Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 15, 2015

ANSWER: White Cane Day

Explanation:
Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has organised White Cane Day on October 15, 2015 for sensitising common man about challenges faced by visually impaired persons. Currently, 16 million blind and 28 million visually impaired persons are there in India who are often on the marginalised sections of society as compared to those who have normal vision. White Cane Day is also known as White Cane Safety Day and celebrated worldwide on 15th October 2015. The aim of this day is to educate people about how the visually challenged can work and live independently and give back to the community.

ANSWER: INS Sahyadri

Explanation:
Pursuing India’s Act East Policy, INS Sahyadri has entered the Sagami Bay in Japan on October 14, 2015. This ship is currently on operational deployment to the North West Pacific region and South China sea. India and Japan have links dating back to the 9th century AD and both countries established ‘Global Partnership in the 21st Century’ in 2000 and held the first ‘Comprehensive Security Dialogue’ in 2001. The 2 nations instituted the Defence Policy Dialogue in 2007 and the Maritime Affairs Dialogue in 2013. INS Sahyadri is an indigenously built warship of Shivalik Class inducted into the Indian Navy on 21st July 2012. The ship had earlier visited Da Nang, Vietnam.

ANSWER: Mozambique

Explanation:
Government of India on 14th October 2015 approved an agreement between India and Mozambique for bilateral cooperation and investment promotion in field of new and renewable energy. MoU was signed between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and Mozambique's Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy on August 5 during the visit of Mozambique President Filipe Nyusi to India. This MoU will strengthen bilateral cooperation between the two nations. India has established a target of 175 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022. This comprises 100 GW solar power, 60 GW wind power, 10 GW biomass-fired power and 5 GW small hydro power.

ANSWER: Taipei

Explanation:
Union Cabinet has given approval for an MoU between the India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei and Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre (TECC) in India to promote cooperation in the field of MSMEs. The MoU also provides enabling environment to the medium and small scale industries of the two nations apart from regular bilateral exchanges in this field through JVs, sharing of best practices and technology collaborations. MoU does not involve financial, political or legal commitment of any kind.

ANSWER: 1.24

Explanation:
Overseas investment/outward FDI in the form of equity, loan and issue of guarantee by Indian firms fell by more than half to USD 1.24 billion in September. It was 3.12 billion USD a year back. In August 2015, the overseas investment was pegged at USD 2.19 billion. From the total USD 1.24 billion invested in September, USD 137.25 million was invested in equity, USD 365.83 million through loans and USD 738.25 million in the form of issue of guarantee. Major overseas investors included Ultratech Cement in Middle East, TATA Power and TATA Communications in Singapore and WNS Global Services in UK.

ANSWER: Shreehari Aney

Explanation:
Maharashtra government has appointed Shreehari Aney as the Advocate General of the State, succeeding Sunil Manohar who quit in June 2015 citing personal reasons. He has assumed charge on November 14, 2014. Additional Solicitor General of India Anil Singh was given additional charge of AG till Aney’s appointment.

ANSWER: Shweta Rathore

Explanation:
Female bodybuilder from India, Shweta Rathore during the first week of October 2015 won a silver medal at the 49th Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Championship in Uzbekistan. She won the silver in the Women’s Fitness Physique category and also qualified for the World Championship to be held in November 2015 at Thailand. She is also a bronze medalist at World Bodybuilding and Physique fitness Championship. The 49th Edition of the WBPF Asian Bodybuilding and Physique Championship was organised by the World Bodybuilding and Physique Federation.

ANSWER: Musa Indandamanensis

Explanation:
BSI scientists have found a new species of banana named Musa Indandamanensis from a remote tropical rain forest on the Andaman Islands. The species was located around 16 km within the Krishna Nalah forest in the island. This banana species has unique green flowers and fruit bunch axis thrice the size of a regular banana. Fruit pulp of this banana species is orange in colour as against yellow and white of regular bananas. Trees of the species are close to 11 metres high as against height of 3 to 4 metres for regular species. Unlike other banana species, seeds can be used for germinating new plants. Currently, there are 52 species of bananas occurring in the wild of which 15 are located in India.

ANSWER: Alkesh Sharma

Explanation:
IAS officer Alkesh Sharma has been appointed as CMD of Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development on 12th October 2015. He will be holding the post for 3 years. He is a 1990 batch IAS officer of Kerala cadre. 1483 km long DMICDC is a state sponsored industrial development project aimed at developing industrial zones and spread across 6 states to develop industries namely Uttar Pradesh, NCR of Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

ANSWER: 40th

Explanation:
The 40th edition of the world’s biggest handicrafts and gifts fair, the IHGF Delhi Fair Autumn 2015 will be held from 14th to 18th October at NCR’s Greater Noida India Expo Centre and Mart. Around 2,700 exhibitors have displayed products at this fair covering a 1,90,000 square metre area totalling 14 halls. EPCH/Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts has organised 39 editions of the event recognised as a one stop sourcing event in the Indian export community. More than 5,000 overseas buyers from leading department stores and leading brands such as Bloomingdale’s and Macy will source requirements at the fair. Handicrafts export has expanded on an average at annual growth rate of 15% during the previous decade. Export of handicrafts during 2014-2015 has been pegged at 18,639.14 crore , a growth of 7.96% in rupee terms as against the previous year. Export of handicrafts during 5 months of 2015-2016 is INR 7227.46 crore with a growth of 8.57%. EPCH is the nodal agency for promotion as well as handicraft development.

ANSWER: K. Velayudam

Explanation:
K. Velayudam, trade unionist and political as well as former State Minister for Plantation industries passed away at the age of 85 on 14th October 2015. Velayudam started his career in the 1970s as a member of trade union LJEWU. In the years between 2001 and 2004, he was MP and in August, in the year 2014, he re-entered the House.

ANSWER: Al Quds University

Explanation:
Al Quds University on 13th October 2015 awarded an honorary doctorate to President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony where he also announced the establishment of an India Chair at the university. This Palestine University was founded in 1984 and has campuses in Jerusalem, Abu Dis, and al-Bireh.

ANSWER: Pranab Mukherjee

Explanation:
President Pranab Mukherjee became the first Indian head to visit Palestine in a trip that lasted from 12th to 13th October 2015. Apart from meeting the president and PM, the Indian President also completed a three day visit to Jordan and Israel besides Palestine. He inaugurated India-Palestine Centre for Excellence in ICT, at Al-Quds University, Abu Dees and paid tributes to the Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi at Ramallah. A road and a roundabout in Ramallah were named after India as Sharia-e-Al-hind and Midan-e-Al-hind to mark the President’s visit.

ANSWER: P. S Jayakumar

Explanation:
P. S. Jayakumar took charge as CMD of state owned Bank of Baroda. This is at a time when the bank is under scrutiny for alleged black money transactions totalling INR 6000 crore. Ravi Venkatesan, ex chairman of Microsoft India was selected as Non Executive Chairman of BoB.

ANSWER: Mandakranta Sen

Explanation:
Well known Bengali poet Mandakratna Sen has returned the Sahitya Akademi award which she had received in 2004, on 13th October 2015. She received the Young Writers Special Award at 30 years of age for her work on Bengali poetry.

ANSWER: Marlon James

Explanation:
Marlon James has won the Man Booker prize 2015 for his novel entitled “A Brief History of Seven Killings” marking the first time a Jamaican has won a Booker Prize. This is also the first time an independent publisher (Oneworld Publications) has claimed the Man Booker Prize. The book for which the award was won is a fictionalised historical account of attempted murder of reggae singer Bob Marley in the 1970s. James’s book was chosen from a shortlist of 7 writers. Along with 50,000 pound prize and trophy, James was also awarded a designer bound edition of the book and 2,500 pounds for being short listed.

ANSWER: A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

Explanation:
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will be renaming Mission Complex DRDO as the Dr. A.P. J Abdul Kalam Missile Complex on the occasion of the 84th birth anniversary of the Missile Man on 15th October 2015. Dr. Kalam was part of the Missile Complex, DRDO for close to 20 years. Mission complex includes ASL/ Advanced Systems Lab, DRDL/Defence Research and Development Lab and RCI/Research Centre Imarat. Dr. Kalam was the founder director of RCI.

ANSWER: 78

Explanation:
Ministry of Shipping and DGLL on 13th October 2015 launched a programme to develop 78 lighthouses in the following states as tourism centres under PPP- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Land close to these lighthouses will boast hotels, resorts, maritime and heritage museums as well as galleries and Laser shows as well as spa centres to attract tourists. Lighthouse as tourism destination programme aims to develop existing lighthouses and the surrounding area into maritime landmarks and unique tourism destinations. The programme also seeks to explore viability of developing these projects under PPP mode.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
A fresh milestone has been attained under Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana with deposits in accounts now going beyond INR 25,000 crore and accounts having balances in them now exceeding 60%. The deposits opened under PMJDY are low cost. Accounts which can be opened under PMJDY namely Basic Savings Bank Deposit Account which can be attained with zero balance. On 7th October 2015, the deposits collected were pegged at INR 25146.97 crore. Zero balance accounts have fallen to less than 40%.

ANSWER: Housing for All

Explanation:
Rajasthan government has signed 27 pacts totaling more than INR 12,478 crore under Housing for All Programme in fields of housing, healthcare and education. Rajasthan has become the first state to sign an MoU for affordable housing with private and public sector companies. National Building Construction Corporation will provide INR 500 crore to government of Rajasthan for low cost housing. Several new missions of the Centre will be taken up for the State including Smart City, AMRUT and Housing for All.

ANSWER: 2050

Explanation:
Melting of Antarctic ice shelves will increase to double the current amount by 2050 and around 2100, melting may surpass all previous predictions if GHG emissions persist at current rate. Ice shelves are floating extensions of the massive land based ice sheets of the continent. Melting or breakup of floating ice shelves will not raise sea level, but this will have a “door stop” effect wherein the flow of ice will slow from glaciers and ice sheets into the ocean which will stop rising sea levels. WHOI researchers are indicating how rapidly melting ice in Antarctica can intensify in a warming climate.

ANSWER: Micromax

Explanation:
The second largest handset maker in India, Micromax has invested in India’s largest streaming and music broadcast service, Gaana. Financial details of the deal were not disclosed. As per the deal, Gaana will be available on Micromax smartphones and new users will receive free trials allowing unlimited downloads without ads. Gaana has 20 million active users and has seen close to 30 million downloads and a library of close to 10 million songs with ad supported streaming in more than 45 languages.

ANSWER: IBM

Explanation:
Etihad Airways and IBM have announced an IT deal worth USD 700 million dollars for over a decade. This deal will improve airline operations and security apart from incorporating analytics of customer data and technology development to forecast weather patterns and better handle airline flights. Deal also comprises IBM mobile solutions developed in collaboration with Apple. Etihad was founded in 2003 and is the second largest airline in the UAE currently.