Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 24, 2016

ANSWER: First

Explanation:
Organised jointly by the NCSM under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture and the India STEM Foundation from 25-27 Nov 2016, the 13th World Robot Olympiad will be held in India for the first time. The venue of the olympiad is at India Expo Mart, Greater Noida.

More than 2000 students from 54 nations will participate in the event to find innovative ways using robotic technology for reducing, managing and recycling waste.

The theme for the 13th World Robot Olympiad is “Rap The Scrap”. The theme is in congruence with the Swachch Bharat Mission of the Indian government.

Theme asks students to talk about waste management and come up with innovative ideas to reduce, manage and recycle or rap the scrap.

The World Robot Olympiad is a global robotics commission held for youngsters. It uses LEGO windstorms manufactured by LEGO education.

The 12th World Robot Olympiad was held in Doha, Qatar in Nov 2015- the theme for this year was “Robot Explorers”.

In 2017, the Olympiad will be held in Costa Rica.

World Robot Olympiad - Know More!

• First held in Singapore in 2004
• Formally established in 2003
• Founders: China, Singapore, Japan and Korea
• Categories: Regular, Open, College and Soccer

ANSWER: Japan

Explanation:
South Korea on 22nd Nov approved a deal to share intelligence on North Korea directly with Japan. The agreement will come into effect after it was signed in the South Korean Parliament.

Pact was known as GSOMIA or General Security of Military Information Agreement which was inked in Seoul, South Korea.

The pact will help the two nations to pool military intel on Pyongyang’s nuclear program.

Deal will take advantage of the two countries’ perceived strengths- Japanese are known for their hi-tech surveillance while South Korea excels in human intel.

Till date the countries shared their intelligence reports through the US.

The two were sharing intel on North Korea’s nuclear program through the US under a deal signed in 2014.

An earlier deal was sought to be signed in 2012 but there was domestic opposition in South Korea, as the country was targeted by the Japanese during wartimes.

South Korea-Japan relations

• Japan ruled over South Korea from 1910 to 1945
• North Korea terms the latest intel pact between the two nations as Japanese re-invasion of Korean peninsula
• South Korea termed the deal necessary due to military threat posed by N.Korea.

ANSWER: M Balamuralikrishna

Explanation:
Indian Carnatic vocalist and award winning musician M. Balamuralikrishna died on 22nd Nov 2016 in Chennai at the age of 86

Balamuralikrishna is the recipient of Padma Vibhushan.

He hailed from Sankaragupthan village in East Godavari, AP. He started his career at the age of 8 and has performed in over 25,000 concerts.

He excelled not only as a musician and playback singer, but also as a composer and an actor. Many universities awarded him honorary doctorates.

He was credited for creation of ragas like Lavangi and Mahati.

He won the Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France and the Mahatma Gandhi Silver Medal from UNESCO.

He was the winner of many awards such as Padma Vibhushan, Padma Shri, Sangeet Natak Akademi.

About Balamuralikrishna’s film career

• Won National film award for Hamsageethe – "Himadri Suthe Pahimam" (1976)
• Won the National film award for best music director for Madhvacharya in 1987
• Named Sangita Kalanidhi by Music Academy of Chennai
• Most famous role - Narada in Bhakta Prahlada

ANSWER: Ellen DeGeneres

Explanation:
US President Barack Obama on 22nd Nov 2016 presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honour to scientists, philanthropists, sports legends,artists and celebs

Among the notable winners were Robert Redford, Bill and Melinda Gates, Tom Hanks and Diana Ross.

List of Winners

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: American retired professional basketball player who played 20 seasons in the National Basketball Association for the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.

Elouise Cobell (posthumous): Blackfeet Tribal community leader and an advocate for Native American self-determination and financial independence.

Ellen DeGeneres: Award-winning comedian who has been hosting her popular daytime talk show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, since 2003.

Robert De Niro: American actor and producer who has both Italian and American citizenship.

Richard Garwin: American physicist, widely known to be the author of the first hydrogen bomb design.

Bill and Melinda Gates: Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2000 to help all people lead healthy, productive lives.

Frank Gehry: Canadian-born American architect.

Margaret H. Hamilton: Computer scientist, systems engineer and business owner.

Tom Hanks: American actor, comedian and filmmaker.

Grace Hopper (posthumous): American computer scientist and United States Navy Rear Admiral.

Michael Jordan: American retired professional basketball player.

Maya Lin: Artist and designer who is known for her work in sculpture and landscape art.

Lorne Michaels: Producer and screenwriter, best known for creating and producing Saturday Night Live.

Newt Minow: Attorney with a long and distinguished career in public life.

Eduardo Padrón: President of Miami Dade College (MDC), one of the largest institutions of higher education in the United States.

Robert Redford: Actor, director, producer, businessman, and environmentalist.

Diana Ross: American singer, songwriter, actress and record producer.

Vin Scully: American sportscaster.

Bruce Springsteen: American singer, songwriter, and bandleader.

Cicely Tyson: American actress nominated for Academy and Golden Globe Awards for Best Actress for her performance as Rebecca Morgan in Sounder.

Presidential Medal of Freedom: Highest US Honour

• Bestowed by the President of USA
• Established in 1963 by President John Kennedy
• Can be conferred on civilians as well as military personnel and uniform wearers
• Not limited to US citizens
• Three people are 2 time recipients: Colin Powell, John Kenneth Galbraith and Ellsworth Bunker

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Reserve Bank of India on 21st Nov 2016 relaxed prudential norms in income recognition, asset classification and provisions pertaining to advances. Decision came following the withdrawal of INR 500 and 100 rupee notes.

Taking into consideration the problems being faced by small borrowers in repaying their loan dues, RBI has decided to provide additional 60 days time, provided that the value of the loan or crop loan is less than INR 1 crore.

Term loans, housing loans and agriculture loans whether business or personal with sanctioned amount of INR 1 crore rupees on the books of any bank or NBFC will be eligible for relaxation.

Loans sanctioned by NBFC (MFI), NBFCs, Housing Finance Companies and PACs and by State Cooperative Banks to DCCBs are also eligible for the same.

It also applies to dues payable between Nov 1 2016 and Dec 31 2016.

Dues payable before Nov 1 and after 31 Dc 2016 will be covered by the extant instruction for the respective regulated entity with regard to recognition of NPAs.

Additional time given shall not apply to defer the classification of an existing standard asset as substandard and not for restructuring of loans.

RBI: Apex Bank of India

• Founded in April 1, 1935 in Kolkata
• Current Governor: Urjit Patel
• Reserve: 363 billion USD

ANSWER: ISRO

Explanation:
Well known physicist MGK Menon passed away on 22nd Nov 2016 at the age of 88. He has played a major role in the development of science and technology in India over 50 years.

One of the most critical contributions was nurturing the TIFR in Mumbai.

From the Royal Institute of Science Mumbai, he moved to University of Bristol for PhD under Nobel Laureate Cecil F. Powell in 1953.

He took on research with cosmic rays to explore the properties of fundamental particles.

He was involved in setting up balloon flight experiments and deep underground experiments with cosmic ray neutrinos in Kolar Gold Field mines.

In May 1970, asteroid 7564 Gokumenon was named after him.

About MGK Menon

• Former President of the Indian Statistical Institute
• President of National Academy of Sciences
• Director of TIFR, Chairman Board of Governors IIT Bombay
• Chairman of the Indian Institute of Information Technology, Allahabad
• Elected as Fellow of Royal Society in 1970
• Served as chairman of ISRO from Jan to Sep 1972

ANSWER: Malini Subramanian

Explanation:
Indian journalist Malini Subramaniam writing for Scroll, a news website has received the International Press Freedom Award for reporting from the Naxal infested Bastar Area - she is one of 4 journalists who won the annual award for commitment to free press

She was honoured by the Committee to Protect Journalists along with El Salvador’s Oscar Martinez and Turkey’s Can Dundar.

Jailed Egyptian photographer Abou Zeid, known as Shawkan, was given an award in absentia.

Subramaniam has reported on abuses by police and security forces, sexual violence against women, the jailing of minors, the shutdown of schools, extrajudicial killings, and threats against journalists in the Bastar region in Chattisgarh.

CPJ International Press Freedom Award

• Honours journalists or publications exhibiting courage in defending press freedom despite attacks, threats or imprisonment
• Established in 1991
• Awards given by CPJ, an Independent NGO based in NY
• Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for “lifelong work to advance press freedom” is also conferred by CPJ.

ANSWER: Airtel

Explanation:
Airtel has launched India’s first live payments bank aimed at testing systems and processes ahead of full scale launch across the nation. The payments bank has rolled out a pilot of its banking services in Rajasthan.

Airtel Payments Bank is a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel.

Account can be opened with Aadhaar based paperless e-KYC with no extra documents and customer’s Airtel mobile number which would be his/her bank account number.

Company intends to give interest rate of 7.25 percent per annum on deposits in savings accounts.

Customers across Rajasthan will now be able to open accounts at Airtel retail outlets.

These outlets will also offer banking services- banking points will be formed at 10,000 Airtel retail outlets.

Extra benefits like money transfer to any Airtel bank account in India, personal accident insurance, easy deposit and withdrawal facility from within the Airtel retail bank will be available to customers.

Company will also have a network of 100,000 merchants across Rajasthan accepting digital payments from Airtel Payments Bank.

This offers cashless purchase of goods and services using bank accounts or wallets.

Airtel now becomes the first payment bank to go live in India.

About Airtel Payments Bank

• Airtel Bank is a fully digital and paperless bank
• MD and CEO : Shashi Arora
• Pilot project to take 4-6 weeks. Services will be made available across the nation after that

ANSWER: UP-100

Explanation:
UP CM Akhilesh Yadav has launched state wide integrated emergency services UP-100 in Lucknow.

The UP-100 is the official name of Uttar Pradesh Police Emergency Management System previously called dial 100 project.

The new high-tech centralised emergency system will ensure that police reach a caller in a maximum of twenty minutes in rural areas and within 15 minutes in urban areas.

UP-100 has been established to provide emergency public services.

UP-100 will be available in 11 districts of the state and later will cover all remaining districts.

Uttar Pradesh: Most Populous State

• Created in April 1937 as the United Provinces during British rule
• Was renamed UP in 1950
• Capital : Lucknow
• State has 32 large and small rivers
• Longest river in India, Ganga flows through this state

ANSWER: Nikki Haley

Explanation:
President-elect Donald Trump has chosen South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.

She is the first woman tapped for a top-level administration post during his White House transition so far.

44-year-old Haley is a rising Republican star and daughter of Indian immigrants.

Born as Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Randhawa to Indian immigrants from Punjab, she became the first female governor in South Carolina.

Ms. Haley is the second Asian American to become the Governor of a State after Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.

At 44, she’s the youngest current Governor in the U.S.

She is serving her second term.

Ms. Haley would replace Samantha Power as the next US Ambassador to the UN.

She would also be the first ever Indian-American Cabinet rank official in any administration.

About Nikki Haley

• Born in 1972 in Bamberg, South Carolina
• Birth Name: Nimrata “Nikki” Randhawa
• Parents: Ajit Singh Randhawa and Raj Kaur Randhawa
• Became the governor of South Carolina in 2011, at the age of 38.
• Southern state's first non-Caucasian as well as its first Asian-American governor.
• Second Indian-American governor of a US state, first being former Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal
• Won the governorship for the second term in 2015
• Youngest serving governor in USA, at 44