Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 07, 2016

ANSWER: 75

Explanation:
On account of changing climate, Arctic regions of N.America are getting greener with a third of the total land cover looking more like landscapes found in warmer ecosystems, as per a new NASA study.

• Close to 87,000 images taken from Landsat satellites has converted into data reflecting the amount of healthy vegetation in the Arctic and boreal N. America
• Landsat is a programme providing continuous longest space based record of Earth’s land vegetation
• It showcases the climate impact on vegetation at higher latitudes as well
• Temperatures are warming faster in the Arctic than elsewhere which has led to longer seasons for plants to grow in and changes to the soils.
• Climate impact on vegetation in the high latitudes has been the result of temperatures warming faster in the Arctic than elsewhere

ANSWER: Guwahati

Explanation:
Assam’s Guwahati has become the first city in the country to have its own City Animal with district administration declaring the Gangetic River Dolphin as the mascot. The animal known locally as Sihu will be the city animal.

• The district administration had decided on the basis of voting to select this animal from three protected creatures, the other two being Bor Kaso or Black Soft-shell Turtle and Hargila or Great Adjutant Stork
• There are currently less than 2000 Gangetic river dolphins in the Brahmaputra across Guwahati
• A small population of Black Soft-shell turtle are found in the river and its tributaries
• Number of Great Adjutant stork is less than 1200 in and around Guwahati.
• The Gangetic River Dolphin received 24,247 votes

ANSWER: Seene

Explanation:
The instant messaging firm is said to have acquired the 3D photo making app a couple of months ago.

• Seene permits users to capture an image with a smartphone and create a 3D version of it. Snapchat has been interested in Seene’s computer vision technology and engineering team.
• 3D technology has been used to introduce new filters inside the ephemeral messaging app

ANSWER: Ashok Ganapathy

Explanation:
Telecom major Bharti Airtel has announced the appointment of Ashok Ganapathy as director-Airtel Business with effect from July 1, 2016

• He will take over from Manish Prakash while moving into a new role as director Strategic Alliances.

ANSWER: Salesforce

Explanation:
Cloud based software maker Salesforce. Inc has indicated it will be purchasing Demandware Inc whose software is used by businesses to run e-commerce websites. The deal will assist Salesforce to open a new front taking market share from traditional software companies like Oracle Corp and SAP AG.

• E-commerce market has been growing at a rapid pace with high demand for software that helps manage functions such as payment processing and inventory management
• Salesforce cash offer of US $75 per share represents a 56.3 premium to Demandware

ANSWER: V. Narayanasamy

Explanation:
Congress Legislature party leader V Narayanasamy was sworn in as CM of the Puducherry UT on June 6, 2016.

• Lt. Gov Kiran Bedi administered his oath of office and secrecy along with 5 ministers at Beach Road Gandhi Tidal
• Five Congress legislators who were also sworn-in as ministers are A Namassivayam, Shah Jahan, Malladi Krishna Rao, M Kandasamy and R Kamalakannan.

ANSWER: N. Ramachandran

Explanation:
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has awarded the prestigious Olympic Order to Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president N Ramachandran. The award is given in acknowledgement for Ramachandran’s outstanding contribution to the Olympic movement. Former IOA president, the late B.S. Adityan was also honoured with the same award, in 1995.

• Ramachandran was elected president in February 2014
• IOC is an NPO with 100 active members and 32 honorary members

ANSWER: Test of High Tech Objectives in Reality

Explanation:
THOR is the world’s first 3 D printed aircraft. Windowless and weighing at 21 kilos with a span of less than 4 meters, THOR stands for Test of High Tech Objectives in Reality

• In Thor the parts printed from a substance called polyamide are electrical elements
• 3D printing is also called additive manufacturing - it includes numerous processes to synthesise a 3-D object

ANSWER: 7

Explanation:
India and Qatar have signed seven agreements, including one on finance intelligence to check money laundering and terrorism financing and another to woo foreign investment in the infrastructure sector from the gas-rich Gulf state.

• Cooperation and investment in areas of skill development and education, health, tourism and sports between the two countries were the other agreements signed
• Qatar is an important trading partner for India in the Gulf region with bilateral trade in 2014-15 standing at USD 15.67 billion.
• It is also one of India’s key sources of crude oil.

ANSWER: Naval staff

Explanation:
Vice Admiral G Ashok Kumar AVSM, VSM has assumed charge as Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on June 6, 2016. He is an NDA alumnus and was commissioned into the Executive Branch of the Indian Navy on 01 Jul 1982.

• After having completed his specialisation in Navigation and Direction at Kochi in 1989, he served as the Navigating Officer of Indian Naval Ships Beas, Nilgiri, Ranvir and Vikrant.
• His other sea tenures include Commanding Officer of INS Kulish and Ranvir, and Executive Officer onboard INS Brahmaputra.
• He has also been the Chief Staff Officer (Operations) of the Western Naval Command.

ANSWER: WCD

Explanation:

• Around 250 journalists from 30 States/UTs across the country, representing 120 media organisations will come together on a single platform at the first ever ‘All India Women Journalists’ Workshop’ organised by Ministry of Women and Child Development in association with Press Information Bureau, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting in New Delhi on June 7
• The women journalists represent print, electronic and online media across the country including small regional media organisations.
• This Conference will be a unique gathering of women journalists, who specialise in social sector reporting, coming together to understand, discuss and deliberate on issues concerning women and children.