Daily Current Affairs Quiz: January 15, 2024

ANSWER: B

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: D

ANSWER: A

• State Bank of India (SBI), the country’s largest Bank has launched a special fixed deposit (FD) scheme.
• It has introduced SBI Green Rupee Term Deposit (SGRTD) scheme to mobilise funds to support environment friendly initiatives and projects.
• This deposit scheme is open to resident individuals, non-individuals, and NRIs.
• SGRTD offers investors the flexibility to choose from three distinct tenors: 1,111 days, 1,777 days, and 2,222 days.
• Senior Citizens/ Staff/ Staff Senior Citizens are eligible for an additional interest rate over the applicable rate for the public.
• Pre-mature withdrawal is
• Loan/ overdraft facility is also available against the deposit.

ABOUT GREEN DEPOSITS

• Green deposit means an interest-bearing deposit, received by the regulated entities (RE) for a fixed period the proceeds of which are earmarked for being allocated towards green finance

The deposits raised under the framework are covered by the Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation.

ANSWER: C

• Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) conducted a successful flight-test of the New Generation AKASH (AKASH-NG) missile from the Integrated Test Range (ITR), Chandipur off the coast of
• It has validated the functioning of the complete weapon system consisting of the missile with indigenously developed Radio Frequency Seeker, Launcher, Multi-Function Radar and Command, Control & Communication system.

ABOUT AKASH-NG

• New Generation Akash is a Surface to Air Missile (SAM).
• It is a short-range surface-to-air missile developed by India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).
• It has capability of intercepting highspeed, agile aerial threats in a range of around 80 km.
• It is driven by a novel engine — a dual pulse motor.
  • This allows the Akash to vary its speed and conserve fuel for a final furious burst towards the threat.

ANSWER: C

• The Mumbai Trans Harbour Link (MTHL), also known as the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Sewri Nhava Sheva Atal Setu, was inaugurated recently.
• MTHL, India’s longest sea bridge covering 21.8 km out of which 16.5 km is over the sea, is expected to see the movement of more than 70,000 vehicles every day.
• It is a twin-carriageway six-lane bridge over the Thane Creek in the Arabian Sea.
• It connects Sewri in the island city of Mumbai to Chirle in Raigad district on the mainland.
• The project is expected to facilitate greater economic integration of Navi Mumbai with Mumbai, with benefits extending to Panvel, Alibaug, Pune, and Goa.

ANSWER: A

• West Bengal Chief Minister in a letter to Prime Minister has asked the central government to officially list Bengali as a “classical language”.
• So far, the Government of India has officially recognised six languages as having classical status – Tamil (2004), Sanskrit (2005), Telugu, Kannada (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
• As per the Centre’s guidelines, a language must meet some requirements to be declared “classical”.
• They include-
  • the high antiquity of its early texts;
  • recorded history of over 1500-2000 years;
  • a body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;
  • a literary tradition that’s original and not borrowed from another speech community; and
  • being distinct from modern, without discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.

ANSWER: B

• Indian Army Day is celebrated every year on 15^th January.
• On 15 January 1949, Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa became the first Commander-in-chief of the Indian Army and took over the authority from the British Commander-in-Chief General Francis Butcher.
• The theme of the Indian Army Day 2024 is “In Service of the Nation”.
• The capital city of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, hosted a spectacular parade to commemorate the 76th Army Day of the Indian Army.

ANSWER: D

• Archaeologists in Saqqara, Egypt have discovered a series of tombs dating from about 1,800 to 4,800 years ago, some of which contain colorful mummy masks.
• The colorful mummy masks, which would have been worn by the dead, probably date to the Roman period (29 B.C. to A.D. 641).
• The archaeologists also found a small statue showing Harpocrates, a Greek god that looks like a child who is associated with silence, riding a goose.
• The goose represents “an evil spirit over which the Divine Child triumphs”.

ABOUT SAQQARA

• Saqqara, also spelled Sakkara or Saccara, is an Egyptian village in the markaz (county) of Badrashin in the Giza Governorate, that contains ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty, serving as the necropolis for the ancient Egyptian capital, Memphis.
• Saqqara contains numerous pyramids, including the Pyramid of Djoser, sometimes referred to as the Step Tomb.
  • Pyramid of Djoser is the oldest complete stone building complex known in history.
• Saqqara covers an area of around 7 by 1.5 km (4.3 by 0.9 mi).

ANSWER: C

• Eminent author, J. Akbar, launched his new book named “Gandhi A Life in Three Campaigns” at Prime Minister’s Museum and Library at the Pradhan Mantri Sangrahalaya.
• The Foreword of the book has been written by K. Natwar Singh, former diplomat and External Affairs Minister of India.
• The particularly focuses on three pivotal mass campaigns led by Gandhiji-
  • Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)
  • Salt Satyagraha (1930)
  • Quit India Movement (1942)