Daily Current Affairs Quiz: March 18 2024

Ans (D)
According to the latest report of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on human development, India is ranked 134th in the global Human Development Index (HDI).
Whereas India, its neighbor China, and Sri Lanka are ranked 75th and 78th respectively in the high human development category.
India is classified under ‘medium human development’.
Bhutan is at 125th and Bangladesh at 129th.
The 2010 Human Development Report introduced an Inequality-adjusted Human Development Index (IHDI).
A country scores a higher level of HDI when the lifespan is higher, the education level is higher, and the gross national income GNI (PPP) per capita is higher.

Ans (D)
In the ‘Democracy Report 2024’ report released by V-Dem Institute, India has been downgraded on several metrics related to democratic freedom.
The Dame Institute tracks democratic freedoms around the world.
The V-Dem Institute (Varieties of Democracy) was founded in 2014 by Staffan Lindberg.
Staffan Lindberg is a Swedish political expert.

Ans (C)
The Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India has signed an MoU with Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), South Asia.
J-PAL will act as a knowledge partner on inclusive development to bring rural poor women on the path to self-reliance.
J-PAL is a global research center that works on poverty issues.
The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab is a global research center working to reduce poverty by ensuring that policy is informed by scientific evidence.

Ans (C)
The government of India and ADB have signed a $23 million loan agreement to strengthen the fintech ecosystem in India.
Under this, an International Fintech Institute (IFI) will be established to strengthen fintech education, boost start-up success rates, and promote fintech research and innovation.
Previously, the Government of India and ADB signed a $175 million loan to improve connectivity in Madhya Pradesh.

Ans (B)
B Sairam has been appointed as the new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), the Singrauli-based major subsidiary of Coal India Limited.
Sairam has 33 years of service experience in the coal sector.
The all-India Production of coal during 2022-23 was 893.19 MT with a positive growth of 14.77%.
Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries accounted for 622.63 MT during 2021-22 as compared to production of 596.22 MT in 2020-21 showing a positive growth of 4.4%.

Ans (C)
Mumbai won the Ranji Trophy 2024 by defeating Vidarbha by 169 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Mumbai has won the Ranji title after 8 years.
With this, Mumbai also won its 42nd title in the first-class tournament.
Rahane has also become the 26th captain of Mumbai to win the Ranji Trophy.
The Ranji Trophy founded by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), was named after one of India’s first test cricketers, Ranjitsinhji, who played for England and Sussex.
Ranjitsinhji known as ‘Father of Indian cricket’, never actually played for India.
The series was announced in 1934, and the initial fixtures took place in 1934-35. Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of Patiala donated the trophy.

Ans (C)
World Consumer Rights Day is celebrated every year on 15 March to create more awareness about consumer rights.
On this day, people discuss measures to create awareness about consumer rights.
This is different from National Consumer Rights Day.
The origins of World Consumer Rights Day can be traced back to March 15, 1962, when former US President John F Kennedy addressed consumer rights issues in a historic speech to the US Congress.

Ans (A)
Maharashtra is set to be the first Indian state to buy land in J&K for a tourist facility, with a 2.5-acre plot near Srinagar airport for Maharashtra Bhawan.
A land transfer was approved for ₹8.16 crore following CM Eknath Shinde’s visit and meeting with Governor Manoj Sinha.
Post-Article 370 abrogation, non-residents can now own land in J&K, enabling this historic purchase.

Ans (D)
National Vaccination Day is observed on March 16 annually, marking the start of India’s Pulse Polio Programme in 1995 following WHO’s Global Polio Eradication Initiative in 1988.
The day aims to raise awareness about the critical importance of vaccines in preventing deadly diseases like polio, and smallpox and promoting health and well-being.
In 1995, following the Global Polio Eradication Initiative of the World Health Organization (1988), India launched the Pulse Polio immunization program with the Universal Immunization Program which aimed at 100% coverage.
The last reported cases of wild polio in India were in West Bengal and Gujarat on 13 January 2011.

Ans (A)
Saudi Arabia unveiled the world’s first-ever 3D-printed mosque.
Saudi Arabia has unveiled the world’s first 3D-printed mosque in Jeddah, named after Abdulaziz Abdullah Sharbatly.
The project, led by Wajnat Abdulwahed of Fursan Real Estate, has showcased a blend of traditional and innovative design.
Constructed with technology from the Chinese company Guanli, the mosque has represented a progressive step in sustainable architecture.