Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 17, 2015

ANSWER: First National Tribal Carnival

Explanation:
The first National Tribal Carnival will be held from February 12 to 17, 2016 in Delhi and it will preserve and promote various facets of the tribal life relating to culture, tradition, customs and their skills and showcase it to the population. The ultimate goal will be overall holistic development of the Scheduled Tribes. Live music and dance performances will also be showcased at this event.

ANSWER: World Food Day

Explanation:
World Food Day, WFD was observed across the globe on 16th October 2015 and the theme was Social Protection and Agriculture. WFD aims to raise awareness about hunger challenges and encourage people to fight against hunger. Theme reflects the intent of World Farmers Organisation to showcase important agricultural related issues. FAO has estimated agricultural production must rise by 60% internationally to meet demand for food by 9.2 billion population in 2050. World food week was also observed from 12th to 16th October 2015.

ANSWER: 10

Explanation:
India and Israel on 15th October 2015 signed 10 MoUs during the Indian President’s state visit to Israel. Mukherjee is the first ever Indian President to visit Israel including the following:

- Protocol amending the Convention and the Protocol for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and for the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital
- Cultural Exchange Programme for the years 2015-2018
- MoU between JNU, New Delhi and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
- Agreement of Cooperation between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and IIT, Kharagpur
- MoU for Institutional Collaboration between Indian Institute of - Technology, Kharagpur (IITKGP) and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, (BGU)
- MoU between Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
- Framework for Academic Collaboration between the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and the University of Haifa, Israel:
- MoU between the University of Delhi, Delhi and Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, (BGU), Beer Sheva, Israel:
- Agreement of Cooperation between the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel and the University of Delhi, India

ANSWER: Construction Industry Development Board

Explanation:
Construction Industry Development Board/ CIDB of Malaysia on 15th October 2015 proposed to invest around USD 30 million in urban development and housing projects in the country such as redevelopment of New Delhi Railway Station. National Buildings Constriction Corporation of Union Ministry of Urban Development will be linked with these projects. CIDB is a Malaysia based government agency which has been conceived in 1995 and is executing projects worth USD 8 billion currently.

ANSWER: M. V. Patil

Explanation:
Ex Maharashtra minister and veteran Congress leader M. V. Patil passed away in Mumbai on 16th October 2015 following an illness at 55 years of age. He was an MP twice from Sangli LS constituency and also had been an MLA from here and served as a minister in the Congress led state government. He was the grandson of late ex Maharashtra CM Vasantdada Patil.

ANSWER: Admiral R. H. Tahiliani

Explanation:
President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee condoled the demise of former Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral R. H. Tahiliani, who led the Indian Navy for 3 decades and was also the first to land on deck of INS Vikrant paving the way for carrier based aviation in Indian Navy. He is also a winner of the AVSM and PVSM medals and served as Governor of the State of Sikkim from 1990 to 1994.

ANSWER: Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Explanation:
Hebrew University of Jerusalem conferred an honorary doctorate on President Pranab Mukherjee at a ceremony in Jerusalem, Israel on October 15, 2015. Indian seeks to collaborate with Israel in the field of training and digitalisation of education.

ANSWER: VVS Laxman

Explanation:
For a brand new ad for PETA during the Vegetarian Awareness Month, Indian batsman VVS Laxman has been selected. The ad has been shot by well known photographer YSN Murthy.

ANSWER: NJAC

Explanation:
5 judge Constitutional Bench of SC in collective order on 16th October 2015 ruled that 99th AA and NJAC Act 2014 has been declared void and unconstitutional. The collegium system has been upheld before the NJAC Act 2014 was introduced by the SC. Collegium system was in operation since 1993. The five-judge SC bench which comprised of Justices JS Khehar, J Chelameswar, Madan B Lokur, Kurian Joseph and AK Goel declared the NJAC act in violation of the Indian Constitution.

ANSWER: Cricket Association of Bengal

Explanation:
IDBI Federal Life Insurance has announced a partnership with Cricket Association of Bengal to strengthen state cricket. Recently, its youngest president Sourav Ganguly has created a roadmap for rejuvenating the cricket dynamics of the state. Vision 2020 project will be established to hone talent by CAB with eminent cricket legends such as VVS Laxman and TA Sekhar.

ANSWER: Central Victim Compensation Fund

Explanation:
Union Ministry of Home Affairs on 14th October 2015 has proposed a new scheme called Central Victim Compensation Fund with initial investment of INR 200 crore to support victims of various attacks such as rape,acid attacks and human trafficking. The scheme aims to supplement Victim Compensation Schemes notified by states/UTs. Victims will be compensated for injury, loss and death.

ANSWER: International Religious Freedom Report 2014

Explanation:
This report includes 200 sub reports on various countries and details actions of non state actors who have committed human right abuses and stood in the way of religious freedom. The report found that Anti-Semitism persists in the world. In the year 2014, the report also found that governments in Africa, Asia and Middle East have failed to protect citizens against abuses by non state actors such as terrorist organisations which want to destroy religious diversity. Religious and civil society groups were found to have promoted greater respect for religious diversity.

ANSWER: Financial Inclusion Fund

Explanation:
RBI has announced merger of two funds to create FIF/Financial Inclusion Fund with corpus of INR 2000 crore for support of development and promotional activities for increasing coverage of banking services. Financial Inclusion Fund and Financial Inclusion Technology Fund will be merged into a single fund called FIF which will be INR 2000 crore. Contribution to FIF will be from an interest differential in excess of 0.5 percent on RIDF/Rural Infrastructure Development Fund and STCRC/Short Term Cooperative Rural Credit deposits on account of shortfall in priority sector lending with NABARD by banks.

ANSWER: Jharkhand

Explanation:
Jharkhand State government and GAIL India Limited have inked a Gas Cooperation Agreement for the construction of infrastructure for natural and city gas distribution on 15th October 2015. Infrastructure will assist in construction of the Urja Ganga Jagdishpur Haldia Pipeline project in Jharkhand. Project aims to link eastern India to national grid and GAIL will set up a 174 km main line and 166 km spur lines as part of the 2050 km long Jagdishpur-Haldia gas pipeline project linking Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal passing through six districts namely, Bokaro, Giridih, Hazaribagh, Dhanbad, East Singbhum and Ranchi.

ANSWER: International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015

Explanation:
Union Minister of Civil Aviation Sh. P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju inaugurated the International Civil Helicopters Conclave 2015 in New Delhi on 16th October 2015.

The establishment of heli-hubs in NE and hilly regions was stressed during the conclave. Regional connectivity and religious tourism through helicopter rides was also focused on. Conclave marks 30th anniversary of Pawan Hans Limited and a corporate logo and coffee table book of this company was released on this day, apart from the launch of an exhibition on Safety Management System, Multi Mission Utility and Regional Air Connectivity.

ANSWER: G. R. Chandak

Explanation:
Senior scientist of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, G. R. Chandak has been made the Director, CDFD/Centre for DNA Fingerprinting and Diagnostics, a CoE under Department of Biotechnology. Chandak has received an MD in Biochemistry from BHU and doctorate in Biochemistry from Osmania University. With close to 80 articles published in peer reviewed journals, he was studied genetic and epigenetic basis of complex pancreatic disorders. He was also honoured with the AP scientist war from the AP Council for Science and Technology.

ANSWER: Nirbhay

Explanation:
The indigenous surface to surface cruise missile nose dived midway after being fired from the Chandipur Integrated Test Range in Balasore, Odisha. Missile missed the target within 11 minutes after it was test fired. Though the missile has a range of 750-1000 km, it nose dived following coverage of 128 km in Bay of Bengal. This cruise missile will supplement Indo Russian joint venture supersonic cruise missile BrahMos. This 6 metre two stage missile has a diameter of .52 m and a wing span of 2.7 m with a launch weight of 1500 kgs.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
Pakistan and Russia on 16th October 2015 signed a major agreement for building a 1,100 km gas pipeline from Karachi to Lahore taking cooperation between the two nations to a new level. The 1,100 km long pipeline with capacity of 12.4 billion cubic metre per annum is set to connect Karachi LNG terminals with those in Lahore. Russia will invest USD 2 billion in the project, first phase of which is slated for completion in December 2017. Russia’s RT Global Resources under the aegis of Rostec will be building North-South gas pipeline project. Project will be completed in BOOT mode (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer).

ANSWER: APJ Abdul Kalam

Explanation:
The APJ Abdul Kalam post doctoral research fellowships are for scientists lower than 35 years of age having completed their PhD or doing so in fields of environment and ecology. The fellowship will be for a period of three years and will include monthly fellowship as well as HRA. Research fellows will be selected by an expert committee headed by CSIR former DG R. A. Mashelkar.

ANSWER: Gene expression map

Explanation:
Through sensitive new technology, scientists have created the first high resolution gene expression map of the inner ear. This provides fresh insight into the way hair cells and supporting cells in the inner ear develop and differentiate into specialised cells serving important functions for maintaining balance. Comprehending how these important cells are a foundation for development of cell based therapies will help in treating loss of hearing as well as balance disorders. To get deeper understanding of how the inner ear cell develops, team used single cell RNA-seg, a new technology which can extract comprehensive gene activity data from a single cell.

ANSWER: Spinolestes xenarthrosus

Explanation:
Scientists have found fossilised remains of a 125 million year old mammal which is rat sized named Spinolestes xenarthrosus. The fossil found in Spain pushed back the earliest record of preserved mammalian inner organs and hair structures by around 60 million years. This species lived during the Cretaceous period and comprised the extinct lineage of early mammals called triconodonts. Specimen measured 24 cm long and weighs 50-70 grams. The species has remarkable modern mammalian hair and skin structures whereby compound follies in multiple hairs emanate from the same pore. This is also the first example of a Mesozoic mammal whereby soft tissues in abdominal cavities and thoracic area are fossilised.

ANSWER: Snapdeal

Explanation:
Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba has received anti-trust regulator CCI’s approval for purchasing a 4.14% stake in Snapdeal’s holding company Jasper Infotech. CCI gives approval to keep tabs on unfair business practices for acquisitions beyond a certain level. In August 2015, it was announced that Alibaba along with Foxconn and others will invest USD 500 million in Snapdeal.