Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 27, 2016

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Fidel Castro, the revolutionary leader of Cuba died on 25th Nov 2016 at the age of 90. His death was announced by President Raul Castro who is also his brother.

The former Cuban President and leader of the Communist revolution ruled Cuba as a one party state for 50 years before handing power to brother Raul in 2008.

His supporters held that he was a man who gave back Cuba to its people.

Fidel Castro was born on 13th August 1926 and governed Cuba as the prime minister from 1959 to 1976. He belonged to the Marxist Leninist political leaning.

He served the country as its president from 1976 to 2008. Through his administration, Cuba turned into a one party socialist state. State socialist reforms implemented through society, industry and business underwent nationalisation under him.

He was the first secretary of Cuba’s Communist Party. He held the post from 1961 to 2011.

In 1956, he threw out the Cuban President Fulgenico Batista by leading a guerrilla war against him. He was also assisted in his mission by brother Raul along with Che Guevara

The Marxist Leninist mode of development led to the conversion of Cuba into a one party socialist state under Communist Party rule. This was the first instance of its kind in the Western world.

Castro introduced central economic planning, extension of healthcare and education, state control of the press and suppression of dissenters. He also survived many assassination attempts by America.

He was decorated with several international awards such as the Order of Good Hope by S. Africa.

He also supported anti Imperialist revolutionary groups across the world, backing the establishment of Marxist governments in Chile, Grenada and Nicaragua

From 1979-1983, he helped establish the NAM movement.

Know Cuba

• Capital: Havana
• Current president is Raul Castro
• Currencies: Cuban peso, Cuban convertible peso
• Official language: Spanish

ANSWER: Mariamma Koshy

Explanation:
Former Hockey player Mariamma Koshy on 25th Nov 2016 took charge of Hockey India as its president with immediate effect.

63-year-old Koshy succeeded Narinder Dhruv Batra as the first ever non European chief of the sport’s governing body International Hockey Federation.

Earlier in Nov 2016, Batra made history by becoming the first India and 15th FIH president. Batra served Hockey India as its secretary general from 2010 to 2014. He was serving as the organisation’s President since 2014.

Secretary General of Hockey India, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmed took over as chairman of the Hockey India League Governing Body.

Batra stepped down from his post due to election in the FIH. He cannot hold both posts Hockey India and FIH at the same time. He also resigned as chairman of the Hockey India League conceived in 2013

About “Hockey India”

• Governing body of field hockey in India
• Jurisdiction : Whole of India
• Abbreviation : HI
• Hockey India was founded in the year 2009
• It is affiliated to the International Hockey Federation
• Headquartered in New Delhi, India, its sponsor is Sahara India Pariwar

ANSWER: Both b and c

Explanation:
To protect domestic manufacturers from cheap imports, the Centre on 24th Nov 2016 slapped safeguard duty on import of certain steel products.

Steel products on which safeguard duty was slapped included hot rolled flat sheets and plates (Excluding hot rolled flat products in coil form) of alloy or non-alloy steel.

As per the Revenue Department notification, the effective duty rate will be calculated after deduction of the value of goods.

Anti dumping duty will become payable when import price is below USD 504 per tonne on CIF basis.

CIF means Cost Insurance Freight basis.

Notification has said the duty arrived will be 10 percent and gradually lower to 8 percent in 2018 and 6 in 2019.

10 percent ad-valorem minus anti dumping duty payable will be imposed on imports up to 22nd Nov 2017.

The same will be lowered to 8 percent between 23rd Nov 2017 and 22nd Nov 2018. It will be reduced to 6 percent between 23rd November 2018 and 22nd May 2019

The safeguard duty on import of cheap steel was slapped after steel makers approached the DG of anti dumping and allied duties.

The DG was requested to come up with safeguard measures against imports of cheap steel. Steel makers who approached the DG include JSW, SAIL and Essar.

About Safeguard Duty

• Safeguard duty is imposed on products imported into the country in increased quantities, injuring the domestic industry
• Ad Valorem tax is a tax whose amount is based on value of transaction or property- tax is imposed at the time of transaction in the form of sales or VAT tax.
• Earlier in Nov 2016, government imposed anti-dumping duty on few cold rolled flat steel products from 4 nations including China and South Korea.

ANSWER: Largest number of people to line dance at the same time across different locations

Explanation:
More than 50,000 Chinese dancers set a new world record for the largest number of people to line dance across different locations.

Mass line dance is known as Square Dancing.

It was performed in China by 50,085 dancers across 14 Chinese cities including Chengdu, Shanghai and Nanjing.

Each of the dancers choreographed the routine at the same time and wore the same red outfit.

While the main event was held in Beijing, the huge Guinness World Records attempt covered as many as 12 cities across the country.

The previous record was held by 31,697 dancers across 6 Chinese cities on May 21, 2016.

About People’s Republic of China

• China also known as PRC is a unitary Asian soveregin state
• Population : 1.381 billion, world’s highest.
• Governed by the Communist Party of China
• Currency : Chinese Yuan Renminbi
• Current president : Xi Jingping.

China comprises:


• 22 provinces
• 5 autonomous regions
• 4 direct-controlled municipalities (Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, and Chongqing),
• 2 mostly self-governing special administrative regions (Hong Kong and Macau)

ANSWER: 26^th Nov

Explanation:
Every year, 26th Nov is celebrated as National Milk Day. It is held on this day to mark the birth anniversary of the Father of the White Revolution, Dr. Verghese Kurien.

National Milk Day was first mooted by the Indian Dairy Association in 2014.

It was on the lines of World Milk Day observed on June 1 under UN FAO. This includes National Dairy Development Board, IDA along with 22 state level milk federations.

Dr. Kurien, known as the Father of the White Revolution in India, was a social entrepreneur. His billion litre idea Operation Flood made India the world’s largest milk producer

Operation Flood is the world’s largest agricultural dairy development program.

India was able to surpass the US by 1988, making 17 percent of the global output in 2010-2011.

Dairy farming became India’s largest self sustaining industry with benefits for employment, incomes, credit, nutrition, education, health, gender and caste parity and grassroots democracy and leadership.

Awards and honours bestowed on Dr. Kurien include:

• Ramon Magsaysay Award (1963)
• World Food Prize (1989)
• Padma Shri (1965)
• Padma Bhushan (1966)
• Padma Vibhushan (1999).

Milk Production in India


• The Minister of Agriculture and Farmer’s Welfare has indicated milk production has recorded a growth rate of 6.28 percent in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016.
• Per capital availability of milk rose from 307 gram per day in 2013-14 to 340 grams per day in 2015-16, a growth of 5% which was below 3% before 2014-15.
• India is a world leader in milk production since the past 15 years.
• With 190.90 million cattle (as per the 19th Livestock Census 2012) has 13 percent of the world cattle population. Of this 151 million are indigenous, which marks 80 percent of the total cattle population.
• India is the world leader in bovine population having 18 percent of the world population
• The nation is also contributing 20 percent of milk in the world

ANSWER: 26^th Nov

Explanation:
On the occasion of Constitution Day, CJI Justice TS Thakur released a book published by the Publications Division titled “Courts of India–Past to Present”.

Book was designed as a Coffee table book with archival value photos steered by the Editorial Committee headed by Justice SA Bobde and other legal luminaries

Courts of India traces the historical evolution of courts, identifying the diverse court system and contextualising it.

26th Nov 2016 is the second Constitution Day in Indian history. In 2015, the BJP led NDA government at the centre declared 26th Nov as Constitution Day by the 19th Nov gazette notification.

Day was earlier celebrated as National Law Day, after an SC resolution in 1979.

67 years ago, on 26th Nov 1949, the Constitution of India was adopted.

The Constituent Assembly commenced its first session for the Constitution on 9th Dec 1946. It took 11 sessions by the Constituent Assembly to complete the Constitution. Around 17 committees were formed in the Constituent Assembly.

There were 299 members of the Constituent Assembly. 284 members finally signed the Constitution.

15 women were part of the Constituent Assembly.

165 days was the period for which the Constituent Assembly held meetings

It took 2 years, 11 months and 17 days to complete writing the constitution.

Activities like mock Parliament, essay and debate competitions are organised across the country on the occasion.

CBSE has also asked affiliated schools to celebrate the day.

It works as a catalyst to promote harmony and fraternity among all countrymen.

Two books on the Constitution were released on 25th Nov 2016

About India’s Constitution

The Constitution is a core legal document which lists the following:

• Fundamental rights of citizens
• Duties
• Role of the government
• Interaction between government and citizens
• Powers of Prime Minister, President, Governor and CM
• It also defined how the federal structure of the country will be maintained
• Constitution has nearly 400 articles or provisions
• It defines the powers of the legislature, executive and judiciary
• Separation of powers is the key feature of the Constitution

Indian Constitution has incorporated ideas from the constitution of:


• UK
• US
• Ireland
• Germany
• Australia
• Canada
• Japan

ANSWER: 6

Explanation:
For the first time, 6 Indian male shuttlers are ranked inside the top 50 men’s world rankings

In the latest Badminton World Federation rankings, Kidambi Srikanth, Ajay Jayaram, HS Prannoy, Sai Praneeth, Sameer Verma and Sourabh Verma.

The rankings are as follows:

• Kidambi Srikanth- 12
• Ajay Jayaram- 19
• HS Prannoy- 25
• Sai Praneeth- 36
• Sameer Verma- 43
• Sourabh Verma- 45

BWF: Badminton World Federation


• This is an international governing body for the sport of badminton
• It is recognised by the International Olympic Committee
• Founded in 1934 as the International Badminton Federation with 9 member nations
  BWF currently has 176 member nations
  
• It changed its name to BWF in Sept 2006
• Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
• President: Poul-Erik Høyer Larsen

ANSWER: Kharagpur

Explanation:
IIT Kharagpur has been ranked as the top institution in the nation by QS Employability Ranking.

IIT-Bombay also figured in the top 100 universities list in the world.

IIT Kharagpur has been ranked within a range of 71-80, the highest position out of 200 universities from across the globe.

IIT-Kharagpur awards degrees to 2500 students each year, maintaining a successful track record of placements for students from batches enrolling for campus placement.

IIT Bombay ranked next to IIT Kharagpur is the only institution from India along with this to be ranked in the top 100.

Other Indian institutions among the top 200 were IIT Madras, IIT Delhi and University of Delhi according to QS Employability Ranking survey.

Other top universities in the ranking included:

• University of Liverpool
• Georgetown University
• Lancaster University
• Pennsylvania State University
• Queensland University of Technology
• University of Illinois Chicago