Current Affairs Questions & Answers - July 12, 2016

ANSWER: Cubeit

Explanation:
Fashion retailer Myntra has said it has acquired Bengaluru based Cubeit for an undisclosed sum to focus on content aggregation on mobile.

• As part of this acquisition, the Cubeit team has been inducted into Myntra making it an acqui-hire.
• Cubeit was founded by Sarthak Jain, Nithinkumar Gadiparthi and Prathamesh Juvatkar in 2014.

ANSWER: Fork Media

Explanation:
Ad tech firm Fork Media has entered into a data agreement with Twitter’s enterprise API platform Gnip will enable its social media influencer marketing platform Buzzerati to gain access to Twitter audience data and content performance metrics.

• Buzzerati was launched earlier in 2016 as an influencer recommendation platform enabling brands to target and engage with customers.

ANSWER: Theresa May

Explanation:
Theresa May will take over as the new British PM, British premier David Cameron announced after the home secretary’s only rival Andrea Leadsom pulled out of the race.

• Cameron said he will chair his last cabinet meeting tomorrow and attend the House of Commons for last PM questions before heading to Buckingham palace to hand in the resignation to the Queen
• The new PM will become responsible for taking the Brexit negotiations forward with EU after the June 23 vote in favour of Leave
• The 59-year-old May will become the second female PM after Margaret Thatcher
• May’s only rival Andrea Leadsom pulled out from the two way contest throwing her support behind May as “ideally placed” to enforce the vote for Brexit in last month’s referendum on British membership of the EU

ANSWER: Lafarge India

Explanation:
Nirma Limited has agreed to acquire Lafarge India’s cement assets for USD 1.4 billion outdoing Sajjan Jindal’s JSW Cement and Piramal Enterprises.

• Lafarge Holcim, the Swiss building materials group created out of the Lafrge-Holcim merger will sell its India business including three plants and two grinding units.
• Nirma, the Ahmedabad based detergents and chemicals maker has a 2 MTPA cement unit.
• Additional capacity will help it to benefit from expected surge in infrastructure construction as India aims to boost spending on the key sector to about 8.1 percent of GDP by 2021-2022, as per the IMF working paper

ANSWER: Paloma Ovejero

Explanation:
Pope Francis on 11th July named the former Fox News correspondent to head up the Vatican press office and appointed the tiny state’s first ever female deputy spokesperson.

• American Greg Burke will take over the press office.
• Meanwhile Spanish journalist Paloma Garcia Ovejero will be the Pope’s first female deputy spokesperson.

ANSWER: Antoine Greizmann

Explanation:
UEFA on 11th July 2016 named French forward and tournament top scorer Antoine Griezmann as the best player of Euro 2016 after the hosts’ final defeat to Portugal.

• Alex Ferguson, the former MU manager was among UEFA’s 12 strong panel of technical observers.
• Griezmann also won the Golden Boot award for his six goals.
• Griezmann and midfielder Dimitri Payet were included in the UEFA team of the tournament along with Portuguese skipper Cristiano Ronaldo
• Portugal defensive player Pepe was also included along with fellow Portuguese goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Raphael Guerriro

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Clouds act as thermal regulators for Earth altering the character and global distribution due to climate change and could make warming worse.

• Trawl of satellite images have revealed cloudiness in the temperate mid latitude zones between the poles and subtropics in both hemispheres accompanied by poleward expansion of subtropical dry zones.
• Tops of clouds everywhere rose higher, according to data stretched over more than two decades from early 1980s
• Cloud changes enhance the absorption of solar radiation by the earth and reduce emission of thermal radiation to space.
• This increases global warming by increasing GHG concentration.
• Clouds regulate earth’s temperature by reflecting some solar radiation back into space before it can hit the ground

ANSWER: Code for Next Billion

Explanation:
Indian software companies association NASSCOM has announced the second phase of the six month development programme called Code for Next Billion.

• The programme is aimed at encouraging internet innovation along the developer community in the country.
• This recently concluded the first round which comprised 10 startups.
• NASSCOM has partnered with social media giant Facebook for introducing the Leaders Building for the Next Billion programme.
• Program invests in developers who are building mobile apps to launch large scale innovation for new internet users.

ANSWER: Arvind Subramaniam

Explanation:
CEA Arvind Subramaniam is heading the committee to examine the possibility of increasing MSP of pulses and giving additional bonuses to farmers for production.

• Panel under him aims to examine the solution to the problem in terms of increasing domestic production and bridging the gap between demand and supply.

ANSWER: Bornean orangutan

Explanation:
IUCN findings indicate that habitat loss, degradation and illegal hunting have reduced the population of the Bornean orang-utan by 80 percent between 1973 and 2025.

• This qualifies the orangutan for listing as Critically Endangered.
• The whale shark, the largest fish has also been placed on the list.
• Bornean orangutan is related to the genus of Sumatran orangutan.

ANSWER: 11th July

Explanation:
World Population Day was observed on July 11, 2016 with the theme investing in teenage girls.

• Theme focuses on empowerment of teenage girls.
• Many teenage girls around the globe are considered by communities or parents to be ready for marriage and the girls lack information about health, human rights and reproductive rights.

ANSWER: 12th

Explanation:
Costa Rica nominated former United Nations climate chief Christiana Figueres to be the next UN Secretary General.

• This makes her the 12th candidate to enter the race ahead of the first Security Council secret ballot
• UN and the world need a Secretary General who is a bridge builder and Figueres figures in the list

ANSWER: PNB

Explanation:
RBI has removed the 7 year old restriction on fresh purchase of state owned Punjab National Bank’s shares by foreign investors.

• PNB shares gained over 8 percent after the RBI removed the PSU bank from the caution list and permitted foreign investors to buy shares.
• Scrip later closed 8.21 percent up at INR 127.25.
• Central Bank has notified the aggregate foreign share holding by Foreign Institutional Investors/Registered Foreign Portfolio Investors/Non Resident Indians/Persons of Indian Origin/Foreign Direct Investment/ /American Depository Receipts under Portfolio Investment Scheme have gone below the prescribed threshold caution limit stipulated under the extant FDI policy.
• PNB is India’s multinational banking and financial services company founded in 1894.

ANSWER: Bihar

Explanation:
The National Research Centre for Banana would be set up at Goraul in Bihar’s Vaishali district. Union Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Minister Radha Mohan Singh announced this, who was accompanied by Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan,

• As per reports, the centre will be set up soon as the land for setting up banana research centre was allotted when Jitan Ram Manjhi was the Chief Minister.
• Bihar is the 12th largest state of India.

ANSWER: Great Britain

Explanation:
He completed his mission by becoming the Wimbledon champion. His 6-1, 6-4 win over Stefan Olsson of Sweden gave him a second grand slam singles title.

• The 24-year-old Reid won his first Australian Open title in January, after which he immediately set his sights on Wimbledon.
• Reid, who was confined to a wheelchair 12 years ago after contracting Transverse Myelitis, a neurological condition affecting the spine.
• Wimbledon is one of 4 grand slam events held in a year

ANSWER: Hemis festival

Explanation:
The festival will be held between July 14 and 15 at Ladakh Hemis Monastery.

• Hemis festival 2016 or Hemis Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery of the Drukpa, located in Hemis, Ladakh.
• Situated 45 km away from Leh, the monastery was re-formed d in 1672 by the Ladakhi king Sengge Namgyal.
• The Hemis Festival is a two-day long cultural extravaganza dedicated to (Lord Padmasambhava) venerated as the Dance Performance at Hemis Monastery representative reincarnate of Buddha.
• Every 12th year known as the Tibetan Year of the Monkey, Hemis Monastery Festival takes on an auspicious turn.
• The largest Thangka will be unfurled this year after twelve years, in 2016.

ANSWER: Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee conferred the 51st Jnanpith Award on renowned writer, Dr. Raghuveer Chaudhari (July 11, 2016) at a function held at Parliament Library Building, New Delhi.

• Speaking on the occasion, the President said that an eminent scholar and a Gandhian in spirit and behaviour, Dr. Chaudhari represents the fluid brilliance that characterizes India’s pluralistic literary genius.

ANSWER: Srinivasan K Swamy

Explanation:
Advertising Club of Madras in its diamond jubilee year has conferred the Distinguished Service Award to CMD of RK SWAMY BBDO, Srinivasan K Swamy.

• This is one of the highest honours in the advertising industry.
• Swamy is the 6th recipient of this award.
• Swamy is also vice chairman of Asian Federation of Advertising Associations.
• Earlier he was the Chairman of Confederation of Asian Advertising Agency Associations during 2008-10.

ANSWER: Kiribati

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Kiribati on the eve of their Independence Day (July 12, 2016).

• In a message to His Excellency Taneti Mamau, the President of the Republic of Kiribati, the President extended his warmest greetings

ANSWER: July 12

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on the eve of their National Day (July 12, 2016).

• In a message to Mr. Manuel Pinto da Costa, the President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe, the President has spoken of the need for peace and prosperity of its citizens.

ANSWER: Mansukh Mandaviya

Explanation:
Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya is from Gujarat, new Minister of State in Chemical and Fertiliser Ministry was elected to the Rajya Sabha in April 2012. He had been a member of Gujarat Legislative Assembly from 2002-2007.

• Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir assumed charge as Minister of State for Home Affairs. He belongs to state of Maharashtra and is elected to the 16th Lok Sabha from Chandrapur constituency. He is an agriculturist by profession.
• Shri Jaswantsinh Sumanbhai Bhabhor took over as new Minister of State in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs here in New Delhi.
• Shri Haribhai Parthibhai Chaudhary took over as new Minister of State in MSME.

ANSWER: IIT Bombay

Explanation:
IIT Mumbai has chosen Khadi as the convocation robe after Gujarat University.

• Popularity of Khadi has fascinated them to place an order for 3,500 uttarias or angavastrams made of honey comb towel cotton Khadi for use by students at the time of Institute’s convocation. It is a significant development.
• This shows that Khadi is gaining ground in every sphere of life.