Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 16, 2016

ANSWER: Max Verstappen

Explanation:
Teenager Max Verstappen became the youngest FI winner on Sunday, May 15th taking full advantage of Mercedes first lap crash to claim drama land Spanish grand prix.

• 18 year old Dutchman resisted attacks to claim the victory in his 24th F1 race
• At 18 years and 228 days, the teenager became the youngest race winner replacing 4 time champion Sebastian Vettel who took the record as Red Bull driver at 21 years and 74 days in 2008
• He took full advantage of the lap collision between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton to win the race
• Riccardio, his Aussie teammate came 4th while Kimi Raikonnen finished second head of Vettel

ANSWER: Madison Keys

Explanation:
Serena Williams ended a 9 month title drought with a decisive win over Madison Keys in the Italian Open Final on May 15th.

• In the men’s singles, Murray prevailed over Djokovic
• This was William’s fourth title in Rome and it came a week before the commencement of the French Open.

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
For the very first time in its history, the Indian Space Research Organisation is proceeding on a never before space flight that would make history.

• The Indian space agency is all set to undertake the maiden launch of its very own indigenously version of a 'space shuttle', a fully made-in-India effort.
• India's frugal engineers believe the solution to reducing cost of launching satellites into orbit is to recycle the rocket or make it reusable.
• Scientists believe that they could reduce the cost of launching stuff into space by as much as 10 times if reusable technology succeeds, bringing it down to $2,000 per kg.

ANSWER: 5, 19

Explanation:
Scientists have identified two statistically significant genetic variants that may lead to an increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

• Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or seeing a terrifying event.
• First genetic variant was in gene ANKRD55 on chromosome 5 and the other variant was found in 19.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Four Indian peacekeepers and a civilian, who laid down their lives while serving in the U.N. peacekeeping operations last year, will be honoured along with other 124 personnel with a prestigious U.N. medal awarded posthumously for their courage and sacrifice.

• Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav, Rifleman Manish Malik, Havildar Amal Deka, Naik Rakesh Kumar and Gagan Punjabi made the supreme sacrifice.
• U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will begin the commemoration by laying a wreath to honour all fallen peacekeepers.

Last year Lance Naik Nand Ram, who served with MONUSCO and Raju Joseph, who had served in a civilian capacity with UNMISS, were posthumously awarded the medal.

ANSWER: Zumwait

Explanation:
The US Navy is ready to take ownership of the Zumwalt, its largest and most technologically sophisticated destroyer. The Zumbalt is the first new class of warship built at Bath Iron Works since the Arleigh Burke slid into the Kennebec River in 1989. The shipyard is expected to turn the destroyer over to the Navy this week.

• The ship features an angular shape that makes it 50 times more difficult to detect on radar; it's powered by electricity produced by turbines similar to those in a Boeing 777; new guns are designed to pummel targets from nearly 100 miles away. It also has advanced automation.
• The final cost of the Zumwalt is expected to be at least $4.4 billion.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
As SEBI readies to tighten its rules for controversy-ridden P-Notes, major foreign investors including JPMorgan, HSBC, UBS and Goldman Sachs have supported the proposed provisions for immediate reporting of any breach to the regulator and filing of suspicious transaction reports.In a representation before the capital markets regulator, these investors said the fund managers invest money on behalf of many investors and that needs an entity to pool such investments.

• They also said the establishment of funds in Cayman Islands is independent of their decision to invest in India as these funds invest globally and India is “often just one part of their portfolio.”
• Cayman Islands is followed by Mauritius (11.09 per cent) as the second-biggest location for end-beneficial owners of ODIs.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
In its effort to have a full fledged multi-layer Ballistic Missile Defence system, India on May 15, successfully test-fired its indigenously developed supersonic interceptor missile, capable of destroying any incoming hostile ballistic missile, from a test range off Odisha coast.

• The interceptor was engaged against a target which was a naval version of Prithvi missile launched from a ship anchored inside Bay of Bengal, taking up the trajectory of a hostile ballistic missile.
• The target missile was launched at about 11.15 hours and the interceptor, Advanced Air Defence (AAD) missile positioned at Abdul Kalam island (Wheeler Island) getting signals from tracking radars, roared through its trajectory to destroy the incoming hostile missile in mid-air, in an endo-atmospheric altitude
• “The ‘kill’ effect of the interceptor was ascertained by analysing data from multiple tracking sources,” a DRDO scientist said.

ANSWER: Anil Kumble

Explanation:
Former India captain Anil Kumble has been re-appointed ICC Cricket Committee chairman for a second term of three years while his one-time team-mate and batting great Rahul Dravid was named member of the top panel.

• Kumble, the all-time highest wicket-taker for India, who was appointed as the chairman for his first term in 2012, will now continue to head the panel until 2018.
• Meanwhile, another former India captain Dravid and ex-Sri Lanka skipper Mahela Jayawardene have been appointed to the ICC Cricket Committee, adding even more cricketing experience to the list of eminent people already on the panel.
• Jayawardene has been appointed as a past player representative and takes over from former Australia captain Mark Taylor, who has also completed his final three-year term.
• Former Australia off-spinner and ex-Chief Executive of Federation of International Cricketers’ Association (FICA), Tim May, has also been elected by the current Test captains as current player representative, replacing Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, who has completed his three-year term.
• Three time ICC umpire of the year Richard Kettleborough has replaces Steve Davis who retired last year.

ANSWER: 15

Explanation:
The National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has decided to get rid of the Nehruvian five-year plans, and replace them with 15-year vision documents.

• These will be framed keeping in mind the country’s social goals and the sustainable development agenda.
• The NITI Aayog has been directed to prepare a vision document at the earliest. The current 12th Five-Year Plan will be terminated in the current financial year, 2016-17.
• The first 15-year vision document will start from 2017-18, along with a seven-year National Development Agenda which will lay down the schemes, programmes and strategies to achieve the long-term vision.

ANSWER: European

Explanation:
The US has activated a land-based missile defence station in Romania, which will form part of a larger and controversial European shield.

• The US says the Aegis system is a shield to protect Nato countries from short and medium-range missiles, particularly from the Middle East.
• Russia sees it as a security threat – a claim denied by Nato.
• The site hosts radar and SM-3 missile interceptors, and will be integrated into Nato’s missile shield when the bloc meets this summer.

ANSWER: Dahod

Explanation:
Regional launch at Dahod of PMUY for the three states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan & Gujarat

‘Swacch Indhan. Behtar Jeevan – Mahilaon ko mila samman’ was the motto of this yojana.The Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY) was launched for the three states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on May 15 in Dahod. Chief Minister of Gujarat, Smt Anandiben Patel, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Chief Minister of Rajasthan.

• Fifteen women from BPL families from the three states were handed over LPG connections at the launch. The scheme would impact the lives of women from BPL families in a major way by reducing the drudgery of cooking with polluting fuels and go a long way in reducing indoor pollution and other health related problems faced by them.