Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Jun 21, 2017

ANSWER: Democratic Movement

Explanation:
French President Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche has won a clear parliamentary majority in the 2017 legislative elections, just weeks after his own presidential victory.

With nearly all votes counted, Macron’s En Marche alongside its Democratic Movement (MoDem) allies, has won more than 300 seats in the 577-seat National Assembly.

The party was formed just over a year ago on 6 April 2016 and around half of its fielded candidates have little or no political experience.

The La République en Marche along with MoDem has surpassed the required the 289-seat mark to control the National Assembly, delivering a huge blow to traditional parties on both the left and right.

The winning margin is however, lower than expected, with the total turnout hitting a record low, down by about 42% from 2012.

The conservative Republicans and their allies could form a large opposition block with 125-131 seats, which in comparison to the last parliament is down from 200.

Though Marine Le Pen’s far right political party - the National Front (FN) - performed worse than expected by getting just 8 seats in comparison to their expected 15, Pen won a seat in the parliament for the first time representing Henin - Beaumont town.

The Socialist Party (PS), which was in power since the past 5 years along with their ally the Radical Party of the Left (PRG), are looking set to get only 41-49 seats, their lowest tally ever.

The defeat has led the Socialist party leader - Jean-Christophe Cambadelis- who lost in last week’s first-round vote, to announce his retirement from the post.

The result gives the young French President a strong mandate in parliament to pursue his pro-EU, business-friendly reform plans.

En Marche: Know More

• President: Catherine Barbaroux (Acting)
• General Secretary: Richard Ferrand
• Founder: Emmanuel Macron
• Founded: 6 April 2016
• Headquarters: 99, rue de l'Abbé-Groult
• 75015 Paris
• Youth wing: Les Jeunes avec Macron
• Ideology: Liberalism, Social liberalism, Economic liberalism, Pro-Europeanism
• Political position: Centre
• National Assembly: 308 / 577

ANSWER: 4175

Explanation:
Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has cleared the proposal of final raising of the Sardar Sarovar Dam (SSD) in Gujarat by lowering of the gates and impounding of water in the reservoir up to its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of EL 138.68 meters.

Before clearing the proposal for raising the Sardar Sarovar Dam, the NCA in its meeting on 16 June 2017 considered all aspects of Environmental and Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) issues.

With this lowering of the SSD, the live storage capacity of the dam would increase from 1565 to 5740 million cubic metres (MCM) i.e. by 4175 MCM (267%).

Secondly, the clean hydro-power generation will go up by existing 1300 MW to 1450 MW with increase in annual generation by about 1100 Million Units (i.e. about INR 400/- crore per annum).

In addition, this additional storage would irrigate about 8 lakh hectares and provide drinking water to about one crore people. As it is well known, the Sardar Sarovar Project would primarily meet the water requirement of drought prone and desert areas of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Prior to clearance by NCA, the Environment Sub-group of NCA chaired by Shri Ajay Narayan Jha, Secretary (MoEF&CC) reviewed the implementation of Environment Safeguard Measures on 1 May 2017 and after observing substantial progress, recommended Phase-II proposal of lowering down of the gates and impounding of water in the reservoir to FRL of EL 138.68 mts.

The Environment Sub-group has also asked the State Governments to complete leftover works by 30 June 2017.

The Resettlement and Rehabilitation sub-group chaired by G Latha Krishna Rao, Secretary (MoSJ&E) reviewed the progress of R&R and the opinions received from Grievance Redressal Authorities (GRAs) of the States of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra on 16 June 2017.

The State Governments have assured to address all issues of Project Affected Families (PAFs) on priority basis in accordance with Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) Award, liberalized policies of the State Governments and Supreme Court Order dated 8 February 2017.

NCA has permitted final raising of SSD after following the procedure laid down by Supreme Court order dated 18 October 2000 in WP(C) 328 of 2002 in Narmada Bachao Andolan Vs. Union of India & others.

Last time the proposal of raising the SSD was cleared on 12 June 2014, wherein permission for Phase-I construction of piers, overhead bridge and installation of gates in open or raised position was granted.

At that time, the effective height of SSD remained at EL 121.92 meters with backwater levels of EL 134.32 meters at dam site.

ANSWER: Australia

Explanation:
The Australian High Commission and Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection announced on 16 June 2017 that from 1 July 2017, all Indian nationals will be able to apply for visitor online visa.

The application option would make applying for the country’s visitor visa easier for Indians and thus enhance their overall experience.

According to an official statement by the Australian government, there has been a significant increase in demand for Australian visas in India with the rising popularity of Australia as a holiday destination. The Australian Department of Immigration and Border Protection granted more than 65000 visitor online visa to Indian nationals in the first four months of 2017 alone.

Indians would be able to make the online applications through the department’s ImmiAccount portal.

The benefits of online lodgement include 24/7 accessibility, electronic payment of the visa application charge and the ability to check the status of applications lodged online.

The other benefit is that the form could be completed by a third party such as a family member in India or in Australia, a travel agent or a contracted visa application centre with due permission from the applicant.

The processing time for the visas would also be faster considering both applications and supporting documentation would be made immediately available to the processing office.

The move would also enable the applicant to check the status of the application online and know immediately when it is finalised.

This expansion by the Australian government in providing the option of online lodgement to Indian applicants is a significant move towards the easier management of a large number of visitor visa applications processed in India.

There were 265,000 Indian visitor arrivals from July-Mar 2017, an increase of 15.4 percent in comparison to July-March 2016.

ANSWER: Pakistan

Explanation:
Pakistan on 18 June 2017 defeated India in the final played at The Oval, London to lift the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

Pakistan won the trophy by 180 runs. The margin of victory was the largest by any team in the final of an ICC ODI tournament.

Pakistan’s Hasan Ali was declared the Player of the Series.

England vs Pakistan:

• The match was held on 14 June 2017 at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff. Pakistan won the match by 8 wickets.
• It was the first time that Pakistan had qualified for a Champions Trophy final.
• It was also their first final in an ICC ODI competition since 1999. Pakistan’s Hasan Ali was declared the Player of the match.

India vs Bangladesh:

• The match was held on 15 June 2017 at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
• India won the match by 9 wickets.
• It was Bangladesh’s first appearance in a semi-final of any ICC competition.
• India’s Rohit Sharma was declared the Player of the match.

ICC Champions Trophy: Know More

• The ICC Champions Trophy is a one day international cricket tournament organised by the International Cricket Council.
• It is second in importance only to the Cricket World Cup.
• It was inaugurated as the ICC KnockOut Tournament in 1998. Its name was changed to the Champions Trophy in 2002.
• Australia and India have won the tournament twice each.
• India is scheduled to host the 2021 ICC Champions Trophy.
• The ICC has proposed starting an ODI League in 2019.
• If the new league is introduced, the 2021 tournament may be cancelled.

ANSWER: 65.6 million

Explanation:
UNHCRA record 65.6 million people are either refugees, asylum seekers or internally displaced across the globe, announced the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

The revelation was made on 19 June 2017 in the UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR annual Global Trends study.

By the end of 2016, 65.6 million individuals were forcibly displaced worldwide as a result of persecution, conflict, violence, or human rights violations.

During the year, 10.3 million people were newly displaced by conflict or persecution.

This included 6.9 million individuals displaced within the borders of their own countries and 3.4 million new refugees and new asylum-seekers.

The number of new displacements was equivalent to 20 people being forced to flee their homes every minute of 2016.

Children below 18 years of age constituted about half of the refugee population in 2016.

Developing regions hosted 84 per cent of the world’s refugees under UNHCR’s mandate, with about 14.5 million people.

During 2016, 552200 refugees returned to their countries of origin, often in less than ideal conditions.

Refugees in the World

• Lebanon continued to host the largest number of refugees relative to its national population, where 1 in 6 people was a refugee.
• Altogether, 55 per cent of all refugees worldwide came from just three countries: Syrian Arab Republic (5.5 million), Afghanistan (2.5 million) and South Sudan (1.4 million).
• For the third consecutive year, Turkey hosted the largest number of refugees worldwide, with 2.9 million people.
• Unaccompanied or separated children, mainly Afghans, and Syrians, lodged around 75000 asylum applications in 70 countries during the year, although this figure is assumed to be an underestimate.

ANSWER: Telangana

Explanation:
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the state will shield the proposed 12 percent reservation for poor Muslim communities even in the highest office of the Central Government.

The Minister made the announcement during a government-sponsored Iftar that was held in Hyderabad on 18 June 2017.

The Minister stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had been apprised of the reservation bill during his last visit and Modi had assured that he will study the bill.

The Minister also added that he had conveyed to the Prime Minister that the reservation bill was in keeping with the election promise that his Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) party had made in 2014.

The reservation bill, which has been passed by the Telangana Legislature, proposes to increase reservations in jobs and education for backward sections of the poor Muslim community from 4 percent to 12 percent.

Besides this, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of Anees-ul-Gurbha Complex in Nampally area, a shelter house that aims to provide education and shelter to Muslim orphan children.

The total estimated cost of the complex is about INR 20 Cr.

Till now, the state government has set up 204 residential schools for underprivileged children from the Muslim community, which is expected to benefit almost 1.33 lakh students.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
In a first, China is planning to send mini-ecosystems - containing potato seeds and silkworm eggs - to the Moon next year, in an attempt to study how the organisms develop on the lunar surface.

The 3-kilogramme mini-ecosystem, developed by research teams led by Chongqing University in China, will be sent to the Moon by the Chang’e 4 scheduled to launch in 2018, authorities announced at the Global Space Exploration Conference.

An 18-centimetre-tall cylinder will carry potato seeds and silkworm eggs to be incubated.

The silkworms will hatch and create carbon dioxide, while the potato plants will generate oxygen, with the aim of the mission to prepare for future moon landings and possible human inhabitants.

China is planning a manned mission to the Moon, and officials have announced that the preliminary preparations for the lunar landing have begun.

ANSWER: National Archives of India

Explanation:
A Protocol of Cooperation was signed between the National Archives of India and the Minister of Culture of the Portuguese Republic in the field of archives on 17th May, 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal.

As a first step under this agreement, the Torre do Tombo (National Archives of Portugal) handed over to the National Archives of India digital copies of 62 volumes of the collection known as ‘Moncoes do Reino’ (Monsoon correspondence).

These volumes were originally part of over 456 volumes that cover the period from 1568 to 1914 and form the largest of all record collections in the Goa State Archives.

The collection consists of direct correspondence from Lisbon to Goa and is important primary source for the study of the Portuguese expansion in Asia, their trade rivalries with the Arabs and European powers and their relations with neighbouring Kings in South Asia and East Asia.

In 1777, these 62 volumes, consisting of over 12,000 documents, pertaining to the period from 1605 to 1651 were shifted from Goa to Lisbon where these were subsequently printed in under the title ‘Documentos Remetidos da India’(Documents sent from India) by the Academy of Science at Lisbon between 1880 and 1893.

The original volumes had remained in Lisbon ever since.

A set of digital images of the missing volumes of the Moncoes do Reino was handed over to India.

Ever since the very successful visit of the Portuguese Prime Minister to India in January this year, there is a lot of synergy between the two countries in diverse fields ranging from technology to education and from civil aviation to football - to name a few.

Cultural being an important part of the lives of our people, is an important area where cooperation in the areas of shared heritage and legacy is greatly cherished by one and all.

ANSWER: third

Explanation:
The Ministry of Tourism on 21^st June 2017 celebrated the 3rd International Day of Yoga (IDY) through various initiatives:

A 30 second Radio Spot promoting Yoga was developed and is airing on 17 AIR FM stations starting 14th June.

A 60 second Television commercial promoting India as a land of Yoga has been developed. A month long TV campaign promoting Yoga is to be launched on Doordarshan network on 21st June.

A campaign promoting Yoga is running on all social network channels of Ministry of Tourism from 15^th May 2017 to 21^st June 2017.

IDY 2017 posters and standees developed to be used by Indiatourism international and domestic offices.

The International Day of Yoga was highlighted at the India stand at SATTE, Delhi in Feb 2017 and Yogshala Expo held in Delhi in June 2017.

A group of 53 international guests comprising of tour operators promoting Yoga, Journalists and photographers, Yoga Gurus and opinion makers from across the globe have been invited by Ministry of Tourism on a familiarisation trip.

The group will participate in the main IDY celebrations to be held on 21^st June at Lucknow in which the Prime Minister is participating.

The group will then visit various Yoga institutions and Wellness Centres in the country in order to have a first hand knowledge and promote India as a destination for Yoga in their own countries.

The Indiatourism offices overseas are organising and playing a prominent role in the organising of International Day of Yoga celebrations in the countries under their jurisdictions.

Indiatourism offices in India, Institutes of the National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) and Indian Institutes of Tourism and Travel Management (IITTM) will also be organising International Day of Yoga events.

The private sector is also encouraging participation in Yoga Day events with Tour Operators planning special trips to Yoga camps and special Yoga Experiences for groups who are visiting on the Yoga Day.

ANSWER: Baldwin Lonsdale

Explanation:
The president of Vanuatu, Baldwin Lonsdale, has died after a heart attack at the age of 67.

Lonsdale, an Anglican priest, had been leader of the Pacific archipelago since September 2014. He died on 17^th June 2017.

While president, Mr Lonsdale oversaw the vast rebuilding of parts of Vanuatu after Cyclone Pam left an estimated 75,000 people homeless in March 2015.

In October the same year, he vowed to clean up corruption in Vanuatu after a scandal involving his deputy.

Speaker Marcellino Pipite was one of 14 MPs - half of the country's parliament - convicted of giving and receiving corrupt payments over a vote of no confidence in a previous government.

He went on to pardon himself and the other 13 MPs while Lonsdale was out of the country, a pardon the president then rescinded on his return.

Vanautu: Know More

• Currency: Vanuatu vatu
• Capital and largest city: Port Vila
• Ethnic groups (1999): 98.5% Ni-Vanuatu; 1.5% others
• Destinations: Port Vila, Tanna, Espiritu Santo, Luganville