Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 13, 2016

ANSWER: Meng Hongwei

Explanation:
Meng Hongwei, top level Chinese Security Minister was elected as the president of the International Crime fighting and police cooperation, law enforcement organisation Interpol

• Meng will serve as president until 2020
• With this appointment, he will become the first official from China to take on the post
• He previously served as head of Interpol China
• He was sworn in on 10th Nov 2016 at the closing 85th general assembly in Bali, Indonesia
• With over 4 decades of experience in criminal justice and policing, he has overseen affairs pertaining to legal institutions, narcotics control, counter terrorism, border control, immigration and global cooperation
• He held many positions in the Ministry of Public Security like the DG of the Traffic Control Department, Director of the Patrol Police Division, Assistant Minister and Vice Minister
• He also served as Vice Chairman of the National Narcotics Control Commission
• Hongwei is member of the Chinese Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Regional Counter Terrorism Structure and Director of the National Counter-Terrorism Office
• He has also served as DG of the China Coast Guard
• Interpol was founded in 1914 and is headquartered in France’s city Lyon
• It is the second biggest international organisation after the UN with 190 members
• It plays a role in deepening global police cooperation and tackling transnational criminal offences
• Election of Meng Hongwei, a Chinese national, to the world’s largest law enforcement agency has been viewed by critics as a disastrous move
• China has a track record in human rights abuses and issuing interpol red notices against political dissidents like Dolkun Isa, Li Dongsheng and many more.
• Meng Hongwei took the president’s position from France’s Mireille Ballestrazzi and his tenure will be for 4 years
• His primary duty will include chairing meetings of the Interpol Executive Committee and ensuring the implementation of decisions made at the General Assembly

ANSWER: All the above

Explanation:
India and Japan have signed 10 agreements to boost bilateral cooperation between the two nations

• The agreements were signed on 11th Nov 2016 in the presence of PM Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe
  
  PM Modi was on a three day visit (10-12th Nov) to ink agreements that include the following:
  
• Agreement for Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy
• Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) on the Manufacturing Skill Transfer Promotion Program
• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for Cooperation in the Field of Outer Space
• MoU on Mutual Collaboration in Marine and Earth Science and Technology
• MoC in the Field of Agriculture and Food Related Industry
• MoU for Transport and Urban Development
• MoU in the Field of Textiles
• MoC in the Field of Cultural Exchange
• MOU for cooperation in the fields of academics, business, cultural cooperation, disaster

ANSWER: South Africa

Explanation:
Jacob Zuma, the President of South Africa, survived yet another no confidence vote in the parliament

• The country’s ruling party ANC voted against the motion of the opposition demanding the removal of Zuma
• Zuma’s career has been riddled with controversies and allegations
• An anti-corruption probe has raised fresh allegations of misconduct as well
• This is the third no-confidence vote Zuma has survived in less than a single year and the fifth since 2012
• The Opposition leader Mmusi Maiman of the Democratic Alliance appealed to members of ANC to vote against their leader
• The motion was easily defeated with 214 of ANC voting MPs against the motion as against opposition’s 126
• Number of those who abstained from voting is 59
• Corruption charges against Zuma include his association with an Indian business family accused of political influence, irregularities in company transactions where Zuma’s son held an interest
• Apex court of S.Africa in 2016 also found Zuma guilty of constitutional violence after he used taxpayers money to rebuild his rural home. Zuma reimbursed the amount in Sept 2016
• His term in office will end in 2019. After this, he will not be eligible to run for the post again.

ANSWER: XPNAV-1

Explanation:
China on 10th Nov 2016 has launched a pulsar test satellite XPNAV-1 from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in NW China

• Satellite was carried by Long March 11 rocket
• It was the 239th flight mission by a Long March carrier rocket
• The satellite and rocket were designed by academies affiliated with China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp
• The x-ray pulsar navigation satellite weighs more than 200 kg
• It operates in a Sun synchronous orbit and will conduct in-orbit experiments using pulsar detectors to showcase new technology
• When it is in orbit, the satellite will undergo tests on detector functions and space environment adaptability
• The periodic x-ray signals emitted from pulsars will be used to determine the location of the spacecraft within deep space
• The pulsar navigation will reduce the reliance of the spacecraft on ground based navigation methods and is expected to lead to autonomous spacecraft navigation within the future

ANSWER: SAIL

Explanation:
The well known Golden Peacock Award for Corporate Governance for 2016 has been conferred on Maharatna firm SAIL or Steel Authority of India Limited.
Set up by an Institute of Directors India, this award was received at the 16th London Global Convention on Corporate Governance and Sustainability

• SAIL was presented the award for corporate governance and balancing the interests of stakeholders of the company
• This includes shareholders, management, customers, suppliers, government, community and financiers
• SAIL is one of the largest state owned steel firms in India
• It is one of the top steel makers in the world
• It is currently the 24th largest steel producer in the world
• It was founded in 1954 and incorporated in 1973
• Its HQ is in New Delhi- it owns and operates 5 integrated steel plants in Bokaro, Burnpur, Rourkela, Bhilai and Durgapur
• It has 3 special steel plants at Salem, Durgapur and Bhadravathi

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
India is set to host the crucial global tobacco control conference for the first time, where it will push for smokeless tobacco as a main agenda

• The Seventh Session of the Conference of Parties to World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control will begin in Greater Noida on 12th Nov
• Around 1,500 delegates will participate in the 6 day conference from 180 countries along with observers in official relations with the WHO FCTC Secretariat in Geneva
• India has led in the negotiations of the FCTC and served as a regional coordinator for the SE Asian region
• India has ratified the treaty on Feb 27, 2005 and is obligated to comply with treaty provisions and guidelines to reduce tobacco consumption internationally
• World No Tobacco Day is observed across the world each year on May 31
• It encourages a 24 hour long abstinence from different forms of tobacco consumption across the world
• The day is intended to draw attention to widespread prevalence of tobacco use and negative health effects
• This led to nearly 6 million deaths each year including 600,000 of which result from non smokers being exposed to secondhand smoke

ANSWER: Point at which the moon is closest to the earth

Explanation:
On 14^th Nov, one should be prepared for the largest and brightest super-moon in nearly 7 decades

• The upcoming super-moon will be the closest full moon to earth since 1948 and people will not see another super-moon of this intensity till 2034
• The NASA has said the moon’s orbit around earth is slightly elliptical so it is closer sometimes and farther way others
• When the moon is full as it passes closest to the earth, it is called the super-moon
• The perigee or point at which the moon is closest to the earth can be as much as 14 percent closer to the earth than the apogee where the moon is farthest from the planet
• On 14th Nov, the moon will be at perigee just after dusk in India
• Full moon appears larger in diameter as it shines 30 percent more moonlight on to the Earth
• Difference in distance from one night to another will be subtle
• This is the second of the three super-moons in a row so you may also get a chance to see it on Dec 14, 2016

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Mars is the basic target for scientists searching for life outside planet earth. Liquid water is the most important and critical prerequisite for life.

• But global scientists have found that the Red Planet is incredibly dry and has been so for millions of years
• More than 3 billion years ago, Mars was wet and habitable
• Latest research reaffirms just how dry the environment is currently
• Life is therefore not possible in Mars
• Scientists examined a cluster of meteorites at Meridiani Planum- just south of the equator and at a same latitude to Gale crater
• Researchers calculated the chemical weathering rate for Mars and how long it takes for rust to form from metallic iron present in the meteorites
• Chemical weathering process depends on the presence of water
• It takes 10 to 10,000 times longer on Mars to reach the same levels of rust formation on dries deserts on earth
• President day aridity has prevailed in the Red Planet for millions of years