Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Aug 07, 2016

ANSWER: Medium Range Surface to Air Missile

Explanation:
DRDO has recently flight tested 3 Medium Range Surface to Air Missile systems at Integrated Test Range, Chandipur during 30th June-July 1 2016

• MRSAM can detect incoming enemy aircraft at 100 km distance and destroy them at ranges up to 70 k.

ANSWER: India

Explanation:
Minister of Railways Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu dedicated the Rail Geet/Railway Song to the nation

• This marks the first time Rail Geet has been composed for Indian Railways.
• Geet has been composed by music director Shravan and sung by Udit Narayan and Kavita Krishnamurthi. It is written by former Railway officer Shri Satya Prakash.
• The song has two versions : a longer version of 5 minutes duration and a shorter version of 3 minutes duration.
• Both the versions of the song are available on the YouTube account of Railway Ministry https://www.youtube.com/user/RailMinIndia.

ANSWER: Nutrice

Explanation:
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research constituent lab, CSIR Central Food Technological Research Institute in association with Oleome Biosolutions and Dairy Classic Ice Creams has developed Nutrice

• This cream is enriched with Vitamin E and Omega 3 fatty acids and is a enriched frozen nutritional desert from vegetarian sources.
• Dietary supplementation of Omega-3 fats which are the Poly Unsaturated Fatty Acids have been reported to benefit health including brain development.
• CSIR and CFTRI has developed nutri chikkis, high protein rusk, fortified mango bar and rice mix to name a few more products rich in nutrients.

ANSWER: Telangana

Explanation:
Telangana Irrigation Department signed an MoU with Indian Space Research Organisation for setting up Telangana Water Resources Information System (TWRIS) on Bhuvan web portal

• MoU with the Hyderabad headquartered National Remote Sensing Centre of ISRO was inked to capture field level irrigation network and mark irrigation structures on satellite visualisation tool Bhuvan

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
American teenager Virginia Thrasher claimed the first Rio Olympics gold Medal in shooting

• The 19-year-old won the women's 10m air rifle title at the Deodoro shooting venue, holding her own to see off China's Du Li on the final shot.
• She finished with 208 points, one clear of 2004 Athens champion Du as Olympic chief Thomas.
• The bronze medal went to China's defending champion Yi Siling.

ANSWER: Call Drops

Explanation:
Regarding mobile operators and call drops, TRAI has proposed stricter quality norms for local areas and imposing financial disincentives for poor services

• Quality norms at service level area are there but the quality of customer experience will be assessed through this QoS or Quality of Service is assessed using these norms.

ANSWER: Turi

Explanation:
Apple is upping the ante on artificial intelligence acquiring start up Turi for USD 200 million

• Acquisition reflects a push by artificial intelligence and machine learning increasing the California based company’s presence in Seattle.
• Apple has also acquired some other machine learning and AI-related startups in recent months like VocalIQ, Emotient and Perception.

ANSWER: Solar

Explanation:

• Scientists have created high performance, micro scale solar cells that outshine comparable devices powering personal devices such as wearable medical sensors, smartwatches and autofocusing contact lenses.
• Large rooftop photovoltaic arrays generate electricity from charges moving vertically.
• Small new cells developed capture current from charges moving laterally.
• They generate more energy than sideways solar systems.

ANSWER: Tarun Ramadorai

Explanation:
RBI on 4th August 2016 constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Tarun Ramadorai, Professor of Financial Economics, University of Oxford

• The committee will examine household finance and benchmark current depth of household financial markets in India among those in other major world markets and identify areas for growth and change.
• Committee will submit report in July 2017.

ANSWER: CD8+T

Explanation:
Chinese scientists defined a subset of a type of virus specific cells that play a vital role in control of replication in chronic viral infection, forming the way for new methods to treat chronic diseases like HIV-AIDS and cancer

• Virus specific cells CD8+T appear to deplete during chronic viral infection according to online research.
• Cells will be able to control viral replication in both animal models and HIV infection, as per research findings.
• Researchers have a unique subset that offer higher anti viral potential than previously know thus showing greater therapeutic potential.

ANSWER: Gujarat

Explanation:
Gujarat Industries Power Company has entered into a PPA with Solar Energy Corporation of India for solar power projects in Gujarat

• Last month, GIPCL said it has received letters of intent (LoIs) from Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for execution of a solar power project in Gujarat.
• GIPCL had emerged as a successful bidder in the e-reverse auction for 40 MW solar power project in Gujarat Solar Park.

ANSWER: Kashi

Explanation:
Kashi, well known as Sanketh Kashi is a well known Kannada actor who passed away on 6th August 2016

• Kashi started his career with theatre and was known as ‘Sanketh’ Kashi for his association with Sanketh troupe, which was led by late actor Shankar Nag.
• Kashi played comic roles in most of the over hundred films he acted. He played the lead role in a 2000 Kannada film Nanna Hendathi Chennagidale.
• His dual role in the film Ulta Pulta, based on Shakespeare’s play Comedy of Errors, earned him much praise.

ANSWER: Mothers Absolute Affection

Explanation:
Union Health Minister JP Nadda on 5th August 2016 launched a nation wide programme Mother’s Absolute Affection that is for promoting breastfeeding among mothers

• MAA is an intensified programme of the Health Ministry for creating an enabling environment to ensure that mothers, husbands and families receive adequate information and support for promotion of breastfeeding.
• The Ministry has allocated INR 30 crore rupees for the Programme and INR 4.3 lakh rupees for each district will be allotted for implementing the various activities under MAA programme.
• The chief components of the MAA Programme are Community awareness generation, Strengthening inter personal communication through ASHA, Skilled support for breastfeeding at Delivery points in Public health facilities, and Monitoring and Award/recognition.

ANSWER: August 7

Explanation:
PM Narendra Modi spoke of how the day will give impetus handloom sector and usage of more handloom products in daily lives

• A large percentage of women are associated with the handloom sector making it the way forward for women empowerment.
• Handloom sector is diverse, eco friendly and employment source for weavers.
• According to a Ministry of Textiles, 2015 note, India is home to around 43 lakh weavers that India Handloom census estimated. However, this figure was a staggering low as against the 65 lakh weavers counted in the 1995-1996 census.
• The textiles ministry’s interpersonal campaign #Iwearhandloom was started on August 1 as an effort to resuscitate and promote hand-woven creations.

ANSWER: 500

Explanation:
The initiative has been launched to assess and rank 500 cities and towns based on levels of sanitation and efforts made by respective urban local bodies and also to capture progress towards achieving ‘Open Defecation Free’ status

• The Minister also released in New Delhi today various publications and mobile applications to help the 500 cities and towns prepare for the survey to be conducted in January next year.
• Jan Andolan will achieve Swacch Bharat by 2019, according to the ministry.
• Citizens can post photos of unhygienic places in urban areas on Swachh App and they will be informed of action taken by respective urban local bodies in specific time period.
• Using toll free Helpline Number 1969, citizens can seek information about the ways of participating in cleanliness mission
  They can also enquire the status of their applications for construction of toilets.