Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Feb 17, 2016

ANSWER: SnapBizz

Explanation:
SnapBizz Cloudtech Pvt Limited devises technology for grocery stores. It raised a non disclosed amount of funding from Chairman Emeritus from TATA Sons Ltd, Ratan Tata. Earlier,SnapBizz raised funds in investment round funded by VC firms Jungle Ventures, Konly Ventures, Blume Ventures and Taurus Value Creation. Tata has invested in 20 startups so far.

ANSWER: Capital goods sector

Explanation:
Government of India has approved the first ever policy for capital goods sector, according to Union Minister for Heavy Industries Anand Geete. Policy holds that export will be increased to 40% of the production from the current 27% with increase in share of domestic production in India’s demand to 80% making India the net exporter of capital goods. National Capital Goods Policy aims to increase production of capital goods from Rs 2,30,000 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 7,50,000 crore in 2025 and raising direct and indirect employment from the current 8.4 million to 30 million.

ANSWER: Sweden

Explanation:
MoU was signed on 15th February 2016 between Ministry of Railways and Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation of Sweden on Technical Cooperation within the rail sector. Following areas of cooperation were identified through the understanding-

• Benchmark Railways policy development, regulations, organization and specific characteristics for each country.
• Exchange of knowledge, technical expertise, innovation, technology, sustainable solutions and research.
• Other cooperation projects agreed between the participants, such as, tilting coaches/trains, capacity allocation (time tabling) and optimisation of maintenance and improved freight/combination traffic.
• Training and continuing education program in reliability and maintenance of Rail transport system for Railway engineers and managers.

ANSWER: Swachh Survekshan 2016

Explanation:
73 cities were surveyed by the Swachh Survekshan 2016 survey announced by the Ministry of Urban Development. 15 cities scoring more than 70% of total market (2000) were categorised as leading cities whereas 20 cities were placed in the 60 to 70 percent category as Aspiring Leaders. Those in the range of 40 to 60 percent are cities which need to accelerate efforts and those below 50% were termed Slow Movers. The top 10 cities leading the survey were:
1. Mysuru
2. Chandigarh
3. Tiruchirapalli
4. New Delhi Municipal council
5. Visakhapatnam
6. Surat
7. Rajkot
8. Gangtok
9. Pimprichindwad
10. Greater Mumbai

ANSWER: LAMITYE

Explanation:
This is a two week long exercise being conducted between SPDF and Indian Forces at Seychelles Defence Academy located in Seychelles’s Victoria city. LAMITYE means friendship in Creole and aims to enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries. It is the 7th biannual exercise since its 2001 inception.

ANSWER: Brain

Explanation:
Scientists have developed 3 dimensional versions of the mini brains that resemble human brains in structure and functionality apart from providing knowhow regarding diseases such as autism and Alzheimer’s. These mini brains are also used for testing the efficacy of medication. John Hopkins University researchers created the brains using what are known as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs).The mini-brains are very small -at 350 micrometres in diameter (size of the eye of a housefly). They are visible to the human eye however.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
A global team of researchers have found new microbes that make a living within the deep subsurface of the planet in the absence of light or oxygen. Scientists hold that these organisms can survive many kilometres under the Earth’s surface using CO to gain energy. Microbes seen in the microscope have been named "Hadesarchaea", after the Greek god of the underworld. Researchers first discovered the organism from the South African gold mine at over 3 km. These microbes are located in considerably different aquatic and terrestrial environments whereby the deep mud of the temperate estuary in North Carolina was one while the hot springs at Wyoming’s Yellowstone National Park was another. Microbes living under the surface of the earth remain an important area of exploration. Hadesarchaea belong to the group of micro-organisms called the archaea. The latter group of microbes was discovered 40 years ago by American biologist Carl Woese.

ANSWER: Boutros-Boutros Ghali

Explanation:
Former UN secretary general Boutros Boutros Ghali has passed away at Cairo on 16th February at the age of 93. He was termed a respected statesman by UN Chief Ban Ki-moon. A former foreign minister of Egypt, he was the first Arab to serve as UN Chief. He took charge of office in the 1990s following the decisive role in the Gulf War serving a 5 year term. He was born on November 14, 1922 to a Cairo family and was educated at Cairo University and Paris. After he retired from the UN, he served from 1998 to 2002 as secretary general of La Francophone. a group of French speaking nations.

ANSWER: Asif Kapadia

Explanation:
Indo-British filmmaker Asif Kapadia on 15th February 2016 won the Grammy Award for the Best Music film for his documentary on singer-songwriter Amy Winehouse’s life entitled “Amy.” On 14th February. Amy also won the BAFTA award in the best documentary category. Amy has also been nominated for the Oscar’s.

ANSWER: Taylor Swift

Explanation:
Taylor Swift has taken the award for the Album of the Year at the 2016 Grammy Awards for her 2014 album entitled “1989”. This is her second Album of the year win following the 2010 victory for Fearless. The most awards at the ceremony were won by 28 year old rap artist Kendrick Lamar. The two Indian names in the race to win the Grammy’s was Sitarist Anoushka Shankar and documentary director Asif Kapadia. Also, the Best Instrumental Composition Award went to a composition by Arturo O’farrell and The Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, featuring Indian artiste Rudresh Mahanthappa.

ANSWER: Rajamani

Explanation:
Well known southern composer Rajamani has passed away at age 60 on account of a sudden cardiac arrest. He was a famous Carnatic musician who dabbled in Westerm and Hindustani music as well. He has rendered the musical score for over 700 films.

ANSWER: Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science

Explanation:
National Research Development Corporation, a DSIR enterprise of MST, GOI has entered into a memorandum of agreement with IACS for commercialisation of technologies and intellectual properties developed at IACS. The MoA was exchanged between the two decades old organisations. While NRDC has been working for more than 60 years in commercialising technologies, IACS is the oldest research institute in the nation.

ANSWER: Reginold Cooray

Explanation:
Reginald Cooray has been appointed as Governor of the sensitive Northern Province on 16th February 2016 indicating he would work for winning the hearts of people and accelerating growth and development in this region. He is a moderate leader o the United People’s Freedom Alliance and succeeded H.M.G.S. Palihakkara, who had held the post for a year.

ANSWER: Uber

Explanation:
Taxi hailing application Uber has signed an agreement with the Maharashtra government to create around 75,000 jobs across the Western state. Through the MoU, Uber will focus on training those who are from marginalised sections of society as well as women. This ensures the promotion of fair and equal opportunity for different sectors of the society to earn money as independent entrepreneurs on the platform. MoU was formalised by Uber through Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, Government of Maharashtra. Uber was launched in 2009 and is present in over 360 cities in more than 65 nations across the world.

ANSWER: Amazon

Explanation:
International e-commerce major Amazon is set to acquire online payment service provider Emvantage Payments Private Ltd for an undisclosed amount. Acquisition will enable Amazon to accelerate the development of healthy payment solutions for customers as well as e-commerce business in India. As part of this acquisition, Emvantage’s employees will join the Amazon payments team for development of innovative payment products and solutions for the Indian market.

ANSWER: HCL Technologies

Explanation:
The 4th largest software services company in India, HCL Technologies indicated it would acquire the external IT business of Volvo group and has signed a 5 year outsourcing deal with the commercial vehicles maker. For this acquisition, companies signed a letter of intent in October adding 40 new customers in Nordic and France regions and extremely skilled 2500 employees from 11 nations to the portfolio of HCL. Noida based firm has agreed to acquire the external IT business of Swedish Volvo group for INR 895 crore in a complete cash deal. This is one of the largest deals signed by any Indian IT company and the first in the industry to employ the principles of Vested Sourcing as the basis for IT outsourcing engagement of a certain size and magnitude.

ANSWER: mRupee

Explanation:
mRupee, a TATA Teleservices subsidiary on 15th February 2016 has announced a tie up with IRCTC or Indian Railway Catering Tourism Corporation for an additional payment channel. Indian Railways has more than 23 million passengers within a day and the users will be allowed one tap payments for rail ticket bookings through mRupee wallet. IRCTC is a subsidiary of Indian Railways handling catering, tourism as well as online ticketing operations of the railways.