to legalise possession and use of recreational cannabis. Now, Canadians can grow up to 4 plants in their own home and carry up to 30 grams of dried cannabis for personal use. Cannabis possession became a crime in Canada in 1923. But the medical use of cannabis was legalised in 2001. Canadians can order marijuana (cannabis) products through websites of provinces or private retailers and it will be delivered to their homes. Canada has become the second and largest country with a legal national cannabis marketplace.

  6. Market research firm Gartner has projected worldwide IT spending to total ____ dollars in 2019?
    1) $3.8 trillion
    2) $ 2.9 trillion
    3) $ 5.2 trillion
    4) $ 4.2 trillion
    5) None of these
    Answer – 1) $3.8 trillion
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, market research firm Gartner announced that the global IT spending will rise to 3.2% , from expected spending of $3.7 trillion in 2018, in 2019. Thus, worldwide IT spending is projected to total $3.8 trillion in 2019. IT services will be a key driver for IT spending in 2019 as the market is forecast to reach $1 trillion in 2019, an increase of 4.7 per cent from 2018. Global spending for devices — PCs, tablets and mobile phones — is forecast to grow 2.4 per cent in2019. It would reach $706 billion, up from $689 billion in 2018.

  7. Which country is planning to launch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas?
    1) Japan
    2) United States
    3) China
    4) Russia
    5) None of these
    Answer – 3) China
    Explanation:
    China is planning to launch its own ‘artificial moon’ by 2020 to replace streetlamps and lower electricity costs in urban areas. Chengdu, a city in southwestern Sichuan province, is developing “illumination satellites” which will shine in tandem with the real moon, but are eight times brighter. The first man-made moon will launch from Xichang Satellite Launch Center in Sichuan, with three more to follow in 2022 if the first test goes well.

  8. Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has increased lenders’ single borrower exposure limit for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) which do not finance infrastructure, from 10% to _____ % of capital funds, until 31st December 2018?
    1) 12 %
    2) 15 %
    3) 17 %
    4) 20 %
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) 15 %
    Explanation:
    On 19th October 2018, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) increased lenders’ single borrower exposure limit for Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs) which do not finance infrastructure, from 10% to 15% of capital funds, until 31st December 2018. RBI also relaxed liquidity norms for banks, allowing them to calculate government securities held by them up to an amount equal to their incremental outstanding credit to NBFCs, and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs). This will be over and above the amount of credit to NBFCs and HFCs outstanding in their books as on October 19, 2018. RBI has made this move to meet liquidity coverage ratio requirements and increase credit flow to NBFCs.

  9. Where was India’s 1st Cryptocurrency ATM installed by virtual currency exchange Unocoin, on 19th October 2018?
    1) Mumbai
    2) Bengaluru
    3) New Delhi
    4) Hyderabad
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Bengaluru
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, virtual currency exchange Unocoin set up a first of its kind kiosk — Bitcoin ATM at Kemp Fort mall in Bengaluru. This will be followed by 2 more kiosks in Mumbai and Delhi. According to Unocoin, users can withdraw Indian rupee obtained on selling the cryptocurrencies on its platform. Following this, a 12- digit reference number will be sent to the user to withdraw the INR. While, for deposits, the user id of the customer and OTP (one-time password) sent on registered mobile number would be required and the amount will get deposited upon confirmation of respective account details.

  10. Air India has received equity infusion of ____ rupees from NSSF (National Small Savings Fund)?
    1) Rs 1,000 crore
    2) Rs 250 crore
    3) Rs 550 crore
    4) Rs 900 crore
    5) None of these
    Answer – 1) Rs 1,000 crore
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, the need for equity infusion for State-owned carrier Air India came to an end after the government guaranteed to raise Rs 3,500 crore as loan. Air India has raised Rs 3,000 crore so far which includes Rs 1,000 crore to the airline from the National Small Savings Fund (NSSF) on behalf of the government. Another Rs 500 crore will be raised by the airline through a loan from the unused sovereign guarantee.

  11. Which company became the world’s largest pure-play information technology (IT) and consulting firm servicing mega banks and insurers, on 19th October 2018?
    1) Accenture
    2) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
    3) Wipro
    4) Infosys
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) Ltd became the world’s largest pure-play information technology (IT) and consulting firm servicing mega banks and insurers. During the July-September period, TCS got $2.07 billion in business from banking, financial services and insurance, or the BFSI sector. Out of this, $1.63 billion from work across application development and maintenance and $445.9 million from its proprietary platforms such as TCS BaNCS. Due to this, TCS ended up with a revenue of $5.21 billion in the September quarter with 10% growth. Whereas, Accenture got $2.01 billion in business from banking and insurance customers in the June-August period.

  12. Name the head of the panel formed by Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to examine claims in installments, on 18th October 2018?
    1) Suresh Mathur
    2) Rajiv Shah
    3) Madhan Karthik
    4) Samuel D’souza
    5) None of these
    Answer – 1) Suresh Mathur
    Explanation:
    On October 18, 2018, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) formed a panel to examine claims in installments. This panel is headed by Suresh Mathur, ED (Health), IRDAI. This will look in to the feasibility of the proposal of general and health insurance companies for payment of claims in installments as against lump sum payments. This will be in respect of personal accident policies and benefit-based health policies. This process will enable beneficiaries/claimants to receive payments in a series of pre-determined installments.

  13. Which railway zone launched two mobile apps named ‘NCR RASTA’ and ‘Yatri RASTA’ for its employees and passengers, on 18th October 2018?
    1) Central Railways
    2) Southern Railways
    3) North Central Railways
    4) South Central Railways
    5) None of these
    Answer – 3) North Central Railways
    Explanation:
    On October 18, 2018, the General Manager Rajiv Chaudhry of North Central Railways (NCR) launched two mobile apps, ‘NCR RASTA’ and ‘Yatri RASTA’. The 2 apps are: NCR RASTA (Railway assets Summerised Tracking Application) and Yatri RASTA (Railway Approach to Station Tracking Application). They were developed by: the IT department of the NCR, headed by Chief Manager (IT) Anshoo Pandey. The ‘NCR RASTA’ app is for the use of railway officers and staff and has exact mapping of all railway assets. In case of an emergency, the railway staff would be able to reach the desired asset via the use of Google Navigation. The ‘Yatri RASTA’ app will allow general public to locate the railway stations easily.

  14. Name the mobile app for women safety inaugurated by Kamal Hassan at the Sri Sairam Engineering College, in Chennai, on October 18, 2018?
    1) Sakhi
    2) Roudram
    3) Mayyam
    4) Lifeline
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Roudram
    Explanation:
    On October 18, 2018, Kamal Hassan inaugurated a mobile app called Roudram for women safety at the Sri Sairam Engineering College. It aims at giving women assistance in times of emergency. This has been developed by by a student named Sudha Reddy of Porur. The word ‘roudram’ means anger, and is aimed at channelising once anger in changing the society for a better tomorrow for women. In times of emergency, the power button of the phone needs to be pressed thrice. Upon doing so, the emergency contacts, the call centre of the app and the nearby police station will be alerted via net and SMS.

  15. Who was awarded the 4th annual Carnot Prize 2018 by Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, United States, on 19th October 2018?
    1) Suresh Prabhu
    2) Nitin Gadkari
    3) Piyush Goyal
    4) Amitabh Kant
    5) None of these
    Answer – 3) Piyush Goyal
    Explanation:
    On 19th October 2018, Minister of Railways & Coal and former Minister of Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines Piyush Goyal was awarded the 4th annual Carnot Prize 2018 by Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design, United States. The award was presented to Piyush Goyal as a recognition to the major transformations in India’s energy sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which aims to eliminate energy poverty with sustainable energy solutions. It also recognises India’s climate conscious and development driven energy governance.

  16. Name the CEO of Prasar Bharti who distributed Rajbhasha awards to Prasar Bharti employees in New Delhi, on 17th October 2018?
    1) Shashi Shekhar Vempati
    2) A. Surya Prakash
    3) Ramani Iyer
    4) Daniel Sebastian
    5) None of these
    Answer – 1) Shashi Shekhar Vempati
    Explanation:
    On October 17, 2018, Prasar Bharti CEO Shashi Shekhar Vempati distributed Rajbhasha awards to Prasar Bharti employees in New Delhi. The ceremony was held during Hindi Pakhwada organized by Prashar Bharti Secretariat. It was aimed to promote the use of Hindi in day-to-day work.

  17. Who will receive 2019 Breakthrough Prize in Mathematics, at the seventh annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony, known as the “Oscars of Science,” on November 4, 2018, in California, United States?
    1) Jocelyn Bell Burnell
    2) Vincent Lafforgue
    3) Charles Kane
    4) Eugene Mele
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Vincent Lafforgue
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation announced the 9 recipients of the 2019 Breakthrough Prize.
    It will be held at the seventh annual Breakthrough Prize ceremony, known as the “Oscars of Science,” hosted by Pierce Brosnan on November 4, at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.
    Following table shows the awardees:
    [table]

    AwardAwardeeContribution
    2019 Breakthrough Prize in Life SciencesC. Frank Bennett and Adrian R. KrainerFor the development of an effective antisense oligonucleotide therapy for children with the neurodegenerative disease spinal muscular atrophy.
    Angelika AmonFor determining the consequences of aneuploidy, an abnormal chromosome number resulting from chromosome mis-segregation
    Xiaowei ZhuangFor discovering hidden structures in cells by developing super-resolution imaging
    Zhijian “James” ChenFor elucidating how DNA triggers immune and autoimmune responses from the interior of a cell.
    2019 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental PhysicsCharles Kane and Eugene MeleFor new ideas about topology and symmetry in physics, prediction of a new class of materials that conduct electricity only on their surface.
    2019 Breakthrough Prize in MathematicsVincent LafforgueFor ground breaking contributions to several areas of mathematics.
    2019 Special Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental PhysicsJocelyn Bell BurnellFor fundamental contributions to the discovery of pulsars, and a lifetime of inspiring leadership in the scientific community.

    [/table]


  18. Name the Indian who won the 2018 Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Asia) Award for his photograph ‘Pipe Owls’ in London, on 16th October 2018?
    1) S Murali
    2) Vidhya Praba
    3) Asutosh Sharma
    4) Arshdeep Singh
    5) None of these
    Answer – 4) Arshdeep Singh
    Explanation:
    On 16th October 2018, Arshdeep Singh won the 2018 Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year (Asia) Award for his photograph ‘Pipe Owls’, at the Natural History Museum, London. Arshdeep Singh is 10 years old. He hails from Jalandhar, Punjab. He was one among the winners of the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the 10-years-and-under category. The Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is organised by the Britain’s Natural History Museum. This is the 53rd edition of the awards. Arshdeep Singh started taking photographs at the age of 6. Recently, he won the Junior Asian Wildlife Photographer of the Year award.

  19. Name European Space Agency’s (ESA) first-of-its-kind mission that will send two orbiters namely Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) and Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO) to explore Mercury?
    1) BepiColombo
    2) MercuryTracker
    3) MercuryMMO
    4) MercuryObserver
    5) None of these
    Answer – 1) BepiColombo
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, The European Space Agency’s (ESA) BepiColombo mission will send two orbiters to explore Mercury. The orbiters are: Esa’s Mercury Planet Orbiter (MPO) and the Japanese space agency Jaxa’s Mercury Magnetospheric Orbiter (MMO). MPO was built by Airbus in Stevenage, Hertfordshire, and MMO was constructed in Japan. The UK-built spacecraft will set off from the European Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, on October 20. It will take seven years to reach Mercury, arriving in 2025 to complete a 5.2 billion miles journey.

  20. Who has signed the richest contract in the history of sports, which is a 5-year deal worth $365 million (over Rs 2,680 crore) with streaming service DAZN?
    1) Giancarlo Stanton
    2) Canelo Álvarez
    3) Christiano Ronaldo
    4) Neymar
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Canelo Álvarez
    Explanation:
    Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez has signed the richest contract in the history of sports, which is a 5-year deal worth $365 million (over Rs 2,680 crore) with streaming service DAZN. As per the deal, 28-year-old Canelo Álvarez will participate in 11 fights, from December 15, 2018. The previous richest contract was a 13-year, $325-million deal signed by baseball player Giancarlo Stanton of New York Yankees’ team in 2014.

  21. Narayan Dutt Tiwari died of a cardiac arrest in Delhi, on 19th October 2018. He was a _____?
    1) Cricketer
    2) Politician
    3) Journalist
    4) Film maker
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) Politician
    Explanation:
    On October 19, 2018, Former Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand chief minister Narayan Dutt Tiwari died of a cardiac arrest in Delhi. He was a 93 year old politician. He is the only politician to have served as chief minister of two states. He was Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh from 1976-77, 1984-85 and 1988-89. He became the chief minister of Uttarakhand from 2002-2007. He also became the governor of Andhra Pradesh from 2007-09. Mr.Tiwari had played important responsibilities like the country’s Finance Minister, Commerce Minister and External Affairs Minister during the period of 1986 and 1987.

  22. When was World Osteoporosis Day 2018 observed?
    1) October 21
    2) October 20
    3) October 19
    4) October 17
    5) None of these
    Answer – 2) October 20
    Explanation:
    On 20th October 2018, World Osteoporosis Day was observed all over the world. World Osteoporosis Day is observed every year on October 20. It is organized by the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). This day creates awareness about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease. Osteoporosis is a disease in which bones become weak and brittle and increases the risk of a broken bone. World Osteoporosis Day 2018 campaign calls for global action to improve bone health and prevent fractures due to osteoporosis, including vertebral (spine) fractures.

STATIC GK based on Current Affairs

  1. Where is the headquarters of European Space Agency (ESA)?
      Paris, France

  2. Who is the Chairman of Prasar Bharti?
      Dr. A. Surya Prakash

  3. Where is Dibru-Saikhowa National Park located?
      Assam

  4. Who is the governor of Kerala?
      Palanisamy Sathasivam

  5. Name the Chairman and headquarters of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)?
      Chairman – Natarajan Chandrasekaran; Headquarters – Mumbai