Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 11, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
India has performed best among the emerging economies though health of PSBs and corporates is a major worry. Vulnerabilities in corporate financial positions and public bank asset quality pose a risk to economic recovery and financial stability if not addressed in time. Corporate profitability is at a 10 year low, large companies are too leveraged and stressed assets in the system are over 14% with state run banks contributing the plan’s bulk.

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:
The organ was surgically removed after the 26 year old woman recipient developed serious complications. This was one of 10 uterine transplants planned by the Cleveland Clinic. A successful transplant would have meant that women could give birth without being originally with a uterus. The recipient was a woman born without a uterus.

ANSWER: Brain Greene

Explanation:
Spider has been named Dolomedes briangreenei, and was unveiled at the ninth annual World Science Festival in Brisbane, Australia. It was named after famous string theorist and Columbia University professor Brian Greene. About the size of the palm, this arachnid locates its prey by detecting vibrations and tiny waves in water while skimming around on the surface. Found in Australia’s east coast off the waters of Brisbane, this spider can even catch toads.

ANSWER: Justice J. S. Chauhan

Explanation:
Government on 10th March 2016 appointed former SC judge Justice Balbir Singh Chauhan as chairman of the 21st Law Commission. He is currently heading the Cauvery River Water States Tribunal and was a judge of the SC from 2009 to 2014. He also served as CJ of Odisha HC previously.

ANSWER: Jean Amault

Explanation:
Jean Amault was on 9th March 2016 appointed as head of the UN Political Mission in Columbia. Amulet who is a French national will also serve as the Special Rep of the Secretary General in Colombia. He also worked in senior positions with the UN in Afghanistan, Burundi, Georgia, and was the UN Special Adviser to the Group of Friends of Democratic Pakistan.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Well known Brazilian percussionist and 8 time Grammy award winner Vasconcelos died of lung cancer in the northeastern city of Recife where he was born. He played the single-string percussion instrument known in Portuguese as the berimbao. He was also named Percussionist of the year for over a decade by Downbeat Magazine.

ANSWER: 2%

Explanation:
IRDAI has said on 10th March 2016 that the insurer should assess the credit risk of the buyer which adds more than 2% of the total turnover of policy holders while revising guidelines with respect to the credit insurance business. The regulatory body has revisited 2010 guidelines which regulate the credit insurance market to give a much needed boost to growth of the credit insurance market. Listing conditions for trade credit insurance, it has said that trade credit insurance policy should not be issued to lenders, financiers or banks.

ANSWER: Rural LPG scheme

Explanation:
Cabinet has approved the INR 8000 crore scheme to provide cooking gas connections free of cost to lady members of poor households. The Pradhan Mantri Ujwala Yojana has been approved for a period of three years and aims to provide LPG connections to women members of BPL families. The scheme will be continued for 2 more years to cover a total of 5 crore BPL households.

ANSWER: Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6

Explanation:
The bacterium which has been discovered by Japanese researchers uses two enzymes in sequence to break down the highly biodegradable-resistant polymer PET. With the exception of rare instances of fungi found to grow in mineral medium of PET yards, no reports are there of bacterial biologically degrading PET before this. From the microbial consortium that has been found to degrade PET, the researchers isolated a unique bacterium — Ideonella sakaiensis 201-F6 — that could almost completely degrade a thin film of PET in a short span of six weeks at 30°C. “The PET film was damaged extensively and almost completely degraded after six weeks at 30°C,” they noted. Bacterium has two enzymes, the first of which produces a substance through hydrolysis while another produces two monomers - ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid — that are used for making PET through polymerisation.

ANSWER: Sri Lanka

Explanation:
Sri Lankan Parliament on 9th March 2016 adopted a unanimous resolution to convert itself into a Constituent Assembly. The resolution has undergone numerous changes since it was amended by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Joint Opposition along with SLPF. The resolution was introduced by PM Ranil Wickremsinghe in January. Amendments did not affect the original tone of the resolution.

ANSWER: TATA

Explanation:
Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited, a completely owned subsidiary of TATA Power on 9th March 2016 signed the share purchase agreement with Indo Rama Renewables Lmt to acquire its 100% subsidiary IRRJL which owns a wind farm in Sangli Maharashtra. Tata power’s total generation capacity will now increase to 9130 MW following the acquisition.

ANSWER: Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

Explanation:
Bay of Bengal Initiative on Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) convention called Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters has been approved by the Union Cabinet. MHA is designated as the Central Authority under Article 15 of the Convention. BIMSTEC comprises the following nations: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

ANSWER: Bahrain

Explanation:
Union Cabinet presided by PM Narendra Modi on 10th March 2016 have the approval for MoU between India and Bahrain for cooperation on prevention of human trafficking, especially in women and children. This MoU aims at increasing the bilateral cooperation between the two nations on the issues of prevention, rescue, recovery and repatriation related to human trafficking especially women and children expeditiously.

ANSWER: Women Transforming India

Explanation:
Celebrating women leaders from India, NITI Aayog has launched the ‘Women Transforming India’ initiative on, March 8, International Women’s Day, in partnership with the UN in India and MyGov.
Niti Aayog is seeking powerful women narratives through this initiative which will encourage and recognise women who have made a difference.

ANSWER: 25

Explanation:
India will be launching these satellites using PSLV with 12 of these belonging to the US and remaining 13 from 6 other countries such as Germany, Canada and Japan. PSLV with its string of successful flights has emerged as one of the most reliable launch vehicles in the world. Till date 47 foreign satellites have been launched from as many as 21 different countries on board the PSLV, under an arrangement between commercial arm of ISR Antrim and foreign clients.

ANSWER: IRNSS-1F

Explanation:
The satellite carries two types of payload- navigation and ranging. India’s satellite launch vehicle PSLV- C32 has successfully placed the satellite into orbit. While the navigation payload will remit navigation service signals to users, the ranging payload comprises C band transponder facilitating accurate determination of satellite range. IRNSS-IF is the sixth in a series of 7 satellites under Indian Regional Navigational Satellite System. IRNSS is also known as the own GPS of the country.

ANSWER: Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy

Explanation:
This policy seeks uniform licensing for exploration and production of all forms of hydrocarbon and an open acreage policy. It is also seeking an easy way to administer revenue sharing model and provide marketing and pricing freedom for crude oil and natural gas produced.

ANSWER: Desensitisation

Explanation:
Researchers have changed the immune system of the patient to permit them to accept kidneys from donors who are incompatible. More of the patients were still alive through this method called desensitisation which has the potential to save many lives. Recently the World Kidney Day was celebrated and researchers add the procedure could mean the difference between receiving the transplant and spending the rest of the life on dialysis. Researchers have estimated close to 1,00,000 people in the IS alone are on waiting list for kidney transplant. Some transplant patients are so sensitive that finding a compatible organ is next to impossible. Desensitisation involves filtering antibodies out of the blood of the patient and patient then is infused with other antibodies to provide protection while the immune system regenerates its antibodies. Process is cheaper than dialysis in the long run and takes time.

ANSWER: Plastic

Explanation:
Scientists have found a new way to make plastic from agricultural waste, grasses and carbon dioxide in a bid to lower the carbon footprint of the plastic industry. Plastic produces are generally made from a polymer called PET or polyethylene terephthalate which is also called polyester and generated through the use of fossil fuel feedstocks.

ANSWER: polyethylene furandicarboxylaxte

Explanation:
PEF is made from ethylene glycol and a compound FDCA or 2-5-Furandicarboxylic acid (FDCA). PEF is an attractive replacement for PET, because FDCA can be sourced from biomass instead of petroleum. Researchers have also been experimenting on a compound made from agricultural waste called furfural.

ANSWER: South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Centre

Explanation:
Approval has been given for entering into the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and International Monetary Fund (IMF) for setting up of South Asia Regional Training and Technical Assistance Center (SARTTAC) in India by the IMF. It also authorised the Finance Minister to approve related decisions in respect of India’s contribution for setting up of the centre, including Letter of Understanding for financial contribution by India, site of the SARTTAC, representative of India on the Steering Committee on SARTTAC. The SARTTAC will be a collaborative partnership between the IMF, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka and development partners for supporting the capacity development needs of the members. Additional member countries could join SARTTAC at a later stage. SARTTAC will also selectively cater to the capacity building needs at the State level, especially in India.