Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 28, 2016

ANSWER: 27

Explanation:
Cotton area in Punjab and Haryana has declined 27 percent to 7.56 ha in the 2016-2017 as farmers shifted to other crops after incurring huge losses due to whitefly pest attack earlier this year. Two states planted cotton in 10.3 lakh ha in the 2015-2016 crop year (July-June)

• Sowing of cotton in Punjab and Haryana has been completed and total area is down as farmers were scared to grow cotton due to whitefly pest attack that has damaged the crop massively in these two states in the previous year
• Farmers have shifted to pulses, paddy and other crops in the states
• As per the latest data, area planted to cotton in Punjab was lower by 43.11 percent at 2.56 lakh ha in 2016-2017 crop year from 4.5 lakh ha in the earlier year
• Cotton area coverage in neighbouring Haryana fell 14 percent to 5 lakh ha this year as against 5.8 lakh ha in 2015-2016
• More than 90 percent of farmers have sown Bt cotton seeds which is the maximum retail price of which is being fixed by the central government from this year onwards

ANSWER: EAGLE

Explanation:
The gravitational waves or ripples in space time captured by space detectors can be used for discovering when and how some of the largest black holes in the universe were born

• Scientists led by Durham University researchers ran the huge cosmological simulations used to predict the rate at which gravitational waves caused by collisions between monster black holes might be detected
• Amplitude and frequency of these waves could unveil the initial mass of the seeds from which black holes first grew since they were formed 13 billion years ago and provide further clues about the nature of their causation and formation
• Study combined simulations from the EAGLE project to create realistic simulation of the known universe within the computer to compute gravitational wave signals
• Two detections of gravitational wavs cause by collisions between supermassive black holes should be easy each year using space based instruments such as Evolved Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (eLISA) detector due to launch in 2034
• International LIGO and Virgo collaborations have indicated they have detected gravitational waves using ground based instruments and this month reported a second detection
• As eLISA will be in space- and at least 250,000 times larger than Earth detectors- it should detect much lower frequency gravitational waves using ground based instruments and a second detection has been reported.
• Seeds of black holes were the result of growth or collapse of first generation of stars un the universe, collisions between stars in dense stellar clusters or direct collapse of extremely massive stars in the early universe

ANSWER: Rajiv Mishra

Explanation:
In a crucial development, TV-18 ETV News Network has hired Rajiv Mishra as Vice President of Media and Corporate Social Responsibility division at Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as Group Business Head, w.e.f July 1

• Mishra confirmed the development regarding his appointment to IANS
• Mishra joined Samsung in August 2014 and was responsible for overseeing the entire media mandate for organisations across South West Asia along with the group’s CSR responsibilities
• Mishra has also worked for various media organisations such as Hindustan Times Group, Star TV, Zee TV, Reliance Infocomm and News 24
• He has also worked with LS TV as CEO and nominated on board of media advisory bodies in ministries.

ANSWER: Lionel Messi

Explanation:
Lionel Messi has retired following the shock defeat of Argentina at the hands of Chile in the Copa tournament.

• Messi failed to secure a crucial goal needed for the victory
• He announced his retirement on 27th June

ANSWER: Adways

Explanation:
Japanese listed mobile marketing adtech firm Adways has acquired Pocket Money for a non disclosed sum.

• Pocket Money is an Android incentivised app published by Indian reward based mobile video ad platform Pokkt
• Acquisition follows establishment of Indian subsidiary Adways Innovations India
• Microsoft has also recently acquired an Indian messaging startup
• The focus is on performance marketing and presence in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Korea and other SE Asia nations
• This is part of the user acquisition strategy as an entry point for business in India
• Pocket Money provides top ups after apps have been downloaded on the platform
• App claims to have 7 million installs and over a million monthly instalments for advertisers

ANSWER: Srabani Nanda

Explanation:
Following Dutee Chand, Odisha sprinter Srabani Nanda on 26th June qualified for the Rio Olympics in the women’s 200 metre event

• Srabani clocked 23.07 seconds in the 200m race at the G. Kosanov Memorial Meet in Almaty, Kazahkhstan
• The 24 year old athlete from Phulbani in Kandhamal district indicated she now aimed for a medal at the Rio Olympics
• State government announced cash award for Srabani of INR 1 lakh
• Odisha Olympic Association and Odisha Athletic Association also announced INR 50,000 for the sprinter
• On 25th June 2016, 20-year-old Duetee Chand also qualified for the Rio Olympics in the 100 m event after 36 years

ANSWER: Howard Schultz

Explanation:
TATA Sons and Starbucks have finalised multiple new joint initiatives for expanding collaboration at an international level.

• Initiatives include sourcing Indian coffee from the US market and introduction of Teavana brand of specialty teas in Indian stores
• This has expanded the market of the TATA owned mineral water brand Himalayan.
• TATA Sons Chairman Cyrus Mistry met Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz to finalise initiatives which will be rolled out by the close of this fiscal
• 2 groups have been running TATA Starbucks coffee chain in the nation since October 2012 as part of the JV
• JV operates 80 stors in 6 key cities
• Due to the collaboration, Starbucks will be offering single origin coffee from India in the US sourced from TATA Nellore estates
• The two companies have also come together to skill the youth over the next 5 years through TATA Strive which trained 43,000 people

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Anju Bobby George and Pullela Gopichand have been name part of Khelo India on 26 June 2016. - Khelo India is a national programme launched by the Union Government for the development of sports in the country.

• George, India's lone athletics World Championship medal winner and Gopichand, the chief national badminton coach are the two sportsperson who were included in the seven-member committee of Khelo India.
• The committee will be headed by Sports Secretary Rajiv Yadav

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Kavalam Narayana Panicker, well know Malayalam theatre artist and poet passed away on June 26, 2016 at Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram.

• Born on April 28, 1928 Panicker attended CMS collage at Kottayam
• He was also the secretary of Jerala Sangeet Nataka Akademi
• He was known for over 26 plays apart from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare

ANSWER: 26

Explanation:
This day was observed with the theme Listen First. This is a 2016 initiative to increase support for drug abuse prevention associated with science and an effective investment in well being of children and youth

• On this day, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also released the World Drug Report 2016.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
In a demonstration of India’s commitment to longstanding India-Russia Strategic Partnership and Indian Navy’s increasing footprint and operational reach, Indian Naval Ships Sahyadri, Shakti and Kirch under the Command of the Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral S V Bhokare, YSM, NM have arrived at Vladivostok on a four day visit (27 Jun - 01 Jul 2016),

• This is as part of deployment of the Eastern Fleet to the South China Sea.
• During the visit, the IN ships will have professional interactions with the Russian Navy aimed at enhancing co-operation between the two forces.

ANSWER: N Srinivasan

Explanation:
Ex BCCI chief N Srinivasan was unanimously re-elected as President of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) for a 15th consecutive term on 25 June 2016.

• The 71-year old Srinivasan is at the helm of the TNCA since 2002-03 after the end of AC Muthiah’s reign.
• Kasi Viswanathan was also re-elected secretary for the 10th year in succession. VP Narasimhan was also appointed as its Treasurer.

ANSWER: Sujoy Bose

Explanation:
Senior IFC official Sujoy Bose was on June 26, 2015 appointed CEO of India's maiden Rs 40,000 crore sovereign wealth fund NIIF.

• He is Director and Global Co-Head of Infrastructure and Natural Resources at Washington-based International Finance Corporation.
• IFC is the private sector lending arm of the World Bank.

ANSWER: Eros Now

Explanation:
To provide seamless digital content to users, domestic smartphone maker Micromax announced partnership with Eros international Digital platform EROS Now

• EROS Now will now leverage Micromax’s presence to distribute content

ANSWER: Xerxes Desai

Explanation:
Xerxes Desai, the first MD of India’s largest watch maker Titan passed away on 27th June after suffering from acute gastroentitis

• The 80 year old was the first in the country to introduce a quartz watch three decades ago
• Desai joined TAS in 1961 after graduating from Oxford University and was a veteran with TATA Press, TATA Chemicals and Taj Hotels before setting up Titan in 1986

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Shri Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, released first ever draft list of Denotified, Nomadic & Semi Nomadic Tribes,

• This was prepared by National Commission for Denotified, Nomadic & Semi Nomadic Tribes here today.
• The draft list has state wise details of the Denotified, Nomadic & Semi Nomadic Tribes.