Daily GK and Current Affairs Quiz – 1st March 2023

Correct Answer:  B. Lionel Messi

Explanation:  Argentina’s Lionel Messi has bagged the Best FIFA men’s player prize for 2022. Messi outclassed his Paris Saint Germain (PSG) teammate Kylian Mbappe and Real Madrid captain Karim Benzema to lift the famous trophy at Salle Pleyel in Paris. In the FIFA Awards vote, Messi had 52 points, Mbappé 44, and Benzema 34. It is the second time that Messi has won the honour inaugurated by FIFA in 2016. Messi was named the winner of the Best FIFA Men’s Player award for his outstanding performances in men’s football from the period of 8 August 2021 to 18 December 2022. Equalling Cristiano Ronaldo and Robert Lewandowski’s massive feat at the FIFA awards. Messi has now won the FIFA World Player of the Year title in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019 and 2023. Full list of winners at FIFA awards:

Correct Answer:  C. Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd.

Explanation:  Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) is acquiring the U.S. generic prescription product portfolio of Australia’s Mayne Pharma Group for $105 million, which includes an upfront cash consideration of about $90 million. The portfolio includes 45 commercial products, four pipeline products and 40 approved non-marketed products, including generic products focussed on women’s health. For the financial period ended June 30, 2022, Mayne Pharma had reported $111 million a revenue for the portfolio being acquired.

Dr. Reddy’s wholly-owned subsidiary Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories SA has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the portfolio from the Salisbury, Australia-based Mayne Pharma Group. In addition to $90 million upfront payment, the terms of agreement involve contingent payments by Dr. Reddy’s of up to $15 million, consideration towards inventory and credits for certain accrued channel liabilities to be determined on the closing date. Closing of the transaction is subject to satisfactory completion of customary closing conditions.

Correct Answer:  D. Rs 16,800 crore

Explanation:  Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi transferred the 13th installment of about Rs 16,800 crore under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) scheme of the Government of India, through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to the bank accounts of more than 8 crore beneficiary farmers across the country.

• PM Kisan is a Central Sector scheme with 100% funding from Government of India.
• It has become operational from 1.12.2018.
• Under the scheme an income support of 6,000/- per year in three equal installments will be provided to all land holding farmer families.
• Definition of family for the scheme is husband, wife and minor children.
• State Government and UT administration will identify the farmer families which are eligible for support as per scheme guidelines.
• The fund will be directly transferred to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.
• There are various Exclusion Categories for the scheme.

Correct Answer:  D. 16.8%

Explanation: As per the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) ‘Quarterly Statistics on Deposits and Credit of SCBs (Scheduled Commercial Banks): December 2022’ report, the year on year (y-o-y) Bank credit growth  in  Q3FY23 (October – December 2022) was about 16.8% as compared with 17.2% in Q2FY23 and 8.4% in Q2FY22. Growth in credit was led by bank branches in metropolitan centres, which account for nearly 60% of the total credit by SCBs and recorded 17.2 per cent rise (y-o-y) in lending. The aggregate deposits in December 2022 increased by 10.3% (y-o-y) led by 13.2% growth in term deposits.

• Public sector banks’ Credit increased by 15.7% in the calendar year 2022 compared with 4.7% in 2021. The private sector banks’ credit increased by 19.1 % in 2022 against 13.1% in 2021. Credit growth of foreign banks reported a slowdown, with an increase of 9.6% in December 2022, much lower than both 13.8% as of September 2022 and 15.8% as of December 2021.
• The current and savings deposits recorded moderate growth of 4.6% and 7.3%, respectively.
• The term deposits in 2022 was about 13.2%, whereas low-cost current and savings (CASA) deposits recorded growth of 4.6% and 7.3%, respectively.
• Deposit mobilisation by public sector banks improved to 8.8% growth in December 2022 from 6.9% in December 2021.
• The all-India credit-deposit (C-D) ratio increased to 75.9 % in December 2022, and it remained above 100% for Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana.

Correct Answer:  C. National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)

Explanation:  NTPC Ltd. ranked No.1 independent power producer globally by S&P. NTPC Limited, in February 2023, ranked No.1 Independent Power Producers and Energy Traders Globally in the S&P Global Commodity Insights Top 250 Global Energy Company Rankings 2022. NTPC Limited is India’s largest power-generating company and contributes 24% of the total electricity produced in India. It has partnered with NITI Aayog in 2022 for the Net Energy Zero effort.

National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Limited is an Indian public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Power. Its core function is the generation and distribution of electricity to State Electricity Boards in India. It is the largest power company in India with an electric power generating capacity of 71,594 MW.

• Founded: 1975
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Chairman & MD: Gurdeep Singh

Correct Answer:  B. Nicola Fox

Explanation:  Nicola Fox, the former top scientist on the Parker Solar Probe mission studying the sun, will be named this week as NASA’s associate administrator for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate. NASA has picked a longtime solar scientist who heads its heliophysics division to become the U.S. space agency’s science chief – the first woman named to serve in the role, according to two people familiar with the decision.

• Nicola Fox, the former top scientist on the Parker Solar Probe mission studying the sun, will be named this week as NASA’s associate administrator for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate, said the two sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the official announcement.
• Fox will lead NASA’s science directorate, a unit with an annual budget of roughly $7 billion that oversees some of the agency’s best-known programs from the robotic hunts for past life on Mars to exploring distant galaxies with the James Webb Space Telescope.

Correct Answer:  B. 1st March

Explanation:  On Zero Discrimination Day, 1 March, we celebrate the right of everyone to live a full and productive life and live it with dignity. Zero Discrimination Day highlights how people can become informed about and promote inclusion, compassion, peace and, above all, a movement for change. Zero Discrimination Day is helping to create a global movement of solidarity to end all forms of discrimination. Discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, age, religion, disability, and other factors violates human rights and perpetuates poverty and inequality. Every year the day is marked with a theme dedicated to it.

On Zero Discrimination Day this year, under the theme “Save lives: Decriminalise”, United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) is highlighting how the decriminalisation of key populations and people living with HIV saves lives and helps advance the end of the AIDS pandemic.

Correct Answer:  B. Hari Balakrishnan

Explanation:  Computer scientist Hari Balakrishnan has been awarded the 2023 Marconi Prize. Dr. Balakrishnan has been cited “for fundamental contributions to wired and wireless networking, mobile sensing, and distributed systems”. The Marconi Prize is a top honour for computer scientists and is awarded by the U.S.-based Marconi Foundation. It is given to those “who have made a significant contribution to increasing digital inclusivity through advanced information and communications technology.”

• Hari Balakrishnan is the Fujitsu Professor of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
• He is also the Founder, Chief Technology Officer, and Chairman of Cambridge Mobile Telematics (CMT).
• He graduated with a computer science BTech from IIT Madras in 1993 and received his PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1998.
• Dr. Balakrishnan has previously won the Infosys Prize (2020) and the IEEE Koji Kobayashi Computers and Communications Award (2021). Previous winners of the Marconi Prize include Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Google cofounder Sergey Brin, and sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke.

Correct Answer:  C. Italy

Explanation:  Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni will be on a two-day visit to India from 2 March 2023. She will be accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and a high-powered business delegation. The Italian Prime Minister will be the Chief Guest and Keynote Speaker at the 8th Raisina Dialogue, 2023. The visiting Prime Minister will call on President Droupadi Murmu in the afternoon on 2nd March. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Italian counterpart will hold discussions on bilateral, regional and global issues. During the visit, a business roundtable will be organised which will be co-chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal.

Correct Answer:  C. Karnataka

Explanation:  The Karnataka Government will build the country’s first Marina or a boat basin offering dockage, at Byndoor in Udupi district to promote coastal tourism in Karnataka. The government will also seek permission from the Centre for the relaxation of coastal regulation zone (CRZ) to take up beach tourism in coastal areas and pilgrim tourism. The government will collect the history of the greatest dynasties such as Ganga, Kadamba, Rashtrakoota, Chalukya, and Hoysala from the Department of Archaeology and develop the history of tourism in the state. This will not only help the development of tourism but also help people understand the rich history of the state.

Correct Answer:  A. 1st March

Explanation:  World Civil Defence Day is observed on 1st March to raise awareness about the importance of civil defence measures in protecting people and their property from natural disasters, accidents, and other emergencies. The day honours the work of several civil defence organisations. The day also recognises the efforts put in by the organisations in protecting communities and saving lives. The day also recognises the contribution of civil defence personnel, who work tirelessly to ensure the safety and well-being of their communities. The theme for this year is “Uniting the world’s leading specialists for the safety and security of future generations”. The theme is based on the interest and importance of the role of technical systems, technological applications, and artificial intelligence techniques in determining risks related to civil protection and civil defence.

Correct Answer:  D. Vishal Sharma

Explanation:  Vishal Sharma has been named the Chief Executive Officer-Designate (CEO-Designate) of the GIL-Chemicals Business, effective as of March 1, 2023, according to a statement from Godrej Industries Ltd. Nitin Nabar, Executive Director and President (Chemicals), Godrej Industries Limited, would be Vishal’s reporting authority, according to the company’s announcement.

• From Ecolab Inc., where he served as Senior Vice President for the India, Middle East, and Africa (IMEA) region, stationed in Dubai since June 2020, Vishal Sharma joins Godrej.
• The region’s record-breaking sales and profit growth were the result of Vishal’s leadership of Ecolab’s strategy and operations in IMEA.
• He played a key role in putting together a top-notch team that will hopefully help the IMEA area reach its goal of USD 1 billion in revenue in the upcoming years.

Correct Answer:  B. 4.4%

Explanation:  India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate fell for the second straight quarter in the October-December period, coming in at 4.4 percent, the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation said. At 4.4 percent, the latest quarterly growth number is lower than the 6.3 percent growth that was recorded in the second quarter of 2022-23, which itself was less than half the 13.2 percent increase posted in April-June 2022 as the GDP growth rate benefitted from a low base in the early part of the year.

• In December, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI)had forecast a growth rate of 4.4 percent for the last quarter of 2022. However, at the time, the central bank had projected this year’s growth rate at 6.8 percent.
• But as per the statistics ministry’s first advance estimate of GDP, released in early January, India’s GDP was set to grow by 7 percent in 2022-23. The second advance estimate released by the government on February 28 has retained India’s full-year GDP growth estimate of 7 percent for this year.

Correct Answer:  C. Daniil Medvedev

Explanation:  Daniil Medvedev won the Qatar Open in his professional tennis debut by defeating Andy Murray 6-4, 6-4, in the final game between two former No. 1s. In every set, Medvedev converted quick beginnings. In the first, he got to 4-1, and in the second, he got to 3-1. Following are all the winners of Qatar Open Category Wise: