Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 04, 2016

ANSWER: BSE

Explanation:
BSE is Asia’s oldest bourse. It has received RBI approval for starting the online bidding platform for Sovereign Gold Bond scheme. SGBs are government securities denominated in grams of gold offering an alternative to holding gold in physical form.

• Bond is issued by RBI on behalf of government and investors can apply for bonds at prices disseminated by RBI
• BSE has received approval from the RBI for acting as a receiving office for the Sovereign Gold Bond scheme
• Exchange plans to offer an online bidding platform which is part of the Internet Based Book Building System
• BSE said a mock bidding session would also be conducted to test system performance.

ANSWER: June 5

Explanation:
On this day, PM Narendra Modi asked the nation to take the pledge to work towards conservation of environment resources saying that earth should be kept clean and green. PM Modi also said the day was a commitment to protect the environment and live in harmony and balance with nature

• The theme of the World Environment Day according to the UN is Zero Tolerance for Illegal Wildlife Trade

ANSWER: 100,000

Explanation:
Arctic is on track to be free of ice this year for the first time in more than 100,000 years, scientists say. Provision data provided by the US National Snow and Ice Data Centre indicated there were over 11.1 million sq km of sea ice on June 1 this year, as against average for the past 30 years of nearly 12.7 million sq km. This difference of more than 1.5 million square kilometre is about the size of six UKs.

• Head of the Polar Ocean Physics Group, Cambridge University, Professor Peter Wadhams said that the latest figures bore out the controversial predictions made earlier.
• Professor Peter Wadhams has also predicted that Arctic ice may well disappear and have an area of less than one million sq km for September this year.
• Though the ice doesn’t completely disappear, that is, have an area of less than one million sq km for September of this year.
• Though the ice does not completely disappear, it is very likely this will be a record low year.
• It could go down to a million this year. Ice free means that the central part of the Arctic and North Pole is ice free.
• Remaining ice within the Arctic Circle would be trapped among myriad of islands along the north coast of Canada

ANSWER: Go Green

Explanation:
The GAJRAJ Corps in Assam’s Tezpur Area observed the World Environment Day on Sunday, June 5 lauching the Go Green initiative

• This initiative is an eco-friendly way of avoiding harmful chemicals for killing mosquitoes and controlling mosquito borne diseases.
• Lt Gen D. Anbu also launched the GREENATHON on this day

ANSWER: Manohar Aich

Explanation:
India’s first Mr Universe, Manohar Aich passed away. The passing away of Aich marks the end of an era and the 104 year old famous bodybuilder’s demise ended a historic era.

• Bannerjee recalled that Aich had been honoured with Bangabhibhushan award in 2015 and is a legend in body building

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
A consortium headed by American businessmen Jason Levien and Steve Kaplan has purchased a controlling stake in Premier League club Swansea

• Deal concludes following lengthy negotiations and will see Huw Jenkins in an executive role charged with running of the club

ANSWER: National Anti Doping Agency

Explanation:
Senior IPS officer Navin Agarwal was appointed chief of the National Anti Doping Agency working for dope free sports

• He is a 1986 batch IPS officer of J&K cadre
• Appointments Committee of Cabinet approved approved the appointment of Agarwal as DG-CEO of NADA according to a DoPT order
• He has been appointed for 5 years and is currently working in cadre state J&K

ANSWER: Bend Induced Oscillatory Shearing

Explanation:
A team of researchers devised a new method for stacking microscopic marbles into regular layers which produce intriguing materials scattering light into intense colours and which change colour when twisted or stretched.

• Team led by University of Cambridge used a new method called Bend Induced Oscillatory Shearing to produce hundreds of metres of material called “polymer opals” on roll-to-roll process
• Results have allowed sheets to be manufactured on industrial scale, opening up apps from smart clothing for people or buildings to banknote security.
• The brightest colours in nature can be found in opal gemstones, butterfly wings and beetles. Materials get their colour from the systematically ordered microstructures contained
• When stretched, the material shifts into the blue range of the spectrum and red when compressed. The material returns to original colour on release.

ANSWER: Saif Iqbal

Explanation:
LG Electronics India has hired Saif Iqbal as Snapdeal business head for electronics to shape e-commerce strategy by December.

• LG is the largest white goods maker planning to launch televisions, white goods and smartphones exclusively for online sales to minimise conflict with brick and mortar retailing
• LG is also one of the biggest consumer electronic brands in the country to adopt an online route.

ANSWER: Text

Explanation:
FB has built an AI system that can read text as well as a human. The new computer can read through several thousand posts per second in more than 20 languages and understand what they are saying. New tool will be used to let people get more of the site.

• Tool is initially being tested in FB Messenger

ANSWER: Solar

Explanation:
Harvard University researchers have created a unique bionic leaf which uses solar energy to split water molecular into oxygen and hydrogen, and the herding eating bacteria to produce liquid fuels from CO₂

This invention is called bionic leaf 2.0 and is a new system which can convert solar energy to biomass with 10 percent eficiency- a number higher than one percent seen in fastest growing plants

This is an artificial photosynthesis system

System can be used to generate usable fuels and make downstream carbon based molecules

The technology has a chemical design which allows it to self heal

ANSWER: 320 million years

Explanation:
Scientists have found the oldest known population of plant root stem cells in a 320 million year old fossil, providing a clue on how ancient roots have developed

• Research marks the first time an actively growing fossilised root has been discovered- an ancient plant frozen in time
• Cells which give rise to the roots of the ancient plant were found in fossilised root tip at UK’s Oxford University
• Stem cells are self renewing cells responsible for the formation of multicellular organisms
• These are located in plants at the tips of roots and shoots in groups called meristems
• 320 million year old stem cells are different to those living today with a unique pattern of cell division unknown until now

ANSWER: Convection

Explanation:
In a discovery pointing to exciting geological activity on distant cold planet Pluto, scientists have discovered its icy heart is constantly being renewed by a processes referred to as convention. The prime attraction in the photos of Pluto sent by Nasa's New Horizon spacecraft during its July 2015 flyby was its heart — a large plain informally known as Sputnik Planum .

• The photos show that the surface of Sputnik Planum is covered with icy, churning, convective "cells" 16 to 48km across, and less than one million years old.

ANSWER: Ammonia

Explanation:
Astronomers have produced the most detailed radio map yet of the atmosphere of Jupiter, unveiling massive movement of ammonia gas under the colourful bands, spots and whirling clouds visible to the naked eye. The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) researchers used the upgraded Karl G Jansky Very Large Array in New Mexico to measure radio emissions from Jupiter's atmosphere in wavelength bands where clouds are transparent.

• They were able to see as deep as 100 kilometres below the cloud tops, a largely unexplored region where clouds form.
• The planet's thermal radio emissions are partially absorbed by ammonia gas. Based on the amount of absorption, the researchers could determine how much ammonia is present and at what depth.
• By studying these regions of the planet's atmosphere, astronomers hope to learn how global circulation and cloud formation are driven by Jupiter's powerful internal heat source.

ANSWER: 9

Explanation:
The Universe is expanding at the rate of 5-9 percent faster, scientists using NASA Hubble space telescope have discovered

• Researchers made the discovery by refining the universe’s current expansion rates to unprecedented accuracy, reducing uncertainty to 2.4 percent
• They looked for galaxies containing both Cepheid stars and Type Ia supernovae.
• Cepheid stars pulsate at rates that correspond to their true brightness, which can be compared with their apparent brightness as seen from Earth to accurately determine their distance.
• Type Ia supernovae, another commonly used cosmic yardstick, are exploding stars that flare with the same brightness and are brilliant enough to be seen from relatively longer distances.
• By measuring about 2,400 Cepheid stars in 19 galaxies and comparing the observed brightness of both types of stars, researchers accurately calculated distances to roughly 300 Type Ia supernovae in far-flung galaxies.

ANSWER: 32

Explanation:
Students across the country would soon be able to watch live telecast of lectures from six IITs and some other top institutions while seated in their living rooms, with the Union human resource department launching 32 Direct-to-Home channels to cater to their needs.

• The department of space has agreed to allot two transponders on a GSAT series satellite for this ambitious project, while MoUs have been signed with many institutions, which will provide lessons and content that will be beamed on these channels.
• Lectures of over a dozen other premier institutions will also reach students on TV and these names are being finalised.
• These channels will be freely available on Doordarshan's Free Dish DTH platform and all that the students will need is a Set Top Box to receive them.

ANSWER: Online

Explanation:
Indira Gandhi National Open University started the online admission process for numerous degree, diploma and postgrad courses. RD Darekar of the regional centre said admissions are open for July 2016. Yashwatrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University (YCMOU)'s online admission process is already under way and the registration for new students is getting encouraging response.