Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 18, 2016

ANSWER: 8th

Explanation:
BRICS nations namely Brazil, India, China, Russia and South Africa on 16th Oct 2016 inked three agreements to boost bilateral cooperation– these agreements were inked in Goa during the 8th BRICS summit

• The summit was held from 15 to 16 Oct under the theme Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions
  
  List of MoUs signed by BRICS countries includes:
  
  
• MoU for establishment of BRICS Agricultural Research Platform
• MoU on mutual cooperation between diplomatic academies
• Regulation on customs cooperation committee of the BRICS
• BRICS members are also part of the G-20
• As of 2015, the given BRICS countries represent 3.6 billion people or half of the world population
• All 5 members are in the top 25 of the world by population and four are in the top 10
• The 8th BRICS summit was attended by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Brazilian President Michel Temer, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and South African President Jacob Zuma.
• Towards the end of the summit, the 109 point declaration was established
• The states indicated it was the responsibility of all states to prevent terrorist action from their territories
• They condemned some recent terror attacks such as the Uri terror attack in India
• The leaders also condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed there can be no justification for such attacks
• They acknowledged that international terrorism, such as IS constitute an unprecedented threat to peace and security
• All 5 nations reaffirmed the commitment to increase effectiveness of the UN counter terrorism framework
• Goa Declaration also called for reforms in the UN including the Security Council to increase the representation of developing countries
• They also highlighted the importance of public and private investments in infrastructure such as connectivity
• Apart from this, leaders of the BRICS nation also appreciated the progress in the strategy for BRICS Economic Partnership and emphasised the importance of the BRICS roadmap for trade, economic and investment cooperation until 2020.
• BRICS leaders also welcomed the signing of the MoU between BRICS nations National Development Banks and the New Development Bank
• BRICS Grouping welcomed the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and said growth was imperative in a sustainable and inclusive fashion.
• Summit’s focus was also on enhancing P2P contact through activities such as Film Festival, Young Diplomats Forum, Youth Summit and U-17 Football Tournament.
• The ninth BRICS summit will be hosted by China in 2017
• Leaders also held an outreach summit with leaders of BIMSTEC or Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation member countries
• The BIMSTEC grouping comprises Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.
• The grouping also examined possibilities of expanding trade and commercial ties between the member nations of the two religious groupings

ANSWER: China

Explanation:
Bangladesh and China on 14th Oct 2016 signed 26 agreements and MoUs during the visit of the Chinese president to Dhaka.
List of MoUs signed includes

• MoU on One Belt One Road- Bangladesh joined China’s One Belt One Road Initiative.
• MoU to establish institutional cooperation in maritime issues and counter-terrorism.
• MoU to get a 1320 MW power plant constructed by China in Bangladesh
• Agreement to commence feasibility studies on the establishment of China-Bangladesh Free Trade Area.
• Agreement through which Beijing will train 500 Chinese-language teachers for Bangladesh, train 100 Bangladeshi cultural professionals and invite 600 Bangladeshi students to visit China from 2016 to 2020.
• China's TBEA inked a power grid deal worth USD 1.6 billion with Dhaka Power.
• Agreement to enhance high-level exchanges, maintain frequent contacts between leaders of the two countries on the sidelines of multilateral foray.
• Framework Agreement for Developing Cooperation on Production Capacity between Bangladesh and China.
• Agreement to continue their cooperation on river management, including dredging with land reclamation.
• The nations also jointly unveiled six projects, including multi-lane tunnel beneath the Karnaphuli River in Chittagong.
• Both the sides also signed various agreements of cooperation in areas of industrial capacity building, power and energy, information technology, investment, disaster management and culture.

Both countries also announced the year 2017 as the Year of Friendship and Exchanges between Bangladesh and China

ANSWER: Essar

Explanation:
Russia’s Rosneft Oil Company along with its partners on 15th Oct 2016 acquired India’s second biggest private oil firm Essar Oil in an all cash deal valued at USD 13 billion

• Rosneft’s partners include Rosneft Oil Company, United Capital Partners and Trafigura
• The acquisition was announced during the 8th BRICS Summit in Goa
• Rosneft will have a 49 percent stake in the refinery, port and petrol pumps of Essar Oil
• The remaining partners will split the 49 percent equity equally
• Remaining 2 percent will be held by minority shareholders after the delisting of Essar Oil
• Deal includes USD 10.9 billion for Essar’s Vadinar refinery and USD 2 billion for the port terminal that feeds the refinery
• It also includes Essar Oil’s debt of USD 4.5 billion and USD 2 billion debt with the port company and power plant
• Rosneft now becomes the third international player after after Royal Dutch and Shell and British Petroleum to enter the Indian fuel retailing market
• Essar Oil a subsidiary of Essar Group is a fully integrated oil & gas company and is among the largest single site refineries in Vainer, Gujarat with the capacity of 20 MT
• Essar Oil has a portfolio of offshore and onshore oil and gas blocks with around 1.7 billion barrels of oil equivalent in reserves and resources
• The company was established in 1969
• Essar Group is led by Shashi Ruia and Ravi Ruia

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
Eminent writer C. Radhakrishnan on 15th Oct 2016 was selected for the Mathrubhumi Literary Award 2016 in recognition of his contribution in the field of literature

• He was selected by a panel chaired by novelist M. Mukundan and Sethu as well as Sarah Joseph being other jury members
• The editor of Malayalam magazine Piravi published by the School of Bhagvad Gita, he is also the former chief editor of a daily called Madhyamam
• He is also the recipient of the National Literary Academy of India and the Kerala Literary Academy
• He has also won several other awards such as the Lalithambika award, the Vayalar Award and Mooloor Award
• He was also awarded the Moortidevi award for 2013 for his novel Theekkadal Katanhu Thirumadhuram.

ANSWER: North west India

Explanation:
A report on the paleo channel of NW India, a review and assessment by an expert committee was released by Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Uma Bharati on 15th Oct 2016

• The report was prepared by a 7-member committee headed by Prof. KS Vaidya an eminent geologist which suggests River Saraswati is not mythical and that it actually existed
• Report is based on the study of the land texture of states of North-west India including Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan
• It is based on the account of geological changes that took place in the past
• Report is an assertion that River Saraswati originated from Adibadri in Himalaya to culminate in the Arabian Sea through the Rann of Kutch
• It is around 4000 km in length of which around 3000 km fell in India while the remaining 1000 km fell in present day Pakistan
• It has two branches namely western and eastern
• The western branch is represented by Himalayan born Satluj River of the past flowed through the channels of the present day Ghaggar Patialiwali rivulets
• The eastern branch is represented by the Sarsuti and Markanda rivulets in Haryana representing the western branch of the river
• In a six month research, the committee came across a Palaeo channel a path abandoned by the river when it changes course, related to the present Sarsuti, Ghaggar, Hakra and Nara Rivers
• Nearly 1700 small and big villages and towns were located around the paleo channel during Harappa Civilisation
• The report will now be studied for further action

ANSWER: Hangul

Explanation:
The magnificent Kashmiri Red Stag or Hangul could finally get some protection with IUCN all set to declare it a critically endangered species.

• Known for its giant antlers bearing 11 to 16 points, Hangul has been hunted over the centuries and its habitat destroyed, leading to its population in the wild plunging to a mere 150
• IUCN is the biggest international body assessing threat levels to flora and fauna
• Merging with two other species red deers from China’s Tarim Mountains has not worked for aiding conservation efforts
• Critically endangered status of the Hangul will most likely to be completed by December 2016
• It is listed under Schedule 1 of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and the J&K Wildlife (Protection) Act 1978 and has been listed among the top 15 species of high conservation priority by the Government of India
• As per the Bombay Natural History Society, Kashmir’s Hangul population numbered 3,000 to 5,000 around the year 1900
• A 2015 census carried out by Kashmir’s forest department indicated it could be the lowest at 110-130 in Dachigam.

ANSWER: WEF

Explanation:
Finland is the safest country on earth according to the Global Travel and Terrorism Report by the World Economic Forum.

• India has ranked as the 11th most unsafe country in the world
• Qatar and UAE follow Finland in the ranking
• Austria and Iceland complete the top 5
• At the bottom of the survey is Nigeria followed by Colombia, Yemen, Pakistan and Venezuela
• Numerous countries also fell to the lower part of the list such as Iraq, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Libya and North Korea
• Finland is a N. European nation bordering Sweden, Norway and Russia
• The capital Helsinki occupies a peninsula and surrounding islands in the Baltic Sea
• Northern Lights can be seen from the Arctic Lapland province which has national parks and ski resorts
• The official language of Finland is Finnish and Swedish.

ANSWER: Tirupur

Explanation:
The 43rd India International Knit Fair is scheduled between Oct 19 and 21 at the India Knit Fair Complex, Tirupur in TN India

• Tirupur District Collector S. Jayanthi is scheduled to inaugurate the event
• A Sakthiyel, Chairman Indian Knit Fair Association indicate overseas buyers have been coming for this fair and constitute a good international response to Indian textiles
• Buyers from South America, Israel, Australia, Dubai, Brazil, Spain, Italy, UAE, Japan, Hong Kong, UK, South Africa and Singapore as well as Slovakia confirmed their visit
• The fair is held by the Apparel Export Promotion Council supported by the Government of India, Ministry of Textiles in collaboration with the Tirupur Exporters Association
• The Association has been conducting the Indian Knit Fair since 20 years with the aim of working to promote Indian knitwear items from the country