Current Affairs Questions & Answers - July 21, 2016

ANSWER: BharatNet

Explanation:
All Gram Panchayats in the country will be connected through Optical Fibre Cable to set up a network infrastructure by December 2018 under the Digital India programme.

• NOFN renamed as BharatNet is one of the pillars of this programme and through it, a network infrastructure connecting 2.5 lakh gram panchayats through OFC will be initiated.
• Using an optimal mix of underground fibre, fibre overpower lines, radio and satellite media for providing broadband connectivity by all categories of service providers on non-discriminatory basis.
• Project will be implemented in three phases.
• As on July 9, OFC has been laid to 54,023 GPs with a total length of 1,25,642 km of which 7,312 GPs have been tested with broadband connectivity

ANSWER: US

Explanation:
United States and India have taken several key steps in petroleum and energy sector aimed at attaining energy independence.

• Key prospects include development of petroleum storage, considered critical for national security and strategic needs.
• Other areas of collaboration include increased technical cooperation in new technologies to develop biofuel (2nd generation ethanol and biodiesel) and assessment as well as reassessment of conventional and unconventional offshore and onshore hydrocarbon reserves in India.
• GAIL has contracted for import of LNG from the US to the tune of 5.8 MMT per year from end 2017.
• Indian companies have invested in shale oil and gas projects in the US- GAIL has 20 percent equity in Eagle Ford Basin
• IOC and OIL have 10 percent equity in Niobrara basin.
• Two sides also signed an MoU to renew cooperation in gas hydrates for another period of five years.

ANSWER: Mohammad Shahid

Explanation:
Indian hockey legend Mohammad Shahid known for his skills on the field died due to multiple organ failure.

• After suffering a bout of jaundice and dengue, the 56 year old hockey great was in serious condition and had been airlifted from Varanasi.
• Shahid was considered one of the greatest hockey players of India and member of the Indian team that won the 1980 Moscow Olympics
• He was also part of the national team that won the silver medal at the Delhi Asian Games in 1982 and the bronze in the Seoul Asiad in 1986

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
India’s largest Internet company Flipkart has seen the exits of top managers with two executives Lalit Sarna and Sunil Gopinath leaving the company.

• Sarna was head of the payment product design while Gopinath was the technology lead for the marketplace division.
• This follows the exit of former Chief Product Officer Punit Soni who left the Bengaluru based company in April.
• Flipkart is led by CEO Binny Bansal and has focused on reducing expenses and increasing profits

ANSWER: Integrin

Explanation:
Scientists have identified a key protein that can boost the growth of damaged muscle tissues, leading to treatments for muscle degeneration caused by old age and disorders like muscular dystrophy

• Researchers from Johns Hopkins University found the protein called integrin.
• It is present on the stem cell surface and is used by stem cells to interact with or sense their surroundings.
• Stem cells sense their surroundings known as niche affecting how they live and last for regeneration
• Presence of the protein beta one integrin was show to promote the transformation of undifferentiated stem cells into muscle after the tissue had degraded and improve regenerated muscle fibre growth as much as 50 percent
• The presence of beta one integrin in adult stem cells is apparent
• Beta-one intern is one of 28 types of intern maintaining a link between the stem cell and the environment and interacts biochemically with a growth factor called fibroblast growth factor to promote stem cell growth and restoration after muscle tissue injury.
• This shows that beta one-integrin restores aged stem cell’s ability to respond to FGF to grow and improve muscle regeneration.
• Through tracking an array of proteins within stem cells, researchers have tested the impact of removing beta one-integrin from the stem cell.
• The experiment showed that without beta one-integrin, stem cells do not sustain growth after muscle tissue injury.

ANSWER: Chattisgarh

Explanation:
For the first time, in-vitro fertilisation technique and frozen embryo have been successfully used to establish pregnancy in livestock in India.

• This is a major breakthrough for genetically improving, conserving and propagating indigenous cow breeds.
• JK BovaGenix will focus on producing IVF embryos on a large scale from indigenous cattle breeds.
• Establishment of pregnancies through frozen embryo for the first time in India and the centre’s 28 cows with 14 pregnancies through UVF and 14 through frozen IVF embryos in the three months since inception has also been a success.
• In IVF technique, ova is aspirated manually from the donor mother’s ovary and them combined with the semen to develop an ova into an embryo which can be frozen and preserved.
• Embryos can be transplanted into recipient mothers to produce live calves.

ANSWER: 14

Explanation:
RS on 19th July 2016 passed the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Amendment Bill 2012 which allows children below the age of 14 to work in select non hazardous family enterprises.

• It also prohibits employment of children below 14 years in all occupations or processes except where the child helps his family after school with the provision for imprisonment up to two years for any violation
• This was made in light of Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act 2009.
• It also adds a new category called adolescents meaning children between 14-18 years of age and prevents employment of adolescents in dangerous occupations such as mines, inflammable substances and hazardous processes.
• This gives the right to the Union Government to add or omit any hazardous occupation from the list included in the Bill.
• It also increases penalty for employing adolescents in hazardous occupations.
• Penalty for employing a child in an occupation means imprisonment from 6 months to two years or fine of INR 20,000-50,000 or both.

ANSWER: Pakistan

Explanation:
Pakistan’s ruling party has planned to pass a legislation against honour killings within weeks of the high profile murder of social media star Qandeel Baloch by her brother.

• Government has faced increased pressure to pass the law against murders carried out by people of their family members for honour
• Law will now remove a loophole allowing other family members to pardon the killer.
• Close to 500 women are killed for “honour” in Pakistan.
• Jamaat i Islami, one of the two religious parties in the parliament said it had no objection to the bill.

ANSWER: Turkey

Explanation:
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has declared a three month state of emergency following a botched coup attempt declaring he would rid the virus of subversion and carry out mass arrests.

• Measure would counter threats to the nation;s democracy.
• Security measures could facilitate longer detentions for close to 10,000 people who have been rounded up since loyalist security forces and protestors stopped the rebellion.
• State of emergency announcement will now have to be published in state gazette.
• Turkey imposed Emergency rule in the SE in 1987 allowing officials to set up curfew, issue research and arrest warrants and restrict gatherings- it was lifted by 2002.

ANSWER: Yury Nagornykh

Explanation:
Russian PM Dmitry Medvedev on 18th July 2016 suspended Deputy Sports Minister Yuri Nagornykh from office.

• He was suspended after the name occurred in the report on doping of Russian athletes at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
• President Vladimir Putin has indicated that WADA report named officials would be temporarily suspended.
• Suspension will last until the investigation into the WADA report on the involvement of Russian state officials in the doping scandal.
• WADA’s report indicated the deputy sports minister was responsible for the cover-up.

ANSWER: Donald Trump

Explanation:
Republican Party formally nominated Donald Trump for President of the US in a campaign that saw billionaire tycoon defeat 16 White House hopefuls

• Real estate mogul will be accepting the nomination to face off against Democrat candidate Hillary Clinton in the November elections.
• Delegation of Trump’s home state of NY cast the deciding votes which put them over the threshold of 1237, the majority plus one of delegates to the Cleveland, Ohio convention.

ANSWER: Paul Romer

Explanation:
World Bank President Jim Yong Kim announced American economist Paul Romer will succeed Kaushik Basu as the Chief Economist and Senior VP of the World Bank.

• Romer’s appointment will take effect from September 2016; he is currently NYU professor and director of the University’s Marron Institute of Urban Management.
• WB comprises two institutions IBRD and IDA and was created in 1944 along with the IMF.

ANSWER: Prohibition

Explanation:
Union Cabinet approved amendments to the Benami Transactions (Prohibition) Amendment Bill 2015 to be introduced in the Parliament.

• Amendment to the Bill aims to strengthen legal and administrative procedure to set over practical difficulties arising in implementation of provisions of the Bill when it becomes an Act.
• Legislation empowers the government to confiscate benami property by following due process of law.

ANSWER: Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Explanation:
PM Narendra Modi has created a mega role for the Ministry of Electronics ad Information Technology with a saw over all policy matters pertaining to electronics, IT and Internet other than ISP licensing.

• On July 18, Cabinet Secretariat notified the amendments made by the President of India to the Government of India (Allocation of Business) Rules 1961 in association with the Ministry of Electronics and Information and the Ministry of S&T and Earth Sciences.
• As per the new rules, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology led by Ravi Shankar Prasad will have complete jurisdiction of the UIDAI and NIC.
• Two separate department, Telecom and Post have been placed under the Ministry of Communications headed by MoS for Communications (Independent Charge) Manoj Sinha
• All matters pertaining to cyber laws, administration of IT Act 2000 and other related IT laws will come under the new Ministry

ANSWER: Port led infrastructure projects

Explanation:
Union Government has provided clearance for the plan to set up Sagarmala Development Company to provide equity support to port led economic development projects with initial authorised share capital of INR 1000 crore and subscribed share capital of INR 90 crore.

• SDC will identify port led development projects and assist SPVs in project development.
• It will also be responsible for approval and clearances for port projects.

ANSWER: Swiss Confederation

Explanation:
Cabinet approved a skill development agreement signed between India and the Swiss confederation giving ex-post factor approval for MoU to be signed between India and State Secretariat for Education Research and Innovation of the Swiss Confederation for cooperation in skill development.

• MoU focuses on capacity building and exchange of best practices in the area of skill development.
• MoU also envisions the establishment of a JWG to create, monitor, review the implementation framework for the MoU.

ANSWER: Gorakhpur

Explanation:
Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has given approval for the establishment of a new AIIMS at Gorakhpur, UP under the PMSSY or Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Surkasha Yojana.

• Cost of the project for the establishment of the new AIIMS in Gorakhpur will be INR 1011 crore.
• Institution shall have 750 beds including Emergency Trauma Beds, AYUSH beds, Pricate Beds and ICU Specialty and Super Speciality Beds.
• Establishment of the new AIIMS will serve the purpose of providing super speciality health care to the population while creating a large pool of doctors and health workers in the region for primary and secondary level institutions being created under National Health Mission.

ANSWER: International Finance Corporation

Explanation:
India has extended the United Nations (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1947 which confers legal immunity akin to the kind enjoyed by foreign missions and diplomats to the International Finance Corporation and its reps and officials.

• IFC, one of the affiliates of the World Bank addressed development challenges faced by the private sector in developing nations
• IFC website indicates that the financial products enables companies to manage and broaden access to foreign and domestic capital markets.
• The aim is to unlock private sector investment essential for businesses to expand and jobs to be created as well as growth and special focus on infrastructure, manufacturing, agribusinesses, services and financial markets.
• Among international institutions covered under the UN (Privileges and Immunities) Act 1947are International Civil Aviation Organisation, World Health Organisation, International Labour Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation of the UN, UNESCO and IMF.
• Among the privileges conferred under the Act include exemption from direct taxes, customs duties and prohibitions and restrictions on imports and exports in respect of articles imported or exported by the UN for official use and immunity from personal arrest or detention and seizure of personal baggage.

ANSWER: IIFL Finance

Explanation:
UK Government owned development finance institution CDC Group PLC has agreed to purchase 15 percent stake in India Infoline Finance, a completely owned subsidiary of IIFL Holdings Ltd for INR 1000 crore.

• Move will help IIFL Group in expanding financing business and address capital needs of under served segments through diversified offerings, as per company statement.
• Proposed investment is by way of Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares which on conversion will result in 15 percent equity stake for CDC in IIFL Finance on a fully diluted basis.
• Proposed transaction is subject to regulatory approvals.
• CDC was the first PE investor in IIFL during the startup phase in 1999.
• IIFL Finance, an NBFC in the business of home and property loans, gold loans, commercial vehicle finance, healthcare finance and SME business loans is under the chairmanship of VK Chopra.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Nigerian journalist Didi Akinyelure on 19th July 2016 won the BBC World Service News Komla Dumor Award for 2016.

• Akinyelure is the second recipient of the award after Nancy Kacungira.
• Ghanian BBC World News presenter Komla Dumor is the person after whom this award is instituted.
• Didi is a prime time news anchor in Nigeria- she presents business news for CNBC broadcasting across the continent.
• She has been on the CNBC Africa team since 2013.

ANSWER: Rohit Khandelwal

Explanation:
Rohit Khandelwal won the Mr. World 2016 title on 19th July 2016.

• Grand finale of the Mr. World 2016 was held in Southport Theatre and Convention Centre in Southport UK.
• He became the first Asian and Indian to win the Mr. World title at the competition.
• Mr World 2014-2015 Nicklas Pedersen passed the title onto Rohit.
• Khandelwal also won the cash prize of USD 50,000.
• Puerto Rico’s Fernando Alberto Alvarez Soto was named the first runner-up and Aldo Esparza Ramirez of Mexico was named the second runner-up.

ANSWER: Driverskart

Explanation:
On demand driver services provider Driverskart has partnered with QuikrServices, services vertical of cross category classified business Quikr to provide on demand driver solutions.

• As per this exclusive tie up, queries in the on demand driver segment for Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai on the Quikr platform will be redirected to DriversKart.
• DriversKart provides mobile app based on demand chauffeur services to help customers hire trusted professional drivers to get driven in the comfort of their own car, sparing them time and effort.
• The co-founder and CEO of DriversKart is Vinit Srivastava.

ANSWER: Sarvita Sethi

Explanation:
Beverages firm Coca Cola on 19th July 2016 appointed Sravita Sethi as the new Vice President (Finance) for India and South West Asia.

• Sethi took charge from Sanjeev Kumar moving to Lagos as DF for Coca Cola West Africa.
• Sethi will be reporting to Coca Cola India and South West Asia President Venkatesh Kini.
• India and South West Asia Business Units of the Coca Cola company include India, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Bangladesh
• Coca Cola company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and the beverage was invented in 1886 by pharmacist John Stith Pemberton in Columbus.

ANSWER: MD

Explanation:
Steve Elworthy, the former South Africa fast bowler was on 19th July 2016 was appointed the MD of the 2019 World Cup to be held in England and Wales

• Elworthy will oversee the running of the 2019 World Cup as well as the Champion’s Trophy and Women’s World Cup.
• He was earlier tournament director for the 2007 and 2009 World T20 and 2013 Champions Trophy

ANSWER: Amitav Ghosh

Explanation:
Book entitled The Great Derangement: Climate Change and the Unthinkable was authored by Indian novelist Amitav Ghosh and was released on 12th July 2016.

• Book addresses the challenges of representing climate change complexity in literature and responsibility of writers to document extreme reality faced by humans.
• The inability in the level of literature, history and politics encompass the scale and violence of climate change.
• History of the carbon economy is a tangled global story with contradictory and counterintuitive elements
• The writer spoke of how climate change has become a personal moral reckoning rather than arena of collective action .

ANSWER: Non Communicable Diseases

Explanation:
The World Health Organisation on 18th July 2016 released a report of the 2015 NCD Global Survey.

• The report highlights the need to intensify national action to meet global targets to protect people from diseases such as cancer, diabetes and lung diseases.
• Global survey assessing national capacity for the prevention and control of NCD has shown countries making remarkable progress.
• Sustainable Development Goals agenda includes a target to reduce premature deaths from NCD by 30 percent by 2030.
• Globally, 4 NCDs which are cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases show these as the largest cause of death in people under 70 years.
• 91 percent of the countries responded to the survey.

ANSWER: No voter to be left behind

Explanation:
Election Commission of India has given utmost importance to enrolment of eligible citizens and assist electors to reach and cast votes in a hassle free way through Polling Stations.

• No voter to be left behind is the motto of the ECI for the year 2016.
• NERP or National Electoral Roll Purification programme was launched across the country with intensive verifications by the field functionaries and stakeholders to enhance the purity and fidelity of the Electoral Rolls and standardisation of PS for electors to be able to reach these easily.

ANSWER: Belgium

Explanation:
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitiations to the King and people of Belgium on the eve of their National Day i.e July 21, 2016.

• The President extended his congratulations to the King of Belgium, King Philippe.