Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 07, 2015

ANSWER: Hyorhinomys stuempkei

Explanation:
Researchers have discovered a 250 gram hog nosed rate in high altitude jungles of Sulawesi in Indonesia, which represents a new genus. Researchers from Museum Victoria in Australia, Indonesia's Museum Zoologicum Bogoriense and the Louisiana State University Museum of Natural Science, US, has given the rat the scientific name: Hyorhinomys stuempkei. Hyo means hog, rhino means nose and mys means rat. The animal's distinct features include its very small mouth, large white front teeth, big ears and noticeably long pubic hair. Species have long hind limbs akin to bandicoots. It has a unique anatomy of 40-45 cms.

ANSWER: Henning Mankell

Explanation:
Well known best seller Swedish crime writer Henning Mankell has passed away due to lung cancer at the age of 67 in Gothenburg, Sweden on account of lung cancer. He created the famous character Kurt Wallander in 1997 and a series of mystery novels till 2009 revolving around this protagonist. He is also known as a dramatist and children’s author. He was born on 3rd February 1948 in Sweden, Stockholm and won many awards including that of Swedish Crime Writers Academy. Corine Literature Prize for German audiobook and more.

ANSWER: October 5th 2015

Explanation:
World Habitat Day was observed on 5th October 2015 with the theme Public Spaces for All. The World Habitat Day aimed to recognize challenges and issues around public space. World Habitat Day has been celebrated since 1986. This day is all about increasing awareness about need for well-designed and managed public spaces and streets.

ANSWER: Health care services

Explanation:
Summit was organised by the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) from 5 October to 7 October 2015 in New Delhi. The summit aims to create collaborations and capacity building in the healthcare sector.

ANSWER: California

Explanation:
California on 5 October 2015 permitted terminally ill patients to legally end their lives under a doctor’s supervision. State governor Jerry Brown signed the Right to Die bill into law. California is now the 5th state in the US to give terminally ill patients the right to end their lives legally. Four other US states that allow such assisted suicides to terminally ill people are Oregon, Washington, Vermont and Montana. Right to Die Bill was introduced in 2007.

ANSWER: TPP

Explanation:
United States, Japan and 10 Pacific Rim nations on 5th October 2015 have signed the TPP/Trans Pacific Partnership agreement for facilitating trade between US and the states. The agreement aims to lower trade barriers and increase worker protections besides standard setting for industries. 10 other countries which signed the agreement included Brunei, Australia, Chile, Canada, Mexico, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Vietnam and Singapore. China was a notable absentee in the partnership. TPP agreement includes close to 40% of the global economy.

ANSWER: Jack Dorsey

Explanation:
Popular micro-blogging site Twitter has announced that Jack Dorsey, who is also CEO of mobile payment firm Square will be its permanent CEO. Dorsey has served as interim CEO of Twitter since former CEO Dick Costolo stepped down on 1 July 2015. Born on 19th November 1976, in Missouri, Dorsey is a programmer and businessman who founded Twitter in March 2006 along with Noah Glass, Biz Stone and Evan Williams.

ANSWER: SV Bokhare

Explanation:
Rear Admiral SV Bhokare YSM, NM has taken over command of Eastern Fleet from Rear Admiral AB Singh, VSM Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet. Bhokare is a specialist in navigation and aircraft direction as well as an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakvasala and Defence Services Staff College. Higher Command course was also studied by him at Army war college, Mhow. The admiral has also been a recipient of the Oudh Seva Medal and Nao Sena Medal. He has commanded submarines Sindhughosh, Sindhudhwaj, Sindhushastra, Indian Naval Ship Beas and INS Vajrabahu. He has also held various prestigious Staff and Operational appointments including Command of Submarine Squadron as Commodore Commanding Submarines (West) and Chief Staff Officer (Operations) at Eastern Naval Command. He was Flag Officer submarines before taking charge of the Eastern Fleet comprising 30 warships, which include Destroyers, Stealth Frigates, Amphibious Ships, Anti Submarine Warfare Corvette, Missile Corvettes, Offshore Patrol Vessels, Missile Boats and Tankers.

ANSWER: INS Astradharini

Explanation:
This vessel was launched at the Naval Base, Visakhapatnam. Distinguished Scientist Dr. V Bhujanga Rao, Director General (NS & M) DRDO, Shri CD Malleswar, Director NSTL, Visakhapatnam, Mr. Sahay Raj, CMD of M/s. Shoft Shipyard Pvt. Ltd, Bharuch, Gujarat were among the dignitaries who attended the function. Astradharini was designed as a collaborative effort of NSTL, M/s Shoft Shipyard and IIT Kharagpur. It possesses a unique design of a catamaran hull form that significantly reduces its power requirement and is built with indigenous steel. With a length of 50 m, the vessel is capable to do speeds up to 15 Knots and it can operate in high sea states. 95% of the ship is indigenously built.

ANSWER: UCO Bank

Explanation:
UCO bank registered the biggest increase in gross NPA against total loans in 2014-2015 becoming the worst performer among public sector banks with Gross NPA to gross advances ratio of the bank increasing to 8.05 percent at the end of March 2015 from 4.47 percent, with accretion of 3.58 on an annual basis. This was followed by IoB and BoM having gross NPA rising to 8.30 percent and 6.18 percent respectively at the end of March 2015. Gross NPA of Dena Bank increased from 3.33 percent to 5.29 percent at the end of 2014-15.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Japanese researcher Takaaki Kajita and Canadian physicist Arthur B. McDonald have won the Nobel prize in Physics 2015 for discovering neutron oscillations showing that neutrinos have mass. These are one of the fundamental particles making up the universe and subatomic particles are produced by decay of radioactive elements lacking electric charge. Researchers studying changes of identity among most abundant inhabitants in the universe have claimed this year’s prize. This discovery has solved a longstanding puzzle involving neutrinos whereby two thirds of the neutrino released in nuclear reactions was missing on earth as against the sun. As regards the whereabouts of the neutrino, neutrinos change identities and this has been suggested as a solution for the puzzle.

ANSWER: More than 200

Explanation:
World Wildlife Fund in a report on wildlife in Nepal, Bhutan, north of Myanmar, southern Tibet and NE India has indicated more than 200 new species have been discovered in fragile eastern Himalayas, including 133 plants 26 species of fish, 10 new amphibians, one reptile, one bird and one mammal. Most striking discoveries include the following:
- Walking snakehead fish
- Snub nosed monkey which sneezes when it rains
- Bejeweled lance headed pit viper

ANSWER: 3.1%

Explanation:
IMF has slashed the GDP growth forecast for 2015 from 3.3% to 3.1% as per the World Economic Outlook report 2015 released on 6th October 2015. Fund expects global growth to rise by 3.6% in the next year and lowered India’s 2015 GDP growth forecast to 7.3%. This pegs the growth forecast as lower than that of the government at 7.6% and 7.4% by RBI. Changes in China will impact emerging economies and cause growth to slow down for the fifth straight year according to IMF. IMF sees growth picking up to 7.5% in 2016, consumer prices to rise from 5.4% to 5.5% and CAD to come to 1.4% of GDP

ANSWER: Kimbetopsalis simmonsae

Explanation:
Scientists announced the discovery in NW New Mexico badlands of fossil remains of Kimbetopsalis simmonsae, planet eating rodent like animal with incisors like beavers and is estimated at 3 feet long and covered in fur. It existed a few hundred thousand years following mass extinction Kimbetopsalis.

ANSWER: Secusmart

Explanation:
Secusmart, a BlackBerry subsidiary offering secure mobile communications has entered into a partnership with TATA Power Strategic Engineering Division of the TATA Group. The partnership focuses on accelerating innovation for high end secure communications solutions.

ANSWER: Helium, Neon and Argon

Explanation:
A fresh technology for monitoring carbon dioxide and storing it to prevent the gas from reaching the atmosphere has been discovered by scientists. This could reduce GHG emissions and lower global warming. The unique traces from signature of noble gases has been used to monitor CO₂ stored underground.CO₂ emissions from energy generation such as coal burning cause increasing global climate change. CCS or carbon capture and storage techniques are associated with storing the gas in deep aquifers to prevent it from reaching the atmosphere. The new technique discovered can provide a cheap way to fingerprint injected phases in large scale carbon storage projects.

ANSWER: IL1RAP

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered an immune system gene associated with higher rates of amyloid plaque buildup in brains of patients with Alzheimer’s and those at risk for developing the disease. IL1RAP has been associated with greater amyloid plaque accumulation over the past two years and has greater impact than APOE- e4 allele associated with Alzheimer’s Disease.

ANSWER: Nayantara Sehgal

Explanation:
Well known author and niece of Jawaharlal Nehru, Nayantara Sehgal has on 6th October 2015 returned the Sahitya Akademi award to protest growing intolerance against right to dissent in the nation. Sehgal received the award in the 1980s for English novel Rich Like Us (1985). She also cited the recent murders of rationalists like M. M. Kalburgi and Govind Pansare apart from the brutal lynching of village blacksmith Mohammed Akhlaq on the charge of cooking beef in his home.

ANSWER: Prakash Lab

Explanation:
Department of Biotechnology has tied up with US based Prakash Lab to provide its low cost paper folding microscope to students in India on 5th October 2015. Foldscope will be used for understanding physics, biology, chemistry and instrumentation and was developed by Indian origin Assistant Professor at Stanford University, Manu Prakash. Foldscope is a torchlight allowing people to explore planets at microscopic levels.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
RBI has announced higher investment limits in rupee terms in G-secs by FPIs to bring a total of INR 1.2 lakh crore in March 2018. This is after RBI decided to fix FPI investment limits in rupee terms and raise in phases to attain 5% of the outstanding stock by March in the year 2018. Limits for FPI investment in debt securities will be fixed in rupee terms. This will open up investment of INR 1.2 lakh crore billion in the limit for central G-secs by March 2018 over and above existing limit of INR 1.5 lakh crore for all government securities. RBI has decided to enhance limit for investment by FPIs in G-secs in two tranches and there will be a separate limit for investment by all FPIs in state development loans to be increased in phases to reach 2 of outstanding stock by March 2018. This will equal an additional limit of INR 50,000 crore by March 2018. Changes are in line with Medium term framework/MTF for FPI limits in G-secs to provide a more predictable regime.