Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Dec 20, 2016

ANSWER: Kanpur

Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 19^th Dec 2016 unveiled the first Indian Institute of Skills in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The PM also launched the exhibition Kaushal Pradarshini to showcase major skill development initiatives of the Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship/MSDE.

The Kanpur institute is the country’s first ever Indian institute of skills.

Primary objective of the institute is empowering the youth to be employable and self sustainable.

Institute was conceived when PM Modi visited Singapore’s Institute of Technical Education.

The institute is inspired by the Singapore model of training and will incorporate the best practices from this nation.

The plan is to set up six such institutes in India in the coming years.

Skill Initiatives by GoI

• Kaushal Pradarshini: Skill exhibition for UP Youth
• Exhibition showcases state-of-the-art vocational training practice.
• Union Budget identifies Education, Skill Development and Employment as one of the 9 pillars to transform Indian economy.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana for imparting skills training to youths at INR 1500 crore was launched in March 2015.
• National Mission for Skill Development was launched in July 2015 for training at least 300 million skilled people by 2022.

ANSWER: 2nd

Explanation:
Indian cricketer Karun Nair on 19^th Dec 2016 scored a triple century in the first innings of the 5th and final match against England.

The venue was the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai.

With this, he became the second Indian batsman to score a triple century in tests.

Earlier, Virendra Sehwag scored two triple centuries in test matches.

Nair’s unbeaten 303 helped India to score 759/7 scores and led India to a margin of 282 runs over England.

England scored 477 runs in the first innings of the match.

The Triple Century

• Scored by 26 different batsman on 30 different occasions.
• Triple centuries were scored by 8 of the 10 cricket playing nations in test.
• No cricketer from Zimbabwe or Bangladesh has scored a triple century
• First cricketer to score triple century: Andy Sandham (England).
• He scored the triple century against West Indies in 1930s.

ANSWER: Retired SC judge

Explanation:
Union Government has mandated that a single committee will be set up to hear inter-state river water disputes.

Step will merge existing tribunals into a single body and fasten the process of water dispute resolution.

Apart from this central body, GoI has also proposed to create benches to look into disputes when needed.

Benches will not be permanent like the Tribunal and will be dissolved once the dispute is solved,

Government has also proposed that in comparison to earlier tribunals that took years to deliver verdicts, this tribunal will give the verdict within 3 years.

Government has also proposed the setting up of a Dispute Resolution Committee comprising experts and policy makers.

DRC will handle water disputes before they go to the Tribunal.

DRC will be formed by the centre at the behest of the state. Disputes will be solved at the DRC level itself.

In cases where the state is not in agreement with the DRC judgement, they can then approach the Tribunal

The Tribunal’s verdict will get notified automatically.

River Dispute Tribunals

Government will amend the Inter State Water Disputes Act1956 for the new tribunal.

As of now there are 8 tribunals including:

• Ravi
• Beas
• Cauvery
• Mahadayi
• Krishna
• Vansadhara

As per the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 (ISRWD Act, 1956) when the water dispute arises among 2/more State Governments, the Central Government receives a request under Section 3 of the Act.

This is from any of the basis States with regard to existence of water dispute.

ANSWER: Stephanie Del Valle

Explanation:
Puerto Rico’s Stephanie Del Valle was crowned Miss World 2016 at the 66th edition of the event held at MGM National Harbour, Maryland in the US on 18th Dec 2016.

A total of 117 contestants were competing from countries across the globe.

Stephanie Del Valle beat runners up Miss Dominican Republic Yaritza Reyes and Miss Indonesia Natasha Mannuela.

Other contestants in the top 5 included Miss Philippines Catriona Elisa Gray and Miss Kenya Evelyn Njambi.

19-year-old Dev Valle became the second Puerto Rican to hold the title since the start of the competition in 1951.

The first Puerto Rican to win the title was Wilnelia Merced in the 1970s.

Miss India Priyadarshini Chatterjee fell out of the race after making it to the top 20.

20-year-old Chatterjee was the first from NE region to represent India at the World pageant.

Other winners:

• Miss Mongolia, Bayartsetseg Altangerel: Talent challenge
• Miss Philippines Catriona Gray: Multimedia challenge
• Miss Indonesia Natasha Mannuela: Beauty with a Purpose title.
• Miss Cook Islands, Natalia Short: Sports challenge
• Miss China PR, Jing Kong: Top Model competition

The country to have the maximum number of winners is Venezuela with 6 Miss World titles, followed by India and the UK with 5 wins and then South Africa, US, Iceland, Sweden and Jamaica all of whom are tied with 3 wins each.

The last Indian to have won the Miss World Crown was Priyanka Chopra in 2000.

Prior to that, it was Yukta Mookhey in 1999 and Diana Hayden in 1997.

The first Indian to win this title was Reita Faria in 1966.

India also won the crown in 1994 when Aishwarya Rai won.

Know More About Miss World Pageant

• Oldest surviving major international beauty pageant.
• Created by: Eric Morley
• Established: 1951 in UK.
• Co chaired by Julia Morley since 2000.

ANSWER: United Kingdom

Explanation:
Britain's recent Brexit problems and India's rapid economic growth, has propelled Indian nation to overtake its erstwhile colonial master United Kingdom in terms of the size of the economy - the first time after nearly 150 years.

This massive shift was driven by rapid economic growth in India over 2 and a half decades and downslide in pound value over past 12 months, according to Forbes.

Once expected to overtake the UK GDP in 2020, the growth has been accelerated by the nearly 20 per cent decline in the value of the pound over the last 12 months, consequently UK's 2016 GDP of GBP 1.87 trillion converts to $2.29 trillion at exchange rate of GBP 0.81 per $1.

India’s GDP of INR 153 trillion converts to $2.30 trillion at exchange rate of INR 66.6 per $1," the report said.

CEBR had forecasted India would be with the 5th largest GDP by 2020.

Furthermore, this gap is expected to widen as India grows at 6 to 8 per cent p.a. compared to UK's growth of 1 to 2 per cent per annum until 2020, and likely beyond.

Even if the currencies fluctuate that modify these figures to rough equality, the verdict is clear that India's economy has surpassed that of the UK based on future growth prospects, the report indicated.

India overtook UK and becomes 5th largest GDP after USA, China, Japan & Germany."

Brexit

• Short form for British exit. Refers to United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU.
• Referendum for the same was held in June 2016.
• 52% of votes in favour of leaving EU.
• UK has invoked Article 50 of the Treaty on EU for withdrawing by close of March 2017.
• Current British PM: Theresa May
• UK joined EU in 1973.

ANSWER: 270

Explanation:
Donald Trump won 304 votes in the US electoral college to formally win the presidency.

The billionaire and real estate mogul will become America’s 45th president.

Mr Trump’s polarising victory in Nov and the Democrat Hillary Clinton’s winning the popular vote had created lobbying, but to no avail.

With several states still voting, Mr Trump had 304 votes and Mrs Clinton had 169. It takes 270 Electoral College votes to win the presidency.

Texas put Mr Trump over the top, despite two Republican electors casting protest votes.

Clinton lost 4 electors in Washington.

In Madison, WI, protesters shouted, cried and sang “Silent Night”. In Augusta, Maine, they held signs that said, “Don’t let Putin Pick Our President,” referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Electoral College

• Members: 538
• Numbers allocated to states based on how many reps it has in the House plus one for each senator.
• District of Columbia got three votes.
• It is home to the Congress.
• It has no vote in the Congress.

ANSWER: Bernard Tapie

Explanation:
International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde was on 19th Dec 2016 convicted for negligence over a massive state payout to a tycoon when she was French finance minister.

Though convicted, she was not given a sentence.

The 2007 decision by Lagarde to permit a dispute over flamboyant businessman Bernard Tapie's sale of the Adidas sports brand to Credit Lyonnais bank to be resolved by private arbitration panel was under scrutiny.

The 60-year-old former corporate lawyer is also accused of failing to challenge the 404-million-euro (USD 422 million) award that emerged from the arbitration.

The payout raised concerns given Tapie's overt support for Lagarde's then boss, ex-president Nicolas Sarkozy, and it was subsequently cancelled by the courts.

Tapie had sold Adidas to Credit Lyonnais for the equivalent of 315.5 million euros in 1993.

The bank sold it on the following year for 701 million euros, prompting claims from Tapie that he had been cheated.

Another ex IMF head, Rodrigo Rato of Spain, is currently standing trial on charges of misusing funds when he was head of Spanish lender Bankia.

International Monetary Fund

• Abbreviation: IMF
• Formation: 27 December 1945
• Type: International financial institution
• Headquarters: Washington, D.C., United States'
• Membership: 189 countries
• Official language: English
• Managing Director: Christine Lagarde
• Main organ: Board of governors
• Parent organisation: United Nations
• Website: www.imf.org

ANSWER: Norway

Explanation:
Norway and China announced on 19th Dec 2016 regarding the resumption of diplomatic relations.

This is six years after Beijing froze ties with Oslo over the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a Chinese dissident.

The announcement means talks can now resume on a free trade pact between mineral-rich Norway and China, the world's second-biggest economy.

Diplomatic relations and the trade talks were frozen after the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2010 to human rights activist Liu Xiaobo.

He is imprisoned in his own country by authorities who consider him a “criminal."

During a visit to Beijing by Norwegian foreign minister Borge Brende on Monday, the two nations issued a joint declaration announcing they were resuming ties.

The Norwegian government reiterated its commitment to the one-China policy.

According to the media, China had demanded an official apology but Norway's government repeatedly refused, insisting that the Nobel Committee was an independent body free to make its own choices.

Liu Xiaobo has been serving an 11-year sentence since 2009 for "subversion", after co-writing work calling for democracy in China.

Salmon exports to China, one of Norway's biggest export items, suffered as a result of the row, dealing a big blow to the industry.

ANSWER: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Explanation:
The Hollywood actress famous for her larger than life personality and 9 marriages passed away on 18^th Dec of a heart attack.

Gabor suffered a series of illnesses in recent years and had to have her leg partially amputated in January 2016 due to poor circulation.

She suffered a stroke in 2005, three years after a car accident had left her partially paralysed.

Gabor is believed to have been born on 6 February 1917 as Sari Gabor in Budapest, Hungary, where she was brought up with her older and younger sisters, Magda and Eva.

She acted in theatre in Vienna in her youth before emigrating to the United States in 1941.

Her first role was in Moulin Rouge (1952), directed by John Huston.

She achieved cult figure status starring in 1950s B-movies, including Queen of Outer Space, in which she played a rebel Venusian who falls in love with four Earthmen whom her man-hating queen wants to destroy.

Spouses included Conrad Hilton, the founder of the Hilton hotel chain, and Barbie doll creator Jack Ryan.

Her last marriage was also her longest, with Frédéric Prinz von Anhalt in 1986.

Gabor’s only child, Francesca Hilton, died aged 67 in February 2015.

Know More About Zsa Zsa Gabor

• Gabor, or simply Zsa Zsa to most, was perhaps the first celebutante.
• Born Sari Gabor in Budapest, Hungary in 1917.
• Zsa Zsa competed in the 1936 Miss Hungary pageant.
• She made her film debut in the musical Lovely to Look At (1952) opposite Red Skelton, Kathryn Grayson and Howard Keel.
• In 1952, she also had a part in “We’re Not Married!” with Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire and starred in “Moulin Rouge” with José Ferrer.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
IBM and Germany-based electronics company Siemens have collaborated to integrate IBM Watson Analytics and other tools into MindSphere.

Mind sphere is the cloud-based Siemens operating system for the Internet of Things (IoT).

An open cloud platform from Siemens and a centrepiece of a powerful IoT operating system with data analytics and connectivity capabilities, tools for developers, applications and services, it will integrate Watson analytics and other tools.

This will boost operational performance and reduces downtime by bringing intelligence to production equipment.

Secondly, it will use data from connected machines helps to predict anomalies and failure patterns and to initiate corrective measures.

It will also help to improve product quality and yield using quality analytics

IBM Watson

• Supercomputer named after IBM founder Thomas J Watson
• Combines artificial intelligence and analytical software.
• Aims for optimal performance as a "question answering" machine.
• Thinks like a human.

ANSWER: Parafimbrios lao

Explanation:
Parafimbrios lao, a rainbow-headed snake, a dragon-like lizard and a newt that looks like a Klingon from the Star Trek series are among 163 new species found in Greater Mekong, according to a WWF report.

Totally, nine amphibians, 11 fish, 14 reptiles, 126 plants and three mammalian species discovered last year in the Mekong region in Southeast Asia were described for the first time in the new report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).

Rainbow-headed snake, Parafimbrios lao, found in Laos has been likened to David Bowie's "Ziggy Stardust" character.

With a unique colouration pattern and different number of scale rows and upper teeth, this snake a new species, part of a whole new Genus: Parafimbrios.

The 'Klingon Newt' (Tylototriton anguliceps) is the fourth newt species found to exist in Thailand.

A new species of newt called the tylototriton anguliceps in Chiang Rai.

It measures between 6-7 cm long, and is distinguished by a dorsal ridge and unique red markings.

The Phuket Horned Tree Agamid (Acanthosaura phuketensis) is a lowland forest dwelling lizard species.

This medium-sized species is distinct from its mainland relatives based on:

• unique colouration,
• placement and size of its many threatening-looking horns on its head and down its spine.

Mekong River

• Location: Southeast Asia
• From its origins in China's Tibetan-Qinghai Plateau to Southern Vietnam where it empties into the South China Sea, the river acts as the backbone of a region.
• Wildlife is as diverse as the 300 million people that call it home.
• Between 1997 and 2015 there have been 2,409 new species described in this region,
• Current count: 430 mammal species, 800 reptiles and amphibians, 1,200 birds, 1,100 fish and 20,000 plant species already known to science.

ANSWER: Diamond

Explanation:
Researchers at Harvard University have created the world's smallest radio receiver which is made from diamonds.

The radio receiver is based on nano-sized flaws in the pink diamond. Its functional building blocks are the size of only two atoms.

The world's smallest radio receiver works perfectly for playing music on a local radio station. It's a device built on a micro-scale

Human created radio transmissions were established in the 19th century.

In addition to its small dimensions, the pink diamond basis of the receiver means that this piece of nanotechnology is highly resistant to external conditions.

This is making future versions of the device ideal for use in space or other extreme environments.

The technology at the core of the receiver might also be used in quantum computing, potentially pushing future computer processing power forward by a massive margin.

The scientists could remove one carbon atom in the diamond and replace it with a nitrogen atom. Next to the nitrogen atom, the scientists removed another carbon atom.

Thereby they set up an atomic-scale system consisting of a nitrogen atom with a hole next to it (thus, "nitrogen-vacancy"). These NV centers were each able to emit single photons and detect magnetic fields.

The scientists then pumped green laser light into the diamond, exciting the electrons in the NV centers.

Once excited, these electrons are able to detect electromagnetic fields, including radio waves, and convert these signals into red light.

From there, a photodiode could read the red light and convert it into a current, which was then translated into sound.

A strong magnetic field around the diamonds allowed scientists to tune the device by changing the receiving frequency of the NV centers.