Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Aug 29, 2016

ANSWER: 3277 kg

Explanation:
The first experimental mission of ISRO’s Scramjet Engine towards the realisation of an Air Breathing Propulsion System was successfully conducted from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota.

• Following a smooth countdown of 12 hours, the solid rocket booster carrying the Scramjet Engines lifted off at 6:00 am IST on 28th August 2016. The important flight events namely burnout of booster rocket stage, ignition of second stage solid rocket, functioning of Scramjet engines for 5 seconds followed by burnout of the second stage went exactly as planned.
• Following a flight of 300 seconds, vehicle touched down in the Bay of Bengal approximately 320 km from Sriharikota.
• The vehicle was successfully tracked during its light from the ground stations at Sriharikota.
• With this flight, critical technologies such as ignition of air breathing engines at supersonic speed, holding the flame at supersonic speed, air intake mechanism and fuel injection systems have been successfully demonstrated.
• Scramjet engine designed by ISRO uses hydrogen as fuel and the and O2 from the atmospheric air as the oxidiser.
• The test conducted was a maiden short duration experimental test of the ISRO Scramjet engine with the hypersonic flight at Mach 6.
• ISRO’s Advanced Technology vehicle which is an advanced sounding rocket was the solid rocket booster used for today’s test of Scramjet engines at supersonic conditions. ATV carrying Scramjet engines weighed 3277 kg at lift off.
• ATV is a two stage spin stabiliser launcher with identical solid motors based on Rohini RH560 sounding rocket at the first as well as the second stage (booster and sustainer). Twin scramjet engines were mounted on the back of the second stage and once it was reached, desired conditions for engine startup necessary actions were initiated to ignite the Scramjet engines and they functioned for about 5 seconds.
• Today’s AT flight operations were based on pre-programmed sequence.
• Some of the technological challenges handled by ISRO during the development of the Scramjet engine include the design and development of hypersonic engine air intake, the supersonic combustor, development of materials withstanding very high temperature, computational tools to simulate hypersonic flow, ensuring performance and operability of the engine across a wide range of flight speeds, proper thermal management and ground testing of the engines.
• India is the fourth country to demonstrate the flight testing of the Scramjet Engine. The successful technology demonstration of air breathing Scramjet Engine in flight by ISRO today is a modest yet important milestone in the endeavour to design and develop advanced air breathing engines including engines for ISRO future space transportation system.

ANSWER: Long March 5

Explanation:
China is moving its new largest carrier rocket which will be be used for lunar and Mars probes to its launch base in southern Hainan from northern China’s Tianjin Port.

• Long March 5 rocket carrier by two special rocket carrying ships, Yuanwang 21 and Yuanwang 22 will arrive at Qinglan Port in Wrenching Hainan Province early next month.
• As the country’s strongest carrier rocket, Long March 5 has a payload capacity of 25 tonnes in low Earth orbit and 14 tonnes in geostationary orbit.
• The rocket is planned to carry the Chang’e 5 lunar probe in 2017 and will be used to launch China’s space station modules and Mars probes
• It represents a landmark in the country’s carrier rocket upgrading and has expanded the diameter of the liquid fuel rockets to 5 metres from 3.35 metres and will improve space entering capabilities by 2.5 times.
• Instead of highly toxic propellants, the rocket uses liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and lox kerosene as fuel, making it eco friendly.
• Its engines can produce a thrust of more than 1000 tonnes when taking off. It has taken the researchers 16 years to build the rocket after nearly 7000 tests
• The rocket was developed by China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace and Technology Corporation.
• Completed in 2014 the Wenchang site, the court of its kind in China will form the launchpad for the mission
• Being the closest site to the equator, Wenchang boasts many advantages when it comes to latitude
• Satellites launched near the equator have a longer service life as they have shorter journey to make it to geostationary orbit and make fuel savings.

ANSWER: First

Explanation:
Field trials of GM Mustard are complete and an application from DU’s Centre for Genetic Manipulation of Crop Plants is pending before the government.
Once approved, GM mustard will be the first genetically modified crop to be grown commercially in the country.

• Rajasthan is the country’s top mustard producing state
• In 2010-2011, of the 48,38,258 hectares under mustard cultivation in the country, 24,84.307 was in Rajasthan
• Over 40 percent of the total mustard produced in India comes from Rajasthan
• Application from DU seeks to commercially grow three different varieties of GM mustard- hybrid GM mustard(DMH-11 or Dhara Mustard Hybrid-11) and its two parental lines
• Former VC of DU Deepak Pental lead researcher championing the GM mustard said that global population was around 1.6 billion in 1900, today it was 7.2 billion.
• Average life span at birth in India was 23 in 1900; it is now 65. Unless food production gets a technological flip, there will be shortage of food.
• Food and trade policy analyst Devinder Sharma has said GM mustard increased productivity by 20-25 percent was a false claim. There is no known gene that can increase productivity.
• He further added that any GM variety known to be as good as the hybrid in which the alliance gene is inserted simply means if the gene makes hybridisation easier, it does not raise crop productivity
• On related issues of gene flow, contamination and growth of super weeds, results have been unsatisfactory so far.
• A change.org petition indicated that in 15 years, Bt cotton insect the crop was designed to be immune to has adapted to the new variant. Bt crop is besieged by so many pests that farmers are using more pesticides than before.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Broadcasting Content Complaints Council announced the appointment of actress Sharmila Tagore, theatre activist Arundhati Nag and academician Ira Bhaskar as the new non-broadcast members in the eminent persons category.

• Tagore is a popular Bollywood actress from the family of famous poet and nationalist Rabindranath Tagore; she also served as chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification from 2004-2011.
• Bhaskar, professor of cinema studies at School of Arts and Aesthetics JNU was also a member of CBFC till recently
• BCCC is an independent self regulatory body for general entertainment channels set up by Indian Broadcasting Foundation
• Appointments for the three year term were approved by directors of IBF following the exit of Shabana Azmi, Bhaskar Ghose and Vir Sanghvi.
• All 3 were associated with BCCC since its inception
• New members will assume their positions from September 2016
• The regulatory body also appoints members from National Statutory Commission and broadcast sector
• 13 member body includes National Commission for chairperson PL Punia, member of NCW Laldingliani Sailo, general counsel and company secretary at Viacom 18 Sujeet Jain and President (Legal and Regulatory) at Zee Network, A. Mohan.

ANSWER: Gujarat

Explanation:
Gujarat government is planning to set up India’s first textile University at Surat with investment of INR 800-900 crore.

• Textile industry will support the government in the endeavour
• State government will fund the investment for university which is expected to be operational in 1.5 years
• Aim of the university is to provide support including technology, research and development, skilled manpower and more
• Land has been identified near Surat
• Purpose of the university will be the creation of a complete ecosystem for the textile industry in Gujarat and India
• It will guide the government in policy making for the industry
• University will be spread over 250 acres

ANSWER: Punit Misra

Explanation:
Punit Goenka led Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited announced the appointment of Punit Misra as CEO domestic broadcast business.

• Misra will report to Goenka and head one of the five verticals that are part of the new corporate structure at the Subhash Chandra-promoted company.
• He takes up the post with effect from October 1.
• Before this appointment, Misra was executive director – sales and customer development for Hindustan Unilever (HUL).His experience at HUL spans across categories like home care, personal care and foods through various roles in customer development and marketing.
• Misra is the first appointment announced by ZEEL in the restructuring process and more announcements on the heads of the live events and film studio business are expected in the coming weeks.
• The company is working with research firm EY to downsize the workforce and transition into a new corporate structure.