Current Affairs Questions & Answers - July 27, 2016

ANSWER: 2.57

Explanation:
Government of India has notified revised pay grades for implementation of the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

• This provided nearly 10 lakh employees with 2.57 times hike in basic pay.
• Minimum pay in central government effective from January 1, 2016 will be INR 18,000 per month and at the highest level, it will be 2.5 lakhs.
• Existing pay (Pay in Pay Band plus Grade Pay) in the pre-revised structure on December 31, 2015 shall be multiplied by a factor of 2.57.
• Two dates should be there for the grant of increment namely January and July 1 each year, instead of July 1 only.
• Employees will be entitled to only one annual increment on either of these two dates depending upon the date of appointment, promotion or grant of financial upgradation.
• Cabinet has also provided a pay increase for central government employees and pensioners which is estimated to cost the exchequer INR 1.02 lakh crore each year.

ANSWER: USD 278.75m

Explanation:
Trade between India and Pakistan reached USD 339.43 million during the first two months of the 2016-2017 fiscal.

• Exports during April-May stood at USD 278.75 million and imports were aggregated at USD 60.68 million.
• Two countries had moved towards full trade normalisation on the basis of September 2012 roadmap till recently.
• In September 2012, it was agreed Pakistan would remove all trade restrictions through Wagah Attari border, transition to MFN (non discriminatory) status to India by December 2012.
• India and US have held consultations in May under the aegis of WTO dispute settlement mechanism on higher visa fee issue.

ANSWER: Manipur

Explanation:
Manipur has joined the UDAY scheme meant for the revival of debt stressed power distribution utilities and will get benefits of INR 263 crore.

• Manipur is the 14th state to join UDAY. It is also the first NE state to opt for UDAY for improving the efficiency of DISCOMS.
• GoI, Manipur and DISCOM of Manipur signed the MoU under the scheme Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana.
• An overall net benefit of close to INR 263 crore would accrue to states participating in UDAY by means of cheaper funds, reduction in AT&C and transmission losses, interventions in energy efficiency, coal reforms and more during the turnaround period.

ANSWER: CII

Explanation:
An MoU was signed between Ministry of Railways and Confederation of Indian Industry to evaluate the green initiatives and rate the performance of industrial units of Indian Railways which are pursuing environmentally sustainable practices.

• Final Report on Passenger Feedback Survey at major Railway Stations for Cleanliness Ranking was e-released on 26th July, 2016.
• MoU was signed amidst the announcement of the Rail Minister’s Budget news.

ANSWER: 93

Explanation:
93 seed hubs have been approved under the National Food Security Mission against a target of 150 at the ICAR, State Agricultural Universities and Krishi Vigyan Kendras.

• The approval has been made with an outlay of INR 13981.08 lakh.
• 15 percent of the allocation for pulses component of NFSM is earmkared for producing quality pulses seed through the state
• Cluster frontline demonstration of pulses in 31000 ha has been allocated to 534 KVKs for 2016-2017.
• Government has also launched numerous web and mobile applications for disseminating information on agriculture related activities: Kisan Suvidha, Pusha Krishi, Crop Insurance, Agri Market and India Weather. Major web portals that have been developed include Farmers Portal, mKisan Portal, Crop Insurance Portal and Participatory Guarantee System of India portal.

ANSWER: Sickle Cell Institute Chattisgarh

Explanation:
Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology a premier institute under Council of Scientific and Industrial Research has signed a long term MoU with Sickle Cell Institute Chattisgarh(SCIC) an autonomous institute in Raipur.

• Sickle cell anaemia is a serious disorder of haemoglobin metabolism and prevails in states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha and Chattisgarh.
• This is an inherited form of anaemia where the body lacks healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to different parts.
• MoU combines clinical skills of SCIC with the molecular biology expertise and genetic testing experience of CSIR-CCMB under which both institutes will strive to lower burden of sickle cell anaemia in Chattisgarh.

ANSWER: Patna

Explanation:
BRICS Policy Planning Dialogue was held in Patna on 26th July 2016.

• Patna is the capital city of Bihar.
• Delegation discussed issues beyond quotidian diplomacy.
• Delegation also discussed the role of BRICS in international governance, ongoing cooperation at BRICS Forum and reflection on areas of convergence among BRICS.
• BRICS is a grouping that brings together 5 major world economies and is home to 43 percent of the world population.

ANSWER: 12

Explanation:
Council of Scientific & Industrial Research has been ranked 12th in the world among government institutions in the world improving the position after rank 14 for 3 consecutive years, according to Scimago Institutions Rankings 2016.

• Overall rank of CSIR also improved from 110 to 99th position.
• CSIR leads the country and is the only Indian organisation to be among the top 100 international institutions.
• Scimago ranking is a classification of academic and research related institutions ranked by composite indicator combining three different sets of indicators based on research performance, innovation outputs and societal impact measured by web visibility.

ANSWER: Jabong

Explanation:
Flipkart owned Myntra has acquired Jabong from Global Fashion Group.

• The amount for which the acquisition has been made was not publicly disclosed and will mark further consolidation in the booming e-commerce industry of India.
• Myntra was acquired by Flipkart in 2014 in a deal estimated at INR 2000 crore.
• It will now have access to a combined base of 15 million monthly active users.
• Acquisition of Jabong further strengthens Flipkart Group’s position as an undisputed leader in the fashion and lifestyle segment of the country.
• Jabong is a leading multi-brand e-store with more than 1500 on trend international high street brands, sports labels, Indian ethnic and designer labels.

ANSWER: Tetsuya Takano

Explanation:
A week after the revelation that accounts were falsified, Ricoh India announced Chairman and Director Tetsuya Takano has resigned from the company.

• Company has appointed Ian Peter Winham as the Director/Chairman with immediate effect.
• Winham joined the Ricoh group in EMEA in 2002 as CFO.
• He was appointed executive VP, CIO and CFO of Ricoh Europe in 2007.
• Comany’s India MD and CEO Manoj Kumar resigned from the board in April after being asked to go on leave following an audit in the company by the committee.

ANSWER: Bennu

Explanation:
US space agency NASA will launch a spacecraft in September to a near earth asteroid called Bennu to harvest a sample of surface material and return it to the earth to scan for life signs.

• NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft will measure the spectral signature of the Bennu’s mineralogical and molecular components.
• Known as OVIRS (OSIRIS REx Visible and Infrared Spectrometer), the instrument on board measures visible and near infrared light reflected and emitted from the asteroid and split the light into its component wavelengths like a prism splitting the sunlight into a rainbow.
• OVIRS is a key to search for organics on Bennu.
• OVIRS will work with another OSIRIS-REx instrument- the Thermal Emission Spectrometer.
• OVIRS maps the asteroid in visible and near infrared, OTES picks up in thermal infrared.
• Science team will map the entire asteroid over a range of wavelengths interesting to scientists searching for organics and water.
• In visible and infrared spectrum, materials such as minerals have unique signatures like fingerprints allowing scientists to identify various organic materials as well as carbonates, silicates and absorbed water on the asteroid’s surface.

ANSWER: Same

Explanation:
In a first move of its kind, a team of astronomers have discovered that the Milky Way’s halo is spinning in the same direction and at comparable speed as the disk of the galaxy providing potential explanation for the galaxy’s missing mass.

• People just assumed that the disk of the Milky Way spins while this enormous reservoir of hot has is stationary, but this is incorrect.
• This hot gas reservoir is rotating as well, not quite as fast as the disk.
• New knowledge reveals how individual atoms have assembled into stars, planets and galaxies like our own and what the future has in store for these galaxies.
• Researchers used the archival data obtained by XMM Newton- an ESA telescope.
• As per the team, the galaxy’s hot gaseous halo is several times larger than the Milky Way disk and composed of ionised plasma.
• As the motion produces a shift in the wavelength of light, researchers measured such shifts around the sky using lines of very hot oxygen.
• Line shifts measured by the researchers displayed that the halo pains of the galaxy in the same direction as the disk of the Milky Way and at similar speed- 643737.6 mph for the halo versus 869045.76 kmph for the disk.

ANSWER: Irom Sharmila

Explanation:
Manipuri rights activist Irom Sharmila has been demanding the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and fasted for 16 years in protest.

• Sharmila will now break her fast in August and fight the elections instead.
• She indicated that as the government had failed to give any positive response, elections will be fought to resolve the issue.
• Sharmila has been on a hunger strike since November 2000 demanding the repeal of AFSPA.

ANSWER: Flood Code

Explanation:
Following reports of floods in the riverine portions of Bihar, Assam and WB, eminent agricultural scientist MS Swaminathan pitched for the preparation and operation of Flood Code.

• This is an anticipatory code of action for such regions.
• Under the Flood Code, alternative crops must be ready so that when the flood recedes, the plantation of the crops can take place in diara land which goes under water during the monsoon.
• Strategy should be planting saathi maize, sweet potato and rice varieties with genes for stem elongation.
• Farmers get at least one crop and some income for meeting their basic food and income needs.
• Swaminathan is known as the Father of the Green Revolution in India.
• Flood Code can save people in flood prone areas and enhance coping mechanism to handle extreme conditions.

ANSWER: Maldives

Explanation:
President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended greetings to the government and people of Republic of Maldives on the occasion of their Independence Day i.e July 26, 2016.

• President of the Republic of Maldives was His Excellency Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom.
• This marks their 51st Independence Day.
• India and Maldives share common strategic interest in peace and prosperity of the Indian Ocean region.

ANSWER: Arundhati Ghose

Explanation:
Veteran former IFS officer Ms. Arundhati Ghose who was an eminent diplomat remembered for her service to the nation passed away on 25th July 2016.

• She was known for her role as the Indian delegation head for the CTBT negotiations at the conference on disarmament in Geneva in 1996.

ANSWER: 26th July

Explanation:
This Divas was held on 26th July and is a week long celebration saluting the heroes of the Kargil war.

• The week long Divas is being held at Dras and New Delhi and is the 17th anniversary of the day in 1999 when Indian soldiers fought fearlessly and bravely in the Kargil War.

ANSWER: Budha Rashmi Mani

Explanation:
Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Dr. Budha Rashmi Mani as the DG of the National Museum, New Delhi.

• Mani was previously ADG, ASI.
• Appointment is on contract for a period for three years or till the age of 70 or till further orders, whichever is earliest.

ANSWER: Milkha Singh

Explanation:
East Bengal on 26th July 2016 announced 2016’s Bharat Gaurav award (Pride of India) will be awarded to well known athlete Milkha Singh.

• Singh will be handed the award and cash of INR 3 lakh on August 1, which is the East Bengal Foundation Day.
• The Flying Sikh has been called the prometheus of the sports world by the football club.