Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 23, 2016

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Maha Chakri Sirindhom, Princess of Thailand on 21st Nov 2016 has been conferred with the first World Sanskrit Award.

She was honoured for her contribution to the Sanskrit language for the year 2015.

American linguist and Indologist Professor George Cardona was also honoured with this award for 2016.

The World Sanskrit Award was instituted by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.

Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhom is the second daughter of late Thai king Bhumibol Adulyadej who recently passed away. She was given the ceremonial title on Dec 5, 1977.

She holds degrees in history and a doctorate in educational development, teaching history at Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy.

A skilled performer and promotor of Thai traditional music, she speaks fluent Thai, English, French and Mandarin Chinese. She is also pursuing German and Latin.

In the year 2004, she was awarded the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development Award.
She was also the Royal Patron for the 16th World Sanskrit Conference held in Bangkok in 2015.

ANSWER: 6

Explanation:
Infosys Science Foundation on 18th Nov 2016 declared the names of six persons as winners of Infosys Prize 2016.

The prize which has been given to recognise and celebrate the talent and contribution of leading researchers and scientists today is currently in its eighth year.

Winners were selected from 6 categories namely Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Physical Sciences and Social Sciences.

From a total of 250 nominations, 6 persons were chosen by noted academics and scientists such as Prof Amartya Sen and Prof Kaushik Basu.

Here are the names of the winners:

• Prof. V. Kumaran for Engineering and Computer Science
• Prof. Sunit Amrith for Humanities
• Dr. Gagandeep Kang for Life Sciences
• Prof. Akshay Venkatesh for Mathematical Sciences
• Dr. Anil Bhardwaj for Physical Sciences
• Prof. Kaivan Munshi for Social Sciences

ANSWER: Akshaya Mukul

Explanation:
Veteran journalist Akshaya Mukul on 21st Nov 2016 won the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2016 for his book “Gita Press and the Making of Hindu India.”

Judges Samanth Subramanian, Mahesh Rao and Janice Pariat, chose Mukul’s book for its “eye-opening and captivating exploration into a parallel literary culture that can often feel at a great remove from English-speaking metropolitan India”.

Mukul also won the best non-fiction book prize at the Ramnath Goenka awards which he boycotted.

The Shakti Bhatt First Book prize was set up in 2008 to encourage authors from the subcontinent.

The book talks about two Marwari businessmen turned spiritualists, Jaydayal Goyandka and Hanuman Prasad Poddar set up Gita Press and Kalyan magazine.

It explains how Gita Press has created an empire that spoke in militant Hindu nationalist voice.

Ideas articulated by Gita Press have played a formative role in furthering Hindu political consciousness.

ANSWER: GJ536b

Explanation:
A team of scientists have discovered a Super Earth orbiting around a red dwarf star located 32.7 light years away.

The exoplanet is named GJ536b. It is around 5.4 times the mass of the earth.

Planets up to 15 times the mass of the earth are classified as Super Earths.

While the exoplanet is not located within the habitable zone of star GJ536, it has a short orbit period of just 8.7 days.

The exoplanet is rocky and orbits a star much smaller and cooler than the Sun. The star is sufficiently nearby and bright though.

The planet can be detected from the north as well as southern hemispheres.

It was detected by IAC and the Geneva Observatory and was detected by measuring the velocity of the star with the accuracy of the order of a metre per second.

Research was carried out using the HARPS ( High Accuracy Radial Velocity Planet Seeker) spectrograph in La Silla in Chile.
It was on a 3.6M ESO telescope. HARPS North was also used on the Telescopio Nacional Galileo at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in Garafia in Spain.

ANSWER: Trans Pacific Partnership

Explanation:
America would withdraw from Trans Pacific Partnership and an investigation will be launched into visa abuses undercutting American workers.

Indian IT companies using the H1B visa program could be impacted by this move.

Obama had led the TPP deal of 12 Pacific Rim countries that exclude China. He had argued that TPP is essential for America to rewrite the rules of global commerce and not China.

Trump has announced he will issue notification of intent from the Trans Pacific Partnership which is a disaster for America.

Instead, the Americans aim to negotiate a fair, bilateral trade deal to bring jobs and industries back to American shores.

Trade, energy, national security, regulation, immigration and ethics reform are six areas to be the focus of administration in initial days.

“Whether it’s producing steel, building cars, or curing disease, I want the next generation of production and innovation to happen right here, in our great homeland: America – creating wealth and jobs for American workers,” said Trump.

His plan for the first 100 days involves cancelling job killing restrictions on coal and shale gas, reducing regulations, devising a plan to protect the vital infrastructure of America from cyber attacks and imposing a 5 year ban on executive officials becoming lobbyists after they leave the government.

There will be a lifetime ban on executive officials lobbying on behalf of an international government.

ANSWER: Flights

Explanation:
DoT has moved a proposal to permit Wi-FI in flights. Fliers may soon be able to use voice and video services through Wi-Fi abroad with the Department of Telecom moving a proposal in this regard.

Wi-Fi service sand phone calls are not permitted on flights flying over Indian air space.

Proposal for providing onboard Wi-Fi services involved amendment of the Indian Telegraph Act 1885 and the the Indian Telegraph Rules.

Currently Wi-Fi inflight Entertainment System (Transmitting - Portable Electronic Device) is an independent system and is not connected to aircraft control systems making it safe for aircraft operations.

Numerous countries including the US allow inflight Wi-FI services.

Internationally, many airlines are offering Wi-Fi passengers but they currently have to switch off their facility when they enter the Indian airspace.

Generally, Wi-Fi facility for fliers can be provided either through air to ground technology or satellite connectivity the latter being more expensive.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
29 tigers have died in poaching activities in 2016, according to the government on 22nd Nov, while asserting several steps will be taken for steps to conserve and protect the big cats.

Till Nov 16, 2016, 29 tigers have died on account of poaching while 32 died of natural causes. Around 37 cases are still under scrutiny making it a total of 98.

Last year, 14 tigers died on account of poaching, while 38 died due to natural causes.

Amendment of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972 in 2006 was done.

Besides, National Tiger Conservation Authority, a Multidisciplinary Tiger and Other Endangered Species Crime Control Bureau has also been constituted.

Financial and technical help is provided to states under numerous centrally sponsored schemes including Project Tiger and the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats to enhance capacity and infrastructure for effective protection of wild animals.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
President Vladimir Putin on 22nd Nov signed a law introducing prison term for coaches and medical staff who coerce athletes into using banned performance enhancing drugs.

Law comes into force as Russia seeks to clean up its image after the evidence of state sponsored doping that saw its team and Paralympics squad excluded from the Olympics this year.

Legislation calls for a one year jail term for officials who force a minor to dope or resort to violence and threats to make athletes dope.

Russian parliament and senate approved the draft law in November.

Law does not outline any punishments for athletes who abuse drugs; administration said further legislation is planned.

State backed doping in Russia was documented by the McLaren report by the WADA and released just before the Rio games.

ANSWER: Super capacitors

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered how to make a smartphone charge in seconds, by developing new flexible super capacitors that can be recharged more than 30,000 times without degradation.

After 18 months or so, smartphones hold charge for less time as battery begins to degrade.

Novel method could revolutionise technology as varied as mobile phones and electric vehicles.

Researchers experimented with applying newly discovered 2D materials only a few atoms thick to super-capacitors.

Other researchers have also tried formulations with graphene and other 2D materials, but with limited success.

There have been problems in ways people incorporate two dimensional materials into existing systems.

Scientists have developed a simple, chemical synthesis approach so we can nicely integrate the existing materials with the 2D materials.

Researchers have developed super capacitors composed of millions of nanometer thick wires coated with shells of 2D materials.

A highly conducive core facilitates fast electron transfer for rapid charging and discharging.

Uniformly coated shells of 2D material yield high energy and power densities.

Recent formulations of super-capacitors with 2D materials can be recharged a few thousand times.

In contrast, the new process yields a super-capacitor that does not degrade even after it has been recharged 30,000 times.

Super capacitors use new materials that could make phones, electronic gadgets, electric vehicles benefit from power and speed
As these are flexible, it could mean an advancement in wearable technologies as well, researchers have said.

As these are flexible, it could mean an advancement in wearable technologies as well, researchers have said.

ANSWER: Pankaj Patel

Explanation:
CMD of Cadila Healthcare Ltd, Pankaj Patel has been elected president of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry for 2017.

Patel took over from Harshvardhan Neotia, chairman of Ambuja Neotia Group.

FICCI was established in 1927 and is regarded as one of the oldest and largest association of business organisations.

Patel has also served on the advisory committees and academic councils of several educational institutions such as Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, (IISER) Kolkata, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, The Ahmedabad University and Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies.

He is executive chairman, vice president and trustee for the Gujarat Cancer Society.

He is also chairman of the Gujarat Cancer and Research Institute, one of the largest cancer centres of India.

Cadila is headquartered in Ahmedabad and serves over 50 nations.

ANSWER: 700 km

Explanation:
India has successfully test fired indigenously built nuclear capable Agni-1 ballistic missile which can hit a target 700 km away.

It is part of the user trial by the Army from a test range of Odisha coast.

The surface-to-surface missile, powered by solid propellants, was test-fired from a mobile launcher from launch pad-4 of the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Abdul Kalam Island (Wheeler Island), defence officials said.

This is a missile with a detailed navigation system making sure it can hit the target with high degree of accuracy and precision.

Weighing 15 tonnes, the missile is 15m long and can carry a payload of more than 1 ton.

Strike range can be increased by reducing the payload.

The missile was developed by DRDO in collaboration with Defence Research Development Laboratory and Research Centre Imarat and integrated by Bharat Dynamics Limited, Hyderabad.

ANSWER: Radhika Menon

Explanation:
Captain Radhika Menon, master of the oil products tanker Sampurna Swarajiya is set to receive the 2016 International Maritime Organisation Award for exceptional bravery at sea for rescuing 7 fishermen from a sinking boat in June 2015.

IMO is a UN specialised agency which safeguards security on the seas and protects marine resources.

Captain Menon was nominated by the Government of India.

The IMO Council, meeting for its 116th session in London, endorsed the decision of a Panel of Judges that Captain Menon displayed great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation in the Bay of Bengal in June 2015 through wave heights of more than 25 feet.

She is the first woman captain in the Indian Merchant Navy and the first woman to receive the IMO award for exceptional bravery at sea.

ANSWER: Ram Naresh Yadav

Explanation:
Former MP governor Ram Naresh Yadav passed away in Lucknow after prolonged illness.

Yadav served as MP governor from Aug 26, 2011 to Sept 7, 2016.

He was also UP CM from 1977-1979.

MP is the largest central Indian state.

It is home to the Kandariya Mahadeva, a temple with more than 800 sculptures.

The eastern Bandhavgarh and Kanha national parks, noted Bengal tiger sanctuaries, offer guided safaris.

Established in Nov 1, 1956, it has a population of over 73m in 2012.

Bhopal and Jabalpur are the state capitals.

It is India’s second largest state.