GK Quiz | 9 September 2020

Q1. Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) is a joint venture of -

1. Coal India Limited
2. NTPC Limited (NTPC)
3. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
4. Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL)
5. Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL)

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 3, 4 and 5
3. 1, 2, 4 and 5
4. All of the above

Solution: D)

Explanation:

Recently, the Department of Fertilizers and Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) signed a loan agreement for providing Interest-Free Loan to HURL to revive fertilizer projects at Sindri, Gorakhpur and Barauni.

About HURL:

• Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited (HURL) is a joint venture company of –
• Coal India Limited (CIL)
• NTPC Limited (NTPC)
• Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
• Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited (FCIL)
• Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Limited (HFCL)
• It was incorporated on 15 June 2016. CIL, NTPC, and IOCL are the leading promoters of HURL.
• The main objective is to establish and operate environment-friendly and energy-efficient Natural Gas based new Fertilizer Complexes (Ammonia-Urea) of 2200 MTPD Ammonia and 3850 MTPD Urea (1.27 MMTPA neem coated urea) at each of the three locations-Sindri, Barauni and Gorakhpur, and simultaneously market their products.

Hence, option D is correct.

 

Q2. Which of the following statements is not true with respect to Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana?

1. PMAY-Urban was launched in 2015 to provide housing for all in urban areas by 2025.
2. PMAY-Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme provides home loans to Economically Weaker sections, low-income groups and middle-income groups.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Rs. 47,000 crore loans have been approved by HDFC Bank under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Credit Linked Subsidy Scheme (PMAY-CLSS).

Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U) was launched in 2015 and is being implemented by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. PMAY-U aims to provide housing for all in urban areas by 2022. It has three phases: Phase 1- 2015-17, Phase 2- 2017-19 and Phase 3- 2019-22.

CLSS is a component of PMAY-U and under this scheme, home loans are given to economically weaker sections, low-income groups and middle-income groups for acquiring, new construction or enhancement of houses. Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), National Housing Bank (NHB) and State Bank of India (SBI) are the Central Nodal Agencies for channelizing subsidy and monitoring the progress.

(Source: PMAY-U website)

Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q3. Consider the following statements:

1. World Bank will provide a loan of $1 billion for funding the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor.
2. Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor is one of the four rapid-rail corridors planned under Phase I of the RRTS project of NCRTC.
3.  NCRTC is a joint venture of Govt of India and the states of Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are incorrect?

1. 1 only
2. 3 only
3. 1, 2 and 3
4. 1 and 3

Solution: C)

Explanation:

Statements 1 and 2: Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide a loan of $1 billion for funding the Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor. A loan agreement for the US $500 million, a part of an approved $1 billion loan, was signed between the Government of India and ADB.

Delhi-Ghaziabad-Meerut RRTS Corridor is one of the three rapid-rail corridors planned under Phase I of the RRTS project of NCRTC. The foundation stone for this project was laid by Prime Minister in March 2019. This corridor is approx. 82km in length.

Statement 3: National Capital Region Transport Corporation (NCRTC) is a joint venture of Govt of India and the States of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. It is under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs. It was formally incorporated as a company in 2013.

Regional Rapid Transit Systems (RRTS) is a high speed, high capacity, dedicated commuter service that will connect regional nodes in NCR. It is three times faster than the metro. Corridors being developed under RRTS Phase 1 are:

• Delhi – Ghaziabad – Meerut Corridor
• Delhi – Gurugram – SNB – Alwar Corridor
• Delhi – Panipat Corridor

So, all statements are incorrect. Hence, option C is correct.

 

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding Sunderbans:

1. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
2. Sunderbans have been categorized as endangered ecosystems under IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems.
3. It is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal Tiger.

Which of the above given statements is/ are correct?

1. 1, 2 and 3
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1 only

Solution: A)

Explanation:

Statements 1, 2 and 3: The Sunderbans have been categorized as an ‘endangered ecosystem’ as per the IUCN’s Red List of Ecosystems. The researchers from India, UK, Australia and Singapore have also found that the Sunderbans are showing signs of stabilization and are gradually becoming climate-resilient. The scientists analyzed the data till March 2020.

The Giant Kelp Forest in Alaska, the tidal flats of Yellow Sea in east Asia and Lake Burullus in Egypt are also listed in the endangered category. The Aral Sea has been listed as a collapsed ecosystem.

About Sunderbans:

• It lies across India and Bangladesh on the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers’ delta.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• Sunderban National Park is a national park, tiger reserve and a biosphere reserve.
• It is one of the largest reserves for the Bengal Tiger.
• It is home to other threatened wildlife species like Gangetic dolphin, olive ridley turtles, crocodiles, etc.

So, all statements are true. Hence, option A is correct.

 

Q5. What is Karlsruhe, recently seen in the news?

1. NASA’s Mission to Jupiter
2. Sunken German World War II warship found
3. An uninhabited island of Japan
4. A black hole discovered recently

Solution: B)

Explanation:

Karlsruhe was the last of German World War II warships built in the mid-1920s. In 1940, German forces were to invade Norway and this warship led a fleet of warships to attack Kristiansand.

The ship remained missing after being sunk by a British submarine in 1940. The wreckage of the ship was found around 20 km off Kristiansand, Norway. 

Hence, option B is correct.