Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 22, 2017

ANSWER: Ghanshyam Singh

Explanation:
Shri Ghanshyam Singh, has been appointed as new Member (Traction) Railway Board and ex officio Secretary to the Government of India with effect from 21 March 2017.

Shri Singh, an officer of Indian Railway Service of Electrical Engineering (IRSEE) of 1979 batch, and is a Gold Medalist in B.E. in Electrical Engineering from Allahabad University.

He was General Manager, Eastern Railway, Kolkata.

He worked as Chief Electrical Engineer, Northern Railway. Shri Singh has also worked in various other important posts at Railway Board level & all over Indian Railways.

Shri Singh executed several innovative projects including planning for Rail Infrastructure Development of Power Plant & Refineries, Rail Electrification and more.

He is also credited to have designed the high voltage distribution system for rural electrification in Uttarakhand.

While working as Chief Electrical Engineer in ER, Shri Singh developed the methodology for power procurement from the private producers for the first time in IR.

He has also designed HVDS (High Voltage Distribution System) for rural electrification in the state of Uttaranchal.

He was awarded twice by the Hon’ble Railway Minister for his outstanding service.

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:

Sports Discipline	National Observer
Athletics	PT Usha Anju Bobby George
Archery	Dr Sanjeev Kumar Singh
Badminton	Aparna Popat
Boxing	Mary Kom Akhil Kumar
Hockey	Jagbir Singh
Shooting	Abhinav Bindra
Tennis	Somdev Devvarman
Weightlifting	Karnam Malleshwari
Wrestling	Sushil Kumar
Football	I M Vijayan
Swimming	Khajan Singh
Table Tennis	Kamlesh Mehta

Apart from providing inputs for their respective disciplines, the National Observers would also to be consulted as a group on cross cutting issues impacting sports development in the country.

The National Observers would be playing a key role in the implementation of action plans for Mission Olympics 2020, 2024 and 2028.

On 30 January 2017, the government constituted a Task Force to prepare an action plan for 2020, 2024 and 2028 Olympic games.

On 5 February 2017, the foundation stone of the boundary wall of the first-ever Centre of Excellence for differently-abled sportsmen was laid at Sector-25 in Gandhinagar, Gujarat.

On 10 February 2017, the Mission XI Million initiative was launched to promote football among school children.

On 14 March 2017, Hockey India announced the appointment of four new Scientific Advisors for men and women, both senior and junior teams.

ANSWER: Justice Navanithi Prasad Singh

Explanation:
Justice Navnithi Prasad Singh was on 20 March 2017 sworn in as the new Chief Justice of Kerala High Court.

The Governor of Kerala Justice (retd) P Sathasivam administered the oath of office to Justice Singh at a function held at the Raj Bhavan in Thiruvananthapuram.

After doing schooling from Scindhia School in Gwalior, he did graduation and LL.B. from the Delhi University.

Justice Navanithi Prasad Singh practiced in commercial, taxation and constitutional matters in Patna and Jharkhand High Courts.

His private corporate clients include State Bank of India, Lalit Narain Mithila University and other statutory authorities.

He was designated as a Senior Advocate on 11 December 2004 by the Patna high court.

He was elevated as a Judge of the Patna High Court on 6 March 2006. Justice Navaniti Prasad Singh was born on 6 November 1955.

Articles 214, 216 and 217

• Article 214 (High Courts for States): There shall be a High Court for each State.
• Article 216 (Constitution of High Courts)Every High Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the President may from time to time deem it necessary to appoint.
• Article 217 (Appointment and conditions of the office of a Judge of a High Court): The Chief Justice of a High Court shall be appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal after consultation with the Chief Justice of India and the Governor of the State.

ANSWER: HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill 2014

Explanation:
The HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014, aimed at ensuring equal rights while seeking treatment, education and job by people living with HIV, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on March 21, 2017.

The Bill also assumes significance as it protects such people from specific acts of discrimination by the state, or any other person.

It also lays down penal provisions for any discrimination practised against a person with HIV/AIDS and breach of confidentiality.

Under the Bill, central and state governments are obliged to provide for anti-retroviral therapy (ART) and management of opportunistic infections (infections that take advantage of weakness in the immune system and occur frequently).

The protection mandated in the Bill extends to the fields of employment, healthcare services, educational services, public facilities, property rights, holding public office, and insurance.

Though the Bill was initially introduced in the Parliament by the UPA government, the amendments to the HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Control) Bill, 2014 were revived by the Modi government in July 2016.

During the debate on the measure, many members suggested amending the Section 14(1) of the bill, to remove the phrase "as far as possible" for providing medical treatment by the Centre and the states to those infected with HIV and AIDS.

Rules will have provision to provide justification for denying treatment to the patients.

A large number of members were of the view that the phrase 'as far possible' would defeat the purpose of the bill as it provides a leeway to the Centre and the states.

Changes in the Bill

• Bill now makes anti-retroviral treatment a legal right for all HIV/AIDS patients.
• It has also adopted "test and treat" policy which means any person testing positive will be entitled for free treatment by the state and central government.
• Earlier, this was restricted by a CD4 count rate.
• It also provides for confidentiality of HIV-related information and makes it necessary to get informed consent for undertaking HIV tests, medical treatment and research.
• The Bill also provides for fast tracking of cases relating to HIV positive persons by courts on a priority basis.
• In any legal proceeding, if an HIV infected or affected person is a party, the court may pass orders that the proceedings be conducted (a) by suppressing the identity of the person, (b) in camera, and (c) to restrain any person from publishing information that discloses the identity of the applicant.
• When passing any order with regard to a maintenance application filed by an HIV infected or affected person, the court shall take into account the medical expenses incurred by the applicant.

ANSWER: David Rockerfeller

Explanation:
David Rockefeller was the last of his generation in a famous American family that taught its children that wealth brings great responsibility.

Even as children, he and his siblings had to set aside portions of their allowances for charitable giving.

To mark his 100^th birthday in 2015, Rockefeller gave 1,000 acres of land next to a national park to the state of Maine.

Rockefeller died on 19th March 2017 in his sleep at his home in Pocantico Hills at age 101.

Unlike his brothers Nelson, the governor of New York who hungered for the White House and was briefly vice president, and Winthrop, a governor of Arkansas, David Rockefeller wielded power and influence without ever seeking public office

Among his many accomplishments were spurring the project that led to the World Trade Center.

Unlike his other brothers, John D. 3rd and Laurance, who shied from the spotlight and were known for philanthropy, David Rockefeller embraced business.

Rockefeller graduated from Harvard in 1936 and received a doctorate in economics from the University of Chicago in 1940.

He served in the Army during World War II, then began climbing the ranks of management at Chase Bank.

That bank merged with the Manhattan company in 1955.

Rockefeller was estimated to have met more than 200 rulers in more than 100 countries during his lifetime, and often was treated as if he were a visiting head of state.

Under Rockefeller, Chase now known as JPMorgan Chase was the first U.S. bank to open offices in the Soviet Union and China.

In 1974, it was the first to open an office in Egypt after the Suez crisis of 1956.

ANSWER: Martin McGuinness

Explanation:
North Ireland's former Deputy First Minister and one time IRA commander Martin McGuinness died aged 66, according to Irish nationalist party Sinn Fein on 21st March, 2017.

Mr. McGuinness had resigned from politics in January, citing a serious illness and a breakdown in relations with the rival Democratic Unionist Party.

Sinn Fein refused to appoint a replacement for Mr. McGuinness in January due to a row with the DUP, its partner in a power-sharing government set up to bring peace to the Province.

That triggered local elections in which Sinn Fein made major gains against the DUP and the two parties are currently deadlocked.

This means the British government could impose direct rule of Northern Ireland from London.

McGuinness had made history by entering a government with his once bitter foe, Ian Paisley of the DUP.

The decision to share power was a key part of the peace process in Northern Ireland, which endured three decades of violence in which more than 3,500 people died.

McGuinness was a commander in the IRA paramilitary group that fought for the Province to leave Britain and join the Republic of Ireland to the south.

McGuinness never hid the fact that he had been a commander of the IRA - classed as a terrorist organization by the British, Irish and US governments.

Born May 23, 1950, he joined the breakaway Provisional IRA faction in his native Londonderry - simply "Derry" to Irish nationalists - after dropping out of high school and working as an apprentice butcher in the late 1960s.

At the time, the Catholic civil rights movement faced increasing conflict with the province's Protestant government and police.

Sinn Fein: Know More

• Leader: Gerry Adams TD
• Chairman: Declan Kearney MLA
• Deputy Leader: Mary Lou McDonald TD
• Leader in Northern Ireland: Michelle O'Neill MLA
• General Secretary: Dawn Doyle
• Founder: Arthur Griffith
• Founded: 28 November 1905(original form); 17 January 1970 (current form)
• Newspaper: An Phoblacht
• Youth wing: Sinn Féin Republican Youth

ANSWER: TDP or tardigrade specific intrinsically disordered proteins

Explanation:
They are considered the world's toughest animals, capable of living anywhere from the bottom of the ocean to 5,500 metres up a Himalayan mountain.

They can be boiled at temperatures of up to 150 degrees Celsius or frozen to near absolute zero, but still tardigrades, tiny, Muppet-like creatures also known as water bears or moss piglets, just will not die.

They have even been found on the outside of the International Space Station, where the lack of pressure would kill a human in minutes at most.

The big takeaway from the study is that tardigrades have evolved unique genes that allow them to survive drying out.

In addition, the proteins that these genes encode can be used to protect other biological material like bacteria, yeast, and certain enzymes - from desiccation.

These proteins have been named TDPs or 'tardigrade-specific intrinsically disordered proteins' in honour of the 1mm-long creatures who evolved to have them.

Previously it had been thought that a type of sugar called trehelose, which is found in other organisms including brine shrimp, was the secret behind the tardigrade's ability to return from the dead after being dried out for up to 10 years.

Following the discovery, reported in the journal Molecular Cell, the scientist put the genes into yeast and bacteria, which then gained the same properties as the tardigrades.

TDPs could be used to protect crops from drought and to preserve medicines without using a refrigerator.

Moss Piglet: Know More

• Kingdom: Animalia
• (unranked): Tactopoda
• Phylum: Tardigrades
• Classes: Eutardigrada, Heterotardigrada, Mesotardigrada

ANSWER: 15

Explanation:
India is working with 15 countries for information exchange on cybercrimes and bilateral cooperation on tackling it.

India is working for bilateral cooperation with 15 countries for exchange of information and data pertaining to cyber crimes and related cooperation in law enforcement.

There is a steady increase in the government websites that have been hacked since 2014.

As per the information provided by MeITY, a total of 155, 164, 199 and 39 websites of certain ministries and departments as well as state governments were hacked in 2014 to 2017.

The government has constituted an Expert Group to study gaps and challenges in tackling cyber crimes in the country and prepare a road map for tackling and giving recommendations on all facets.

Cyber Crime Prevention Against Women and Children scheme: Know More

• CCWPC has been approved by the government
• It aims at setting up online cyber crime reporting platforms.
• It also works for cyber forensic training cum labs in states and UTs as well as R&D facilities and capacity building in law enforcement agencies against cyber crime across the nation.
• Indian cyber crime coordination centre 14C scheme has been placed for appraisal.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Indo-Nepal Joint Military Training was held in Pithoragarh from March 7 to 20, 2017.

Ekta Shakti Battalion of the Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army and Durga Baksh Battalion of the Nepalese army participated in the joint exercise named Surya Kiran-XI which is the 11th iteration.

It is aimed at training troops in counter insurgency operations and enhance defence cooperation and military relations between the two nations.

It is an ideal platform for personnel of two armies to share their experiences.

Indian Army: Know More

• Motto: "Service Before Self"
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founded: 15 August 1947, India
• Color: Gold, red and black
• Part of: Indian Armed Forces
• Transports: HAL Dhruv, Aérospatiale Alouette III, Aérospatiale SA 315B Lama

ANSWER: March 21

Explanation:
International Day of Forests was celebrated on March 21, 2017 with “Forests and Energy” being the central theme of the celebrations.

International Day of Forests is celebrated on March 21 annually, the world over. This brings the role of forests in safeguarding the ecological security and livelihood of millions of people all around the globe.

Forests provide clean energy, energy and water. Sustainably managed forests can provide renewable and carbon neutral energy for a greener future.

The theme of Forests and Energy has been chosen by UN to showcase the importance of wood energy in improving people's lives and mitigating climate change.

Wood is a major renewable energy source.

Wood provides the world with more energy than solar, hydroelectric and wind power. Around 300 million people in India depend on forests for their livelihood.

Trees in urban areas can cool air between 2 to 8 degree celsius. Woods also mitigate climate change and foster sustainable development.

Forests hold energy content 10 times of the world's annual primary energy consumption.

Greater investment in technological innovation and sustained managed forests is the role for increasing forest role as a major source of renewable energy.

This year's campaign theme highlights vital energy in Indian forests including cultural, ecological and livelihood benefits.

ANSWER: River Whanganui

Explanation:
- The local Maori tribe of Whanganui in the North Island has fought for the recognition of their river - the third-largest in New Zealand - as an ancestor for 140 years.

- Whanganui river is also called ‘Te Awa Tupua’.

- The new status of the river means if someone abused or harmed it the law now sees no differentiation between harming the iwi (tribe) or harming the river because they are one and the same.

- Two guardians will be appointed to act on behalf of the Whanganui river, one from the crown and one from the Whanganui iwi.

- The tribe believes that they can trace their genealogy to the origins of the universe. And rather than they being masters of the natural world, they are part of it. They want to live like that as their starting point.

- They say that it is not an anti-development, or anti-economic use of the river but to begin with the view that it is a living being, and then consider its future from that central belief.