Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 09, 2017

ANSWER: June 8

Explanation:
The World Oceans Day was observed across the world on 8 June 2017 with the theme “Our oceans, our future.”

This year’s theme is connected to the Ocean Conference which took place from 5 to 9 June at United Nations headquarters in New York.

The concept of a World Oceans Day was first proposed in 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro as a way to celebrate world’s shared oceans as well as to raise awareness about the crucial role the ocean plays in our lives and the important ways people can help protect it.

Following this, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on 5 December 2008 designated 8 June as the World Oceans Day through its resolution.

The World’s oceans cover about two-thirds of the surface of the Earth and are the very foundations of life.

They generate most of the oxygen that we breathe, absorb a large share of carbon dioxide emissions, provide food and nutrients and regulate climate.

Unfortunately, human pressures including overexploitation, illegal and unregulated fishing, destructive fishing, marine pollution, habitat destruction, climate change and ocean acidification are putting threat to these oceans.

ANSWER: Raja Grinder Chari

Explanation:
NASA on 7 June 2017 announced names of 12 new astronauts, including an Indian-American Lt Col Raja Grinder Chari.

They, the new astronauts, were chosen from a record number of over 18000 applicants. The new candidates include six military officers, three scientists, two medical doctors, a lead engineer at SpaceX and a NASA research pilot.

The seven men and five women comprise the 22nd class of American spaceflight trainees since 1959.

Raja Grinder Chari: Know More

• Indian American Lt Col., US Air Force Raja Grinder Chari (39) is a commander of the 461st Flight Test Squadron and the Director of the F-35 Integrated Test Force at Edwards Air Force Base in California.
• He hails from Waterloo, Iowa who graduated from the US Air Force Academy with bachelor’s degrees aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and graduated from the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School.
• The other 11 selected astronaut candidates include Zena Cardman, Jasmin Moghbeli, Jonny Kim, Frank Rubio, Matthew Dominick, Warren Hoburg, Robb Kulin, Kayla Barron, Bob Hines, Loral O’ Hara and Jessica Watkins.

ANSWER: 60 days

Explanation:
The Union Government on 6 June 2017 said that Ministries will have to decide on FDI proposals within 60 days of the application and any rejection will need concurrence of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

Earlier in May 2017, India had scrapped the 25-year old foreign investment advisory body named Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB). It was scrapped with an aim to attract more FDI by providing quick approvals.

In an office memorandum, the Finance Ministry said subsequent to the abolition of FIPB, concerned administrative ministries have been allotted the work of granting approval for foreign investment in the specific sector.

The Industry Ministry, in consultation with the administrative ministry, will come out with a detailed guideline for processing of the FDI proposals and ensure a “consistency of treatment and uniformity of approach”.

The Standard Operating Procedure will involve the process of inter-ministerial consultation for the examination of FDI proposals, wherever necessary.

FDI approval decisions in majority of the sectors have been relegated to concerned ministry and those relating to private security agencies would be decided by the Home Ministry.

While DEA will be responsible for clearing the proposals of financial services or there is a doubt about the regulator.

The memorandum also says that any FDI proposal related to banks will be approved by the Department of Financial Services.

The memorandum says that FDI proposals by NRIs/EoUs requiring approval of the government will be dealt with by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP).

In this case, the DIPP will continue to be the administrative ministry for this purpose. DIPP will also be responsible for handling the applications seeking import of capital goods or machinery.

Applications of investments from countries of concern will require security clearance as per the FEMA guidelines and FDI policy. These applications will be processed by the Home Ministry. In this case, the Home Ministry will only process those applications that reach them via automatic route but requiring security clearances, cases pertaining to approval route sectors requiring security clearance will be processed by the concerned administrative ministry.

In cases of FDI application where there will be a doubt about the administrative ministry, DIPP will also be responsible for identifying the ministry where application will be processed.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Scientists have recently discovered a new species of flying squirrel named Glaucomys Oregonensis in North America that had been hiding in plain sight for over hundreds of years.

The study was published in the Journal of Mammalogy on 30 May 2017.

Known as Humboldt’s flying squirrel, this new species resides in the Pacific Coast region of North America.

The Humboldt’s flying squirrel is known as a cryptic species, a species that was previously thought to be another as the two look similar.

These creatures do not actually fly like bats or birds.

Rather, they glide from tree to tree by extending furred membranes of skin that stretch from the wrist of the forearm to the ankle on the hind leg.

Their feather-like tail provides extra lift and also helps them in steering.

The gliding ability of flying squirrels is remarkable as they are capable of gliding for up to 100 meters and can make sharp midair turns by using their tail as a rudder and by moving their limbs to manipulate the shape and tautness of their gliding membranes.

Glaucomys Oregonensis were thought to be the already-known species.

For over 200 years, scientists thought that there had only been one species of flying squirrel in the Northwest, until they looked at the nuclear genome in addition to mitochondrial DNA of this new squirrel for the first time.

Flying Squirrel: Know More

• This new discovery of the Humboldt’s flying squirrel is the 45th known species of flying squirrel in the world.
• There are now three species of flying squirrels in North and Central America.
• These are all small, nocturnally-active, gliding squirrels that live in woodland habitats.

ANSWER: 10

Explanation:
The Union government would be appointing Nyaya Mitras across the country to speed up the hearing of cases that have been pending in the lower courts for the last 10 years.

The same was confirmed by Union Law and Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad while addressing a function at the Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court to inaugurate the Tele Law Service through Common Service Centers on 6 June 2017.

The Minister announced that retired judges will be appointed as Nyaya Mitras to expedite over seven lakh fifty thousand cases that are pending across the country.

The government is committed to providing justice to the poor people in a fast, smooth and affordable manner.

The Nyaya Mitra scheme would be functionalised through retired judges who would be designated as the Nyaya Mitras.

Their responsibilities would include offering assistance to litigants who are suffering due to delay in trial.

Besides this, the Law Minister said that the number of Common Service centres has been increased to two lakh fifty thousand across the country.

The centres provide around 300 kinds of services to the common people. He also made an appeal to the Para Legal Volunteers (PLVs) working at these centres to make themselves dependable for poor people.

Supreme Court judge and Chairman of National Legal Service Authority Justice, Deepak Misra also made an appeal to the PLVs to become friendlier to litigants and serve them.

The number of PLVs would be increased from 500 to 15000 in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

ANSWER: Promotion of skill development in the health sector

Explanation:
Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 6 June 2017 launched the “Skill for Life, Save a Life” Initiative with an aim to promote skill development in the health sector.

Under this initiative, various courses will be initiated targeting specific competencies for healthcare professionals as well as for general public.

Skills for Life, Save a Life Initiative aims to upscale the quantity and quality of trained professionals in the healthcare system.

This initiative is a part of a larger plan and program for ensuring Universal Health Coverage.

The Ministry initiated the initiative by launching First Responder course for professionals as well as general public that will be conducted in Central and State government training institutes.

It will also empower every single citizen of the country to provide first aid and initial care in case of an emergency.

Through this initiative, trained and skilled personnel will be able to help save lives in the golden hour during an emergency situation.

Through such programs, government aims to create a mass of ‘first responder’ who complements the specialists to fill vacuum of adequate trained professionals.

The ministry also launched the logo of Skills for life, Save a life along with the Standardized Professional curriculum for Physiotherapy, Optometry, Dialysis therapy technology, imaging technology, Radiotherapy technology, Operation theatre technology and Medical laboratory training courses.

These courses will train the individuals as First Responder, General Duty Assistant, Geriatric Care Assistant, Home Health Aide, Phlebotomist, Sanitary Health Inspector, Dietetic Aide, Diabetes Educator, Emergency Medical Technician- Basic and Medical Equipment Technology Assistant.

ANSWER: Sachin Tendulkar

Explanation:
Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar will be joining the likes of Noval Djokovic and David Beckham for a United Nations campaign/initiative titled Super Dads.

The UNICEF initiative Super Dad highlights the critical role played by fathers in children’s early development.

The initiative that was launched on 6 June 2017, few days ahead of the Father’s Day (18 June), will celebrate fatherhood by highlighting the importance of love, play, protection and good nutrition for the healthy development of young children’s brains.

Other participants of the Super Dads campaign include Mahershala Ali, the All Blacks, Daniel Cormier, Lewis Hamilton, Hugh Jackman, Thalía and Chris Weidman.

The Super Dads campaign that will have stars from entertainment to sports as its participant is a part of a larger campaign called #EarlyMomentsMatter.

The campaign aims to bring awareness to the significance of early childhood experiences on a child’s future.

The campaign/initiative invites families to post photos and videos of what it takes to be ‘super dads,’ using the hashtag #EarlyMomentsMatter on their Instagram and Twitter accounts.

All photo and video submissions to the Super Dads initiative will feature on the #EarlyMomentsMatter gallery.

UNICEF will select the most heart-warming, humorous, and imaginative photo and video submissions post them on the organisation’s own digital platforms.

ANSWER: Legalisation of Kambala

Explanation:
The Union Ministry of Law and Justice has cleared the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill 2017, and thus legalising kambala.

The bill will now be sent to the President for getting his assent.

In November 2016, the Karnataka high court had banned the kambala along with bull-cart race in the state while hearing a case filed by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) citing animal cruelty.

The high court had stayed these traditional sports in view of the Supreme Court’s ban on jallikattu, a traditional bull taming sport of Tamil Nadu.

Following protests by people and kambala organisers, Karnataka Assembly had passed Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Karnataka Amendment) Bill, 2017 on February 13, 2017 to allow kambala, the traditional buffalo race and bullock-cart racing.

In April 2017, the Union Home Ministry asked the state government to modify or omit the phrase “subject to such other conditions as may be prescribed” in the sub-section 2 of section 3 of the Bill as this phrase would make it possible for the state government to include more sports involving animals through government notifications in the future.

The state government made the modifications and sent it back to the union government.

Kambala: Know More

• Kambala is the traditional slush track buffalo race that is held annually in coastal districts of Karnataka to entertain rural people of the area.
• Slushy/marshy paddy field track is used for Kambala.
• The sports season generally starts in November and lasts till March.
• The contest generally takes place between two pairs of buffaloes, each pair race in two separate wet rice fields tracks, controlled by a whip-lashing farmer.
  
• This is considered an organised rural sport.

ANSWER: Rohan Bopanna

Explanation:
Rohan Bopanna has won his maiden Grand Slam title along with his Canadian partner Gabriela Dabrowski by winning the French Open mixed doubles trophy.

This is Bopanna’s maiden Grand Slam title at French Open.

With this title win he has become only the fourth Indian to clinch a major, The other three being Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza who all have won Grand Slam trophies for India.

Bopanna-Dabrowski pair defeated the pair of Germany’s Anna-Lena Groenefeld and Colombia’s Robert Farah by 2-6, 6-2, 12-10.

This was only the second time that Bopanna managed to reach the summit clash of a Grand Slam in his career.

In 2010, he had reached the finals of US Open with his Pakistani partner Aisam-ul-haq-Qureshi and lost to the Bryan brothers - Bob and Mike.

French Open: Know More

• The French Open also known as Roland Garros is a premier clay court tennis championship event held between late May and early June for a duration of two weeks at the Stade Roland-Garros in Paris.
• The event is the second of out of four annual Grand Slam tournaments.
• The other three events are Australian Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.
• The event has been named after the French aviator Roland Garros.