Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 08, 2016

ANSWER: Janet Reno

Explanation:
Janet Reno is the first woman US Attorney General and a lightning rod for Republican attacks during the presidency of Bill Clinton.

• She died in Florida according to US media reports.
• Reno was 78.
• She died due to complications from Parkinson’s disease and was one of the longest serving attorney generals.
• Department of Justice, led by her, handled prosecutions during the 1993 World Trade Centre Bombing.
• She also led efforts against two cases of domestic terrorism- the 1995 Oklahoma City Federal building bombing and the Unabomber Ted Kaczynski.

ANSWER: Kanu Ramdas Gandhi

Explanation:
Kanu Ramdas Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and the former NASA scientist, breathed his last at a private hospital on 7th Nov, 2016.

• 87 year old Kanubhai was survived by wife Shivalaxmi.
• He was famous as the boy who walked ahead of Gandhiji holding one end of his stick on the beaches of Gujarat’s Dandi village during the historic Salt Satyagraha of March-April 1930.
• Mahatma’s third son Ramdas Gandhi was his father.
• The grandson of Gandhiji had been staying at the Radha Krishna Temple run by Punjabi Samaj for the past three months.
• He was put on life support following a paralytic attack after he had survived a heart attack.
• He also suffered lung failure.
• A graduate of MIT, Kanubhai had worked with the US Defence Department on the wing structure of the fighter aircraft before deciding to spend his life in India.

ANSWER: Al Dawlah Al Islamiyah fe Al-Iraq wa Al Sham

Explanation:
The Union Home Ministry intends to replace the nomenclature Islamic State with Daish in official communications associated with the international terrorist group.

• Senior home ministry official has stated that calling the jihadi terror outfit Islamic State is like legitimising the claims of representing the borderless Islamic State covering Muslims all over the world.
• Daish is an Arab acronym for Al Dawlah Al Islamiyah fe Al Iraq wa Al Sham or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Sham.
• The acronym ISIL or ISIS was originally used for this group.
• Counter terror experts insist that IS is neither an Islamic entity nor a state but a banned terror organization.
• Government of India has also issued a notification banning Daish as a terror outfit under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

ANSWER: Manipur

Explanation:
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 4th Nov 2016 constituted a 4 member team for conservation and management of Loktak Lake in Manipur.

• The lake will be visited from 7-9 November 2016 and discussions will also be held by the state government, concerned agencies and other stakeholders.
• Consultations will also include people living in the vicinity of the lake.
• The ministry has asked the team to submit a report by 15th Nov 2016.
• The team will review the implementation of work conducted with monetary assistance provided by the Centre and the State for the conservation and management of Loktak Lake.
• Further interventions are also needed for conserving the lake in a holistic way.
• Loktak Lake will also aim for UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
• Steps and actions will be taken to increase the tourism protection of this lake.
• Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in NE India.
• It is famous for the phumdis or heterogenous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at numerous stages of decomposition floating over it.
• The largest of the phumdis covers 40 km2 or 15 square miles and is situated in the SE shore of the lake.
• Ancient Loktak lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur and serves as a source of water for generation of hydropower as well as irrigation and drinking water supply.

ANSWER: Aniruddha Rajput

Explanation:
Aniruddha Rajput, an Indian lawyer was elected on 4th Nov as the Member of the International Law Commission, a top body of legal experts of the UNGA.

• The first time candidate of India to the Commission and the youngest among the group, he is also the first Indian nominee chosen from outside the close circuit of lawyers of the Union Ministry of External Affairs.
• Rajput is among 34 individuals elected as members of the ILC.
• The members were elected from 5 geographical groupings of Asia Pacific, Africa, Latin America and Caribbean.
• EU (West and east) states are also included.
• The members will have a 5 year term commencing from January 2017.
• Rajput was elected with 160 votes from the Asia Pacific Region.
• He is a practising lawyer of the Indian SC and an alumnus of the London School of Economics and Political Science.
• He was a member of the expert group appointed by the Law Commission of India to study the Model Bilateral Investment Treaty 2015.
• He drafted the Sports Bill 2012 at the second revision stage and advised the state governments of Haryana and J&K on laws pertaining to industry and mining.
• He is also a member of the Governing Council of the Global Village Foundation.
• Several publications are credited to his name including books, articles, chapters and conference papers.
• The ILC was set up by the UNGA in 1947 to further the US mandate of promotion and progressive development of international law and its codification.
• Annual session of the ILC is held in Geneva Switzerland for 10-12 weeks.

ANSWER: TB

Explanation:
Researchers from Mumbai in Nov 2016 identified two biomarkers in serum samples to aid TB diagnosis and TB disease prognosis.

• Identified microRNA biomarkers could be used for drug sensitive pulmonary TB and multi-drug resistant TB(MDR-TB) patients.
• Research covers measuring of 4 levels of miRNAs, miR-16, miR-29a, miR-125b and miR-155 in 30 newly diagnosed TB patients.
• This includes 10 MDR TB patients and 10 patients who were cured of the disease. A control group was also selected.
• The research had levels of miRNA estimated by qRT-PCR( Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) is used in molecular biology to detect RNA expression.
• Among the 4 miRNAs, levels of miR-16 were shown to be significantly higher and miR-155 lower in serum of TB patients in comparison to healthy individuals.
• Levels of both these biomarkers were different in those with MDR-TB.
• Research has also indicated miR-16 shows a better predictive value than miR155 in drug sensitive pulmonary TB and yet higher than the normal level.
• Both levels returned to normal once treatment was completed.

ANSWER: Coradia iLint

Explanation:
World’s first hydrogen powered and zero emission passenger train was unveiled in Germany.

• The Coradia iLint was developed by French rail company Alstom.
• It only emits excess steam and condensed water into the atmosphere.
• It is powered by a hydrogen fuel tank on the roof while the fuel cell is supplied with H and O2 from the air where it converts into electric power.
• The system operates on lithium batteries that store excess power to later supply the train when needed.
• The train is completely carbon free making it a suitable alternative to diesel engines.
• It has onboard hydrogen storage to power an 800 km journey with speeds topping at 87mph.
• Testing of the train will be carried out by the end of 2016.
• Trains will service the Buxtehude-Bremervörde-Bremerhaven-Cuxhaven line in the German state of Lower Saxony by December 2017.
• Alstom was formed by a merger between Compagnie Francaise Thomas Houston and Society Alsacienne de Cnstructions Mecaniques in 1928.
• Merger with parts of the GE company formed GEC-Alstom in 1989 the company changed to Alstom in 1998.

ANSWER: Chandrabhaga

Explanation:
The ancient river is said to have flowed around 2 km from the Konark Sun Temple in Odisha, a UNESCO World Heritage site built by King Narasimhadeva 1 of Eastern Ganga Dynasty in 1255 CE.

• The river holds an important position in ancient Indian literature.
• Mythical stories around Konark include pictorial presentations such as palm-leaf drawings, sketches and old photographs indicate its presence close to the temple.
• Other than the mentions, there is no visible trace of the river around the temple.
• Scientists analysed satellite data using images from US satellites Landsat and Terra and from the NASA Space Shuttle Endeavour Radar Technology Mission in 2000.
• Satellite imagery plus images from Google Earth have been used to show a sinusoidal trace characteristic of typical palaeochannel passing north of the Sun temple, extending approximately parallel to the coast.
• The term effectively means remains of an inactive stream/river that has been filled or buried by younger sediment.
• Field analysis shows the palaeochannel is associated with swampy lands covered with water hyacinth plants.
• Surface profiling using ground penetrating radar further confirmed its existence as it shows the existence of the V-shaped subsurface river valley.
• It can be traced till Tikarpada village, near banks of Kadua River.
• A geological map shows heavy alluvium deposits in the area which is characteristic of rivers.
• Numerous patches of water bodies have been seen in various locations along the channel and swampy areas believed to be part of the ancient river.
• These have been reserved by the Odisha government for the holy bath during Magha Saptami.
• Demarcations of pockets of freshwater zones within the dominantly saline water environment and a rise in drinking water concerns across the Odisha coast have been indicated as a result of this finding.

ANSWER: Srimad Bhagwat Gita

Explanation:
The Haryana government has announced as part of the International Gita Mahotsav that the government is tying up with numerous organisations to hold aarti simultaneously across different countries.

• Aarti will be held at Brahm Sarovar in Kurukshetra on Dec 10 and will be telecast on YouTube.
• Haryana state government will hold the Mahotsav from Dec 6-10.
• Government has allocated a budget of INR 12 crore to the Kurukshetra Development Board for the Mahotsav.
• Gita Mahotsav has been celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Srimand Bhagwat Gita, a sacred scripture containing important advice of Lord Krishna to Arjuna, the third Pandava in the battlefield of Kurukshetra.
• This was on the first day of the famous 18-day battle in the Mahabharata.

ANSWER: ED

Explanation:
Reserve Bank of India has appointed M Rajehwar Rao as the new Executive Director following VRS option by G Mahalingam.

• As ED Rao will look after the Department of Statistics and Information Management, Financial markets, Operational Department and International Department.
• He was CGM before this.
• Rao is an MBA from University of Cochin and a certified associate of Indian Institute of Bankers.
• A career central banker, he joined the apex bank in 1984.
• He was previously holding charge of the Risk Monitoring Department.
• He also worked as a Banking Ombudsman and at the regional offices of the RBI.

ANSWER: Psyche

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered the presence of water on Psyche the largest metallic asteroid within the solar system and the target of the proposed NASA mission.

• Earlier observations of the asteroid showed no such evidence of water rich minerals on the surface.
• New observations from NASA infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii show evidence of water or hydroxyl on the surface.
• Though the source of these molecules on Psyche are a mystery, scientists propose few possible mechanisms for formation.
• Water rich minerals detected on Psyche may have been delivered by carbonaceous asteroids of impacted metallic asteroid in the not so recent past.
• Psyche is 300 m across and is made of pure nickel iron metal.
• Located in the asteroid belt, it is the core of the budding planet destroyed by impact billions of years ago.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
PABA shells have been ineffective in tackling the violent mobs in J&K.

• The agencies have prepared a new list of gadgets to be procured to quell the protestors effectively such as bunker periscopes, ear deafening acoustic devices and electro magnetic shock delivering sticks.
• The list has been prepared following approvals of BSF, CRPF, J&K Police, Central Security Agencies and Union Home Ministry.
• Long Range Acoustic Device immobilises the target immediately and the state of shock remains for some time providing an opportunity to forces to nab it.
• Shock shield stick delivers a high voltage, non lethal but effective electrostatic shock conduction to the target which in case are protesting mobs.
• Security forces said chilli based shells were not able to fully deter protesting mobs.