Current Affairs Questions & Answers - July 05, 2016

ANSWER: 4x100

Explanation:
Indian 4x100 m women’s relay team created a new national record at the Kazakhstan National Athletics Championships clocked 43.42 seconds in Almaty on 4th July, 2016.

• 4x100 relay quartet comprising Srabani Nanda, Dutee Chand, HM Jyothi and Merlin Jospeh improved their earlier national record of 44.03 seconds creating the IAAF World Challenge in Beijing in May.
• Indian women’s relay team has won the silver medal at the Almaty meet once the blocks were started
• Hosts Kazakhstan bagged gold with a timing of 42.92 seconds
• Indian 4x100 men’s relay team clinched the gold medal with a timing of 39.90 seconds.

ANSWER: Olympians Association of India

Explanation:
Olympians Association of India was launched on July4, 2016 with the aim to look after former and current athletes from across the nation.

• It is a representative body of Olympians in India
• First and only non-profit organisation by Olympians for Olympians in India, OAI is directly affiliated to World Olympians Association under the International Olympic Committee.
• OAI proposes to look after the welfare of the former and current Olympians through careers and beyond found by acclaimed Olympians Shiva Keshavan, Viren Rasquinha, Malay Shroff, Adille Sumariwalla, Ashwini Nachappa, Saina Nehwal, Hakimuddin Habibulla and MC Mary Kom

ANSWER: Intex

Explanation:
Intex Technologies business head Sanjay Kalirona has exited by putting in his resignation papers. It is currently sitting at the third spot when it comes to smartphone market in India.

• Kalirona’s exit is the latest among all and he will be joining as COO of Zen Mobiles
• Senior executive has worked with IT peripherals of Intex for around 15 years now and in between this long tenure, a year at the Akai mobile phone division.

ANSWER: 100

Explanation:
Scientists have improved upon a new camera technology that can image at speeds at 100 times faster than today’s commercial cameras and enable imaging of ultra- fast processes involve neutrons, stars and combustion.

• New technology opens up fresh possibility for studying extremely fast processes such as chemical reactions, neuron firing, chemical reactions, fuel burning or chemicals exploding.
• Researchers led by Lihong V Wang from Washington University previously developed a single shot compressed ultrafast photography camera capturing images at speeds of 100 billion frames per second in the single camera exposure fast enough to capture travelling light pulses.
• This is the world’s fastest receive only camera indicating that it can use available light for imaging and does not require additional illumination from the laser or other light source.
• New method improves the resolution and quality of images captured with CUP.
• New method demonstrates that CUP upgrades through capture of a movie of picosecond laser pulse travelling through the air and also by pointing laser light onto a printout of a toy car to create a movie of the light reaching different portions of the car at different times
• Researchers are interested in understanding how the brain’s neural networks operate.
• Using a new camera with a microscope could allow scientists to watch neurons fire by capturing extremely fast chemical processes called action potentials that travel through an axon at speeds reaching more than 100m per second

ANSWER: National Data Bank

Explanation:
Industry body ASSOCHAM has offered to set up a National Data Bank containing information about electronic transactions, used by the government for official purposes like issuance of passports as well as protecting country’s strategic interests.

• Proposal involves creation of a Central Coordination Committee under the guidance of National Security Council Secretariat
• A clear legal framework is required to legitimise the need for creating a National Data Bank of e-information of classified and heritage documents for national archives which can be integrated with national information policy demarcating information into three board categories.
• Data which is non sensitive in nature could be used for scientific economic and development purposes
• It can be used for taking accurate and immediate decisions in large demographies for trend forecasting and recourse in case of civic decisions or exigency by numerous Ministries or Departments of Government of India.
• Industry has noted the current regime of the Big Data Management does not facilitate efficient open sharing and interoperability of government owned data with different inter and intra government agencies
• Need for creating cyber National Data Bank of e-information of classified heritage documents for National Archive with the aim to promote open data sharing and access to GoI owned data for national planning and R&D.

ANSWER: Nigel Farage

Explanation:
Britain’s main pro-Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage on 4th July resigned as head of far right anti immigrant UK Independence Party saying he could not achieve more after Britons decided to leave the EU.

• Farage was elected as Member of the European Parliament for the party in 1999
• Farage led a separate grassroots campaign to convince voters of Brexit to make numerous speeches in wake of results to declare June 23 Britain’s Independence Day
• Cross party tea would negotiate UK”s exit from Brussels now.
• June 23 was the date when the 28 member economic bloc was voted against by Britain with 52 percent voting to leave while 48 percent sided with the remain camp

ANSWER: Tetraponera rufonigra

Explanation:
A new species of spider Tetraponera rufonigra has been found which mimics the characteristics of ants and was discovered in the moist deciduous forest of the Wayanad wildlife sanctuary.

• Lean male spider looks like a slender ant and uses Batesian mimicry to escape from predators.
• In case of disturbance, it hid itself in the crevices of tree bark
• Spider belongs to the Aetius genus of the ant mimicking spider family Corinidae.
• The mating process of the spider is also interesting and the unique spider has been jointly discovered by the Centre for Animal Taxonomy and Ecology of Christ College and Oxford Museum of Natural History, London.

ANSWER: Prime Minister

Explanation:
Michel Rocard, the former Prime Minister of France passed away on July 2, 2016 in Paris France at the age of 85.

• Rocard servded as PM under Francois Mitterand from 1988 to 1991
• Born in Hauts-de Seine, the political leader was also chair of the French Socialists Students
• From the 1967 to 1974, he led the dissident Unified Sociality Party.
• In 1977, he was elected Mayor of the Conflan-Sainte-Honorine
• After Mitterrand’s re-election, he was elected as PM

ANSWER: Michael Cimino

Explanation:
The director of the Vietnam war classic passed away on 2nd July, 2016 at the LA home at the age of 77.

• Cimino was known for directing, producing and co-writing the 1978 Academy Award winning film The Deer Hunter.
• Other films he has directed include The Dogs of War, The Rose and Year of the Dragon.
• The creative director has also won 5 Academy awards for his movie The Deer Hunter

ANSWER: Both a and c

Explanation:
Linda Burney, a former teacher on 2nd July 2016 became the first indigenous woman elected to the House of Representatives (lower house) of the Parliament of Australia.

• She attained the feat after claiming a victory in the marginal seat of Barton.
• With this, she joins first aboriginal MP Ken Wyatt of the Conservative Liberal Party elected in 2010
• Olympian Nova Peris was the first indigenous woman in the upper house of the Parliament.

ANSWER: South Korea

Explanation:
Praneeth defeated South Korea’s Lee Hyun 2 in a 21-12, 21-10 match.

• Men’s doubles pair of Manu Attri and B Sumesh Reddy also grabbed also grabbed Men’s doubles title in the tournament.
• Top seeded pair Attri and Reddy defeated Adrian Liu and Toby Ng in a lop sided finanl.
• This is the first Indian men’s doubles pair to qualify for the Rio Olympics 2016
• Praneeth ranks 33rd in BWF rating

ANSWER: Algeria

Explanation:
President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings to the government and people of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on their Independence day on July 5, 2016.

• The current president of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria is Mr Abdelaziz Boutefilka.

ANSWER: Venezuela

Explanation:
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee greeted the people and government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on their National Day on July 5, 2016.

• President of Venezuela is His Excellency Nicolas Maduro Moros