Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Dec 15, 2015

ANSWER: 5.41%

Explanation:
The Consumer Price Index for the month of November was pegged at 5.41 percent as against 5% month on month driven by rise in food inflation. Food inflation was pegged at 6.07% as against 5.25% MoM. Upside surprise in food inflation must not be generalised according to economists. The CPI running lower than RBI estimates could increase to 5.5% going forward.

ANSWER: San Francisco and Bengaluru

Explanation:
Letter of Intent was signed between San Francisco and Bengaluru on 14th December 2015 for cooperation in diverse fields such as art, culture and museums as part of the sister initiative between the two cities. Interactive art and technology installations from San Francisco will soon be installed in the city at places such as Cubbon Park and Vidhan Soudha metro station.

ANSWER: 248

Explanation:
Close to 248 of 2018 or 12.3% of Himalayan glaciers are retreating. Around 18 are advancing and a majority or around 86% are stable. This result is based on an ISRO-MoEF study conducted between 2004 and 2011 in the Himalayas.

ANSWER: Magnus Carlsen

Explanation:
Ex world champion V. Anand played a draw with Holland’s Anish Giri to finish 9th in the London Classic. The event was won by Magnus Carlsen of Norway. World champion Carlsen has won the Grand Chess Tour after winning the classic beating Russia’s Alexander Grischuk and Maxime Vachier Lagrave of France.

ANSWER: Sangita Singh

Explanation:
Wipro healthcare and life sciences CEO Sangita Singh has quit following 23 years of service with the company. She is one of the senior most leaders in the IT industry and has resigned at a very high level. Global health of life sciences and healthcare strategic business units will now be taken over by senior VP J. Heenan-Jalil. Healthcare and life sciences constitutes 11.4% of USD 7.6 billion which forms the firm’s top line.

ANSWER: Cognizant

Explanation:
Etihad Airways has announced a strategic agreement with Cognizant to drive digital transformation across the airline and its equity partners. As per the 3 year multi-million dollar deal, Cognizant will enable Etihad Airways to define its digital strategy and enable the airlines and its equity partners to better understand the needs of their customers. As part of the engagement, this IT company will manage the existing web apps and portals of the airline and integrate them into a new digital platform.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Tech Mahindra and Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd, part of the Mahindra Group have made the agreement to purchase Italian car designer Pininfarina S.p. A in an all cash deal. Tech Mahindra and M&M will form a 60:40 JV for acquiring Milanese company Pininfarina which has designed cars such as Ferrari, Rolls Royce and Cadillac. The JV, will also infuse 20 million euros into Pininfarina by way of a rights issue, which would be executed before the end of 2016.

ANSWER: 67.06

Explanation:
By depreciating 18 paise to INR 67.06 per dollar in early trade today, the rupee breached the 67 mark based on strong demand by American unit from importers and certain banks amid lower opening of the domestic equity market. Sustained capital outflows also weighed in on the domestic unit.

ANSWER: Lotus

Explanation:
Scientists have created a new low cost, non toxic material mimicking the lotus leaf to repel water droplets which could create environment friendly water proof surfaces. The superhydrophobic nanomaterial can be applied to numerous surfaces through spray or spin coating. Hydrocarbon based material can be a green replacement for costly, hazardous fluorocarbons.

ANSWER: Far right

Explanation:
Despite being ranked as France’s most popular party, the far right Front National has failed to win the regional local elections. The party is led by Marine Le Pen. Socialist PM Manual Valls has refrained from commenting on the loss.

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:
Israeli-American violinist Itzhak Perlman has been awarded the Jewish Nobel for his skills as a teacher, musician and advocate for the disabled. Genesis prize or Jewish Nobel is given each year to professionals who have contributed to humanity and Jewish causes as well as the state of Israel. Perlman has so far won 16 Grammy’s including a lifetime achievement award in 2008 and played the violin solo in the Oscar winning Schindler’s List.

ANSWER: B.K.S Iyengar

Explanation:
Search engine Google honoured the yoga teacher B. K. S Iyengar on his 97th birthday with an animated doodle on the homepage. Iyengar was a world renowned yoga guru credited with integrating eight fold or astang yoga known as Iyengar’s Yoga who taught celebs like violinist Yehudi Menuhin and spiritualist J. Krishnamurthi.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
6 Gulf states have indicated they will tax citizens for the first time in a massive policy shift. The gulf cooperation council comprising UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait will now introduce VAT following costly military campaigns and a drop in global oil prices. Taxation is an alternative source of income for the Gulf states.

ANSWER: Melor

Explanation:
Typhoon Melor struck Phillippines on 14th December 2015, ranked as a category 3 storm. It is believed to be causing flooding, landslides and 4 meter storm surges within the coastal region. People have been evacuated to protect them from torrential rain and high winds.

ANSWER: 12th December

Explanation:
Losar, the biggest Tibetan Buddhist festival commenced on 12th December 2015 in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir marking the beginning of the new year. Festival began with the illumination of religious and residential places. Losar is celebrated on the last two days of the 10th Bodhi month that coincides with December of Christian calendar. Ancestor worship forms a significant part of this festival.

ANSWER: Ahmad Javed

Explanation:
MEA appointed Mumbai Police Commissioner Ahmad Javed who will retire on 31st January 2016 as the 20th ambassador of Saudi Arabia. He will fill the post lying vacant since Hamid Ali Rao retired in April 2015. Javed is a 1980 batch IPS officer from Maharashtra cadre. He is also the 4th IPS officer to be appointed an ambassador.

ANSWER: Justice L. N. Reddy

Explanation:
Central Government has appointed Justice L.N. Narasimhan Reddy, the retired CJ of Patna HC to head the judicial committee to look into implementation of OROP(one rank one pension scheme)/ The terms of the reference of this committee shall be to examine and make recommendations on OROP.

ANSWER: Governance with Accountability, Transparency and Innovation

Explanation:
Two day regional conference on “minimum government-maximum governance” has been held as part of GATI or Governance with Accountability, Transparency and Innovation at Karnataka’s capital city Bengaluru.Conference is being organised by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, Government of India in collaboration with the Government of Karnataka on December 14-15, 2015.

ANSWER: 14th December

Explanation:
National Energy Conservation Day was celebrated on 14th December and the star rating app was launched on this occasion. This app is linked to the Standards and Labelling database and provides the user a platform to compare personalised energy saving devices across the same class and get a real-time feedback from consumers and other stakeholders so they can make an informed purchase decision.

ANSWER: Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill 2015

Explanation:
LS passed the Atomic Energy (Amendment) Bill 2015 with voice vote for treasury and opposition benches. It now has to be ratified by RS. The Bill seeks to amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, thus clearing the way for Atomic Energy Units, including NPCIL to enter into joint-ventures with other Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) and government sector companies.