Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 11, 2017

ANSWER: Sachin Tendulkar

Explanation:
International Cricket Council (ICC) has appointed Indian cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar as the official ambassador of Women’s Cricket World Cup 2017.

The women’s World Cup is scheduled to be held in June 2017 at England and Wales.

The eight top cricketing countries locking horns to grab the coveted trophy.

The tournament will host 28 matches at five different venues with the final at Lord’s Stadium.

Women's World Cup Cricket 2017

• Dates: 24 June – 23 July
• Administrator(s): International Cricket Council
• Cricket format: One Day International
• Tournament format: Group stage and knockout
• Host: England

ANSWER: Mera Hunar HP

Explanation:
Himachal Pradesh Government launched mobile App and website Mera Hunar HP for job-seekers.

It is first of its kind app and website in the country.

Mera Hunar is a web based platform where the skilled, semi-skilled persons can apply for various jobs as per their requirement.

The platform is available both in English and Hindi.

It will directly connect the prospective employers with the job seekers.

This will benefit those looking for daily jobs within their area.

It will create self-employment as well as huge data-base of all the job seekers skilled in different trades.

Himachal Pradesh: Know More

• Area: 55,673 km^²
• Capital: Shimla
• Population: 6.856 million (2012)
• Chief minister: Virbhadra Singh
• Language: Hindi

ANSWER: German Development Bank

Explanation:
The German Development Bank (KfW) and Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) has signed a loan agreement for €200 million.

The agreement is to enhance energy efficiency in India.

EESL will invest these funds in energy efficiency in buildings, households, street lighting, agriculture, water supply and industry.

KfW also signed a funding deal of €500,000 with Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency (IREDA) to maintain solar projects.

EESL: Know More

• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is the organisation responsible for implementation of Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP).
• It is now called the UJALA scheme.
• Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) is a joint venture of state-run power companies.
• It is responsible for implementation of Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme (DELP).
• It has reduced the prices of LED bulbs by 75%.

ANSWER: Coral bleaching two years in a row

Explanation:
Great Barrier Reef in Australia's eastern coast has experienced an unprecedented second straight year of massive coral bleaching.

This marks the first time Great Barrier Reef has bleached two years in a row.

In March and April 2016, the 2,300 km reef had its most severe bleaching on record due to rising sea temperatures.

Coral Bleaching occurs when abnormal environmental conditions, such as warmer sea temperatures, cause corals to expel tiny photosynthetic algae, draining them of their colour.

The 2016 bleaching was more severe in the northern areas of the bio-diverse site.

But now more bleaching was being observed in the central part of the reef, which earlier had escaped widespread severe bleaching.

The back-to-back occurrence of widespread bleaching is resulting in decrease in stress tolerance of these corals, which means that they may not fully recover.

Know More: Great Barrier Reef

• It is the biggest coral reef system in the world composed of over 2,900 individual reefs and 600 types of hard and soft corals.
• It was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1981.
• The reef is located in the Coral Sea, north east of Australia and covers an area of around 348,000 sq km.
• It is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms and is seen from the outer space.
• Area: 344,400 km^²
• UNESCO World Heritage Site inscription: 1981

ANSWER: West Bengal, Odisha, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand

Explanation:
For the first time in India, 4 states have conducted a synchronised elephant census in May 2017.

These 4 states are Odisha, West Bengal, Chattisgarh and Jharkhand.

These 4 states have a maximum number of human-elephant conflict prone regions in India.

These states will conduct the census based on an identical set of rules using the direct and indirect counting methods.

The direct counting method is based on sighting of elephants while the indirect method uses the elephant ‘dung decay’ formula, in which the analysis of dung is used to estimate the population.

The indirect method has already been used by Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Direct method can be used alone because it is not possible to cover entire area during the census.

As per the 2015 census, Odisha has 1,954 elephants while Jharkhand has 700, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal had approximately 275 and 130 elephants, respectively.

Odisha: Know More

• Area: 155,820 km^²
• Founded: 1 April 1936
• Capital: Bhubaneswar
• Population: 43.73 million (2014)

ANSWER: #IAmNewIndia

Explanation:
PM Modi, following the landslide assembly election victory, unveiled the #IAmNewIndia, a nation building exercise on NaMo app.

It is a pledge to build a new India.

Similar to last Diwali's #Sandesh2Soldiers on the app, which led to an outpouring of affection for the country's armed forces, the PM hopes to use the occasion of Holi to get the country to commit to one of nine goals.

The goals include a corruption-free India, a pledge to undertake more cashless transactions and encouraging women-led development, among other things.

By 2022, the PM hopes citizens will make India a country which Gandhi, Patel and Ambedkar would be proud of.

India is transforming, powered by the strength of each and every citizen of India.

This transformation, the PM added, is and will be accomplished with innovation, hard work and creativity of the youth

The kind of India to aspire for, according to him, is one where women, the poor and farmers are truly empowered, one is free from corruption, terrorism, black money and dirt and one is characterized by peace, unity and brotherhood.

The pledge can be undertaken with just a few clicks on the NaMo app.

NaMo App: Know More

• Official App of Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.
• It brings to users the latest information, instant updates & helps them to contribute towards various tasks.
• It provides a unique opportunity to receive messages and emails directly from the Prime Minister.
• It also yields attractive infographics that illustrate the work of the NDA government to transform India.
• It also provides exclusive opportunity to receive E-Mails & Messages directly from the PM.
• It also features Mann Ki Baat by the PM.

ANSWER: INR 20,000

Explanation:
In a fresh move towards a cashless economy, the RBI prohibited the NBFCs of all kinds from lending more than INR 20,000 in cash against gold.

NBFCs have issued cheques for numerous loan amounts above prescribed limits. NBFCS have been directed earlier to disburse only high value loans of INR 1 lakh or more against gold by cheque.

The decision to limit the loan on gold to INR 20,000 from INR 1 lakh is in line with the IT act.

NBFCs: Know More

• A Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC) is a company registered under the Companies Act, 1956.
• It is engaged in the business of loans and advances, acquisition of shares/ stocks/ bonds/ debentures/ securities.
• It is issued by Government or local authority or other marketable securities of a like nature, leasing, hire-purchase, insurance business, chit business.
• It does not include any institution whose principal business is that of agriculture activity, industrial activity, purchase or sale of any goods (other than securities) or providing any services and sale/purchase/construction of immovable property.
• A non-banking institution which is a company and has principal business of receiving deposits under any scheme or arrangement in one lump sum or in instalments by way of contributions or in any other manner, is also a non-banking financial company.

ANSWER: The Netherlands

Explanation:
The Netherlands barred Turkey's foreign ministry from flying to Rotterdam on 11th March 2017. President Erdogan called his Nato partner a Nazi remnant as a row over Ankar campaigns against emigre Turkish voters rose.

Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu was prevented from attending a Turkish rally in support for Edrogan's sweeping powers.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said that while the Netherlands and Turkey could search for an acceptable solution, Turkey was not respecting the rules relating to public gatherings.

The Netherlands: Know More

• Capital: Amsterdam
• Code: +31
• Currency: Euro
• Official languages: Dutch, Papiamento, Frisian

ANSWER: Chandrayaan-1

Explanation:
India's first lunar probe - the Chandrayaan - 1 spacecraft - which was considered lost is currently orbiting the moon, according to NASA scientists who used a new ground based radar technique.

ISRO lost communication with Chandrayaan-1 on Aug 29, 2009.

It was launched on Oct 22, 2008.

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab in CA located the spacecraft circling 200km above lunar surface.

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Indian Space Research Organisation's Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft in lunar orbit have been detected with ground-based radar.

The Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft is very small, a cube about 1.5 meters on each side - about half the size of a smart car.

Although the interplanetary radar has been used to observe small asteroids several million miles from Earth, researchers were not certain that an object of this smaller size as far away as the Moon could be detected, even with the world's most powerful radars.

Chandrayaan-1 proved the perfect target for demonstrating the capability of this technique.

The Moon is riddled with mascons (regions with higher-than-average gravitational pull) that can dramatically affect a spacecraft's orbit over time, and even cause it to have crashed into the Moon.

JPL's orbital calculations indicated that Chandrayaan-1 is still circling some 200 kilometres above the lunar surface, but it was generally considered lost.

ANSWER: BP Kanungo

Explanation:
BP Kanungo on 10th March 2017 was appointed Deputy Governor in RBI for three years.

The ACC approved the appointment to the post with effect from the date of taking charge on or after April 3.

He has been appointed as deputy governor in place of R. Gandhi.

Kanungo was in March 2016 appointed ED of the Central Bank.

The ACC has named Dilip S. Shanghvi as the Member of RBI's Western Local Board.

The appointment of Shanghvi who is the promoter of Sun Pharma, is for a period of 4 years.

RBI: Know More

• Headquarters: Mumbai, Maharashtra
• Established: 1 April 1935
• Governor: Urjit Patel
• Central bank of India
• Currency : Indian Rupee (₹)
• Reserves: US$ 363.00 billion
• Bank rate: 6.75%
• Interest on reserves: 4.00%(market determined)
• Website: rbi.org.in