Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Apr 19, 2016

ANSWER: UP

Explanation:
Uttar Pradesh has topped PPP project investments with the highest share of 15 percent followed by Maharashtra and Gujarat. UP has the highest share of 22 percent in terms of value of total PPP investment projects under constriction across India followed by Maharashtra (11 percent), Haryana (8.5 percent), Gujarat (6 percent) and Madhya Pradesh (4.5 percent)

• Most PPP investment projects have been terminated in Maharashtra (13 percent) followed by Chhattisgarh (10 percent), Gujarat (9 percent), Kerala (7 percent) and MP (7 percent).

ANSWER: 12 percent

Explanation:
Cotton supplies in Indian spot markets fell 12 percent from a year ago to 28 million bales between October and March as adverse weather curtailed production, stated the Cotton Association of India on April 18.

• The world's biggest cotton producer is likely to harvest 34.1 million bales of cotton in the 2015/16 season, that started on October 1, down from last year's output of 38.3 million bales, added the trade body.
• Trade bodies are consistently reducing cotton production estimates for the current season as pest attacks and the first back-to-back droughts in nearly three decades hampered per-hectare yields.

ANSWER: -0.85

Explanation:
Wholesale inflation for India for the month of March came in at -0.85 percent Y-O-Y continuing the tryst with negative territory as against -0.91 percent in February. This number measured by WPI index was fired by Y-O-Y increase in primary articles, steep fall in fuel and power group and less change in manufactured products.

• WPI basket weightage for primary articles, fuel and power and manufactured products stood at 20 percent, 15 percent and 65 percent respectively.

ANSWER: 200

Explanation:
Dr. Mahesh Sharma, Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (I/C) and Civil Aviation released a Commemorative Coin of Rs. 200/- and a Circulation Coin of Rs. 10/- on Tatya Tope on the occasion of his Martyr Day on April 18.

• A leader of India’s First War of Independence, Tatya Tope was a patriot of the highest order.
• He was captured by the British Forces on 07 April, 1859 and after a hurried trial for waging war against the East India Company, he was hanged to death on 18 April 1859 at Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh.

ANSWER: Shillong

Explanation:
Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smt Maneka Gandhi inaugurated the regional conference of NE states on Child Adoption in Shillong, Meghalaya.

• Conference was organised by the Central Adoption Resource Authority of the WCD Ministry.
• This regional conference covers the following states: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
• Reforms have also led to the enactment of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015

ANSWER: 24

Explanation:
Scientists have found three new species of mouse lemurs in Madagascar. This takes the total number of known mouse lemur species to 24. Just 20 years ago, only 2 species of this nocturnal primate were known

• Newly identified species like in South and East Madagascar
• Mouse lemurs are only found in Madagascar
• One of the species was named Ganzhorn’s mouse lemur (Microcebus ganzhorni), after Jorg Ganzhorn from Hamburg University
• The second species was named Microcebus manitatra, symbolising the expansion of the range of a subgroup from western Madagascar.
• The third member, Microcebus boraha, is named after its location on the Island of Sainte Marie in Malagasy Nosy Boraha.
• Red List of the IUCN says more than 100 species of lemurs are threatened by extinction currently.

ANSWER: Ancillary

Explanation:
Shri Piyush Goyal, Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy released Report of the Technical Committee on Large Scale Integration of Renewable Energy, Need for Balancing, Deviation Settlement Mechanism (DSM) and associated issues on April 18.

• Shri Goyal also launched Ancillary Services Operations in India.
• The Ministry is set to take ‘one nation, one grid, one price 24X7’ on mission mode
• India has set an ambitious target of achieving 175 GW of renewable generation capacity. In order to integrate such high penetration of renewable energy and address the concerns of the stakeholders in renewable energy
• A high level Technical Committee was constituted with members from Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), Central Electricity Authority (CEA), renewable rich states like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Power Utilities like PGCIL, Power System operation Corporation Ltd. (POSOCO), NTPC, State Generating companies and Private generating companies and Institutions like India Meteorological department (IMD), National Institute of Wind Energy (NIWE), National Institute of Solar Energy (NISE), GIZ, Ernst & Young (E&Y), etc. The committee had extensive deliberations and has recommended 15 point action plan.

ANSWER: Dipa Karmakar

Explanation:
Dipa Karmakar has created history by becoming the first Indian woman gymnast to qualify for Olympics as the 22-year-old garnered a total score of 52.698 points in the Olympics qualifying event to book a berth for artistic gymnastics in Rio Games.

• Apart from being the first Indian woman, she will also be an Indian gymnast qualifying for the quadrennial extravaganza after 52 long years.
• Since the independence of the country, 11 Indian male gymnast have taken part in the Olympics (two in 1952, three in 1956 and six in 1964) but this will be the first for an Indian woman at the Olympics
• Dipa had also created history by becoming the first woman gymnast to win a medal — a bronze — in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.

ANSWER: CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing tool

Explanation:
A species of genetically engineered mushrooms has been freed of regulation by USDA and it can be sold and grown without prior permission. There are about 30 genetically modified organisms that have been freed by the USDA

• This marks the first time USDA has given approval for tool CRISPR-Cas9 edited mushroom species
• Known as the common white button mushroom, this fungus species (Agaricus bisporus) was genetically engineered by Yinong Yang of Pennsylvania State University using CRISPR-Cas9.
• The engineered mushrooms do not brown easily when sliced. This can improve their shelf-life, thereby rendering them valuable commercially.
• The browning of the mushroom is caused by the enzyme polyphenol oxidase (PPO) and scientists got rid of one of the six PPO genes which reduced the enzyme’s activity by 30 per cent.

ANSWER: Brazil

Explanation:
Brazil's lower house of Congress voted to impeach President Dilma Rousseff, delivering a major blow to a long-embattled leader who repeatedly argued that the push against her was a "coup."

• Rousseff is accused of using accounting tricks in managing the federal budget to maintain spending and shore up support.
• The needed two-thirds of lawmakers in the Chamber of Deputies voted to oust her.

ANSWER: Cavendish

Explanation:
This is a unit of BK Birla Group firm Kesoram Industries. With the acquisition of Cavendish Industries, the group has strengthened its position in the bus and truck radial segment. CMD Raghupati Singhania said the acquisition will enhance productivity.

ANSWER: Bimlendra Jha

Explanation:
TATA Steel Europe has announced the appointment of executive committee member Bimlendra Jha as the CEO of Tara Steel UK to expedite the sale of the loss making business in the country. He will report to Hans Fischer, CEO of Tata Steel Europe.

ANSWER: Deepak Mishra

Explanation:
The appointment of Shri Deepak Mishra, IPS (AGMU:84) as Addl. Director General in CRPF from the date of assumption of charge of the post and upto 30.11.2018 has been approved. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Shri P.C.Thakur, IPS (GJ:79) as Director General, Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards (FS,CD&HG) for a period upto the date of his superannuation i.e. 31.12.2016.

ANSWER: Foreign Tax Credit

Explanation:
Central Board of Direct Taxes has proposed foreign tax credit rules to assist corporates. For providing relief to corporates with income abroad, simplified Foreign Tax Credit rules were introduced. These have been formulated to help companies claim credit for taxes paid overseas.

• CBDT said tax credit can be availed by entities paying taxes in the nation including those with Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement.
• Foreign tax credit will be determined by conversion of currency of payment of foreign tax at telegraphic transfer buying are on dates when the tax has been paid or deducted