Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 12 & 13, 2016

ANSWER: 99 crore

Explanation:
Biometric data of around 99 crore Indians has been encrypted so far under the Aadhar scheme. IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has announced that there are currently 99 crore Indians on Aadhar. In case of DBT or Direct Benefit Transfer Scheme, INR 15,000 core was saved and for PDF, INR 2346 crore was saved within 4 states. Regarding privacy, all care has been taken, the minister announced.

ANSWER: Aboul Gheit

Explanation:
Egyptian diplomat and former Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit has been named as Secretary General of the Arab League on 10th March 2016. 22 member organisation voted in favour of Abdul Gheit. Appointment was announced by Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa at the end of 22-nation ministerial meeting in Cairo. The 73 year old Gheit is a former ambassador to the United Nations and will succeed Nail El-Araby. He served as foreign minister of Egypt during first 7 years of Hosni Mubarak’s rule, following mass protests toppling Mubarak. Incumbent Nabil al-Arabi declines a second 5 year term as Secretary General.

ANSWER: Dr. Reddy’s

Explanation:
Pharma major Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd and TR Pharm of Turkey have announced a strategic agreement involving three biosimiliar products which will be commercialised as part of the agreement.

ANSWER: Festival of Innovations

Explanation:
The festival is being hosted from 12th to 19th March 2016 during Festival of Innovations in collaboration with National Innovation Foundation. The festival will hold 3 exhibitions, 2 workshops, 4 Gds, 2 award presentations and a roundtable on different topics. Highlights of the festival include a keynote address by Kailash Satyarthi and presentation of the Gandhi Young Technological Innovation Award on March 13th, 2016.

ANSWER: Mauritius

Explanation:
Shri. Prank Mukherjee has extended greetings and felicitations of the government and republic of Mauritius on the eve of their 48th anniversary of the independence day which is March 12, 2016. March 12 is significant in political struggles of both nations. The current president of the Republic of Mauritius is Dr. (Mrs.) Ameenah Gurib- Fakim. Her last visit to India was in December 2015.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
National Crime Records Bureau has celebrated its 31st Inception Day on 12th March 2016. On this day, Union Minister of State, MHA Shri. H. P Chaudhry launched web portal Fake Indian Currency Note compilation system and launched a mobile app called Vahan Samanvaya. With the help of the latter, stolen vehicles can be traced from the database. MHA also entrusted the bureau with the implementation of flagship plan programme “Crime and Criminal Tracking Network System” by March 31st, 2017.

ANSWER: Ujala

Explanation:
National LED programme called Ujala with the target of replacing 77 crore incandescent maps across 12 states with light bulbs will give a successful lease of life to DELP. As part of this programme, nearly 7.47 crore LED bulbs have been distributed across the nation resulting in energy saving of more than 2.66 crore kWh each year and reducing 21,550 tonnes of CO2 per day which will have cost savings of INR 10.64 crore each day.

ANSWER: Kendriya Sainik Board

Explanation:
This interactive web portal of the KSB secretariat was launched by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar under the Department of Ex Servicemen Welfare. This website contains workflow software for all secretariat schemes apart from saving time through real time tracking of ESM applications.

ANSWER: Asian litter frog

Explanation:
New frog species is unlike ordinary frogs and only lives in clean water. It produces a special sound during the mating season. Leptolalax tengchongensis, commonly known as the Asian litter frog, was spotted in the Tengchong section of Gaoligong Mountain National Nature Reserve in the west of Yunnan and was named after the county of Tengchong. New frog has relatively small size of 2-3 cm.

ANSWER: Scott Kelly

Explanation:
The astronaut who holds the American record for the most time spent in space will retire on April 1, according to the US space agency. Kelly along with Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Komienko has returned to earth after a year on ISS. This is the longest US space mission on record intended to pave the way for human travel to Mars. Kelly’s 240 day mission broke the previous record of 215 days held by former astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria aboard the space station in 2007.

ANSWER: Sustainable Development Goals

Explanation:
Top domestic corporate leaders have assembled under the aegis of UN to formally adopt Sustainable Development Goals of the world body and discuss the way forward for implementation. SDGs are a continuum of the 8 MDGs under implementation from January 2000 to December 2015. 17 SDGs are being implemented from January 2016 to December 2020. UN Global Compact is the implementation agency for SDGs and the Mumbai meeting becomes important because this marks the first time UN is formally involving corporates to push forward its development agenda. Companies attending the meeting include TATAs, Reliance Industries,Essar Group, Adani Group and the Birlas. Numerous MNCs like Mercedes will also be attending the session. India Inc will be the first country in the world to adopt SDGs and implement them in companies.

ANSWER: 3

Explanation:
Autodesk has reached a settlement with 2 activist investors Eminence Capital LP and Sachem Head Capital over a standstill agreement with Eminence Capital LP and Sachem Head Capital meaning activists will have to cooperate with the board over a certain time period. Scott Ferguson, managing partner of Sachem Head, Tessera Technologies chairman Rick Hill and Kodak chief executive Jeff Clarke to its board.

ANSWER: National Investment and Manufacturing Zones

Explanation:
Government has announced 8 investment regions along the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor under the National Investment and Manufacturing Zones namely:

• Ahmedabad Dholera Investment Region, Gujarat
• Shendra Bidkin Industrial Parts city close to Aurangabad, Maharashtra
• Manesar Bawal Investment region, Haryana
• Khuskhera Bhiwadi Neemrana Investment region, Rajasthan
• Pithampur-Dhar-Now Investment region, MP
• Dari Noida Ghaziabad Investment Region, UP
• Dighi Port Industrial Area, Maharashtra
• Jodhpur-Pali-Marwar region in Rajasthan

In principle approval has also been given to 14 NIMZ of which two have been granted approval: Prakasam in AP and Medak in Telangana.

ANSWER: startups

Explanation:
As per the decision, MSMEs can deliver goods and services as per prescribed technical and quality specifications and norms on prior experience and turnover will be relaxed for them. This will assist startup MSMEs to take part in 20% public procurement from MSMEs and relaxation has been made for creating a conducive start up environment in India.

ANSWER: 22

Explanation:
India has been ranked as 22nd out of 60 nations in the Best Countries Report based on data from US News, BAV Consulting and Wharton. To be included in the Best Countries rankings, a nation had to be ranked in the United Nation’s Top 100 countries in terms of 2013 GDP, the World Bank’s Top 100 in terms of international tourism, the United Nation’s top 150 in the 2014 Human Development Index and the United Nation’s Top 100 Foreign Direct Investment Inflows 2013 report.

ANSWER: 2000

Explanation:
Australian scientists have created the world’s thinnest lens 2000 times thinner than human hair and a breakthrough for revolutionising nanotechnology. Finished lens is 6.3 nanometers in size as against a previous smallest lens which is 50 nanometers in thickness. Lens has been created by a team of researchers led by Yeurui Larry Lu from Australian National University. Scientists have said lens could have revolutionary applications in medicine, technology and science, even creating bendable computer screens.