Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 13, 2017

ANSWER: Matunga, Mumbai

Explanation:
Central Railway (CR) has unveiled India's first air conditioned rail ambulance.

This is designed to rush for the relief of injured passengers during the vital 'golden hour' after a rail disaster.

The ambulance is equipped with several medical facilities and the basic treatment can be provided to at least 50 people at a time.

The ambulance, which will be stationed at Kalyan, was made by redesigning an AC coach used for passenger service.

The ambulance will prove helpful when transporting organs from one state to another for transplants.

A railway ‘green corridor’ will help deliver the donated organ to the destination sooner than on road, without causing much trouble to people and traffic.

Facts About Rail Ambulance

• It is a four-coach fully AC ambulance, equipped with health care facilities.
• The idea for such a facility came after an accident in Maharashtra's Raigad district in May 2014.
• As many as 50 people can be transported and treated using this air conditioned rail ambulance.
• Designed at the rail workshop at Matunga in Mumbai, the vehicle is suited for transporting accident victims to hospital in a short time.
• The coaches are aesthetically designed and house an operation theatre to carry out minor surgeries like cataract and can provide emergency treatment to accident victims

ANSWER: Madhya Pradesh

Explanation:
Senior officials of the newly constituted happiness department in the state will visit the Himalayan kingdom to understand and study the happiness model prevalent there.

Bhutan has a gross national happiness commission.

Officials said it is imperative for them to visit Bhutan so as to understand the Bhutanese model and implement it here to achieve the objective of creating the happiness department.

This department is the first in the country.

Bhutan is willing to share its happiness model with the state.

The happiness department is also in the process to set up its office in Bhopal.

Bhutan: Know More

• Capital: Thimphu
• King: Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
• Prime minister: Tshering Tobgay
• Currencies: Indian rupee, Bhutanese ngultrum
• Official language: Dzongkha

ANSWER: Genocide Day

Explanation:
Bangladesh’s unanimously adopted a resolution declaring March 25 as Genocide Day.

This is in remembrance of the atrocities carried out by the Pakistani Army in the night of March 25, 1971.

Condemning the denial of history by Pakistan, the Bangladeshi legislators passed the motion unanimously after a marathon seven-hour discussion on Saturday night.

A total of 56 MPs, including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, took part.

The Pakistan Army swooped on unarmed civilians on the night of March 25, 1971, to crush the Bengali rebellion following refusal by the military leadership to accept the election results of 1970 in which the Awami League got thumping majority .

‘Operation Searchlight’ began in the first hours of March 25 in Dhaka.

Bangladesh: Know More

• Capital: Dhaka
• Currency: Bangladeshi taka
• Prime minister: Sheikh Hasina
• Population: 156.6 million (2013) World Bank
• President: Abdul Hamid

ANSWER: 10.7%

Explanation:
Net direct tax collections up to February grew 10.7% as compared with the same period of the previous financial year.

Net indirect tax collections increased 22.2% during the same period.

The direct tax collections up to February 2017 continue to show a steady growth trend.

The collection net of refunds stands at INR 6.17 lakh crore, which is 10.7 % more than the net collections for the corresponding period last year.

This collection is 72.9 % of the total Budget Estimates for direct taxes for financial year 2016-17.

During February 2017, net indirect tax collections grew 8.4%, with customs, central excise and service tax collections growing 10.9%, 7.4% and 7.6%, respectively.

This was slower than the 16.9% growth in net indirect collections in January 2017, when customs, central excise and service tax collections grew was 10.1%, 26.3% and 9.4%, respectively.

Within direct tax, corporate tax collections grew 11.9% while personal income tax collections grew 20.8%. However, after accounting for refunds, these growth rates stand at 2.6% and 19.5%.

The tax department issued refunds worth INR 1.48 lakh crore over the April 2016 to February 2017 period, which is 40.2% higher than the refunds issued during the corresponding period last year.

The figures for indirect tax collections (central excise, service tax and customs) up to February 2017 show that net revenue collections are at INR 7.72 lakh crore, which is 22.2% more than the net collections for the corresponding period last year.

Till February 2017, about 90.9% of the Revised Estimates (RE) of indirect taxes for financial year 2016-17 has been achieved.

Within indirect taxes, net central excise collections stood at INR 3.45 lakh crore during the April 2016-February 2017 period compared with the INR 2.53 lakh crore collected during the corresponding period of the previous financial year, which amounts to a growth of 36.2%.

Net service tax collections during the period grew 20.8% to INR 2.21 lakh crore.

Net customs duty collections grew 5.2% to ?2.05 lakh crore in the April 2016 to February 2017 period.

ANSWER: 2.7

Explanation:
India's industrial production grew 2.7 percent Y-O-Y in Jan 2017 despite demonetisation, according to CSO.

Growth was due to the base effect as output had shrunk 1.59% in Jan 2016

Performance was better than 0.38 percent contraction in Dec 2016 but lagged the 5.65 percent growth posted in Nov 2016.

Manufacturing sector accounted for 75% of the total IIP grew 2.3% in January from -2.94 in January 2016 and -1.97% in Dec 2016, but slower than Nov's 5.47 percent pace.

Mining sector recorded a 5.3% growth in January, compared with 1.54% in January 2016 and 5.24% in December 2016.

Electricity production registered a 3.9% growth in January, lower than 6.56% in January 2016 and 6.28% in December 2016.

Capital goods output - a crucial pointer to investment demand in the economy - rose 10.7% from a low base of a contraction of (-) 21.55% in January 2016 as well as from (-) 3.01% in December 2016.

Consumer goods output contracted (-) 1% in January indicating weak consumer demand.

Consumer durables output grew 2.9%.

Only nine out of the 22 industry groups in the manufacturing sector have shown positive growth in the month of January 2017 as compared with the corresponding month of the previous year.

'Electrical machinery & apparatus’ recorded the highest positive growth of 42.4%, followed by 21.8% growth in ‘radio, TV & communication equipment’ and 12.4% in ‘basic metals’.

‘Office, accounting and computing machinery’ registered the highest negative growth of -16%, followed by -14.8% in ‘food products & beverages’ and -13.4% in ‘Other transport equipment’.

Though retail inflation was below the target of 5%, IIP growth for April-January 2016-17 over the corresponding period of the previous year stood at 0.6%.

ANSWER: Manohar Parrikar

Explanation:
Following fast paced developments, 21 new MLAs led by ministers Nitin Gadkari and Manohar Parrikar approached Governor Mridula Singa on 12th March 2017

On 13th March 2017, Manohar Parrikar resigned from the post of Defence Minister and was appointed Goa's CM.

The BJP won 13 seats and the Congress 17 in the 40-member Assembly.

Parrikar submitted evidence of support of 13 MLAs of the Bharatiya Janata Party, three each of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party and the Goa Forward Party and two Independent MLAs.

The BJP now has a strength of 21 MLAs in the House of 40.

13 BJP MLAs sent a resolution to party president Amit Shah saying they want Mr. Parrikar to head the new government.

GFP president Prabhakar Timble, resigned, after Vijay Sardesai, the party's legislature leader aligned with the BJP.

show a close contest between the Congress and BJP, while other smaller parties such as the Goa Forward Party and Maharashtrawadi Gomantak (MGP) also making inroads.

Party	Total
Bharatiya Janata Party	13
Indian National Congress	17
Nationalist Congress Party	1
Maharashtrawadi Gomantak	3
Goa Forward Party	3
Independent	3
Total	40

Source: Livemint