Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Nov 28, 2016

ANSWER: Upma Chaudhary

Explanation:
In a first, a woman director has been appointed at LBSNAA.

Upma Chaudhary, a 1983 batch IAS officer of HP cadre has been appointed Director of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration at Mussoorie.

She is the first woman to be named for the post.

The post has been upgraded to Secretary rank and Chaudhary will be the 23rd director and first woman director of the academy.

The prestigious academy imparts training to officers of the civil services.

Chaudhary will replace Rajeev Kapoor.

She is currently posted as Additional Chief Secretary in HP.

About LBSNAA

• The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration is a research and training institute
• Operated by Indian Government, it is involved in public policy and public administration
• It is located in the remote towns of Mussoorie Uttarakhand in the Himalayan foothills
• The main purpose of the academy is to train civil servants in all three All India Services: IAS, IPS and IFS

ANSWER: Ta’u island

Explanation:
Following the Tesla-SolarCity merger, the two energy companies have celebrated yet another success- the solar energy project on the island of T’au.

The island in American Samoa runs a 100% solar energy thanks to 5300 plus solar panels and 60 Tesla power packs.

The Ta’u microgrid- an energy system with distributed sources namely solar and battery- is powered by a 1.4 MW solar array coupled with a six megawatt energy storage system of 60 Tesla power packs.

Ta’u originally depended on diesel generators for electricity and these on an average consumed more than 100,00 gallons of fuel every year to provide electricity to around 600 residents

With the microgram funded by American Samoa Economic Development Authority, the EPA and the Department of Interior, Ta’u expects to save on energy costs in the next coming years.

Tesla-SolarCity Merger

• Elon Musk owns Tesla Motors Inc
• It became a clean energy company as shareholders approved acquisition of SolarCity Corp. Deal is valued at USD 2 billion.
• Musk is the largest shareholder of both companies

ANSWER: IL-1Ra

Explanation:
Scientists have identified a drug that limits the death of brain cells due to stroke and helps in repairing the damage caused by birth of neurons.

A reduction in blood flow to the brain caused by stroke is a major cause of death and disability.

There are few effective treatments; an exception to this is drug IL-1Ra.

Scientists found that a potential new stroke drug not only limits the death of existing brain cells but also promotes the birth of new neurones (so-called neurogenesis).

Finding provides further support for the development of anti inflammatory drug, interluekin-1 receptor antagonist or IL-1Ra as a new treatment for stroke.

Drug is licensed for use in humans for some conditions including rheumatoid arthritis.

Several early stage clinical trials in stroke with IL-1Ra have already been completed in Manchester though not yet licensed for the condition.

Use of IL-1RNa might be better than other failed drugs in stroke as it limits the initial damage of the brain cells but also repairs itself long term through the generation of new brain cells.

New cells are thought to help restore function to areas of the brain damaged by stroke.

Results lend further strong support to the use of the IL-1Ra in the treatment of stroke- further large trials are needed.

Stroke

• Also called a cerebrovascular accident
• Occurs due to problems in blood supply to the brain. The blood supply is blocked or the blood vessel within the brain ruptures

Three main kinds of strokes are:


• Ischemic strokes
• Hemorrhagic strokes
• Transient ischemic attacks/mini-strokes

ANSWER: Kolkata

Explanation:
With increased demand for learning Chinese language and culture, India’s first Confucius classroom is coming into shape in Kolkata in 2017.

Approved by the Chinese government, this will be the first Confucius classroom in India.

Chinese consulate is also organising an education exhibition in the city in which 30 leading Chinese universities are participating

Well known among them is the Tsinghua University ranked among the top 10 globally.

ANSWER: Australia

Explanation:
Death toll linked to Australia’s thunderstorm asthma has risen to six and three others are in critical condition.

Four victims were linked to the unusual weather phenomenon where a thunderstorm coincides with high pollen count and sent more than 8500 patients to hospital emergency departments.

The rare event in Australia’s southern state of Victoria has triggered respiratory problems for asthma and hay fever patients.

This phenomenon occurs when rye grass pollen gets wet, breaks into smaller pieces and enters into people’s lungs, causing them breathing issues.

It is only occurring in Australia.

Asthma

• This is a chronic disease involving airways in the lungs. These airways or bronchial tubes permit air to inhale and exhale out of the lungs.
• Exercise induced bronchoconstriction or exercise induced asthma is a type of asthma
• Others include allergic asthma and occupational asthma
• Childhood asthma is another type of asthma

ANSWER: 12 months

Explanation:
The British Parliament has passed a new snooping law that authorises everyone from police and spies to food regulators, fire officials, and tax inspectors power to look at internet browsing records of all in the country.

Law requires telecom companies to keep record of all users’ web activity for a year, creating databases of personal information that could be vulnerable to leaks and hackers.

Civil liberties groups say the law establishes mass surveillance of British citizens, following innocent internet users to their personal lives.

Tim Berners Lee, the computer scientist who invented the World Wide Web, tweeted news of the law’s passage with the words: dark, dark days.

Investigatory Powers Bill was dubbed snooper’s charter by critics was passed by Parliament in Nov 2016 after more than year of debate and amendments.

It will become law following royal assent next week.

ANSWER: Qamar Javed Bajwa

Explanation:
Pakistan’s Prime Minister on 26th Nov picked Lieutenant General Qamar Javed Bajwa to replace outgoing army chief Raheel Sharif, a popular military leader credited for improving security and driving back Islamist militants.

Army chief is one of the most powerful persons in Pakistan.

Military has ruled the country for more than half its 69 year history since independence from Britain.

General Bajwa will take charge of the world’s sixth largest army by troop numbers.

Appointment of Gen. Bajwa aims to reset the fraught relations between military and civilian government in a nuclear armed nation of 190 million people.

Lt. Gen. Zubair Hayat has been appointed chairman of the joint chief of staff committee, according to the Pakistan PMO.

Army operates a vast business empire in the country and dictates key areas of Pakistani foreign policy including historic foe India and neighbours like Afghanistan.

Gen Sharif became the first army chief in more than 20 years to step down on time

Bajwa belongs to the Balochistan regiment has produced three Pakistan army chiefs- Gen. Yahya Khan, Gen. Aslam Beg and Gen. Ashfaq Peruvian Kayani

Pakistan’s Army Chief

• Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has served as IG of Training and Evaluation
• He has led 10 Corps which serves in an area along the LOC and Force Command Northern Areas
• He has also served under Indian Army Chief Gen. Bikram Singh during a Congo UN Mission

ANSWER: Wisconsin

Explanation:
State of Wisconsin has decided to hold a recount of the presidential ballots following requests from two key candidates: Green Party’s Jill Stein and Independent Rocky Roque De La Fuente.

Stein is seeking recounts in three states won by president elect Trump namely Wisconsin, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

Wisconsin Elections Commission announced the decision after Stein filed a petition.

Trump won the State by 27,257 votes.

He won Pennsylvania by more than 68,000 votes and Michigan by 10,704 votes.

Winning these 3 states helped Trump to score a majority in the electoral college against Democrat Hillary Clinton who scored two million popular votes more than him nationally.

This marks the first time a Republican won in these three states with a combined strength of 46 electoral votes.

ANSWER: Transgender/Third gender

Explanation:
Indian Railways and IRCTC have included transgender as the third gender in the option alongside male and female in ticket reservation and cancellation forms .

Decisions taken on a representation made by a lawyer will include the facilities for reservations and cancellations online as well as offline.

The ministry in its circular referred to the direction of the apex court of April 2014, which had said that hijras, eunuchs, apart from binary gender, be treated as third gender for protecting their rights.

"It has, therefore, been decided to include the third gender/transgender option alongside male/female in reservation /cancellation requisition form. This information will be captured by the system and tickets to transgender will be issued on full fare," the circular stated.