Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Dec 09, 2015

ANSWER: Maison Montblanc

Explanation:
Titan has appointed 3 directors including MD Bhaskar Bhat on board its new JV with Maison Montblanc which aims to carry out single brand retail trading of the products in India. The other two people appointed on the board are Co CEO S. Ravi Kant and Independent Director Ireen Vittal. Appointment is as per agreement between partners under which Titan has appointed three of six directors in a BSE filing. JV has “equity participation pursuant to FIPB approval in the ratio of 51:49 by Montblanc Services BV and Titan Co Ltd, respectively, as per the filing. The equity share capital of the JV company after allotment on December 5, 2015 is Rs. 41.50 crore comprising 4.15 crore shares of Rs.10 each, the company said. Montblanc is entering India again to open 5 boutiques within the next 3 months. Titan is a JV between TATA group and Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corp.

ANSWER: Joy Bandekar

Explanation:
Taxi aggregator platform Ola on 7th December appointed Joy Bandekar as Corporate President to lead new initiatives. He has over 20 years of experience and joined Ola from Flipkart. He has also worked with organisations such as RIL, Maxworth Orchards and Atcom Technologies. Recently, it also hired Rajiv Bansal to head its finance operations.

ANSWER: OA-4 Cygnus

Explanation:
A United Launch Alliance Atlas V (401 configuration) rocket carrying the OA-4 Cygnus cargo spacecraft with much needed supplies blasted off towards the International Space Station (ISS) on 6th December 2015. Rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and it will be the first US delivery of cargo since April 2015.

ANSWER: Kuwait

Explanation:
Iran has replaced Kuwait to become the fifth largest crude oil supplier in the first half of fiscal 2015-2016, selling over 6.5 million tons of oil. Iran is also the second biggest supplier of crude oil after Saudi Arabia till the year 2010-2011. India is dependent on imports to meet needs to the tune of 80%.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
India’s total exports of the IT, ITeS and BPO services grew by 14.8% to USD 82 billion/INR 5.01 lakh crore in the year 2014-2015, as per RBI data. RBI also said in the Survey on Computer Software and IT enabled Services Exports: 2014-2015 that exports of computer services grew 72% and 28% for computer services and ITeS/BPO roughly. Public limited companies constitute 55.6% and as per RBI survey, US and Canada will persist in being major destinations, accounting for 60% of total software services export in 2014-2015.

ANSWER: Singapore

Explanation:
Singapore replaced Mauritius as top source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into India during April-September of 2015-16 financial year, as per an announcement made by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion of Ministry of Commerce and industry. Between April to September 15 2015, India has received INR 43096 crore as FDI from Singapore during the same period, FDI from Mauritius was INR 23490 crore. Netherlands occupied the third spot while the US came fourth.

ANSWER: Carolina Marin

Explanation:
All England and World Champion Carolina Marin has beaten ace Indian shutter Saina Nehwal to win the Female Player of the Year award from BWF. Marin, the winner of five World Superseries titles, held off competition from China's Zhao Yunlei, Saina and China's Bao Yixin. China’s Chen Long won the Male Player of the Year award. Korea’s Le Sam Seop and Norwegian Helle Sofia Sagoy won Para Badminton Player of the Year award in male and female categories while Zheng Si Wei won the most promising player of the year.

ANSWER: TCS

Explanation:
India’s biggest software services firm TATA Consultancy Services has won 4 prestigious awards for key client projects as well as innovations at European Software Testing Awards 2015 organised by TEST Magazine.
It won the following awards:

1. Best Agile Project
2. Best Mobile Project
3. Testing Innovator of the Year
4. Leading Vendor

ANSWER: Vodacom

Explanation:
Tata Communications said it will sell majority of its subsidiary Neotel's fixed line assets to Vodacom South Africa but will retain control of licences including spectrum. The deal was agreed to in May 2014. In dollar terms, the value of transaction at that time was around USD 676 million which has come down to USD 479 million due to depreciation in value of South African rand.

ANSWER: NALCO

Explanation:
The two firms will come together to set up a caustic soda plant at Dahej in Gujarat. NALCO CMD T K Chand on 8th December 2015 laid the foundation stone of the proposed plant, a release here said. The new JV company GACL-NALCO Alkalies & Chemicals Private Limited, in which NALCO holds 40 per cent share capital, while GACL holds the rest, plans to produce 2.7 lakh tonnes of caustic soda per annum.

ANSWER: DHI

Explanation:
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for skill development in the manufacturing sector, with focus on capital goods and automotive sector was signed on 8th December 2015 The MoU was signed between Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) and the Department of Heavy Industry (DHI). The MoU will aim to create CoE for different manufacturing skills.

ANSWER: MSME and Ministry of Textiles

Explanation:
A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed on 8th December 2015 among Ministry of Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME), Ministry of Textiles & National Textile Corporation (NTC) for setting up a Technology Centre (Tool Room) at Kanpur. Under the MoU, Ministry of MSME will fund the project, while NTC would provide the land in a closed, unviable mill.

ANSWER: 8th December

Explanation:
The 31st Charter Day of the eight-member grouping SAARC was observed in Nepal on 8th December which saw participation of senior ministers and officials. SAARC was set up on December 8th 1985 between the following states-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka signed the SAARC Charter. SAARC witnessed 18 summit meetings so far.

ANSWER: Professor U Ramamurty

Explanation:
Professor U Ramamurty of the Indian Institute of Science has been honoured with the the 2015 Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) prize, which carries a cash prize of USD 15,000, in the engineering category. Former presidents of TWAS have included prominent Indian academicians such as Prof. C. N. R Rao. TWAS prize is conferred by UNESCO. Other Indians who won the award include Jagadish Ladha in International Rice Research Institute and TIFR’s Sandip Trivedi.

ANSWER: Indian Long Term Ecological Observatories

Explanation:
The initiative was launched on the sidelines of the Conference of Parties-21 (COP-21) of UNFCCC in Paris. The programme aims to identify and monitor targeted socio-ecological challenges and help build capacity within India. The studies under the programme will indicate the need for imminent adaptation measures.

ANSWER: South Africa

Explanation:
India on 7 December 2015 won the four-match Test series against South Africa 3-0, beating them by 337 runs in the fourth and last match. Proteas chased a score of 481 while Ashwin claimed his 15th 5 wicket hail to beat them. Test series was called Freedom Trophy and dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

ANSWER: e-Nivesh

Explanation:
Project Motoring Group in Cabinet Secretariat has set up an online digital platform (e-Nivesh) through which it proposes to monitor 88 different types clearances/approvals granted by various Central Government Ministries/Department. From the 88, 83 clearances have been digitised and 4 in respect of MHA and MoD will not be digitised due to security concerns. In addition, 5 clearances are available on the portal of Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion.

ANSWER: India and Russia

Explanation:
INDRA NAVY is a bilateral maritime exercise between the Indian and Russian navies and epitomises the strategic relationship between the two and was Initiated in 2003. 8th edition of INDRA Navy will be launched from 7th to 12th December in the Bay of Nebgal. During INDRA NAVY-15, the Indian Navy will be represented by INS Sahyadri an indigenous frigate, INS Ranvijay, a guided missile destroyer and INS Shakti a Fleet Support Ship. In addition, a submarine, INS Sindhuvir, the P8I Long Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Dornier Short Range Maritime Patrol Aircraft, Hawk Advanced Jet Trainer and other integral rotary wing helicopters are scheduled to participate in the bilateral exercise.The Russian Federation Navy (RFN) will be represented by VADM RYABUKHIN ANDREY Deputy Commander of the Pacific Fleet and ships from the Pacific Fleet, based at Vladivostok. RFN ships Varyag (cruiser), Bystry (destroyer), Alatau (rescue ocean going tug) and Boris Butoma (fleet tanker) will also take part. There will be two phases namely Harbour and Sea Phase.

ANSWER: CSIR-IICT

Explanation:
NRDC has entered into an agreement with Council for Scientific and Industrial Research’s Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad for marketing the inventions/innovations, patents, formulations, know-how/processes developed by CSIR-IICT and also collection of Premia and Royalties arising from these activities. CSIR-IICT is a 70 year old R and D organisation.

ANSWER: Venezuela

Explanation:
Venezuela’s opposition won control of the National Assembly by a landslide, stunning the ruling party and altering the balance of power 17 years after the socialist revolution began in the country. Opposition coalition won a total of 99 seats in the incoming 167-seat legislature according to electoral authorities. Ruling party won less than half of the seats won by the Opposition coalition.

ANSWER: Laimdota Straujuma

Explanation:
The first female PM of Latvia, Laimdota Straujuma has resigned on 7th December 2015. Straujuma will head the three-party coalition that includes centre-right Unity party, the Greens and Farmers party and the far-right National Alliance in a caretaker capacity. Her resignation came after firing the transport minister in November 2015.

ANSWER: Desmond

Explanation:
Storm Desmond wreaked havoc in parts of Northern Ireland, north Wales, southern Scotland and north-west England in the first week of December 2015. The worst affected were Cumbria and Lancashire. It brought heavy rainfall leading to flooding and causing 1000s to flee from their homes. There were also landslides and high winds.

ANSWER: Kala Utsav

Explanation:
Inaugurating Kala Utsav on the theme of `Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ at Bal Bhawan in New Delhi on 8th December 2015, Union HRD Minister Smt. Smriti Irani said that Kala Utsav is a unique platform which provides an opportunity to learn about the art, culture and language of various States and UTs of the country at one place. Kala Utsav was conceived on 4th September by the Indian PM.

ANSWER: 11th

Explanation:
The congress will be attended by Security Chiefs of the Railway Systems of various countries apart from representatives of UIC, Indian Railways, police and security agencies of India. Mr. Jean-Pierre Loubinoux, Director-General of the International Union of Railways (UIC) and delegates of member countries would be attending. Railways CM will be Chief Guest. The International Union of Railways is a professional organisation which came into existence in 1922. There are 6 UIC assemblies.