Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Mar 26, 2017

ANSWER: New Delhi

Explanation:
A third edition of the International Conference on Alternate Fuels and Raw Materials in the Cement Industry - Towards Realising Swachch Bharat Dream was held in New Delhi.

It was organised by CMA or Cement Manufacturer's Association India.

The 2-day conference worked to facilitate technical, financial and regulatory solutions for increasing alternate fuels and raw materials usage in the cement industry.

CMA: Know More

• Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA) is the apex representative body of large cement manufacturers in India.
• It was set up in 1961.
• It is a unique body in as much as it has both the private and public sector cement companies as its members.
• It is a registered body under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• Its registered office is in New Delhi, while the Corporate Office in Noida with Branches in Mumbai and Hyderabad.

ANSWER: Ravish Kumar

Explanation:
The NDTV anchor won the first Kuldip Nayar journalism prize for promotion of independent thinking, democratic values and civil rights.

Instituted by journalist Kuldip Nayar and the Gandhi Peace Foundation, the prize is given to journalists in Indian languages who “promote independent thinking, democratic values and civic rights” through their work.

The award was set up to honour those working in vernacular media. It will be awarded every year from now on and carries a plaque along with a cash amount of Rs 1 lakh.

NDTV: Know More

• CEO: K. V. L. Narayan Rao (Oct 2016)
• Headquarters: New Delhi
• Founders: Prannoy Roy, Radhika Roy

ANSWER: Bengaluru

Explanation:
NGO Say Trees has launched India's first organic, vertical garden in the Garden city of Bengaluru.

Using 10 varieties of plant species, the group has planted more than 3,500 saplings on a pillar of Hosur Road, a popular flyover in the city.

The installation is maintained by an automated drip irrigation system that ensures the plants receive their daily dose of 100 milliliters of water.

Apart from improving the city’s aesthetics, vertical gardens also help in reducing smog and air pollution.

Among its many other functions, is that having green walls providing thermal insulation for buildings help in decreasing the demand on power, noting that, as a result, fewer polluting by-products are released into the air.

After getting positive response to its vertical garden on a pier of the Electronics City flyover, Bengaluru-based nonprofit SayTrees now plans to replicate the same on more than 250 piers of the elevated tollway.

The vertical garden on one pier has more than 3,500 saplings of 10 varieties.

The group six mini-forests, including three in Yeshwantpur and one in Kalyan Nagar. The major challenge is availability of safe land.

17,000 saplings they planted in June 2016 required six lakh litres every month.

The vertical gardens required less water while making Bengaluru roads green once again.

These saplings in the vertical garden are watered through automatic drip irrigation. They don’t require more than 100 ml water per day.

ANSWER: Meghalaya and Mizoram

Explanation:
CCEA approved Phase 1 of the North East Road Network Connectivity Project.

The approval was given at the meeting of CCEA and under the project, 403 km of National Highways will be developed in Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Of the 403 km, around 52 km will be in Meghalaya and 351 km in Mizoram. The project will be executed in Engineering, Procurement and Construction mode.

Projects will be taken up for implementation during 2017-2018.

The project will encourage sub-regional social as well as economic development by improving infrastructure in Meghalaya and Mizoram.

It will also enhance the connectivity with inter-state roads and international borders.

The estimated cost is Rs 6,721 crore, including cost of land acquisition, resettlement and other pre-construction activities.

The project will be executed with assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The JICA is a governmental agency that coordinates official development assistance (ODA) for the Government of Japan.

The existing carriageway of all the stretches in Meghalaya and Mizoram is varying between single lane to intermediate lane. A majority of these stretches is located in landslide areas and sinking zones.

JICA: Know More

• Formation: October 1, 2003
• Type: Government agency
• Legal status: Active
• Purpose: Official development assistance
• Region served: Worldwide
• Official language: Japanese and English (secondary)
• President: Shinichi Kitaoka

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Union Cabinet on 22^nd March 2017 approves the proposal to establish the Fund of Funds of Startups or FFS.

Union Cabinet in 2016 approved the proposal to establish a Fund of Funds for Startups with total corpus of INR 10,000 crore.

AIFs supported by FFS should invest at least twice the amount of contribution received from FFS in Startups.

If the account committed for a startup has not been released before a startup ceases, the balance funding can continue thereafter.

Operating expenses out of the FFS to the extent of 0.50 percent of the commitments made to AIFs and outstanding.

Operating expenses include carrying due diligence, legal and technical appraisal, meeting of Venture Capital Investment Committee etc.

Operating expenses will be debited to fund at the beginning of each half year on April and October 1.

Fund of Funds for Startups was approved by Union Government in 2016.

Fund of Funds for Startups is being managed by SIDBI.

FFS contributes to SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds that may go up to a maximum of 35 percent of the corpus of the AIF concerned.

ANSWER: Yanfang Line

Explanation:
China's capital city Beijing will open its first domestically developed automated subway line with self driving trains in 2017.

The 16.6 km long Yanfang Line is being debugged to improve convenience of transport.

The facility is the first fully domestically developed automated subway line on the Chinese mainland/

In addition, construction is expected to be completed in 2017 on two new rail lines, the city's first modern tram line and first medium-low speed maglev line.

Currently Beijing has 19 lines covering 574 kms in operation. Twenty subway lines or sections, spanning over 350 kms will be built this year.

Beijing: Know More

• Established date: 1046 BC
• Type: Municipality
• Party Secretary: Guo Jinlong (Politburo member)
• Mayor: Cai Qi (CPC)
• Congress Chairman: Du Deyin
• Conference Chairman : Ji Lin

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi and author Fareed Zakaria are among 6 Indian Americans nominated for the Ellis Island Medal of Honour 2017– the highest civilian award in the US for immigrants.

The awardees include 88 recipients, of which four other Indian Americans are Harman International Industries CEO and Chairman Dinesh Palliwal, Dr. AS Kini, Yashvant Patel, Mohan H Patel and Pakistani American Dr. Adil Haider.

Nooyi has been the PepsiCo CEO since 2006 and chairman since 2007.

She was previously president and CFO as well as senior VP for two roles at the company.

Zakaria hosts CNN's “Fareed Zakaria GPS” and is a columnist for The Washington Post.

He has also served as a columnist and senior editor at Newsweek and editor-at-large of TIME magazine.

Paliwal has served as president and CEO at Harman since 2007 and became chairman in 2008.

Ellis Island Medal of Honour

• Highest civilian award for US immigrants.
• Founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organisations
• Given to individuals whose accomplishments in field and service to country are commendable
• Medal was conceived in 1986
• It has been official recognised since then by both Houses of Congress as one of the nation's most prestigious awards
• NECO honoured diverse Americans including six presidents of the US.
• Other notable winners include former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, performer Frank Sinatra, sportsperson Muhammad Ali and Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel

ANSWER: United Kingdom Independence Party

Explanation:
Britain's UKIP party, credited as a major factor influencing the decision of the nation to leave the EU, has lost its only lawmaker on 25th March 2017.

Douglas Carswell has announced he was leaving the party.

Carswell defected to UKIP from the Conservative Party led by David Cameron in Aug 2014.

Carswell will remain the MP for Clacton as an independent till the next general elections due in 2020.

British PM Theresa May on 21st March 2017 formally triggered the June 2016 referendum vow to quit the bloc that Britain had joined 44 years back.

UKIP: Know More

• Deputy leader : Peter Whittle European
• Parliament group : Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy
• Leader : Paul Nuttall
• European Parliament : 20 / 73