Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Feb 19, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
RBI has revised norms for NBFC firms stipulating that there should be on board approved limit for underwriting commitments with the aim to mitigate credit risk. RBI has also raised threshold for reporting frauds from INR 25 lakh to INR 1 crore for NBFC. Another point is that factoring services should be extended in respect of invoices which represent genuine trade transactions. Factoring business is a financial service whereby firm sells accounts receivable for the factoring company which then pays discounted value to seller under receivable receipts. As far as NPA classification is concerned, factoring with resource basis is where exposure would be reckoned on the assignor.

ANSWER: Aquifer mapping

Explanation:
Haryana will become the first state in India to have aquifer mapping carried out for groundwater resources by May. It is one of 8 states selected for scientific mapping during the first phase- the others being Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. An aquifer refers to an underground layer of water bearing rock from which groundwater can be obtained. Mapping will help to estimate quantity and quality of groundwater. Mapping aims to know exact location of aquifer- size quantum of water and recharge point. Programme aims to complete the mapping of the entire country by 2022 and the 8 states by 2017. Mapping is being done by Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) on the scale of 1:50,000 in 3D using advanced technologies and sophisticated softwares. Mapping will predict groundwater scenario in the nation. Currently 1071 of 6607 groundwater assessment units in the country are over exploited and 914 units are in stages of groundwater criticality.

ANSWER: 20%

Explanation:
US Green Building council has announced results of the Dodge Data & Analytics World Green Building Trends 2016 SmartMarket Report where USGBC is a contributing renter. It estimates that by 2018, green building industry will grow by 20% largely driven by environmental regulations and demand for healthier neighbourhoods. Report which was conducted in close to 70 nations demonstrated that global green building will double every three years and that green building programmes such as LEED have transformed markets across the world. In India, there are more than 1,990 projects, comprising more than 822 million sq ft of space, participating in LEED.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Last month saw the hottest January in modern times with average global temperature across land and clean surfaces being 1.87 degree F or 1.04 degree C above the 20th century average for this month, according to US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. This was the hottest January since 1880s surpassing the previous record of 2007 by 0.29 degree F. December 2015 was also the hottest month in 136 years.

ANSWER: HBNI

Explanation:
Mumbai based Homi Bhabha National Institute has been accorded approval by HRD ministry to commence an off campus centre at Bhubaneswar entitled National Institute of Science Education and Research/ NISER with prospective effect. Ministry has issued a notification in regard to this with the UGC.

ANSWER: Playing It My Way

Explanation:
Sachin Tendulkar’s autobiography Playing It My Way has entered the Limca Book of Records for being the bestselling adult hardback in function as well as non fiction categories with 150289 copies confirmed on order subscriptions. Book published by Hachette India in 2014 broke pre order and life time sales records of well known adult hardbacks such as Dan Brown's Inferno, Walter Issacson's Steve Jobs and JK Rowling's Casual Vacancy. The autobiography has been cowritten by Boria Majumdar and Sachin Tendulkar.

ANSWER: Ark Robot

Explanation:
Qualcomm Inc through venture investment company Qualcomm Ventures and DIPP has announced the winner of the QPrize-Make in India contest to be Bengaluru based Ark Robot.
This company will receive INR 2 crore in investment from Qualcomm. It uses Machine Vision Systems, AI and Swarm intelligence to provide logistics solutions through robotics. The panel comprised Amitabh Kant (secretary, DIPP) Kris Gopalakrishnan, (co-founder, Infosys), Ravi Gururaj, (founder & CEO - QikPod.com & chairman, NASSCOM Product Council), Sunil Lalvani, (president, Qualcomm India) and Karthee Madasamy, (vice-president, Qualcomm Ventures India).

ANSWER: a and c

Explanation:
Cipla Limited has acquired two US generic drug firms InvaGen Pharmaceuticals Inc and Exelan Pharmaceuticals Inc to enhance revenue and introduce fresh products for coping with diseases such as cancer and diabetes in what is the largest pharma market in the world. Cipla closed the transaction through completely owned subsidiary Cipla EU Ltd, as per the statement. This marks the second biggest acquisition in Cipla’s 8 decade history.

ANSWER: WASP-119 b, WASP-124 b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b and WASP—133 b

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered 5 new Jupiter like planets similar in features to the biggest planet in our solar system and very close to host stars. Researchers used the WASP South or Wide Angle Search for Planets-South instrument an array of 8 cameras observing selected regions of the southern sky to show 5 stars with planet like transits in their light curve. The 5 planets have been named WASP-119 b, WASP-124 b, WASP-126 b, WASP-129 b and WASP—133 b.The orbital periods of the planets vary from 2.17 to 5.75 days, and their masses range from 0.3 to 1.2 the mass of Jupiter, with radii between one to 1.5 Jupiter radius, researchers said.

Other Findings

• WASP-119 b (which has a mass of 1.2 of the mass of Jupiter, and an orbital period of 2.5 days) is a typical hot Jupiter.
• Its host star has a same type of mass like Sun’s but appears to be much older based on its effective temperature and density.
• WASP-124 b, less larger than Jupiter (0.6 times Jupiter masses), has orbital period of 3.4 days and a much younger parent star.
  
• WASP-126 b is the smallest-mass world found by researchers.
• Its low surface gravity and a bright host star make the planet a target for transmission spectroscopy.
• WASP-129 b, similar in size to Jupiter, has the longest orbital period. Its surface gravity is also high compared to other known ‘hot Jupiters’, researchers said.
• WASP-133 b has the shortest orbital period of the exoplanets detected by researchers.

ANSWER: Eastern Command

Explanation:
Defence Minister Shri Manohar Parrikar presented the Raksha Mantri’s Trophy and citation for the Best and Second Best Service Hospital in the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS) to Command Hospital (Eastern Command), Kolkata, and INHS Asvini, Mumbai respectively. The Raksha Mantri’s Trophy was instituted in 1989 to create a healthy competition among the Command Hospitals of the Army and its equivalent hospitals in the Navy and Air Force.

ANSWER: Warren Richardson

Explanation:
Jury of the 59th annual World Press Photo has selected the image by Aussie photographer Warren Richardson as the World Press Photo of the Year 2015. This picture also won the first prize in the Spot news categories. The 2016 contest drew entries from around the world: 5,775 photographers from 128 countries submitted 82,951 images. The jury gave prizes in eight categories to 41 photographers from 21 countries. World Press Photo foundation is based in Amsterdam.

ANSWER: Imran Abdulla

Explanation:
Imran Abdulla, another Opposition leader in the Maldives and chief of the Ahdaalath Party has been sentenced to 12-year-long imprisonment. This follows the conviction of former president M. Nasheed for having allegedly ordered the arrest of the chief judge of the Criminal Court and sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment. UK and US governments have issued a protest at the judgement.

ANSWER: K. M. Mammen

Explanation:
MRF MD K. M. Mammen has been elected as Chairman of the Automotive Tyre Manufacturers Association representing the automotive tyre industry in India. Mr.Satish Sharma, President (Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa) Apollo Tyres Ltd., has been elected as Vice Chairman of ATMA. The MRF CMD is the eldest son of MRF founder the late K. M. Mammen Mappillai. He was also President of Indo-Australian Chamber of Commerce and is presently executive board member of FICCI and a member of the Board of the Madras Christian College.

ANSWER: Alwar Rajagopalan

Explanation:
Time Inc has appointed Alwar Rajagopalan as president of its India operations. He is a former TCS VP and joined the TATA company in 2009. He was also heading Birla Minacs Worldwide and headed Cambridge Integrated Services India before this. He has previously worked for GE and IBM as well.

ANSWER: Khurja

Explanation:
Indian Railways has installed the first ultra modern, computer based signalling system to ensure faster movement of over 250 trains at the Khurja junction between Kanpur and Ghaziabad. Train’s path will now be cleared by central operator working on a VDU/ Visual Display Unit. The cost of this project was INR 440 crore. Most of it came from the German Development Bank and system will lead to centralised traffic system for management and handling of traffic.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
2015- 2016 El Nino weather phenomenon has continued its decline and have strong influence on international climate patterns, according to UN weather agency World Meteorological Organisation. El Nino which is the warm phase of ENSO or El Nino Southern Oscillation occurs every 2 to 7 years. It may have passed its peak, but it continues to raise ocean temperature. One of the most powerful El Nino events is the one in 2015-2016, said to be the worst in 15 years whereby ocean temperatures were more than 2.0 degree C above average. This phenomenon has fuelled record global heat in the current year and is comparable to the ones in the 1982-83 and 1997-98 span.

ANSWER: IPR Gandhinagar

Explanation:
Institute for Plasma Research at Gandhinagar is going to build the most advanced LIGO-India or Laser Interferometer Gravitational Observatory for detecting gravitational waves. This will be the third observatory of its kind in the globe. LIGO India aims to enhance identification of source of gravitational waves by as much as 5 to 10 times working in tandem with two US based detectors. The LIGO vacuum systems are among the largest in the world with a pump volume of 10 mega-litres sucked out to an ultra-high vacuum. The vacuum system -including beam tubes, the tanks and all the essential vacuum pumps -will be manufactured on site by the IPR.

ANSWER: TYC 2505-672-1

Explanation:
Every 69 years on this planet TYC 2505-672-1, the sun disappears in a total eclipse that lasts for three and a half years. This planet sets a new record for both the longest duration stellar eclipse and the longest period between eclipses in a binary system. Earlier record holder is Epsilon Aurigae, a giant star that is eclipsed by its companion every 27 years for periods ranging from 640 to 730 days.

ANSWER: Tata Brabo

Explanation:
TAL Manufacturing Solution, a TATA Group company will launch the first ever India made robot before May 2016 dubbed “Tata Brabo.” This robot has been showcased in the Make in India week in Mumbai and has been developed by a team led by TAL COO Anil Bhingurde. The robot will be developed for micro, small and medium enterprises which require cost-efficient robotic solutions for manufacturing purposes. Brabo will be priced at INR 3 Lakh for 2kg payload, and INR 6 Lakh for 10kh payload. The main advantage Tata will have is the localised manufacturing of the robot which will help it to price the robots lower than foreign players.

ANSWER: Homo Neanderthalas

Explanation:
Neanderthals may have mated with modern humans 100,000 years ago associated with new study based on several DNA analysis methods. This is tens of thousands of years earlier than previously thought. This marks the first genetic evidence of a scenario in which early modern humans left the African continent and mixed with the now-extinct members of the human family prior to the migration of the ancestors of present-day non-Africans, less than 65,000 years ago.
This finding, the result of several kinds of advanced computer modelling algorithms comparing complete genomes of 100s of contemporary humans with complete and partial genomes of 4 archaic humans, has implications for human migration patterns. People of European, Eurasian and Asian descent have well-identified Neanderthal-derived segments in their genome.

ANSWER: MoPNG

Explanation:
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, GoI has established Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy Vishakhpatnam as per the Andhra praised Reorganisation act 2014. The MoU has been signed between Andhra University and IIPE to commence in the academic year 2016-2017 and is for 3 years till IIPE sets up its own infrastructure. MoU is facilitated by HPCL.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
I&B ministry released print and digital versions of Indian reference books/year books India 2016 and Bharat 2016 marking a paradigm shift whereby digital versions of the book will be 25% cheaper than print versions. Ministry also launched online subscription and payment service of well know journals of the Publication Division and Employment news through Bharat Kosh, which is the Ministry of Finance’s non tax receipt portal. The year books will also be available along with 49 other titles at Flipkart.

ANSWER: India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol

Explanation:
As part of India-Myanmar defence relations. navies of the two countries have undertaken the India-Myanmar Coordinated Patrol from February 13 to 16, 2016 along the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Andaman Sea. Indian Navy Ships Saryu and Bitra along with Union of Myanmar Ships Aung Zeya and FAC 563 participated in the 4th IMCOR.During the Closing Ceremony of 4th IMCOR, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for IMCOR was also signed between Indian Navy and Myanmar Navy. SOP is a significant achievement and will facilitate smooth conduct of coordinated patrols between two neighbours along the maritime boundary in the strategically significant Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal.

ANSWER: Vibrant North-East 2016 Summit and Exhibition

Explanation:
Union Minister of Food Processing Industries Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal has launched the Vibrant North-East 2016 Summit and Exhibition at Guwahati on 18th February 2016. NE has lot of potential for the food processing industry and Ministry of Food Processing Industries is pursuing development of North East through its schemes of Mega Food Park, Cold Chain, Abattoir and development of Food Testing Laboratories. The summit also explores the need for creating the required infrastructure for food processing industries in NE regions.

ANSWER: Future Infantry Combat Vehicle

Explanation:
FICV was in news as TATA Motors,Bharat Forge and US based General Dynamics has tied up for defence bid under FICV or Future Infantry Combat Vehicle Programme. The FICV Programme involves creation of compact combat vehicles for the Indian Army that will replace Russian-designed BMP (Sarath BMP-II) series armed vehicles. This is India’s largest indigenous defence programme estimated to be at the cost of USD 10 billion.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
PM Narendra Modi on 18th February 2016 launched guidelines for operationalisation of Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana at a farmer’s convention in MP. This path breaking scheme for crop insurance was approved by the Union Cabinet last month. It will come into force from 2016 in the months of June to October (Kharif season). The Yojana envisages boost in agricultural sector of India and uniform premium of 2% to be paid by farmers for Kharif crops and 1.5% for Rabi crops. Premium for annual commercial and horticultural crops will be around 5%. PM also presented trophy of Krishi Karman Award to the MP CM on this occasion and was conferred with Kisan Mitra and Kisan Hithesi Samman.

ANSWER: 7.4%

Explanation:
Indian economy is set to grow at 7.4% within the next fiscal. OECD says Indian economy will grow at this robust rate though modest recovery is expected in advanced economies. Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has raised the Indian growth forecast as against 7.3% projected in November 2015. India is set to grow by 7.4% in 2016 and 7.3% in 2017 according to the Interim Economic Outlook released by the OECD. It also said that China would continue to rebalance its economy from manufacturing to services and growth is forecast at 6.5% in 2016 and 62% in 2017.

ANSWER: Aadhaar

Explanation:
Microsoft Corporation announced on 18th February 2016 that it will work towards integrating unique biometric ID system Aadhaar with the video calling service Skype. This is being done on a pilot basis initially