Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 14 & 15, 2016

ANSWER: Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit

Explanation:
RBI processed applications of entities for authorisation to operate as Bharat Bill Payment Operating Unit and conveying directly to those receiving in principle approvals.

• Applications are being processed and RBI has commenced communicating decisions directly to those receiving in-principle approvals
• Billing experience for eligibility as a BBPOU does not include activities in which the applicant is only a front-end of a bill aggregator

ANSWER: The Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights

Explanation:
India approved its first National Intellectual Property Rights Policy on 12th May 2016. It laid down the roadmap for intellectual property in the country for a creative and innovative nation

• IPR are legal rights which result from intellectual invention or innovation
• IPR is required to safeguard producers of intellectual property
• It also stresses India’s commitment to Doha Development Agenda and TRIPS (The Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights).

ANSWER: Mutual Fund

Explanation:
To get more participants on the MF trading platform, top bourse BSE has eased registration norms by leaving out minimum paid up capital and net worth requirements for applicants

• Changes would be applicable for BSE STAR Mutual Platform- electronic segment allowing individuals and HUF to trade
• The following conditions were discontinued: minimum paid-up capital requirement for corporate applicants, self-certified networth, individuals having a minimum tangible assets of Rs 1 lakh for the registration of mutual fund distributors.

ANSWER: Dehradun

Explanation:
Dehradun has ranked 31st in a recently released list of most polluted cities of the world.

• It was 29th last year
• List released by WHO on May 12 is based on how much fine particulate matter they have in the air in terms of PM 2.5
• Dehradun’s count is beyond 100

ANSWER: Vaquita Marina

Explanation:
Environmentalists have warned that the world’s smallest porpoise vaquita marina, was close to extinction as the government reported only 60 found last year

• Population has fallen despite a ban on fishing gill-nets causing the vaquitas death
• The porpoise population has fallen to lower than 100 in 2014 from 200 in 2012, according to CIRVA or International Committee for the Recovery of the Vaquita
• The fate of this porpoise has been linked to critically endangered sea creature, totoaba

ANSWER: Ernst & Young

Explanation:
Government of Jharkhand has appointed Ernst & Young to assist the department of information technology and e-governance to develop guidelines for establishing IT parks and investment promotion in the IT sector in the state

ANSWER: International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition

Explanation:
An anti-counterfeiting group has indicated it was suspending Alibaba Group Holding’s Membership following concerns of some member companies
International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition followed an AP report that group president Robert Barhciese had stocks in Alibaba and he used family membered to help a coalition

• Alibaba has been accused of counterfeiting by several brands like YSL and Gucci.

ANSWER: Intel

Explanation:
To further contribute to the Digital India initiative, chip making giant Intel India launched an initiative to strengthen the use of technology in the education ecosystem of the nation

• Intel will be collaborating with PhD Chamber of Commerce and Industry for this.

ANSWER: Syncytin-1

Explanation:
UK scientists have discovered a protein which helps embryos to stick to the womb- this also improves treatment for recurrent miscarriage and pre-enclampsia characterised by high blood pressure

• University of Sheffield researchers showed that a protein called Syncytin-1, the result of viral infection of primate ancestors 25 million years ago, secreted on the surface of the developing embryo before it implants within the womb
• The protein plays a vital role in embryo attachment and placenta formation

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Astronomers have discovered a faint blue galaxy close to 30 million light years away from earth that could shed new light regarding the universe’s birth

• Galaxy has been nicknamed Leoncino or Little Lion because it isolated in the constellation Leo Minor
• The lowest level of heavy chemical elements or metals ever observed in a gravitationally bound system of stars was observed in Little Lion
• Finding the most metal poor galaxy is exciting because it could contribute to a quantitative test of the Big Bang.
• Leoncino is considered a member of the local universe, a region of space within 1 billion light years away from earth and containing several million galaxies of which only a small portion has been catalogued

ANSWER: Gender champions

Explanation:
The University Grants Commission has asked universities and colleges across the nation to include the transgender as the third gender within the scheme of gender champions.

• UGC had asked the institutes to appoint gender champions to foster equal treatment for all genders on the campus
• The elected champions will catch cases of gender bias if any

ANSWER: Bangladesh

Explanation:
India has concluded a nuclear agreement with Bangladesh indicating the relations between the two countries are advancing.

• Nuclear agreement is a three document package negotiated between MEA and the Bangladesh department of science and technology in the past few months.
• Following PM Narendra Modi and Sheikh Hasina’s inauguration of a 100 MW power transmission line from Palatana to Bangladesh, India is preparing to upgrade the same to 5— MW.
• India also wants to transport LPG and LNG to NE states through Bangladesh
• Four Indian companies have bid to create power plants in Bangladesh

ANSWER: World’s largest camp

Explanation:
Kenyan Government on May 11, 2016 announced it will close Daddab refugee camp which is home to 3300000 Somali refugees and is often called the world’s largest camp.

• National Security was cited as a reason for the decision
• Government also said that the camp established in 1990s to accommodate Somalis fleeing civil war has become a safe haven for terrorists.
• Since 2016, Dadaab was the latest refugee camp, with others like Hagadera coming a close second
• Kambioos is the smallest camp with close to 20,000 refugees.

ANSWER: Fatma Samoura

Explanation:
54 year old Fatma Samoura will assume the role of FIFA general secretary before mid June after undergoing an eligibility check

She is currently

• Decision was taken by FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the 66th FIFA Congress in Mexico City.
• She is currently UN’s Resident/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria.
• She is fluent in French, English, Spanish and Italian.

ANSWER: A21

Explanation:
Supreme Court on 13 May 2016 upheld constitutional validity of penal laws on defamation. The two-judge bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Justice Prafulla C Pant said the right to life under Article 21 includes the right to reputation.

• The apex court was hearing the matter based on 24 petitions alleging that the provisions of criminal sanction act as a censoring device, violates the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution.
• They argued that criminal defamation travels beyond the Constitution's article 19(2) that imposes reasonable restrictions on the freedom of speech and expression.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena on 14 May 2016 released 'Simhastha Declaration' at Ninora village in Ujjain.51 sacred points have been included in this declaration for betterment of mankind and these elixir points will start new discourse for India and the world.

• Apart from this, PM Modi also appealed saints to hold Vichar Kumbh every year with devotees and discuss issues like the need to plant trees or educate the girl child.
• Calling the Kumbh as the biggest example of excellent management, he advised academic institutions to adopt Kumbh as a case study.

ANSWER: Jat quota agitation

Explanation:
Prakash Singh committee constituted an inquiry into the commission and commissions of officers as part of the Jat Quota agitation. Report was submitted on May 13, 2016. It was able to find close to 90 officers found guilty of dereliction to duties.

ANSWER: Shashank Manohar

Explanation:
Veteran cricket administrator Shashank Manohar has been elected unopposed as ICC’s first independent chairman, two days after he stepped down from the post of BCCI President.

• The 58-year-old was elected to the post after the ICC Full Council’s approval of constitutional amendments proposed by the Board following its April meeting.
• Manohar recently resigned as the President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, is the first elected independent Chairman of the game’s governing body and will commence his two-year term with immediate effect.
• According to the election process, ICC directors were each allowed to nominate one candidate, who had to be either a present or past ICC director.
• Nominees with the support of two or more Full Member directors would have been eligible to contest the election, which was scheduled to have been concluded by May 23.

ANSWER: Mammal

Explanation:
US President Barack Obama has signed National Bison Legacy Act into law officially making the American bison the country’s first national mammal.

• With this, Bison, the animal that once roamed North America, joins the ranks of the Bald Eagle as the official symbol of the country. Its designation as national mammal do not hampers bald eagle’s position as the national animal because eagle that is birthed through eggs in not a mammal.
• Millions of bison once roamed the Great Plains. About 500,000 now live in the U.S. but most of those have been cross-bred with cattle, and are semi-domesticated. About 30,000 wild bison roam the country, with the largest population in Yellowstone National Park.

ANSWER: Eielson

Explanation:
Red Flag Alaska 16-1, which was an advanced aerial combat training exercise hosted at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska (a successor to the previous COPE THUNDER exercise series) held in the Alaska region, concluded on 14 May 16.

• The main phase of the exercise had commenced on 28 Apr 16 with a mix of combat and support elements participating from IAF, USAF and USN.
• Over the last decade, IAF has been actively participating in various operational exercises hosted by various countries wherein its capabilities has been pitted against the best air forces in the world.

ANSWER: Baba Hardev Singh

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of Baba Hardev Singh, spiritual leader and head of Sant Nirankari Mission. Baba Hardev has served as head of the mission during 36 years at the helm.

ANSWER: Paraguay

Explanation:
The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to the Government and people of the Republic of Paraguay on the eve of their Independence Day (May 15, 2016). In his message to His Excellency Mr. Horacio Manuel Cartes Jara, the President of the Republic of Paraguay extended his greetings while commenting on how relations have intensified through the India-Mercosur Preferential Trade Agreement to which India attaches high importance.

ANSWER: 13th May

Explanation:
Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India and the World Health Organization (WHO) have signed an historic Project Collaboration Agreement (PCA) for cooperation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine.

• The PCA was signed by Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, Shri Ajit M Sharan and Assistant Director General, Health Systems and Innovations, WHO, Dr. Marie Kieny, in Geneva on 13th May, 2016.
• The PCA is titled as ‘Co-operation on promoting the quality, safety and effectiveness of service provision in traditional and complementary medicine between WHO and AYUSH, India, 2016-2020’.
• It aims to support WHO in the development and implementation of the ‘WHO Traditional and Complementary Medicine Strategy: 2014-2023’ and will contribute to the global promotion of traditional Indian Systems of Medicine.