Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 12, 2017

ANSWER: J&K

Explanation:
The state of Jammu and Kashmir has taken a decisive step towards grooming the young talents in the state as the “State Cricket Academy” began its operation today at Srinagar’s Bakshi stadium.

The first coaching camp being held at the stadium will be for children below the age of 16.

Parveen Rasool is the only player from the state of Jammu and Kashmir to have played for the Indian national team.

The off-spinner, who has appeared in one ODI and one T20I for India has also featured for three different teams in the IPL where he last played for Royal Challengers Bangalore in last year’s edition.

SCA reiterated that its team will focus on overall development of the players and not produce only “one- trick ponies”.

The facility will look to nurture cricketers at the grassroots level and be a nursery for cricketers, who will perform on a much bigger stage in the days to come.

The first coaching camp for the U-16 cricketers in being held at a makeshift arrangement with the Sports Council still working on the facilities at the academy.

However, as per the reports from the Sports Council, the construction work for the same will be done at a rapid pace.

The academy will have all the modern facilities with includes turf as well as cemented wickets in addition to all the other basic necessities.

ANSWER: Information technology + Indian Talent = India Tomorrow

Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today devised an unusual equation to describe the future of the country.

"IT + IT = IT", which means "Information technology + Indian Talent = India Tomorrow" was proposed.

India needs to embrace technology in a more collective manner than in a piecemeal fashion.

It also must be embraced by all sections of society for it to have real benefit,

Embracing technology can't happen if only a few people are keen on it. The scale must be larger.

The PM addressed what he called the "mindset issue".

Mindsets have to change, that will be the beginning. However much we automate things or introduce technology, if mindsets don't change nothing will happen.

E-governance is easy, effective, and economical. It's also environment friendly. Paperless offices will benefit the environment.

Recently the Supreme Court's ICMIS, a digital service was inaugurated which will enable people to file complaints online.

Emphasizing that the need of the hour is to focus on application of science and technology, the PM indicated the digital route the SC is taking is a step in the right direction.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of 1982 West Bengal cadre IAS officer Sanjay Mitra as the next defence secretary.

He will have a fixed tenure of two years. Prior to this appointment, Mitra was the secretary in the ministry of road transport and highways.

Other appointments include Anant Kumar Singh, a 1984 batch IAS officer of Uttar Pradesh who has been appointed as the secretary in the textiles ministry.

Anant Kumar Singh is the first officer from the 1984 batch to get the secretary-level appointment. Rashmi Verma who was the secretary in the textiles ministry has been moved to a similar position in the ministry of tourism.

Rajiv Srivastava, a 1981 batch IAS officer of Rajasthan cadre, will be the next secretary in the ministry of woman and child development.

Leena Nair, a 1982 batch IAS of Tamil Nadu Cadre has been made secretary in the ministry of tribal affairs.

Jagdish Prasad Meena has been appointed as secretary in the department of consumer affairs.

BR Sharma, a 1984 batch IAS officer of the Jammu and Kashmir cadre has been appointed as additional secretary in the home ministry.

ANSWER: May 11

Explanation:
National Technology Day is being celebrated on May 11, to mark the technological developments of India.

2017 National Technology Day Theme is ‘Technology for inclusive and sustainable growth’.


The day is being commemorated to celebrate the anniversary of first of the five tests of Operation Shakti (Pokhran-II) nuclear test, held on 11 May 1998 in Pokhran, Rajasthan.

The operation was led by the former President APJ Abdul Kalam.


After conducting two more tests as a part of the Pokhran-II/Operation Shakti initiative, India was declared as a nuclear state by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

On this same day country’s first indigenous aircraft Hansa-3 was test flown at Bangalore. India also conducted successful test firing of the Trishul missile on the same day.

The Trishul missile was developed as a part of the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The Trishul Missile got inducted by the Indian Army and Indian Airforce.

Trishul: Know More

• Type: Surface-to-air missile
• Place of origin: India
• Used by: Indian Armed Forces
• Manufacturer: Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
• Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL)
• Weight : 130 kg (290 lb)
• Length: 3.1 m (10 ft)
• Engine: Single Stage solid fuel
• Operational range: 9 km (5.6 mi)[2]

ANSWER: Their Future is Our Future

Explanation:
World Migratory Bird Day relies on a strong partnership: key organizations engaged in the conservation of migratory birds take action internationally and coordinate their activities around the annual theme of the campaign.

The 2017 theme for World Migratory Bird Day is therefore in line with the priorities and activities of its key partners: BirdLife International (BLI), the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership (EAAFP), Wetlands International, the International Council for Game and Wildlife Conservation (CIC) and UN Environment (UNEP).

The campaign itself is coordinated by the Secretariats of the Convention on Migratory Species (UNEP/CMS) and the Agreement on the Conservation of African Eurasian Migratory Waterbirds (UNEP/AEWA).

CMS will hold its 12th Conference of the Parties in the Philippines in October 2017 under the slogan “Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People”.

All the activities organized for World Migratory Bird Day are united by a common theme.

With the 2017 theme “Their Future is our Future”, WMBD will throw light on the topic of “Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People”.

WMBD 2017 will highlight the interdependence of nature and people and more especially migratory animals – in particular birds, as they share the same planet and thus limited resources.

The 2017 campaign will aim at raising awareness on the need for a sustainable management of our natural resources, demonstrating that birds conservation is also crucial for the future of humankind.

The World Migratory Bird Day campaign is held through the generous contributions from the German Ministry of Environment (BMUB), the CMS Raptors MoU and the Government of Finland.

ANSWER: Department of Investment and Public Asset Management

Explanation:
Finance Ministry has set up an Investor Facilitation Platform that will provide information about stocks of public sector units.

Set up by the Department of Investment and Public Asset Management (DIPAM), the platform will be an interactive forum for all stakeholders, including investors, investment banks, law firms, public sector units and administrative ministries that are involved in stake sales.

Developed and maintained by PRIME Database, all users will have to register on the facilitation platform, which will then be authorised by DIPAM.

According to an official, different categories of users will get different kinds of information. But the overall objective is to make them more in touch with PSU disinvestment issues.

Investors will get features like price movements, shareholding patterns and financial results.

For other intermediaries likes investment banks and law firms, the facilitation platform is expected to give them closer access and better interaction with DIPAM to work on ongoing and upcoming stake sales.

DIPAM is also likely to soon launch a PSU information platform that would provide investors with details on listed PSUs including their daily prices, financial and annual results, corporate announcements and also details of the Board of Directors.

Investors should be aware about their investments. This will also bring more accountability in the functioning of PSUs.

The move comes at a time when DIPAM is expected to raise INR 72,500 crore from disinvestment proceeds this fiscal, including INR 46,500 crore from minority stake sales.

ANSWER: Maitri

Explanation:
India has taken the decision to replace its Maitri research station in Antarctica with a new one in the next three to four years.

India is poised to expand its research activity in the coldest continent and a new ship, with a special ice-cutting facility, will be procured for the purpose.

India is also drafting its own laws to safeguard its interest in Antarctica, as it is currently governed by international laws.

The Indian Antarctic Program is a multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional program under the control of National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India.

It was initiated in 1981 with the first Indian expedition to Antarctica.

The program gained global acceptance with India’s signing of the Antarctic Treaty and subsequent construction of the Dakshin Gangotri Antarctic research base in 1983.

Gangotri base was superseded by the Maitri research station from 1990.

Bharati is the newest base that was commissioned in 2015, constructed out of 134 shipping containers.

India has carried out over 30 scientific expeditions to the Antarctic as of 14 October 2010.

Maitri: Know More

• Maitri is India’s second permanent research station in Antarctica as part of the Indian Antarctic Programme.
• The name was suggested by the then PM Mrs Indira Gandhi
• The expedition left the shores of India on 03 Dec 1984.
• Work on the station was first started by the Indian Expedition which landed there in end Dec 1984, the team was led by Dr. B B Bhattacharya.
• It was built and finished in 1989, shortly before the first station Dakshin Gangotri was buried in ice and abandoned in 1990–91.
• Maitri is situated on the rocky mountainous region called Schirmacher Oasis.
• It is only 5 km away from Russian Novolazarevskaya Station.