Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Feb 20, 2016

ANSWER: Armenia

Explanation:
India and Armenia signed an MoU for cooperation in the agricultural sector and envisaged numerous priority sectors such as plant breeding, agricultural crop seed breeding, buffalo breeding, plant protection, milk production and processing as well as agrarian education. MoU also provides for establishing a JWG and preparation of Work Plans and will be valid for 5 years and extendable beyond five.

ANSWER: Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan

Explanation:
Well known senior Hindustani classical singer Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan died in Kolkata on February 18, 2016 at the age of 107. He was born in UP in the year 1908 and belonged to the Gwalior Gharana. He was the resident Guru at ITC Sangeet Research Academy in Kolkata. In 2013, he bacame the oldest recipient of the Padma Bhutan. He also won the Bhuwalka award in 2010 and the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 2009. Apart from this, he has also been given the lifetime achievement award by Government of NCT of Delhi.

ANSWER: To Kill a Mockingbird

Explanation:
Harper Lee who composed American literary classic “To Kill a Mockingbird” has passed away on 19th February 2016 at the age of 89. The book was released during the 1960s when the Civil Rights Movement had gained momentum. She passed away in her sleep. Her most recent book was “Go Set a Watchman.”

ANSWER: Andrzej Zulawski

Explanation:
Polish film director Andrzej Zulawski passed away on 17th February in the Polish city of Warsaw at the age of 75 after succumbing to cancer. He blended storytelling with surrealism to create movies such as “My Nights are More Beautiful Than Your Days”. His movie The Devil was banned in Poland.

ANSWER: Andy Ganteaume

Explanation:
Former West Indies and Trinidad & Tobago batsman and wicketkeeper Andy Ganteaume has passed away at the age of 95 in the town of Santa Magarita, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. He was the oldest living test cricketer in West Indies and the world’s second oldest after S. Africa’s Lindsay Tuckett. In his only test innings, he scored 112 which earned him the highest testing batting average in history.

ANSWER: Skype

Explanation:
Microsoft has officially rolled out group video calling feature in Skype following a long wait and the company will add new features such as number of people (5-25) permitted for the video call. Skype will also offer a flexible UI for the video calling feature.

ANSWER: tin and oxygen

Explanation:
Team led by US scientists have discovered a new 2D semiconducting material for electronics that paves the way for computers and smartphones which consume less power. Semiconductor is made up of 2 elements- tin and oxygen or tin monoxide(SnO) which is a layer of 2D material only one atom thick though electric charges move faster within it than 3D material such as silicon. Material can be used in transistors, computer processors and graphic processors. New 2D material will lead to manufacturing of transistors smaller and faster than those in use today.

ANSWER: North Korea

Explanation:
US President Barack Obama has signed legislation imposing fresh sanctions against N Korea in response to nuclear and missile tests by Pyongyang. The bills impose mandatory sanctions on those helping N.Korea in its nuclear and missile programmes, human rights violations and cyber attacks. Expanded sanctions aim to deny N.Korea money needed to deliver long range missiles and develop miniaturised nuclear warheads.

ANSWER: February 19

Explanation:
Shiv Jayanti is the birth anniversary of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. It was celebrated on the 19th of February 2016. This marks the 368th birth anniversary of one of the greatest rulers in Indian history. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj was an extremely secular ruler and was born in Junnar’s Shivneri Fort 100 Km east of Mumbai. Local Goddess Shivai was prayed to by his mother Jijabai for his birth. Hence he was named Shiva. "Torna" (Tornagad) or "Prachandgad" was the first fort captured by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in his journey to establish a Maratha empire. PM Modi paid rich tributes to the great Maratha warrior and ruler on his birth anniversary.

ANSWER: 19th February

Explanation:
On February 19, 2016, the 70th Raising Day celebration of the Directorate of Coordination Police Wireless was celebrated. DCPW came into existence in February 1946 as the Inspectorate of Wireless and is a nodal body to MHA for police telecommunications within the country. It also coordinates police communication services of CAPFs/states and union territories.

ANSWER: MoD

Explanation:
MoU was signed for supporting MoD’s skill development programmes. Close to 60,000 young service personnel retire each year and the skill development programme assists in job creation opportunities for them. SDN Trust will provide the programme management support to MOD in its Skill Development initiatives like successful launch National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) based skill training to ESM, supporting NSQF compliant training programmes through Ordinance Factory Boards (OFBs), Defence Public Sector Units (DPSUs) and introduction of vocational education in schools manned by defence forces.

ANSWER: SURYA KIRAN

Explanation:
The 9th Indo Nepal Combined Battalion level Military Training Exercise SURYA KIRAN was held in Pithoragarh from February 8 to 21 under the Panchshul Brigade of Central Command. During the exercise, an Infantry battalion each from Indian Army and the Nepalese Army would be training together and sharing their experiences of Counter Terrorism operations and Jungle Warfare in mountain terrain. This series of exercise is a twice in a year event conducted in Nepal and India in turns. Apart from warfare and counter terrorism operations, training was also imparted in fields such as humanitarian aid and disaster relief.

ANSWER: Japan Desk

Explanation:
State Bank of India has launched a new initiative called Japan Desk which is the first of its kind initiative for facilitating Japanese corporates to invest in India with banking and advisory services. SBI’s Japan desk will server as a one point reliable information support source for Indian bound investments of Japanese companies. Japan Desk will be based in New Delhi. Another one will be set up in Chennai soon. The next country on the anvil for SBI to set up a dedicated helpdesk is South Korea.

ANSWER: Subramaniam Swamy

Explanation:
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has arrived at Delhi on 19th February on a special visit, accompanied by senior members of the Nepal Cabinet. India sent Subramaniam Swamy as special emissary for talks with Oli and Maoist leader Prachanda.

ANSWER: Vijay Rupani

Explanation:
BJP’s senior leader Vijay Rupani has been elected as party president in Gujarat. He is currently a cabinet minister for portfolios like transport, employment and labour. He was general secretary of the party of several years and has been chosen unanimously for the post. He is likely to take charge w.e.f 22nd February 2016.

ANSWER: Infosys

Explanation:
IT major Infosys has made the appointment of Michael Pesch as the CEO of Infosys Consulting Holding AG w.e.f April 1. Pesch will also serve as a Regional Head of DACH (Germany, Austria and Switzerland) regions brining IT transformation through client engagement. He had been serving as CEO of Arvato Systems Group and will be responsible for consulting practices of the company in EU, Latin America and Asia Pacific Region.

ANSWER: Mark 3

Explanation:
Indian Space Research Organisation in a move to acquire heavier satellite launch capability has received a boost with the successful test of the cryogenic engine for the upper stage of the GSLV Mark 3 rocket. The test at the Mahendragiri ISRO Propulsion Research Centre lasted for around 640 seconds. Using Liquid Hydrogen at -253 degree C and Liquid Oxygen at -193 degree C as propellants, the CE20 or high thrust cryogenic engine developed at the Liquid Propulsion System centre has undergone 2 short duration tests for engine ignition and steady state performance. The first developmental flight of the GSLV Mark 3 will take place in December 2016. Mk3 is the biggest rocket made in India. It can launch satellites weighing 4 tonnes into geosynchronous orbit.

ANSWER: Kalikho Pul

Explanation:
Following the revoking of the President’s Rule in Arunachal Pradesh on 19th February 2016, Dissident Congress Leader Kalikho Pul was sworn in as the CM prior to a claim being staked by his group as well as another group led by former CM Nabam Tuki. Total strength of the Arunachal Pradesh Assembly is around 50 seats. Tuki questioned the formation of the government in the state without his approval. He pointed out that 14 rebel MLAs have been disqualified by the Assembly Speaker. The dissenting Congress faction comprises 21 leaders and since the support of 11 BJP MLAs. a numerical majority in the 50 member Assembly has been attained. Congress had appealed to SC for maintenance of status quo, but the apex court refused.

ANSWER: Both a and c

Explanation:
Commerce Ministry has stipulated fresh norms for power generation in SEZs and the government has come out with new guidelines for establishing power plants in SEZs. The norms also state there will be no fiscal benefits towards maintenance. According to modified norms, power plants to be set up in IT/ITeS zones will require uninterrupted power supply as stability in frequency will be entitled for fiscal incentives for establishment and maintenance of generating units. Norms also state that power plant including non-conventional energy power plant to be established by developer/co-developer in SEZ as part of infrastructure facility will be in the non-processing area of SEZ alone and will be entitled to fiscal benefits for initial establishment and no fiscal benefit would be there for operation and maintenance. The norms also said that setting up of captive power plants such as non-conventional energy could be allowed within the processing area as a unit subject to net foreign exchange earning obligations. Such power plants will be entitled to fiscal incentives. Guidelines also said SEZ connected to state/national grid will be allowed for creating back up power facility.

ANSWER: Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope

Explanation:
NASA has commenced work on a new telescope with a 100 times bigger view than Hubble Space Telescope to help explore possibility of alien life and the potential of dark matter. The Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope will help researchers to explore the cosmos evolution according to NASA. It will also help in discovering new worlds outside the solar system and advance research for worlds that can sustain human life. Mission was led by NASA’s Maryland Goddard Space Flight Centre. Its Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, CA will manage the 2.4 meter telescope of the mission. It will also deliver the coronagraph which is used to visualise and categorise planets across other stars. WFIRST has the same potential to discover the mysteries of the universe as Hubble and will be the next major observatory to be launched in mid 2020s since the setting up on the James Web Space Telescope in 2018.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The WFIRST observatory being developed by NASA will survey massive regions of the sky in near infrared light to answer basic questions about the evolution and structure of the universe. The observatory also aims to expand knowledge of planets beyond the solar system known as exoplanets. WFIRST carries a Wide Field Instrument for surveys and a CI designed to block glare of host stars and use the light of the planets orbiting around them to study the planets and chemically classify their atmosphere. Wide Field Instrument provides the telescope the ability to capture single image with depth and quality of Hubble but covering 100 times the area. It will capture the direct images of other gaseous worlds and SuperEarths

ANSWER: SSAB Swedish Steel

Explanation:
Stockholm based SSAB Swedish Steel has taken the decision to partner with vendor Orient Impex in India offering technology as well as marketing support. Agreement will be signed on the last day of February 2016. Chennai based Orient Impex has been purchasing SSAB Swedish steel core products Hardox ware resistant steel plates and conversion of the same into products. The firm has been manufacturing products for areas such as wear lines, feeders and cement.

ANSWER: Fourth industrial revolution

Explanation:
India’s average economic growth rate was 7.5 percent in 2015 and India grew at a faster rate than China for this year, just as IMF had estimated. India is currently well on its way to a 4th Industrial Revolution/Industry 4.0 where the new face of global industries has come to the fore. This is the age of advanced manufacturing, robotics, 3D printing and quantum engineering.

ANSWER: Light Fidelity

Explanation:
Li-Fi or Light Fidelity is a new technology going mainstream where LED will be used to access the Web and not just give light. The term Li-Fi was coined in 2011 by Professor Harald Haas of the University of Edinburgh. Li-FI is a technology which could revolutionise business models, create fresh opportunities and be a USD 113 billion industry by 2022. RF or radio frequency spectrum would not be enough for wireless data communication because visible light spectrum is much larger. Use of Light Spectrum for Li-Fi overcomes issues in traditional wireless communication such as spectrum shortage and network disruption on account of interference. Through Li-Fi, anyone who has access to light can remain online and access the Internet without losing network connections. Li-Flame described as the world’s first true Li-Fi system was displayed at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress in March 2015.

About Li-FI

Light Fidelity is a new technology using light waves instead of radio frequency waves as a medium for carrying out data whereby improved LED bulb work as a router. Li-Fi works by connecting LED bulb to device which is in turn connected to the net. Internet data flows in through the device into the bulb and carried by light waves. At the other end, light waves carrying the net data fall on receive/USB connected to computer.