Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 26, 2017

ANSWER: Rajan Anandan

Explanation:
Google’s vice-president for South East Asia and India, Rajan Anandan has been appointed as the new chairman of Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Rajan will succeed FreeCharge’s co-founder and chief executive officer Kunal Shah.

The other new office bearers of the IAMAI will be MakeMyTrip chairman & Group CEO Deep Kalra who will be the vice-chairman.

He succeeds Saavn co-founder and president Vinodh Bhat. Facebook’s managing director (India & South Asia), Umang Bedi will be the new treasurer of IAMAI.

Subho Ray will continue to be the president of IAMAI. The tenure of the office bearers of the new council will be for two years.

The new council has to work towards improving the internet connectivity especially in rural areas. It is estimated that in a population of 906 million, only 156 million are using the internet in rural areas. IAMAI has to take steps to reach to the potential 750 million users living in rural heartlands.

Another area which needs the focus of the committee is the promotion of local language content. The Indian languages accounts for only 0.1% of the content on the worldwide web.

It is estimated that enabling Indian language content will help to achieve a growth of 39% in the current user base of India.

IAMAI: Know More

• IAMAI is a not-for-profit industry body registered under the Societies Act, 1986.
• It was founded in 2004.
• Its aim is to improve and expand the value added services pertaining to mobiles and several online services.
• It is the only existing specialized body that represents the interests of online and mobile value added services

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
A new study claims that the split of the common lineage of great apes and humans probably occurred in Europe and not in Africa.

The bold hypothesis is based on an analysis of 7.2-million-year-old fossil remains.

As of now, it was widely believed that the human lineage split from that of apes some 7 million years ago in Africa.

According to the new study, the common lineage of great apes and humans split several hundred thousand years earlier than assumed until now.

The research team analysed the two known specimens of the fossil hominid Graecopithecus freybergi: a mandible (lower jaw) from Greece and an upper premolar tooth from Bulgaria.

Using computer tomography, the researchers visualised the internal structures of the fossils and demonstrated that the roots of premolars are widely fused.

Great apes typically have two or three separate and diverging roots, whereas the roots of Graecopithecus converge and are partially fused, which is a feature that is characteristic of modern humans, early humans and several pre-humans including Ardipithecus and Australopithecus.

The lower jaw, nicknamed ‘El Graeco’ by the scientists, has additional dental root features, suggesting that the species Graecopithecus freybergi might belong to the pre-human lineage.

Furthermore, Graecopithecus is several hundred thousand years older than the oldest potential pre-human from Africa, the six to seven million year old Sahelanthropus from Chad.

The research team dated the sedimentary sequence of the Graecopithecus fossil sites in Greece and Bulgaria with physical methods and got a nearly synchronous age for both fossils: 7.24 and 7.175 million years old.

Recent analysis of a 3.3-million-year-old hominin fossil has provided researchers with the most complete human spine of any early human relative.

The analysis offers a unique snapshot of a crucial transition point as humans’ early ancestors evolved towards bipedalism.

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The fossil, known as Selam, is a nearly complete skeleton of a two-and-half-year-old child discovered in Dikika, Ethiopia, in 2000.

Selam: Know More

• Selam was an early human relative from the species Australopithecus afarensis. Selam means peace in the Ethiopian Amharic language.
• The research shows that the general structure of the human spine emerged over 3.3 million years ago. The fossil provided the first glimpse into how humans’ early ancestors’ spines were organised.
• At the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility in Grenoble, France, the research team used high-resolution imaging technology to visualise the bones of Selam.
• The scans indicated that Selam had the distinctive thoracic-to-lumbar joint transition found in other fossil human relatives.
• The specimen is the first to show that, like modern humans, our earliest ancestors had only twelve thoracic vertebrae and twelve pairs of ribs. That is fewer than in most apes.
• This unusual early human configuration may be a key in developing more accurate scenarios concerning the evolution of bipedality and modern human body shape.
• This configuration marks a transition toward the type of spinal column that allows humans to be the efficient, athletic walkers and runners.

ANSWER: 2000

Explanation:
The World Turtle Day 2017 was observed across the world on 23 May 2017 with an aim to protect the turtles and tortoises and their rapidly disappearing habitats across the world.

The day was sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue (ATR). The World Turtle Day was proclaimed by American Tortoise Rescue (ATR) in the year 2000.

Since then, it is celebrated every year to create awareness about turtles and tortoises, the world’s oldest living reptiles in the world.

Founded in 1990, American Tortoise Rescue is a nonprofit organization that works to provide protection to all species of tortoise and turtle.

Till now, ATR has placed about 4000 tortoises and turtles in caring homes. Turtles and tortoises have been around for 200 million years, yet they are rapidly disappearing as a result of smuggling, the exotic food industry, habitat destruction, global warming and the cruel pet trade.

ATR’s ultimate goal is to stop the illegal trade of turtles and tortoises around the world. ATR asks the pet stores and reptile shows to stop the sale of hatchling tortoises and turtles as these stores do not provide proper information to the buyers.

For instance, many people find infant sulcata tortoises adorable and don’t even give a second thought before buying them as pets.

However, they are not provided with the information that these sulcata tortoises can grow to 100 pounds or more and needs constant heat throughout the year.

ATR also assists law enforcement when undersize or endangered turtles are confiscated and provides helpful information and referrals to persons with sick, neglected or abandoned turtles.

Moreover, ATR educates people and schools about the real risk of contracting salmonella infection from water turtles.

ANSWER: Ravichandran Ashwin

Explanation:
Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin was conferred the much-desired International Cricketer of the Year award at the CEAT Cricket Rating (CCR) International awards 2017 on 24 May 2017.

The award was presented by former Indian Cricket Captain Sunil Gavaskar and Chairman of RPG Enterprises Harsh Goenka at a function held at the Cricket Club of India in Mumbai.

The award is the player’s second one, as he had won the ICC Cricketer of the Year award in 2016 as well.

With this, he has joined the ranks of Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, the only two other Indian cricketers to have received the honour.

The young Indian batsman Shubhman Gill won the Young player of the year award for his superb performance during the India-England U-19 ODI series, which was played in Mumbai.

R. Ashwin: Know More

• Born: 17 September 1986 (age 30), Chennai
• Height: 1.88 m
• Spouse: Prithi Narayanan
• Education: Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering
• Last T20I: 1 February 2017 v England

ANSWER: Chandraswami

Explanation:
Controversial godman, Chandraswami, passed away due to multi-organ failure on 23 May 2017 in New Delhi. He was 66.

Chandraswami, whose real name was Nemi Chand, exerted enormous power during the regime of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao.

Born in 1948 in Behror in Rajasthan, Chandraswami was a tantric, often called as godman by some people.

He also claimed to have extraordinary powers called siddhis.

He is also said to have dispensed spiritual advice to the Sultan of Brunei, Sheikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa of Bahrain, actress Elizabeth Taylor, British PM Margaret Thatcher, arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi, crime Lord Dawood Ibrahim and ‘Tiny’ Rowland.

He rose to prominence as a result of his association with P V Narasimha Rao. Chandraswami was said to have been the former PM’s spiritual adviser. Soon after Rao became Prime Minister in 1991, Chandraswami built an ashram known as Vishwa Dharmayatan Sanathan in Delhi’s Qutub Institutional Area.

Charges Against Chandraswami: Know More

• In 1996, the godman was arrested on charges of defrauding a London-based businessman of USD 100000.
• He has also faced charges for repeated violation of the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act. An income-tax raid on his ashram is reported to have uncovered original drafts of payments to Adnan Khashoggi of USD 11 million.
• The Jain Commission, in its report, dedicated a volume to Chandraswami’s alleged involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.
• In May 2009, the Supreme Court granted him permission to travel abroad, lifting a ban on overseas travel imposed as a result of his alleged involvement in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi.

ANSWER: 1,2,3

Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate India’s longest, ready to use river bridge - the Dhola-Sadia Bridge in Assam.

In 2016, ADB signed a USD 500 million loan with GoI to build a 9.8 km long road bridge across River Ganga, which will become the longest river bridge in the country upon construction. This bridge will improve connectivity between north and south Bihar.

The construction of Dhola Sadiya bridge began in 2011. The cost of the project is about INR 2056 crores.

Dhola-Sadia Bridge is a three lane bridge stretching 9.15 kilometre built over river Lohit, which is a tributary of the Brahmaputra river. the bride was built by Navayuga Engineering Co. Ltd.
The bridge will connect Sadia, which is 540 Km from Guwahati and Dhola, 300 Km from Itanagar.

Bandra Worli Sea Link

The Dhola-Sadiya bridge is 3.55 km longer than the Bandra–Worli Sea Link in Mumbai which is the third largest bridge in the country.

Ganga Bridge

In 2016, ADB signed a USD 500 million loan with GoI to build a 9.8 km long road bridge across River Ganga. This will improve transport connectivity between northern and southern parts of Bihar besides linking the capital city of the state. This is currently India's longest river bridge, announced.

Ganga River Bridge	9.8 km
Dhola-Sadia River Bridge	9.15km
Bandra Worli Sealink	5.6 km

Dhola-Sadia Bridge: Know More

• The bridge has been designed to withstand the weight of 60-tonne battle tanks.
• This will be the only bridge in the region that will be strong enough to withstand the travel of tanks to Tinsukia, a place from where Indian troops usually enter Arunachal.
• Road connectivity between Dhola to Sadia will boost overall economic development of the areas north of Brahmaputra in upper Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
• The bridge fills a huge connectivity gap that existed in the north east region. Till now, the only means to cross this location was a ferry travel which was not possible during floods.
• The construction of the bridge will reduce the distance from Rupai on NH- 37 in Assam to Meka-Roing on NH-52 in Arunachal Pradesh by 165 Km.
• This reduction in travel time is expected to result in saving of petrol and diesel worth 10 lakh rupees per day.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), which is the nodal body for Start-up India, has amended the definition of a start-up.

As per the new definition, an entity will be considered as a Start-Up if its turn over is less than INR 25 crore and has not completed seven years from the date of its incorporation/registration.

In the definition, the change is with respect to the time period which is currently five years. The new definition has increased it to 7 years taking into the consideration the long gestation period involved in establishing start-ups.

The scope of definition of start-up will also be widened to include scalability of business model with potential of employment generation or wealth creation.

An entity that has completed 7 years from the date of its incorporation or if its turnover exceeds INR 25 crore, it will cease to be a start-up.

The process of recognition of an entity as a start-up will be through an online application made over the mobile app/portal set up by the DIPP.

For the Start-Ups in the biotechnology sector, they will be considered as start-ups for a period of up to 10 years from the date of incorporation/registration.

Start-ups will not require a letter of recommendation from an incubator or an industry association to get tax benefits under the Start-up India action plan.

However, the entities should obtain a certificate of an eligible business from an inter- ministerial board of certification as constituted by the DIPP to claim tax benefit

An entity will be deemed as a start-up if it is working towards innovation, development or improvement of products/processes/services, or if it is a scalable business model with potential for employment generation or wealth creation.

ANSWER: Dubai

Explanation:
The Dubai police on 22 May 2017 officially inducted the world’s first operational robot police officer Robocop into the force at the 4th Gulf Information Security Expo and Conference (GISEC).

The launch of the world’s first operational Robocop is a significant milestone for the United Arab Emirates’ vision to be a global leader in smart cities technology adoption.

The Robocop is over 5 feet tall and weighs 100 kg. It has a facial recognition software with which it can identify offenders.

The robot is capable of speaking six languages and people can use its built-in tablet device to access various police services.

Through its tablet, it can also communicate with people, respond to public queries, shake hands and can do a military salute.

It features an emotion detector through which it can recognize a person’s gestures and body language from nearly five feet away.

It can identify hand gestures from a distance of up to 1.5 metres. The Robocop can tell when you are happy, sad or even smiling and will itself respond accordingly.

More importantly, when it comes to fighting crime, the robot uses the internet of things, artificial intelligence and other smart technologies to spot offenders.

It can live stream video footage to police officers in the force’s command and control centre via an inbuilt camera. Its navigation skills enable it to map out areas and travel on its own.

Its in-built integrated system will have it connected to social media and other applications. It doesn’t need a visa, medical insurance or hours of training.