Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 05, 2016

ANSWER: Punjab

Explanation:
The race to join UDAY just added one more state- Punjab which has become the 7th state to join the UDAY scheme for the revival of discos. It will help to save INR 5475 crore within the next three years of the programme. Other 2 states which also signed up to join the scheme are AP and Haryana. Once Punjab joined the UDAY scheme, close to INR 1.6 lakh crore debt of discos have been covered under the programme which has sought to revive struggling power discoms. Once Punjab has signed the agreement, close to INR 1.6 lakh crore debt of discoms have been covered through pact, which is close to 37% of the total outstanding INR 4.3 lakh crore in the nation. Agreement was signed so that state electricity department can save up to INR 600 crore on account of interest saving alone. The aim is to make Punjab a power surplus state. Under the scheme, it is envisaged that aggregate technical and commercial transmission losses will burn in additional revenue, apart from efforts to improve operational efficiency.

ANSWER: 1962

Explanation:
Khoman who helped build country’s close relations with the US at the time of the Vietnam war passed away at age 101. His death was attributed to natural causes. He is associated with the Rusk Thanat communique issued in 1962 with the then US Secretary of State Dean Rusk. the communique pledged that US would come to Thailand’s rescue in the event of any aggression. Khoman is also the major force behind the 1967 ASEAN grouping.

ANSWER: Manoj Kumar

Explanation:
Well known actor Manoj Kumar who essayed important roles in patriotic films like Purab Aur Pashcim, Kranti and Upkar will receive the Dadasaheb Phalke award. He will be the 47th recipient of this award which comprises a cash price of INR 10 lakhs. Kumar was born in Abbottabad as Harikrishna Giri Goswami and debuted in 1960 with the movie Kaanch KI Gudia. He was named “Bharat Kumar” because of his large number of patriotic movies.

ANSWER: P. K. Nair

Explanation:
P. K. Nair, founder director of the National Film Archive of India, Pune has passed away at the age of 86. Parmesh Krishnan Nair archived several well known Indian films such as Raja Harishchandra, Kalliya Mardan, Jeevan Naiya, Bandhan, Kalpana and Kismet. He started his career as a research assistant in FTII Pune and was appointed assistant curator of NFAI in 1965. He continued tilt 1990s and retired as NFAI director.

ANSWER: Ashok Ghosh

Explanation:
Veteran All India Forward Bloc leader Ashok Ghosh has passed away in March 2016 at the age of 93. He headed the Bengal Unit of the Forward Bloc for over 60 years. Bloc was founded by Netaji Subas Chandra Bose on 3rd May 1939. He played a key role in the formation of the first Left front government in West Bengal.

ANSWER: PA Sangma

Explanation:
Sangma died of a heart attack at the age of 68 on Friday, 4th March. The House for that day was adjourned in his memory. He was a 9 time member of the LS. A Speaker in the 11th Lok Sabha, he also held important portfolios in Union Government. He was the CM of Meghalaya from 1988 to 1990 and Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly from 1990 to 1991. He was a Congress leader who became one of the founding members of the NCP. He was expelled in 2012 when he refused to accept the party decision to quit the race for Indian President. In 2013, he formed the National People’s Party.

ANSWER: Naya Savera

Explanation:
National Commission for Protection of Child Rights will observe its 9th foundation day on 5th March 2016 with the theme Naya Savera which has been dedicated to Children in Conflict With Law with the aim to create awareness among these children about their rights. The focus will be on the amendments made within the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, well known known as JJ Act, 2015. Gautam Gambhir was the chief guest at the event. NCPCR was set up in March 2007.

ANSWER: IMF

Explanation:
Independent investor Sunil Sabharwal became the first Indian American to occur a key admin post at the IMF He assumed charge of the post of Alternate Executive Director of the IMF. This is one of the most important posts in the IMF. He has previously worked for GE Capital, Ogone and also worked for Warburg Pincus in an advisory capacity.

ANSWER: Shantanu Guha Ray

Explanation:
Fixed! Cash and Corruption in Cricket written by journalist Shantanu Guha Ray was in news during the first week of March 2016. This examines allegations of corruption against players, administrators as well as bookies.

ANSWER: 4

Explanation:
This day is organised each year by the National Safety Council for commemorating the establishment and enhancing safety awareness among persons. National Safety Council of India established on 4th March 1966 under Societies Act has over 8000 members. National Safety week will also be observed from 4th to 10th March.

ANSWER: Blue Dots

Explanation:
The 20 Child and Family Support Hub called Blue dots will serve as special support centre and protect the rights of children. Aim is to assist vulnerable families which are at risk and hub will be selected at major strategic sites for optimal benefit.

ANSWER: New York

Explanation:
The world’s most expensive train station has opened in New York designed by Santiago Calatrava, a Spanish-Swiss architect. The World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which is expected eventually to serve more than 200,000 commuters daily, is built next to the site of the Twin Towers, which were destroyed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001.

ANSWER: Account

Explanation:
Non-Banking Financial Company - Account Aggregator (NBFC-AA) to provide account aggregation services.RBI will regulate and supervise account aggregation to ensure that promised services translate into conformity with prescribed standards.

ANSWER: Odisha

Explanation:
Odisha government and international grant making organisation Bernard van Leer Foundation have signed 2 MoUs which have the states objective of making life better for children aged 1-8 years with socio-economic disadvantages. One MoU has stated that BvLF will invest 1.5million euros and work alongside Ministry of WCD for 2016-2019 to better practices in mother tongue based early childhood education in over 6600 anganwadi enters. This caters to 2,50,000 children in 12 tribal districts of Odisha. Future efforts will be on to encourage replication for an additional 1.1 million tribal children under the age of six and across the state to non tribal children as well. Second MoU involves urban mandate with focus on children friendly city design and planning.

ANSWER: USD 385.45 million

Explanation:
Food processing sector has received USD 385.45 million in FDI till December FY 2016 according to Minister of State for Food Processing Sadhvi Nirajan Jyoti. Total FDI in the previous fiscal stood at USD 515.86 million from April 2012 to December 2015. Government has also announced 100% FDI in marketing of food and products related to food produced and manufactured in India. 100% FDI will be allowed through the FIPB route leading to marketing of food products manufactured in India, benefiting farmers and generating employment.

ANSWER: Albedo

Explanation:
Scientists have found that Greenland’s snowy surface has darkened over the past 2 decades, absorbing more heat from both the sun and rising snow melt. Study shows results are likely to persist with surface reflectivity/albedo lowering by as much as 10 percent towards the close of the century. Soot blowing from wildfires has been adding to the problem. Feedback loops created by melting itself have a profound effect on the snow covered surface as well. The darkening of the snowy surface has international implications as fresh melt water pouring into the ocean from Greenland raises the level of the sea and affects ocean ecology and circulation. This does not translate into a dirtier snowpack to darken it further. Snowpacks that look clean to the eyes can be more effective in absorbing solar radiation than a dirty one. What matters overall is the total amount of solar energy absorbed and this is the real cause behind the melting.

ANSWER: GN-z11

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered the farthest thing seen by humans and the galaxy 13.4 billion light years away has been spotted by Hubble telescope. New galaxy could lead to changes in understanding how the universe has evolved. Distance from the galaxy is measured through the splitting of light into colours it is made of. As the universe is expanding, distant objects are associated with the red colour spectrum- the greater the red shift, the further away the galaxy is. Newly discovered gallery GN z-11 has beaten EGSY8p7 which had a red shift of 8.68. The new galaxy has a red shift of 11.1. Distance means light left the galaxy when the universe was just forming. Light came 400 million years after the universe commenced 1.8 billion years ago. GN-z11 is 25 times smaller than the Milky Way yet it is throwing out stars 20 times faster than our universe.

ANSWER: Immune

Explanation:
This new method which uses the own immune system of the person can kill affected cells and end the use of toxic chemotherapy to a large extent. Scientists have developed a unique way of using special markings within the tumour to permit the body to target and fight the disease. Instead of toxic chemotherapy, patients could now be given protein based vaccines made from their own tumour to activate the immune system and wage war against cancer. As the particular biological signature will be there in the tumour cells, healthy tissue will be attacked by immune system response. Tumour antigens can be targeted in every cell. Personalised medicine will touch a new frontier with this discovery. Two approaches are there for targeting trunk mutations. While the first is to develop cancer vaccines for patients training to immune system which spots it, second is to fish for immune cells targeting these mutations and swelling their numbers in the lab and placing them back into the body.