28th October Current Affairs 2021

1. Who has inaugurated the World’s Largest Cricket Bat in Hyderabad?

(1) Rahul Dravid
(2) Kapil Dev
(3) Sourav Ganguly
(4) Md Azharuddin

Correct Answer – (4) Mohd Azharuddin

Explanation:

• The President of Hyderabad Cricket Association (HCA) and former India captain Mohd Azharuddin inaugurated the world’s biggest cricket bat on October 23, 2021 in Hyderabad, on the eve of the India-Pakistan ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.
• The bat has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest cricket bat in the world.
• The unique bat has been designed by Pernod Ricard India (P) Ltd and has been fabricated by BSL Events.
• It is made of poplar wood. The bat measures 56.10 feet long and weighs nine tonnes or 9000 kg.
• Currently the bat is placed for display on Tank Bund in Hyderabad till November 16, 2021, after which it shall be shifted at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium at Uppal for display.

2. India’s 1st state-owned Wildlife DNA testing facility has unveiled in

(1) Nagpur
(2) Mumbai
(3) Pune
(4) Hyderabad

Correct Answer – (1) Nagpur

Explanation:

• India’s first state government-owned Wildlife DNA analysis laboratory has been inaugurated at Regional Forensic Science Laboratory (RFSL) in Nagpur, Maharashtra.
• Currently there are two central government-owned Wildlife DNA laboratory. These are located at Dehradun and Hyderabad.
• The new facility will enable the authorities in Maharashtra to promptly get DNA reports of animals hit by manwildlife conflict or menaces such as poaching, which until now, were sent to laboratories in Hyderabad or Dehradun for testing and authorities had to wait for months to get the report.

3. Asia’s First two-container-based mobile hospitals will be setup in

(1) Delhi
(2) Chennai
(3) Both (1) & (2)
(4) None of these

Correct Answer – (3) Both (1) & (2)

Explanation:

• The Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya has announced that up two container-based mobile hospitals with all healthcare facilities is planned to be set up under the PM Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission.
• The hospital will be first of its kind in Asia. The unique feature of the hospitals will be that they can be rushed to any place, by rail or air to address a health emergency.
• The two hospitals will be placed in Delhi and Chennai.
• They would have 100 beds each and each hospital unit would have 33 containers for emergency medical care.

4. Who has launched Knowledge App and Platform “CUNSULT”?

(1) Narendra Modi
(2) Nitin Gadkari
(3) Rajnath Singh
(4) Pralhad Joshi

Correct Answer – (2) Nitin Gadkari

Explanation:

• Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has launched a knowledge app and platform CUNSULT.
• The app will be a forum for mentors to share their life experiences.
• It will allow people to learn from the wisdom which has been acquired over their lifetime.
• It is the first such global facility by which people can contact and call up experts in multiple sectors.

5. Which country has become World’s 1st Largest Electricity Market to implement “Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM)”?

(1) India
(2) China
(3) Russia
(4) USA

Correct Answer – (1) India

Explanation:

• The Union Minister of Power & New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh, launched a new market segment, “Green Day Ahead Market (GDAM)” on October 25, 2021.
• This makes India as the only large electricity market in the world to implement a GDAM exclusively for renewable energy.
• The new initiative will open the renewable energy sector to enable anyone to set up the capacity and sell it to distribution companies and industries.
• Meanwhile, the electricity generation and distribution companies will be able to buy or sell renewable energy through open access.
• GDAM will provide competitive price signals and offer an opportunity to the market participants to trade in green energy in the most transparent, flexible and efficient manner.

6. Which state has become the 1st state to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Electricity for each household?

(1) Maharashtra
(2) Odisha
(3) Goa
(4) Karnataka

Correct Answer – (3) Goa

Explanation:

• Goa has achieved Open Defecation Free (ODF) and Electricity for every household.
• The original ODF protocol was issued in the year 2016. According to it, a city or ward is notified as ODF city or ward if not a single person is found defecating in the open, at any point of the day.
• ODF+ was launched in August 2018 to scale up and sustain the work that cities have undertaken after achieving the ODF tag under Phase I of SBM-Urban.
• Goa has also become the first state to provide tap water to every household under the “Har Ghar Jal Mission”.
• Apart from that, Goa achieved 100 per cent target to provide free ration to the poor and needy.
• It has also completed 100 per cent first dose of covid-19 vaccination.

7. ADB and India sign $251 million loan for Integrated Urban Flood Management in

(1) Jaipur
(2) Ahmedabad
(3) Chennai
(4) Bengaluru

Correct Answer – (3) Chennai

Explanation:

• The Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have signed $251-million loan for climateresilient, integrated urban flood protection and management in the Chennai– Kosasthalaiyar basin to strengthen the resilience of Chennai city to floods.
• The project will establish climate-resilient urban flood protection infrastructure.
• It will construct 588 kilometers (km) of new stormwater drains, rehabilitate or replace 175 km of stormwater drains, improve 11 km stretches in the Ambattur, Ariyallur, Kadappakkam, and Korattur channels to enhance water-carrying capacity, and upgrade a stormwater pumping station and construct a new one.
• It will also construct 23,000 catchpits in roadside drains to recharge the groundwater aquifer and rehabilitate four disaster relief camps.

8. Which is the first airline to launch direct flights from Srinagar to Sharjah?

(1) IndiGo
(2) Go First
(3) Air India
(4) Vistara

Correct Answer – (2) Go First

Explanation:

• India’s low-cost airline, Go First became the first airline to launch direct flights from Srinagar to Sharjah.
• Union Home Minister Amit Shah flagged off the first international flight services from Srinagar to Sharjah, from the Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport in Srinagar.
• This is expected to enhance the economic bonds between India and UAE.
• Go First will operate four flights every week between Srinagar and Sharjah.

9. Which minister has launched the ‘Amrit Mahotsav Podcast’ as a part of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav?

(1) Pralhad Joshi
(2) G. Kishan Reddy
(3) Piyush Goyal
(4) Rajnath Singh

Correct Answer – (2) G. Kishan Reddy

Explanation:

• The Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, G. Kishan Reddy launched the Amrit Mahotsav Podcast, as a part of the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav celebration by the ministry.
• This podcast series is a tribute to the persons and movements that significantly contributed to India’s freedom struggle, some of which have not found a place in the conventional storyline.
• Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani is the first series of the newly launched podcast. It went live with an episode based on Indian National Army (or Azad Hind Fauj).
• Zara Yaad Karo Qurbani series hopes to fulfil the purpose of sensitizing the audience for challenges and struggles faced by those who fought for India’s Independence. It also seeks to instil nationalistic pride and serve as an inspiration for those who are listening.

10. Which bank has launched the QR Code Sound Box to provide voice-based payment alerts?

(1) Punjab National Bank
(2) IndusInd Bank
(3) AU Small Finance Bank
(4) Equitas Small Finance Bank

Correct Answer – (3) AU Small Finance Bank

Explanation:

• The AU Small Finance Bank has announced the launch of a QR Code Sound Box, to provide instant voicebased payment alerts to merchant partners. It is a first-of-its kind product launched by a bank.
• What is QR code sound box?: It is a small and portable speaker, having a dedicated SIM slot for data connectivity, to give voice notification.
• The device will help the small merchants to run their operations smoothly without the need to read SMS every time when a customer makes a payment.
• The new QR Code Sound Box has been launched in five languages including Hindi, English, Punjabi, Gujarati and Marathi.

11. Which state has become the first one to impose stock limits on edible oil?

(1) Madhya Pradesh
(2) Uttar Pradesh
(3) Karnataka
(4) Andhra Pradesh

Correct Answer – (2) Uttar Pradesh

Explanation:

• Uttar Pradesh has become the first state to issue a notification for setting the stock limits on edible oils.
• The Uttar Pradesh government has imposed stock limits in the range of 1-25 tonnes for different stakeholders and the same was notified on October 12.
• Rajasthan, Gujarat and Haryana are almost in the final stages of notifying the stock limits for edible oils.

12. Which state has announced free education scheme to boost the level of education?

(1) Punjab
(2) Haryana
(3) Maharashtra
(4) Karnataka

Correct Answer – (2) Haryana

Explanation:

• Chief Minister of Haryana, Manohar Lal Khattar, announced a free education scheme in state, to boost the level of education in the state.
• Scheme has been announced to those whose verified family income is lower than ₹1.80 lakh per annum.
• This announcement was made by CM, while he was interacting with students who have cracked civil services exam-2020 and JEE advance exam-2021, during a felicitation programme held at Panchkula.
• Announcement was made under Haryana’s ‘Super 100 Programme’.
• Through this scheme, the state government seeks to ensure that no talented student, belonging to a poor family, loses a chance to go with his or her dreams.

13. Shavkat Mirziyoyev has won 2nd five-year term as the President of

(1) Turkmenistan
(2) Tajikistan
(3) Kyrgyzstan
(4) Uzbekistan

Correct Answer – (4) Uzbekistan

Explanation:

• Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the incumbent President of Uzbekistan has won a 2nd five-year term as the President of Uzbekistan.
• He won the election with 80.1% of the vote where the total voter turnout was at 80.8%.
• He is a member of the UzLiDeP (Uzbekistan Liberal Democratic Party).
• The 2021 election marks the 6th election of Uzbekistan held since it become independent in 1991.
• Shavkat Mirziyoyev took office in 2016 following the death of Islam Karimov, the first postindependence president of Uzbekistan.

14. Which state government has launched the “Go Green” scheme for Workers?

(1) Maharashtra
(2) Gujarat
(3) Rajasthan
(4) Madhya Pradesh

Correct Answer – (2) Gujarat

Explanation:

• Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel has launched “Go Green” scheme & its portal to provide electric twowheelers at subsidised rates to construction and industrial workers of the state.
• The Scheme aimed at reducing fuel bills and also curbs vehicular pollution.
• For Organized sector workers, such as an industrial labourer, would get a subsidy of 30% on the vehicle’s prize or ₹30,000, whichever is less, on the purchase of battery-powered two-wheelers.
• For construction sector workers, 50% subsidy or ₹30,000, whichever is less on the purchase of batterypowered two-wheelers.
• Initially, Gujarat Government provided battery-powered two-wheelers to 1,000 construction workers and 2,000 organised sector workers.

15. Who has become the Brand Ambassador of “myBillBook”?

(1) Manoj Bajpayee
(2) Anupam Kher
(3) Paresh Rawal
(4) Boman Irani

Correct Answer – (1) Manoj Bajpayee

Explanation:

• FloBiz, a neobank for Indian Small to Medium sized Businesses (SMBs), announced Padma Shri Awardee actor Manoj Bajpayee as the Brand Ambassador for its flagship product myBillBook.
• Manoj Pajpayee will promote the “Business Ko Le Seriously” campaign to mark the importance of digital solutions.
• FloBiz will release advertisement films featuring Manoj Bajpayee as a businessman.