Current Affairs 23th November 2020
Current Affairs of the morning are here with the top headlines of the morning. Current Affairs are very important for all competitive exams including Banking, SSC, RBI, NABARD, etc.
01. Recently, Centre has reduced
EPFO contributions from 12
percent to __________ from May to
July this year.
A. 11.5 percent
B. 11 percent
C. 10.5 percent
D. 10 percent
Answer: D.
Explanation: The Centre has notified the reduction in statutory rate of contributions
from 12 per cent to 10 per cent for wage months period from May to
July, 2020 for all class of establishments covered under the Employees
Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 .
● Earlier,the government had announced to reduce the rate as part of the
Atma-Nirbhar Bharat package.
02. Which of the following
government has started an
initiative ‘SUKOON’ – COVID-19
Beat the Stress’?
A. Maharashtra
B. Jammu and Kashmir
C. Tamil Nadu
D. Uttar Pradesh
Answer: B.
Explanation: In order to spread awareness about the psychological impact of lockdown and measures to be
adopted to overcome them, the Department of Information and Public Relations, J&K has started an
initiative ‘SUKOON’ – COVID-19 Beat the Stress”.
● The programme will be telecast on Doordarshan Kashir Channel every Tuesday at 9.00 PM during
which psychiatrists, eminent doctors and scientists will share their knowledge on psychological health
and how to keep the mind anxiety-free and the measures which people can adopt to keep the stress level under control.
03. NABARD has decided to provide
financial assistance worth
__________ for Agricultural
Operations for Pre-Monsoon &
Kharif.
A. Rs 8,500 Crore
B. Rs 11,500 Crore
C. Rs 18,500 Crore
D. Rs 20,500 Crore
Answer: D.
Explanation: NABARD has decided to provide financial assistance to Cooperative Banks and Regional Rural
Banks (RRBs) in order to increase the efficacy of their pre-monsoon Kharif operations.
● The financial aid is worth Rs 20,500 crores.
04. Railways’ most powerful 12,000 HP
made in India locomotive begins
commercial run. It has been
manufactured in the Railway
manufacturing factory _________.
A. Durgapur
B. Madhepura
C. Perambur
D. Kapurthala
Answer: B.
Explanation: The Indian Railways’ most powerful 12000 HP Made in India locomotive made its maiden
commercial run between Deen Dayal Upadhaya and Shivpur stations in Uttar Pradesh.
● Built by French company Alstom under the government’s Make in India programme at the
Railways’ Madhepura factory in Bihar, these engines are the highest-powered locomotives that
will run on Indian rails.
05. Recently, Thomas Thabane
resigned. He was serving as the
Prime minister of ________.
A. Botswana
B. Namibia
C. Mozambique
D. Lesotho
Answer: D.
Explanation: Lesotho Prime Minister Thomas Thabane has formally resigned more than a week after his
coalition government fell apart.
● This move could help end a long-running political crisis in the country.
06. Who among the following has
been named as the president of
Indian Steel Association?
A. Anil Kumar Jha
B. Anil Kumar Chaudhary
C. Sanjeev Singh
D. Dilip Oommen
Answer: D.
Explanation: Indian Steel Association (ISA) appointed Dilip Oommen as its new President with immediate effect.
● An extraordinary board meeting was called to decide on the leadership of the association after Tata
Steel CEO TV Narendran stepped down as President on May 1, months before the end of his term in
August.
07. Which state government has divided its areas into Red and non-
red zones?
A. Rajasthan
B. Maharashtra
C. Uttar Pradesh
D. Karnataka
Answer: B.
Explanation: The Maharashtra government announced categorization of various areas into red and non-red
zones for the purpose of allowing or restricting business and other activities in view of coronavirus
pandemic.
● During the earlier phases of lockdown, the state (as other parts of the country) were divided into red, orange and green zones.
08. The Indian government has
launched a mobile app named
___________ for candidates to
take mock tests for JEE Main
and NEET?
A. National Test Portal
B. Crack JEE Portal
C. National Test Abhyas
D. National Mock Book
Answer: C.
Explanation: Union Human Resource Development Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank launched a new mobile app
named – the ‘National Test Abhyas’.
● The App has been developed by National Testing Agency-NTA to enable candidates to take mock tests for
upcoming exams such as JEE Main and NEET under the NTA’s purview.
09. Who among the following has
accepted that he is taking
hydroxychloroquine as a ‘line of
defence’ against coronavirus?
A.Donald Trump
A. Narendra Modi
B. Kim Jong-un
C. Boris Johnson
Answer: A.
Explanation: Donald Trump said he is taking the anti-malarial hydroxychloroquine to guard against the coronavirus,
despite FDA warnings that it may not only be ineffective in treating Covid-19 but could also cause heart
problems.
● The president claimed he recently started taking “a pill every day”.
10. According to a recent report, Who
could became the world’s first
trillionaire by 2026?
A.Jeff Bezos
A. Bill Gates
B. Elon Musk
C. Mark Zuckerberg
Answer: A.
Explanation: According to a report, Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos could potentially become the world’s first
trillionaire by 2026.
● The study was done, by Comparison, a company which helps organisations compare different business products
stated that the net worth of Bezos has grown by 34 percent on average over the last five years.
