Daily Current Affairs Quiz – 20th September 2024

Correct Answer:  (c) Rs 7.2 Billion

Explanation:  Gurugram (Haryana) based JBM ECOLIFE Mobility Private Limited, a subsidiary of JBM Auto Limited, has secured Rs 7.2 billion in funding from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to enhance electric bus services in India under the Gross Cost Contract (GCC) model. This funding will support the procurement of up to 650 electric buses, along with associated costs for operations, maintenance, depots, and charging infrastructure in Haryana and Odisha. ADB led the arrangement of the Rs 7.2 billion debt package, with AIIB contributing Rs 3.6 billion (approximately USD 43.2 million). To promote sustainable transport, improve public health, and reduce emissions by enhancing e-mobility in India.

Under this project, there is a gender action plan focuses on creating safer workplaces and boosting women’s participation in nontraditional roles like bus driving. The funding aligns with the recently announced Prime Minister (PM) E-drive scheme, which aims to subsidize 14,000 electric buses as part of a Rs 10,900 crore green energy initiative. JBM’s plant in Palwal, Haryana, is the world’s largest dedicated electric bus manufacturing facility outside China, with an annual capacity of 20,000 buses.

Correct Answer:  (b) Bank of Baroda

Explanation:  Bank of Baroda (BoB) has launched three Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered solutions, aimed at improving customer service and employee efficiency. These include a virtual relationship manager, ‘Aditi; a knowledge management platform for its employees, Gyan Sahay.AI; and a chatbot ADI for digital customer experience. These are designed to elevate digital banking experiences for both customers and employees.

BoB has introduced ‘Aditi,’ a generative AI-powered virtual relationship manager to offer enhanced digital customer services. Aditi provides conversational banking across a range of services through digital avatars. It is accessible via BoB’s web portal and supports audio, video, and chat-based assistance with 24×7 multilingual support. The service is being gradually rolled out to existing customers through an enrollment process on the bank’s website.

Correct Answer:  (d) HCL Technologies Limited

Explanation:  Indian Information technology (IT) firm HCLTech has been recognized as the No. 1 India-headquartered company in World’s Best Companies 2024 list published by the United States of America (USA) based TIME Magazine and  German based Statista. HCLTech has secured 112th position leading to topping amongst Indian companies with an overall score of 91.75. The Noida-headquartered firm has also secured a place in the global top 10 list within the Professional Services category. US-based tech giant Apple has topped the list globally, followed by Ireland-based tech major Accenture, Microsoft, BMW Group, and Amazon.

Top Indian Companies in the List:

• A total of22 Indian-origin companies have made it to the list this year, including HCLTech, Infosys, Wipro, Adani Group, and Reliance Industries.
• HCL Tech secured the top most position amongst the Indian firms with 112th position.
• Infosyswas placed at 119th spot followed by Wipro at 134th
• The Adani Groupclaimed 736th position while Reliance Industries gained 646th
• The next Indian firms to feature in the list are – Mahindra Group, Axis Bank, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Larsen & Toubro, Kotak Mahindra Bank, ITC Limited, NTPC Limited, Yes Bank, Bank of Baroda, Godrej & Boyce, Bajaj Group, Cipla, Bharat Electronics Limited, MRF.

Correct Answer:  (d) Oscar Piastri

Explanation:  McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, an Australian racing driver won the Formula 1 (F1) Qatar Airways Azerbaijan Grand Prix (GP) 2024 held from 13 to 15 September 2024 at the Baku City Circuit (BCC) in Baku, Azerbaijan. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, a Monégasque racing driver finished 2nd followed by Mercedes’ George Russell, a British racing driver who finished 3rd. This victory marks Piastri’s 2nd career F1 GP win in his second season in F1. Piastri secured his first-ever F1 title victory at the Hungarian GP 2024 at Hungaroring in Mogyoród (near Budapest), Hungary in July 2024.

Correct Answer:  (c) 2023

Explanation:  Jayanta Kumar Pushilal, a Dronacharya award-winning Table Tennis (TT) coach, passed away at 63 in Kolkata, West Bengal (WB). He was born in December 1961 in Kolkata. Known as ‘Botonda,’ he coached for over 40 years, producing over 15 national champions, including Mouma Das, Arup Basak, and Prapti Sen and others. He was the former Maldives TT National Team Coach, extending his expertise to the Kerala sports department and TT associations in Kazakhstan. He also served as visiting faculty at a training facility in California, the United States of America (USA) from 2009-2013. He was honoured with the Dronacharya Award (Lifetime) for 2023, in recognition of his outstanding achievements in Coaching.

Correct Answer:  (c) Punjab

Explanation:  Hockey Punjab won the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024 by defeating Uttar Pradesh Hockey in a penalty shootout 4-3. The final was played at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, Punjab, on 19 September 2024. The 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024 was organised by Hockey India at Jalandhar, Punjab, from 9 to 19 September 2024. A total of 29 teams participated in the 14th Hockey India Junior Men National Championship 2024. The teams were divided into eight groups. The top teams from each group qualified for the quarterfinals, and the winners of the quarter-finals qualified for the semi-final stage.

Correct Answer:  (d) 1960

Explanation:  The government of India sent a notice to the Pakistan government, seeking to review and modify the Indus Water Treaty of 1960 signed between India and Pakistan due to “fundamental and unforeseen” changes. In 2023, the government of India also sent a notice to Pakistan’s government seeking modification in the Indus Water Treaty. The current notice seeks to review the Indus Water treaty, and India wants to re-negotiate the treaty again. The Indus Water Treaty, mediated by the World Bank, was signed by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and  Pakistan’s President Mohammed Ayub Khan on 19 September 2024 in Karachi, Pakistan.

• Under the treaty, the waters of the Indus River and its five tributaries—Beas, Sutlej, Ravi, Jhelum, and Chenab—were to be divided between India and Pakistan.
• As per the Treaty, India has the right to develop the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, while Pakistan has the right to develop the Indus, Jhelum, and Chenab rivers.
• Thus, the treaty allotted 70 per cent of the water carried by the Indus and its tributaries to Pakistan, while 30 percent was allotted to India.
• As per the treaty’s provisions, India can develop the rivers allotted to Pakistan, but the flow of the river’s water to Pakistan shall not be curtailed.

Correct Answer:  (b) Anurag Garg

Explanation:  Anurag Garg, an IPS officer of the 1993 batch, has been appointed as the new director general of the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), a government order said, Garg is currently working as an Additional DG in the Border Security Force (BSF) at its headquarters here. An order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) approved the appointment of Garg, a 1993 batch Indian Police Service officer from Himachal Pradesh cadre, as the NCB DG “on deputation basis, with effect from the date of assumption of charge of the post till 23.05.2026, or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Correct Answer:  (c) 20th September

Explanation:  The United Nations General Assembly, in its seventy-eighth session, unanimously adopted resolution 78/122 “World Cleanup Day”, which proclaims 20 September as World Cleanup Day. The resolution invites all Member States, organizations of the United Nations system, other international and regional organizations, and other relevant stakeholders – including civil society, the private sector and academia – to observe World Cleanup Day through activities aimed at raising awareness of the role clean-up efforts play in sustainable development. The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) facilitates the observance of the Day. The theme of the inaugural event, taking place on 20 September in the city of Tromsø, Norway, is “Arctic Cities and Marine Litter”. The event, convened with support from UN-Habitat, GRID-Arendal, and the Norwegian Retailers’ Environment Fund, and in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, the municipality of Tromsø.

Correct Answer:  (d) Santosh Kashyap

Explanation: Santosh Kashyap has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian women’s national football team, succeeding Chaoba Devi. His first major assignment will be the SAFF Women’s Championships in Kathmandu, Nepal, scheduled from October 17 to 30. A 29-member squad will begin training in Goa from September 20 in preparation for the championships. Kashyap has nearly a decade of coaching experience, having managed teams in the I-League, including Mohun Bagan, Aizawl FC, and Mumbai FC, and recently worked as an assistant coach at NorthEast United FC and Odisha FC. He will be assisted by Priya PV as the assistant coach and Raghuvir Pravin Khanolkar as the goalkeeper coach. Kashyap expressed gratitude to the AIFF for the opportunity, emphasizing the importance of technical improvement for the team.

Correct Answer:  (a) Scotland

Explanation:  Scotland, backed by its government, is set to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow with £100 million invested by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) and £2.3 million from Commonwealth Games Australia. Glasgow 2026 will not require financial underwriting from either the Scottish or UK governments, making it an innovative, cost-effective model. CGF President Chris Jenkins emphasized that Glasgow 2026 will be a sustainable model, aimed at minimizing costs while inspiring athletes and host cities.

The Commonwealth Games Federation (Commonwealth Sport) governs the Commonwealth Games and Youth Games, promoting values of humanity, equality, and destiny. The Commonwealth Sports Movement unites athletes and communities from the Commonwealth nations through sports, striving for peaceful and prosperous global communities. Glasgow 2026 is positioned as a critical step in resetting and reframing the Commonwealth Games with a focus on co-creation and sustainability.

Correct Answer:  (c) Porphyrion

Explanation:  The jets are 23 million light years across, making them the largest known black hole jets discovered. Porphyrion is over 100 times larger than the Milky Way galaxy. This discovery was made by astronomers at the California Institute of Technology. Porphyrion is significantly larger than previously discovered jets, such as that from the galaxy NGC2663. Black hole jets are powerful beams of particles ejected from the regions surrounding supermassive black holes. These jets can extend vast distances into space, impacting the intergalactic medium. The term “Porphyrion” is derived from Greek mythology, referring to a giant, reflecting the immense size of these jets.

Correct Answer:  (b) Jordan

Explanation:  The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially recognized Jordan as the first country globally to eliminate leprosy, marking a significant milestone in public health. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus praised this achievement, emphasizing the collective efforts to stop transmission and reduce the stigma associated with leprosy. Saima Wazed, WHO Regional Director for South-East Asia, highlighted that Jordan’s success is not only a victory over the disease but also against the associated psychological and socio-economic harms.

• Jordan has not reported any indigenous cases of leprosy for over 20 years, a testament to the nation’s strong political commitment and effective public health strategies. An independent verification team, commissioned by WHO, confirmed this status after a thorough assessment, validating Jordan’s elimination of the disease.
• Dr. Hanan Balkhy, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean, noted that Jordan’s achievement sets a precedent for other nations. It illustrates the potential of dedicated efforts and strategic planning in overcoming public health challenges.
• Despite this success, both WHO and Jordan’s Ministry of Health stress the need for ongoing surveillance to manage any future cases, including those that may arise from abroad. Dr. Jamela Al-Raiby, WHO Representative to Jordan, emphasized the significance of sustained public health efforts and global collaboration in achieving this milestone.

Correct Answer:  (b) European Union

Explanation: India and the EU have decided to work together with focus on river basin management. The EU Ambassador to India praised the EU’s growing partnership with India in water management during the inauguration of the India-EU Water Forum on September 18. During the 6th EU-India Water Forum, India and the EU decided to strengthen their cooperation in sustainable water management. 6th EU-India Water Forum took place on the sidelines of the 8th India Water Week. In order to solve issues with East Africa’s water bodies, such as Lake Victoria and Lake Tanganyika, the forum examined trilateral cooperation between East Africa, India, and the European Union.

The India-EU Water Partnership (IEWP) was established in 2016. The goal of the IEWP is to improve the frameworks for policy, science, and technology in water management. The EU and India are working together on river management in the Tapi and Ramganga River Basins under the IEWP. Presently, IEWP is in Phase III. The collaboration will broaden its efforts to include other key basins, such as the Brahmaputra, under Phase III.

Correct Answer:  (b) 400

Explanation:  In a momentous achievement for Indian cricket, Jasprit Bumrah has become the 10th Indian bowler to reach the illustrious milestone of 400 international wickets. This feat was accomplished during the first Test against Bangladesh at Chennai, further cementing Bumrah’s status as one of India’s premier fast bowlers. Bumrah’s achievement places him in the esteemed company of India’s bowling greats. The top three wicket-takers for India in international cricket are:

1. Anil Kumble: 953 wickets
2. Ravichandran Ashwin: 744 wickets
3. Harbhajan Singh: 707 wickets
4. Kapil Dev – 687 wickets
5. Zaheer Khan – 597 wickets
6. Ravindra Jadeja – 570 wickets
7. Javagal Srinath – 551 wickets
8.  Mohammed Shami – 448 wickets
9. Ishant Sharma – 434 wickets
10. Jasprit Bumrah – 401 wickets