1. Shanti Lal Jain has been appointed as the MD & CEO of which public sector bank?
[A] Punjab National Bank
[B] Indian Bank
[C] Union Bank of India
[D] State Bank of India
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Correct Answer: B [Indian Bank]
Notes:- Shanti Lal Jain has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank.
- He was earlier serving as the Executive Director of the Bank of Baroda.
- Jain will replace Padmaja Chunduru, whose term ends on August 31, 2021.
- His tenure of three years would start from September 1, and will be extendable for another two years or until attaining the age of superannuation, whichever is earlier.
2. Which Indian has been appointed as an independent director of HSBC?
[A] Arundhati Bhattacharya
[B] Rajnish Kumar
[C] M K Jain
[D] Urjit Patel
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Correct Answer: B [Rajnish Kumar]
Notes:- The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) has appointed former State Bank of India (SBI) chairman Rajnish Kumar as an Independent Director.
- He has been appointed as a member of Audit Committee and Risk Committee of HSBC- Asian entity.
- Rajnish Kumar served as the Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI) for three years from 2017 to 2020.
- Dinesh Kumar Khara is the present Chairman of the State Bank of India (SBI).
3. Fintech services provider PayU is set to acquire which Indian fintech company for $4.7 bn?
[A] Razorpay
[B] BillDesk
[C] Mobikwik
[D] Pine Labs
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Correct Answer: B [BillDesk]
Notes:- Fintech services provider PayU is set to acquire Indian digital payments provider- BillDesk for $4.7 billion.
- This is set to be one of the largest deals in the Indian fintech sector.
- After this, PayU, the payments and fintech business of Prosus which operates in more than 20 high-growth markets, will become one of the leading online payment providers globally
4. Which country has passed the world’s first law to force tech companies to offer alternative payment systems?
[A] France
[B] Italy
[C] South Korea
[D] India
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Correct Answer: C [South Korea]
Notes:- South Korean lawmakers passed the world’s first law to force tech giants such as Google and Apple to offer alternative payment systems on their app stores.
- The country is set to amend the ‘Telecommunications Business Act’, the nation’s primary telecommunications law.
- The legislation would allow developers to bypass the tech giants’ proprietary payment systems and could help shape how the firms collect fees and exert power over developers and users.
5. When was the first “International Day for People of African Descent” celebrated by the UN?
[A] August 25, 2021
[B] August 30, 2021
[C] August 31, 2021
[D] September 1, 2021
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Correct Answer: C [August 31, 2021]
Notes:- The United Nations have observed August 31, 2021 as the first ever “International Day for People of African Descent”.
- This day has been dedicated by the UN to commemorate the contributions of the African diaspora in every field of human existence.
- International Decade for People of African Descent is observed from 2015-2024.
- The year 2020 marked the midterm of the International Decade for People of African Descent.
6. Which Indian state/UT recently hosted the ‘Nomadic Festival’?
[A] Jharkhand
[B] Ladakh
[C] Haryana
[D] Madhya Pradesh
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ladakh]
Notes:- Ladakh Lieutenant Governor RK Mathur recently inaugurated a 2-Day Ladakh Nomadic Festival at Korzok Phu, Changthang region of eastern Ladakh.
- The festival is organised by Ladakh Cultural Academy in collaboration with Ladakh Tourism Department.
- It aims to highlight the distinctive culture of Changthang region.
- The Changthangi is a breed of cashmere goat native to Ladakh, reared by the nomads of the region for fine-grade Pashmina wool.
7. Which state has reported cases of Fever identified as ‘Scrub Typhus’?
[A] Bihar
[B] Uttar Pradesh
[C] Odisha
[D] West Bengal
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Correct Answer: B [Uttar Pradesh]
Notes:- In Uttar Pradesh, many children have been diagnosed with a new mystery fever identified as Scrub Typhus.
- Several children are sick in the region surrounding Western Uttar Pradesh districts including Mathura, Agra, Firozabad etc.
- Scrub typhus, also known as shrub typhus, is caused by a bacterium called Orientia Tsutsugamushi.
- The infection spreads to people through bites of infected chiggers (larval mites).
8. Who has been appointed as the new Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha?
[A] M Venkaiah Naidu
[B] Dr. Ramacharyulu
[C] Utpal Kumar Singh
[D] Desh Deepak Verma
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Correct Answer: B [Dr. Ramacharyulu]
Notes:- Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu appointed Dr. Parasaram Pattabhi Kesava Ramacharyulu as the new Secretary General of the Rajya Sabha.
- Ramacharyulu has been working as Secretary in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2018.
- He succeeds Desh Dipak Verma, who demitted office after serving for four years in the post.
- As per the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, Ramacharyulu is the first ever Upper House employee to have reached the Secretary General’s post.
9. Who has been appointed as the Chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?
[A] J B Mohapatra
[B] Rajesh Damor
[C] Pramod Y Devikar
[D] Deepa Rasal
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [J B Mohapatra]
Notes:- Senior bureaucrat J B Mohapatra has been appointed the chairman of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT).
- Mohapatra, is a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer, is currently the member in the board that frames the policy for the Income Tax department.
- The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of J B Mohapatra, as the Chairman of CBDT.
- After the extended tenure of incumbent P C Mody had ended, Mohapatra has been holding the additional charge of CBDT chairman since May 31.
10. UAE, Uruguay and Bangladesh have been admitted to which global institution?
[A] New Development Bank (NDB)
[B] International Monetary Fund
[C] Asian Development Bank
[D] African Development Bank
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [New Development Bank (NDB)]
Notes:- The New Development Bank (NDB) set up by the BRICS group of nations had admitted the United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Bangladesh as members in its first expansion push.
- Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, known as BRICS, launched the bank in 2015 and started formal talks with potential new members.
- NDB has initiated its membership expansion and started formal negotiations with prospective members recently.
- NDB has an authorised capital of USD 100 billion, which is open for subscription by members of the United Nations.
