Current Affairs Questions & Answers - May 27, 2016

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
RBI asks banks to upgrade ATMs to prevent cloning of cards

RBI on May 26 directed banks to upgrade all ATMs by September 2017 with additional safety measures to prevent skimming and cloning of debit and credit cards.

• Contact Chip processing of EMV Chip and PIN cards at ATMs would not only enhance the safety and security of transactions at ATMs but also facilitate preparedness of the banks for the proposed 'EMV Liability Shift' for ATM transactions
• An another notification, RBI said in order to encourage banks to expand card acceptance infrastructure, banks can put in place their own Board approved policy on merchant acquisition.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Three islands off Phuket in south Thailand were closed to tourists to protect endangered coral reefs.

• The tiny islands off Phuket's east coast, namely Koh Khai Nai, Khai Nok and Khai Nui, were shut down with all facilities and structures used for tourist activities since about 80 per cent of coral reefs in the area have been destroyed

ANSWER: Phillippe Moggio

Explanation:
Former NBA executive Pjillippe Moggio has been appointed as the new secretary general of CONCACAF. This move is designed to help the scandal tainted organisation’s image. Muggy, the former senior vice president and MD for Latin America will also serve as the CEO of CONCACAF.

• CONCACAF, the governing body for football in North America , Central America and the Caribbean, has been battered by allegations of corruption in the year since US justice authorities launched a series of raids targeting graft in world football.
• The last three presidents of CONCACAF - Honduras's Alfredo Hawit, Jeffrey Webb of the Cayman Islands and Jack Warner of Trinidad and Tobago - have all been indicted in the US on corruption charges.

ANSWER: Puravankara

Explanation:
Snapdeal, a leading online marketplace and Puravankara, which is among the top-5 listed real estate developers in the country, have announced the launch of a 'Managed Residences Plan' for their customers in association with international property consultancy JLL India.

• The three-way partnership will enable customers to purchase a ready-to- occupy apartment from Puravankara across Bangalore, Chennai, Coimbatore and Kochi and lease it back Puravankara for a contracted term of seven years.
• As a part of the contract, Puravankara will secure pre-agreed monthly rentals to the customer and pay the common area maintenance amount to the building association.

ANSWER: 1238

Explanation:
Donald Trump has reached the number of delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination for President on 26th May 2016. This has upended the political landscape and set the stage for a bitter campaign.

• Unbound delegates supported Trump who then addressed a victory conference in Bismarck, North Dakota.
• Online learning startup EdCast acquired online sales training company Sales university called WAGmob for a non disclosed amount.
• This is the first acquisition the education platform has made after closing USD 16 million Series B round led by GE Asset Management in April. Sales University founded by former Microsoft engineering executives is in Seattle, US and Indore, India

ANSWER: Digital

Explanation:
Intel India aimed at new projects for accelerating digital literacy at the grassroots level. Tech giant introduced the Unnati Kendra at Common Service Centre in Haryana’s Karnal.

• An online portal called Digital Unnati was also launched to encourage entrepreneurs in villages
• Part of the launched 'Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur' initiative, the new UK at CSC facility in Karnal will serve as one of the common access digital learning centers for people of the Haryana state.
• Intel India also aims to open several more of these facilities in the state.

ANSWER: KC Mathew

Explanation:
Veteran communist leader KC Mathew died at a private hospital in Kochi at the age of 92. The prime accused in the attack on the Edappally police station in February 1950, which resulted in a witch-hunt of the communists by the police, he was born in North Paravur

• He graduated from UC College in Aluva and was drawn to communist ideals from college days
• Known as a true Communist, he was genuinely motivated to fulfil the needs of common man

ANSWER: E-waste

Explanation:
India emerged as the fifth largest producer of e-waste in the world, but the second largest mobile market with 1.03 billion subscribers as per the ASSOCHAM-KPMG joint study that was published on 25 May 2016. India discards roughly 18.5 lakh metric tonnes of electronic waste each year with telecom equipment alone accounting for 12 percent of the e-waste. Over 100 million handsets have been manufactured last year. The unorganised sector in India is estimated to handle around 95 percent of the e-waste produced in the country.

• In the last 15 months alone, operators have invested over 30 percent of the cumulative investment made in 20 years prior.
• With more than 100 crore mobile phones in circulation, nearly 25 percent of mobiles end up in e-waste annually.
• Report recommends the phased manner for implementation of e-waste collection targets needs to be introduced.
• The steps should be taken to rationalize the various audits being conducted by various authorities, to ensure that same areas are not audited on a repeated basis.

ANSWER: Frances Arnold

Explanation:
Technology Academy Finland (TAF) on 24 May 2016 declared American innovator Frances Arnold as winner of the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize.

• The 1 million euro prize is awarded biennially and Arnold is the first female winner in its 12-year history.
• Biochemical engineer Arnold received the 2016 Millennium Technology Prize in recognition of her discoveries that launched the field of directed evolution, which mimics natural evolution to create new and better proteins in the laboratory. The internationally recognised American scientist and engineer is known for her innovations.

ANSWER: Arush

Explanation:
The Indian Coast Guard ship ‘Arush’, the seventeenth in the series of twenty Fast Patrol Vessels (FPVs), designed and built by M/s Cochin Shipyard Limited, was commissioned on 26th May at Kochi by the Coast Guard Commander (Western Seaboard) Additional Director General SPS Basra.

• The ship has been named ICGS ‘Arush’, literally meaning ‘first ray of sun’, and will be based at Porbandar under the administrative and operational control of the Commander, Coast Guard Region (North West).
• The ship is commanded by Commandant Pramod Pokhriyal and has complement of four officers and 33 enrolled personnel.

ANSWER: Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity

Explanation:
In a major policy initiative concerning Central Government advertisements on online platform, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has framed guidelines and criteria for Empanelment of suitable agencies and Rate fixation for advertisements on websites.

• The aim of the guidelines is to devise principles and instruments to streamline the release of Government advertisements on websites.
• The policy emphasises that only websites which are owned and operated by companies that are incorporated in India will be considered for empanelment by Directorate of Advertising & Visual Publicity (DAVP).
• However, websites owned by foreign companies/origin can still be empanelled if such companies have branch offices which are registered and operating in India for at least one year.

ANSWER: Atal Innovation Mission

Explanation:
To foster creativity and scientific temper in students, Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) will establish 500 Atal Tinkering Laboratories in schools.

• It will provide one time establishment grant-in-aid of Rs. 10 lakh for establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATL) in schools (grade VI – XII) across India.
• Further, an amount of Rs. 10.0 lakh would also be provided for each ATL over a period of 5 years for operational expenses of ATLs.
• Thus, an amount of Rs. 20 lakhs per Atal Tinkering Laboratory in each selected school will be spent.
• Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math).
• Competitions at regional and national scale will also be organised to showcase the innovations developed by the children.