Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 11 & 12, 2016

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Telangana government has ordered the setting up of a Pharma City on 12,500 acre of land in Rangareddy and Mahbubnagar.

• Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation shall send detailed project proposal to the government on militias for implementing as well as executing the programs and carrying out all aspects related to development of this park in a transparent manner following relevant rules.
• Telangana State has been a bulk drugs capital of the nation with close to 1/3rd of the total production in value terms
• Government has therefore decided to set up the pharma city.

ANSWER: I Love Sparrows

Explanation:
Nature Forever Society’s I Love Sparrows Global campaign aimed at highlighting the love for the house sparrow and not restricting conservation to researchers, conservationists and environmentalists. It entered the Limca book of records with one million people from all walks of life celebrating World Sparrow Day on March 20th.

• NSF came up with posters with 20 different themes and posted them on social media platforms where people could choose which theme they want to opt for
• Campaign is aimed at creating habitat and awareness for the house sparrow which was once the most common bird in the world

ANSWER: Artificial Light

Explanation:
Researchers have found that one third of stargazers cannot see the Milky Way at night on account of light pollution from the buildings, street lamps and other artificial lighting on earth according to a fresh study

• Night time glow of artificial lights affects astronomers as well as casual night sky observers
• The survey of night sky brightness was created more than a decade ago by Fabio Faichi and colleagues.
• Researchers from EU and the US and Israel helped Falchi to conduct the research
• The study has implications for the worldwide transition into LED technology and until careful consideration is given to LED colour and lighting levels, transition could lead to 2-3 fold increase in sky glow on clear nights.
• In addition to work of astronomers, bright nights affect ecosystems as well as nocturnal organisms

ANSWER: Solar Impulse 2

Explanation:
A solar powered airplane has finished crossing the US landing in NY city after flying over the Statue of Liberty due to a historic bid to circumnavigate the globe. The single seat aircraft arrived at JFK International Airport at around 4 am local time after it took off close to 5 hours beforehand at Lehigh Valley International Airport in Pennsylvania.

• The solar craft’s cruising speed, similar to that of a car requires pilots to stay alert for long periods

ANSWER: Sikkim

Explanation:
Lok Sabha MP, P D Rai launched the open government data portal 'Sikkim.data.gov.in' and Open Government Data Platform (Sikkim) on June 12.

• Sikkim this became the first Indian state to have this portal
• This is the first time the NE state has moved to a national platform
• On the open government data portal, data produced or commissioned by the government or government controlled entities can be freely used, reused and redistributed by anyone.

ANSWER: CO₂

Explanation:
Scientists have turned carbon dioxide into stone in a matter of months by pumping it deep underground, offering a revolutionary new way of storing the greenhouse gas to tackle climate change.

• The pioneering experiment in Iceland mixed CO₂ emissions with water and pumped it hundreds of meters (feet) underground into volcanic basalt rock — where it rapidly turned into a solid.
• Carbon dioxide is a key factor in global warming
• CarbFix project at Iceland's Hellisheidi plant — the world's largest geothermal facility, which powers Reykjavik — sought to solidify the CO₂ and succeeded in doing so.

ANSWER: Early pronuclear transfer

Explanation:
A new In Vitro fertilisation based technique is likely to cause normal pregnancies and lower the risk of babies being born with mitochondrial disease.

• Scientists at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Mitochondrial disease conducted the first in-depth analysis of human embryos created using a new technique designed to reduce the risk of mothers passing on a debilitating, life-limiting mitochondrial disease to their children.
• The new technique, called 'early pronuclear transfer', involves transplanting the nuclear DNA from a fertilised egg into a donated egg, which contains healthy mitochondria, on the day of fertilisation.

ANSWER: Electrical Conductivity

Explanation:
Scientists have found that the hair-like nanoscale filaments on some bacteria have electrical conductivity comparable to that of copper, an advance that may lead to low-cost, non-toxic, biological components for lightweight electronics.

• Although proteins are usually electrically insulating, hair-like nanoscale filaments (called pili) on the surface of Geobacter bacteria exhibit metallic-like conductivity.
• Researchers discovered that electronic arrangement and the small molecular separation distances (about 0.3 nanometres) give the pili an electrical conductivity comparable to that of copper.

ANSWER: KL Rahul

Explanation:
Playing his first ODI for India at the Harare Sports Club on Saturday, Rahul remained unbeaten on 100, off 115 balls, and helped the visitors register a commanding nine-wicket victory to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

• In the process, he became the first Indian to reach the landmark on ODI debut.
• Robin Uthappa's 86 against England in Indore on April 15, 2006 was the highest score for India by a debutant in ODIs.
• Rahul made his Test debut against Australia in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne in 2014 as a middle-order batsman, but managed to score just 3 and 1 in his first two innings of the longest-format.

ANSWER: Dehradun

Explanation:
National Forest Skill Development Centre is being set up in Dehradun for equipping youths for jobs in the forest sector and help mitigate the problem of migration of people from the hills in search of work.

• It is one of a kind institution in the whole country where youth from all over India can converge and get skill development training.
• It will help them get employment in the forest sector and rein in large scale migration from the hills in search of livelihood
• Stopping migration from hills in search of livelihood has been a major problem for successive governments in Uttarakhand.
• Rajaji National park has been granted the status of a tiger reserve by the Centre to boost tourism. More people are getting jobs as a result of this
• Also the Govind Ballabh Pant National Himalayan Environment Institution is being upgraded into the National Centre for Himalayan Ecology.
• Centre has also given INR 24 crore to the state government for upgradation

ANSWER: Sansad Ratna

Explanation:
For the first time, 4 first time LS MPs were among 5 Parliamentarians honoured with the Sansad Ratna awards. The awards were given away by former RBI governor C. Rangarajan. Award instituted by former President APJ Abdul Kalam is for honouring MPs for civil society for performance.

• The winners of the award include BJP's PP Chaudhary, representing Pali in Rajasthan, Heena Vijaykumar Gavit, BJP MP from Nandurbar, Shrirang Appa Barne, Shivsena MP from Maval and Congress MP Raajeev Shankarrao Satav from Hingoli, all three from Maharashtra, were the first time MPs who were awarded the 'Sansad Ratna.'
• Two-time Shiv Sena MP from Shirur in Maharashtra, Shivaji Adhalrao Patil, and former RS member and CPI (M) leader from Kerala, P Rajeev, were also honoured for their work.

ANSWER: Satya Pal Jain

Explanation:
Additional Solicitor General of India and former Parliamentarian Satya Pal Jain was on 10th June 2016 appointed part time member of the 21st Law Commission of India

• Appointment will be in addition to charge as Additional Solicitor General of India
• Satya Pal Jain is a noted constitution lawyer and senior BJP leader
• The 21st Law Commission of India on September 1, 2015 will end on August 31, 2018

ANSWER: Civil Aviation Requirements

Explanation:
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju along with Dr. Mahesh Sharma on June 11, 2016 presided over a DGCA presentation pertaining to passenger centric initiatives. The categories in which changes have been made include the following:

• Refund of air tickets
• Denied boarding, flight cancellation and flight delays
• Persons with reduced mobility
• Luggage

ANSWER: 163

Explanation:
Institute for Economics and Peace on 10th June 2016 released the 2016 Global Peace Index which is the 10th edition of the GPI. This measures peace, its causes and economic value doing 2015 for 163 nations. India ranks 141 among the 163 countries with 2.566 GPI score showing an improvement in peace building as it held 143rd rank in 2014 and 2015.

• Index showed that the world became less peaceful in 2015 reinforcing the trend of declining peace over the previous decade.
• Countries improving in peace were 81 while 79 deteriorated

ANSWER: Keiko Fujimori

Explanation:
Pedro Pablo KuczynskiPeruvian economist Pedro Pablo Kuczynski defeated his rival Keiko Fujimori with a thin margin to become Peru’s next President.

• The National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) on 9 June 2016 announced that the Peruvian political organization Peruanos Por el Kambio received the most votes representing 50.12% of valid votes.
• The difference in the total votes was of 41438 with 8580474 votes for Kuczynski and 8539036 for Fujimori.

ANSWER: Gordie Howe

Explanation:
Legendary hockey player Gordie Howe died on 10th June 2016 following a lengthy illness at the age of 88.

• He was nicknamed Mr. Hockey and considered one of the greatest hockey players of the time
• He played with both NHL and World Hockey Association

ANSWER: Missile Technology Control Regime

Explanation:
This classification will allow India to buy more advanced and sensitive technologies from the U.S.

• This U.S. move will be complemented by India’s entry into the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), an exclusive club that restricts trade in sensitive defence technologies.
• The U.S. has also declared that it will be its “strong objective to have India voted as a member “of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), another export control regime, later this month.
• Announcement of a framework for the U.S.-India Cyber Relationship was hailed by the U.S. official as a unique and first of its kind agreement that the U.S. has reached with any country.