Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Apr 02, 2016

ANSWER: US

Explanation:
India has become the first country in Asia to buy shale gas from US. State owned GAIL booked a ship of liquified natural gas from Cheniere Energy Inc’s Sabine Pass plant in Louisiana. The cargo has been bought on spot basis and will be in receipt of the same at the Dabhol KNG import terminal in Maharashtra. This marks the start of US LNG exports into India. Cheniere Energy will set up 8 cargoes of KNG from Sabine Pass project by May. GAIL has also set up an agreement tp purchase 3.5 million tonnes of LNG a year for two decades from Sabine Pass.

ANSWER: Sharp Corp

Explanation:
Taiwanese company Foxconn has signed a deal to take control of Japanese display maker Sharp Corp. At a press conference associated with the signing of the USD 3.5 billion deal, Foxconn CEO has indicated that Sharp will become profitable soon. Sharp’s proprietary known how for mass production of IGZO or Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide, display technology superior to OLED or Organic Light Emitting Diode Technology used in products like Apple’s iPad.

• Foxconn was formally known as Hon Hai precision industry co before this.
• It took 2/3rd stake in Sharp at a big discount from the original offer this week.

ANSWER: Zika Virus

Explanation:
This creates insights essential for the development of effective antivirus treatments and vaccines for the disease.

Researchers from Purdue University in the US have studied a strain of the virus isolated from a patient infected at the time of the French Polynesia epidemic and assessed the structure of the virus.

Structure details vital difference within a key protein explaining why Zika attacks nerve cells infected, while others viruses in the same family do not. Structure of the virus provides a map showing potential regions of the virus targeted by therapeutic treatment for creating an effective vaccine to enhance the ability to diagnose and distinguish Zika from other related viruses.

Lead researcher Richard Kuhn from Purdue University found the structure to be very akin to that of other flaviruses including dengue, West Nile, yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis not to mention tick borne encephalitic viruses, with RNA genome surrounded by lipid or fatty membrane inside an icosahedral protein shell.

• Zika is different from other flavi-viruses as it invades the nervous system of the developing foetus
• Zika is a mosquito borne disease reported in 33 countries.
• Zika has been associated with a birth defect known as microcephaly causing brain damage and a small head in babies borne to mothers infected at the time of pregnancy.

ANSWER: 14th century

Explanation:
A massive study of ancient DNA retrieved from 100 mummies and skeletons of indigenous Americans has confirmed the European conquest of the 14th century finished off original inhabitants across the continent. Researchers reconstructed a genetic history of indigenous American population by observing the DNA of 92 pre Columbian mummies and skeletons between 500 to 8600 years.

Ancient genetic signals also provide more precise timing of first people entering the Americas.

ANSWER: Amogha-1

Explanation:
Bharat Dynamics Limited has developed and test fired an advanced Wireless Anti Tank Missile with RF Guidance at Babina ranges. RF system with EW protection is used for sending guidance command to the missile.

• System has been remotely launched and piloted from a safe distance equaling the advantages of expensive third generation ATGMs.
• This is the second missile developed by BDL which was indigenously test fired.
• BDL had earlier test fired indigenously developed ATGM Amogha-1
• The above missile has a range of 2.8 km.

ANSWER: Ahmed Naji

Explanation:
PEN America on 31st March 2016 announced it will be conferring the PEN/Barbey Freedom to Write Award upon imprisoned novelist and journalist Ahmed Naji.

• This award will be presented on May 16, 2016
• The organisation will also salute Harry Potter creator JK Rowling with the 2016 PEN/Allen Foundation Literary Award for creating a love of literature among children worldwide.

ANSWER: Babu Bharadwaj

Explanation:
Veteran journalist and writer Babu Bharadwaj passed away following cardiac arrest on April 30th 2016 in Kozhikode at the age of 68. He was a part of the prominent print and television media in Kerala. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award in 2006. Other famous works include novelettes and short story collections. The writer has also produced a Malayalam movie.

ANSWER: April 3

Explanation:
World Autism Awareness Day 2016 was celebrated on 2nd April 2016. The 2016 theme for the day was Autism. The 2030 Agenda is inclusion and neurodiversity. World Autism Day 2016 was celebrated across the world by member states of the UN to take measures about raising awareness about children with autism throughout the world.

• It was designated by the UNGA resolution 62/139
• World Autism Awareness Day was passed in Council on 1st November 2007 and adopted on 18th December 2007
• World Autism Day was one of 4 official health specific UN days; this year’s observance will involve 2030 and reflect on new SDGs and improving life for people with autism.

ANSWER: National cancer grid

Explanation:
In a massive step towards improvement of infrastructure for cancer cure, Maharashtra has tied up with TATA Trusts to link government and medical colleges to the national cancer grid for profiling and treatment of the disease. The MoU was signed between CM Devendra Fadnavis and TATA Trust chairman Ratan Tata.

• Maharashtra is the first state in the country to join the initiative
• Target was to have 50,000 bone marrow donors within the next 3 years.
• Another MoU was signed to upgrade language skills in the state

ANSWER: Shri Rajiv Gauba

Explanation:
Shri Rajiv Gauba IAS Jharkhand batch 1982 took over as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Urban Development. He has wide experience in policy making and program implementation. He was earlier the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand. Gauba also served as the IMF representing the country for 4 years on the IMF board.

He was also collector and DM of Gaya, Nalanda and Muzzafarpur

ANSWER: Patrick Farmer

Explanation:
Ministry of Tourism felicitated Mr. Patrick Farmer, a former Australian MP and his team following the successful completion of the 4600 km Spirit of India run from Kanyakumari to Srinagar. He is a multiple record holder for endurance running and has run from North to South Pole and across Australia, New Zealand and Vietnam as well as the Middle East and North America.