Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 03, 2016

ANSWER: 5

Explanation:
Report innovation centres in the country doubled to 16 during a 6 month period to leapfrog India to top 5 globally when it came to innovation, according to consulting major Capgemini.

• India has been rising in the ranks of favourite destinations to open innovation centres- the previous research identified 8 innovation centres in India in July 2015
• India has since seen 8 more innovation centres open their doors
• New innovation centres were opened making India emerge as the fifth global hub in the top 5 listed namely Silicon Valley, London, Paris and Singapore
• New innovation centres in the past few months included top brands like Visa, Apple and Airbus.
• Internationally the financial sector led the rest of the pack in opening innovation centres
• Close to 42 percent of leading financial organisations had innovation centres in February 2016 as against 28 percent in July 2015

ANSWER: US

Explanation:
India has signed a pact with the US to enhance cooperation in energy security and climate change with a view to promoting sustainable growth. An MoU between GoI and the US was therefore signed to enhance cooperation in energy security, clean energy and climate change

• US and India have already been working in some areas and the MOU is expanding the horizon further to provide the framework to work closely not only for the betterment of people but for creating a positive environment for US companies working in India as well
• The deal will provide momentum for cooperative work in the field of energy security and climate change

ANSWER: Argentina

Explanation:
Argentina remained atop the FIFA rankings ahead of Belgium and Colombia with continental championships in Europe and Latin America

• Centenary Copa America is currently underway with holders Chile ranked fifth, Uruguay ninth and Brazil seventh
• With Euro 2016 starting June 10 in France, Germany is ranked fourth while title holders Spain are sixth and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal is eight. Austria at 10th have pushed England out of the top 10
• France is 17th yet a hot pick for becoming champions for the third time after 1984 and 2000.

ANSWER: WebGazer.js

Explanation:
Scientists have developed software turning webcams into eye trackers for making websites more user friendly. Software called WebGazer.js can infer where on the webpage a user is looking and can be added to any website with just few lines of code and run on the browser of the user

• User’s permission is required to access the webcam and no video is shared
• Only the location of the user’s gaze is reported back to the website in real time
• This is a democratisation of eye tracking, according to Alexandra Papoutsaki , a graduate student of Brown University in the US who led the software development
• Anyone can add WebGazer to the site and get a richer set of analytics as against tracking clicks or cursor movements
  
• Using webcams integrated in user computers eliminates the cost factor

ANSWER: Hydrogen

Explanation:
Scientists have detected a faint signal emitted by the hydrogen gas in a galaxy more than 5 billion light years away. This measurement is almost double the previous record of distance.

• Scientists have detected a faint signal emitted by hydrogen gas in a galaxy more than 5 billion light years away
• This measurement is double the previous record of distance
• The signals would begin their journey before the planet even existed
• Incredible measurement is almost is double the previous record of distance
• Signals would begin their journey even before the planet existed and after 5 billion years of traveling through space without hitting anything
• The team also found that the distant galaxy contains billions of young massive stars surrounded by clouds of hydrogen gas
• Till now radio telescopes have only been able to detect the emission signal of hydrogen from new galaxies
• Following upgrade of the VLA, scientists have been directly able to measure atomic hydrogen in a galaxy this far from earth

ANSWER: Rama Vedashree

Explanation:
IT Industry body NASSCOM’s data protection wing- Data Security Council of India appointed Rama Vedashree as the new CEO. Vedashree succeeds Nandkumar Sarvade.

• Vedashree was previously the vice president at NASSCOM where she left initiatives for smart cities, online governance and domestic IT
• She also led healthcare initiative in partnership with Apex Health Sector body NatHealth
• She has extensive experience of over 25 years, having worked in NIIT Technologies, Microsoft and GE India before

ANSWER: Health and Environmental Tracker

Explanation:
People with serious asthma can avoid situations that trigger attacks using HET or Health and Environmental Tracker.

• This early warning system is a wearable comprising a wristband and chest patch for monitoring patients bodies and sending alerts when attacks may be imminent
• Adhesive chest patch tracks the wearer’s movement, heart rate, respiratory rate and blood oxygenation and also monitors wheezing sounds in the lungs
• While the wristband detects motion, heart rate and blood oxygen levels, it is more concerned tracking environmental factors such as airborne volatile organic compounds and ozones along with ambient humidity and temperature

ANSWER: Tutankhamun

Explanation:
An iron dagger buried with Egypt’s King Tutankhamun was made from a meteorite, new research shows. Archaeologists and historians have been fascinated by King Tut’s mummified remains and the mysterious objects found in his tomb since their discovery in the 1922.

• Tutankhamun was an Egyptian pharaoh of the 18th dynasty (ruled c. 1332—1323 BC in the conventional chronology).
• In the past, scientists have claimed that an iron dagger, found along with a gold blade in King Tut’s tomb, may have come from meteorites. They found its makeup of iron, nickel and cobalt matched other meteorites in a database, and “strongly suggests its meteoritic origin.”

ANSWER: Renal duplex monstrosity

Explanation:
In a rare disorder, a 17 year old Chinese girl has been found with four kidneys after she went to the hospital for recurring back pain. Xiaolin was healthy all her childhood but visited hospital for treatment after having lower back pain regularly. She has been found to suffer from renal duplex monstrosity, a rare disorder with the mortality rate of 1 in 15000 which means post of the people would not even realise they have this problem throughout their entire life.

ANSWER: KP Mathur

Explanation:
A new book The Unseen Indira Gandhi authored by Dr KP Mathur was released in May 2016. Dr KP Mathur was personal physician of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for nearly 20 years till her assassination in 1984.

• The book was published by Konark Publishers and the foreword of the book was written by her granddaughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.
• The 151 page book describes Ms Gandhi’s career and several milestones in her life
• The book also covers former PM’s relations with foreign counterparts including Margaret Thatcher who was former PM of the United Kingdom.

ANSWER: Morocco

Explanation:
India and Morocco have jointly launched a trade body to boost bilateral commercial engagements. The India-Morocco Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IMCCI) was launched by visiting Vice President Hamid Ansari and Moroccan Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane. The bilateral trade between the two countries stood at USD 1.26 billion in 2015 with Indian exports forming roughly 25 per cent of the trade volume.

• Indian companies have cumulatively invested more that USD 320 million in Morocco, including in the flagship project, the Indo-Maroc Phosphore SA joint venture. Morocco was also the first nation to sign a treaty with the United States in 1786.

ANSWER: VO Chidambaranar

Explanation:
The VO Chidamaranar Port has bagged National Award for Excellence in Cost Management for the year 2015 from The Institute of Cost Accountants of India under the category of Public Service Sector- Small. The port participated in the 13th National Awards for Excellence in Cost Management-2015, organised by The Institute of Cost Accountants of India. This is the third time this port is receiving the award , the earlier years being 2008 and 2012.

• The Institute of Cost Accountants of India, a statutory body under an Act of Parliament, presents awards for excellence in Cost Management to promote and recognize Cost Management practices in the Corporate Sector.
• The awards under various categories were selected by a Jury panel headed by Hon’ble Justice Mr. V.N.Khare, former Chief Justice of India and persons of eminence from Industry, Government, Judiciary and CMA profession.

ANSWER: President

Explanation:
Consequent upon superannuation of Dr.Thomas Mathew, IAS (KL:1983) on May 31, 2016 the President has appointed Dr.Thomas Mathew as Additional Secretary to the President, w.e.f. the forenoon of June 01, 2016 on contract basis, for a period co-terminus with the tenure of the President of India i.e. upto 24.07.2017 or until further orders, whichever is earlier.