Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 2, 2017

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
This refers to any kind of false structure built to deceive observers into believing that a situation is much better than it actually is.

The term has its origin in the fake villages that were constructed by Russian military leader Grigory Potyomkin in the 18th century.

In order to woo Empress Catherine the Great, Potyomkin arranged a show of prosperity during her inspection trip to Crimea in 1787 after the acquisition of new land in Crimea and other regions following Russia’s victory over the Ottoman empire.

He made the situation on the ground look better than it was by erecting replicas of pretty towns and fancy fireworks.

ANSWER: Banwarilal Purohit

Explanation:
President Ram Nath Kovind appoints new Governors to Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Assam and Meghalaya.

President appointed Banwarilal Purohit as the Governor of Tamil Nadu, Brig. (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retd.) as the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh, Satya Pal Malik as the Governor of Bihar, Jagdish Mukhi as the Governor of Assam and Ganga Prasad as the Governor of Meghalaya.

Here are the profiles of the new Governors:

Banwarilal Purohit

• A public personality involved in social, political, educational and industrial fields of Vidarbha in Maharashtra, Purohit plunged into active politics in 1977.
• He entered the Maharashtra Assembly for the first time in 1978 from the Nagpur east seat. He was re-elected in 1980 from Nagpur south and became a minister in 1982.
• In 1984 and 1989, Purohit was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Nagpur-Kamptee seat and was a member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee of Defence Ministry.
• He was re-elected from the Lok Sabha seat in 1996 and served as a member of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Home Affairs, a member of the Standing Committee on Defence, and a member of the Public Sector Undertaking Committee.
• Mr. Purohit is also credited with the revival of ‘The Hitavada’, an English daily founded by Gopal Krishna Gokhale, a mentor to Mahatma Gandhi.
• Under him, ‘The Hitavada’ became a leading newspaper of central India and apart from its headquarters edition at Nagpur, the daily also launched editions from Jabalpur, Raipur, and Bhopal.
• Mr. Purohit was appointed as Governor of Assam State by the President of India on August 17, 2016. He has been thrice elected as a member of Parliament from Nagpur, twice on the Indian National Congress’s ticket and once as a BJP member.

Ganga Prasad

• Mr. Ganga Prasad was elected for the first time as a Member of the Legislative Council in Bihar in 1994. He has been an MLC for 18 years, and has also served as the leader of the BJP (as also the leader of the Opposition) in the Legislative Council.
• During the earlier NDA regime, he served as the leader of the Bihar Legislative Council for the ruling party.

Admiral DK Joshi

• The 63 year-old Admiral (Retd.) Devendra Kumar Joshi was the Chief of Naval Staff between August 2012 and February 2014.
• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, he joined the executive branch of the Indian Navy in 1974. He is a graduate of the US Naval War College, and an alumnus of Mumbai’s College of Naval Warfare.
• He has been awarded the Param Vishist Seva Medal, the Ati Vishist Seva medal, Yudh Seva Medal, Nau Sena Medal and the Vishist Seva Medal.
• Admiral Joshi has also served as Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff, Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Island Command, and Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff to the Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee.
• He was a Defence Adviser in the Indian High Commission in Singapore from 1996 to 1999. He also commanded the Vizag-based Eastern Fleet of the Navy.

Jagdish Mukhi

• Mr. Jagdish Mukhi was born on December 1, 1942 at Dajal, Dera Ghazi Khan of Punjab, now in Pakistan.
• Mr. Mukhi took to active politics on June 25, 1975 when the Emergency was clamped. He has been representing the Janak Puri constituency continuously from 1980, winning seven times in the process.
• Mr. Mukhi had earlier held the portfolios of Finance, Planning, Excise & Taxation and Higher Education in the Delhi Government. He was also the leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly between 1998 and 2008.
• Mr. Mukhi has been serving as the Lieutenant Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
• He graduated in commerce from Raj Rishi College, Alwar (Rajasthan).
• In 1967, he did his M.Com from Shri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University.

Brigadier (Dr.) B.D. Mishra (Retired)

• Dr. B. D. Mishra retired from the Indian Army on July 31, 1995 as Brigadier, after a 34-year career.
• Dr. Mishra was the Commander of NSG (Black Cat Commandos) Counter Hijack Task Force that successfully rescued all 124 passengers and crew members of a hijacked Indian Airlines flight that was forced to land at the Raja Sansi Airfield in Amritsar in 1993.
• Dr. Mishra also fought in the 1962 war against China and the 1971 war against Pakistan.
• He holds an MA from Allahabad University, an M.Sc from Madras University and a Ph.D from Jiwaji University, Gwalior.

Satya Pal Malik

• Mr. Satya Pal Malik, 71, was the Union Minister of State, Parliamentary Affairs and Tourism between April 1990 and November 1990.
• After being a Rajya Sabha MP for two terms between 1980 and 1989, he was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1989. Much earlier, he was a member of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly.
• Mr. Malik, an agriculturist and social worker, completed his B.Sc and LL.B from Meerut University and holds a Diploma in Parliamentary Affairs from Institute of Constitutional & Parliamentary Studies run by the Parliament of India.

ANSWER: Padma Shri

Explanation:
Veteran film, television and theatre actor and Padma Shri Tom Alter has died aged 67.

The renowned actor and one-time sports writer and author had been battling stage four skin cancer.

Alter acted in over 300 movies apart from numerous TV shows, most famously as the gangster Keshav Kalsi in the hit soap opera Junoon which ran for a record five years during the 1990s.

In addition to acting, Alter also ventured into direction and was a sports journalist in the 80s and 90s.

He was the first person to interview Sachin Tendulkar for TV when the cricketer was yet to debut for India.

Alter has written three books, one non-fiction and two fiction, and in 2008 was awarded the prestigious Padma Shri by the Indian government in recognition for his services to the field of arts and cinema.

Born in the hill station of Mussoorie in 1950, Alter was a third-generation American in India who studied at Woodstock School in the Himalayas and then briefly at Yale University in the USA, before returning to India in the early 70s.

In 1972, he was one of three men—the others being Benjamin Gilani and Phunsok Ladakhi—chosen from over 800 applicants across north India to be enrolled in at the prestigious Film and Television Institute of India in Pune, where two years later he graduated with a gold medal diploma in acting.

Alter's first release was Ramanand Sagar's Charas in 1976, in which he played the role of superstar Dharmendra's boss, a CID official.

Among his notable roles during the first decade of his acting career were Satyajit Ray's Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Shyam Benega's Junoon (1979), Manoj Kumar's magnum opus Kranti (1981) and Raj Kapoor's Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985).

Other notable directors he worked with during the 70s and 80s were V Shantaram, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Manmohan Desai, Subhash Ghai, Chetan Anand - who gave him his first break in the Dev Anand-starrer Saheb Bahadur - and Vidhu Vinod Chopra, who gave him the pivotal role of the gangster Musa in the critically acclaimed hit Parinda.

In the 90s, Alter was seen in many films, prominent among them Mahesh Bhatt’s Aashiqui, Junoon and Gumrah, Ketan Mehta's Sardar and Priyadarshan's Kala Pani.

During this time, he also acted in regional cinema—Bengali, Assamese, Telegu, Tamil and Kumaoni films.

Among his foreign films are Richard Attenborough’s Gandhi and One Night with the King, in which he acted opposite his idol, the legendary Peter O'Toole.

On TV, Alter's leading work came in Junoon, Zabaan Sambhalke, Jugalbandi, Bharat EK Khoj, Ghutan, Shaktimaan, Captain Vyom, Mere Ghar Aana Zindagi and Yahaan Ke Hum Sikandar.

Most recently, he was seen in a pivotal role in the ongoing serial Rishton Ka Chakravyuh on Star Plus.

At the time of his death, Alter had approximately 16 unreleased films lined up as well as a web series by Eros Now titled Smoke.

Tom Alter: Know More

• Throughout his cinematic and television career, Alter remained busy with theatre, having co-founded Motley Productions with Naseeruddin Shah and Gilani in 1979.
• His prominent stage work includes the two-and-a-half-hour-long solo play in Urdu, 'Maulana', 'Babur ke Aulaad', 'Lal Qile ka Aakhri Mushaira', 'Ghalib ke Khat', 'Trisanga', 'Teesveen Shatabdi', Copenhagen' and the theatrical reproduction of William Dalrymple's 'City of Djinns'.
• In early 2017, Alter enacted a festival of his various plays in Hindi, English, Hindustani and Urdu titled ’Jashn-e-Maazi: The Play of History' which featured 19 of his portrayals and adaptations of leading historical figures such as Maulana Azad, Mirza Ghalib, Manto, Saahir Ludhianvi, Rabindranath Tagore, Bahadur Shah Zafar, Alfred Einstein and Mahatma Gandhi.
• He is survived by his wife Carol, son Jamie, and daughter Afshaan.

ANSWER: Austria

Explanation:
Austria joins countries issuing a burqa ban

A law prohibiting any kind of full-face covering, known popularly as the “Burqa Ban,” takes effect on Oct 1, 2017 in Austria, where the strong support for it portends potential political upheaval in the upcoming national election.

Parties campaigning on an anti-migrant message are poised to win on Oct. 15 and to form a coalition government.

Such a rightward swing in a country that’s had centrist governments almost consistently since World War II could have repercussions across Europe, emboldening politicians who take a hard line on Islam and immigration.

Last week, the right-wing, anti-migrant Alternative for Germany party won seats in Germany’s national parliament for the first time after featuring posters with the slogan “Burqas? We prefer bikinis” in its campaign.

The Austrian law called “Prohibition for the Covering of the Face” forbids off-slope ski masks, surgical masks outside hospitals and party masks in public.

Violations carry a possible fine of 150 euros (nearly $180) and police are authorized to use force with people who resist showing their faces.

But its popular name reflects the most prevalent association the garments some Muslim women wear to conceal their whole faces and bodies.

The garments are rare in Austria even after the recent surge of migrants into Europe. Support for the law is strong nonetheless, reflecting anti-Muslim attitudes in the predominantly Catholic country.

Five in seven of those who said they backed the law also said they will vote for the two parties that critics link to anti-Muslim sentiment the traditionally xenophobic Freedom Party and the People’s Party.

The People’s Party avoids the Freedom Party’s inflammatory talk, but has swung radically from the center under new leader Sebastian Kurz to echo that party’s positions on migration.

The Social Democratic Party, currently the majority partner in the government coalition with the People’s Party, has been left struggling.

Under Chancellor Christian Kern, the Social Democrats are focusing on social topics and claiming credit for Austria’s recent economic upturn. But Kern’s message is not coming across well.

A Unique Research poll of 1,500 respondents published on Thursday showed the Social Democrats with 27 % support, ahead of the Freedom Party at 25 % but trailing the People’s Party with 34 %. The poll had a margin of error of 2.5 percentage points.

Previously associated with stagnation and lack of direction, the People’s Party was trailing in third place until Kurz, Austria’s telegenic 31-year old foreign minister, took leadership in May after securing party pledges of full authority.

Although the People’s Party was part of the government coalition that opened its borders to more than 100,000 migrants in 2015, the party now says that “the political establishment failed in dealing with the refugee crisis.”

Austria and Migration

• Calling for zero illegal immigration, the right wing attracts Austrians who support the Freedom Party and its leader, Heinz-Christian Strache, on migration.
• It has been pledged face-cover ban will be rigorously enforced.
• Muslim women leaders see as insincere the claim the law is intended to help oppressed women.

ANSWER: Both a and c

Explanation:
These cells represent the most exciting approach to build solar cells that are inexpensive and highly efficient.

A perovskite solar cell is one that includes a perovskite-structured compound, most commonly a hybrid organic-inorganic lead or tin halide-based material, as the light-harvesting active layer.

The terms “perovskite” and “perovskite structure” are often used interchangeably.

Technically, a perovskite is a type of mineral that was first found in the Ural Mountains and named after Lev Perovski who was the founder of the Russian Geographical Society.

A perovskite structure is any compound that has the same structure as the perovskite mineral. A perovskite is a material that has the same crystal structure as the mineral calcium titanium oxide, also known as Perovskite.

Generally, perovskite compounds have a chemical formula ABX3, where ‘A’ and ‘B’ represent cations and X is an anion that bonds to both.

Because of their unique crystal make-up, perovskites often display a number of interesting properties, including superconductivity, giant magnetoresistance, and ferroelectricity. It has only been recently that their applications to clean energy have drawn scientific attention.

Within the last several years, perovskite solar cells have outpaced all other third-generation solar technologies in terms of efficiency.

ANSWER: Chikungunya

Explanation:
A drug to treat chikungunya virus infection is in the offing, and in vitro studies carried out by a team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee show promise.

Currently, there is no cure for the disease and treatment is focused more on relieving the symptoms.

Since the team led by Prof. Shailly Tomar from the Department of Biotechnology at IIT Roorkee used an existing drug piperazine, safety of the drug is already known and hence the trials on animals and humans will be more to understand the efficacy of the drug in treating chikungunya infection.

Piperazine is used for the treatment of worm infections.

The antiviral drug indinavir used for treating HIV positive people is a piperazine-based molecule.

The derivatives of piperazine are used as anti-histamines and anti-depressants drugs too.

Based on crystal structure, the researchers ascertained that the drug molecule binds to the hydrophobic pocket of capsid protein of Aura virus.

Drug binding studies were also carried out using chikungunya virus and it was found that the binding of the drug at the caspid protein was better in the case of chikungunya virus.

The function of capsid protein is essential for the virus budding and replication of virus.

On studying the antiviral activity of piperazine molecule against chikungunya, it was found that the molecule inhibits virus replication.

In the presence of this drug, the amount of virus released by infected cells is less. The drug showed very good antiviral activity.

Chikungunya viral load reduces significantly when treated with 3 millimolar (mM) of piperazine and has “barely detectable cell toxicity” when the dosage is doubled to 6mM.

Compared with controls, the inhibition of the virus replication was nearly 98% when 6mM of the drug was used.

Once the drug binds to the target, the capsid protein’s interaction with the enveloped protein of virus is inhibited and hence the virus release from infected cells is affected.

Virus replication and budding are correlated. The monkey cell lines were infected with very low virus concentration and then allowed to grow.

After 24 hours, the number of virus being released by the infected cells was studied. If the virus is able to replicate then should find more virus, which was not the case.

The chikungunya viral load had reduced by 98% at the end of 24 hours but increases at 48 hours indicating that inhibition of virus replication becomes less at the end of 48 hours compared with 24 hours.

This could be because the drug does not kill all the virus at the end of 24 hours and the drug supplied initially is already bound to the capsid protein target in the virus.

So when the virus reinfects nearby cells and replicates, there is not enough drug to bind to the new capsid protein molecules being produced.

The researchers are planning to carry out trials on animals.

Since the drug is already approved for use in humans, toxicity studies in animals will not be needed. But studies on animals to evaluate the antiviral activity and, hence, the efficacy has to be carried out.

ANSWER: Germany

Explanation:
First same-sex marriage held in Germany

Germany celebrated its first same-sex weddings on Oct 1, 2017, after a new law came into force putting gay and lesbian couples on an equal legal footing with heterosexual couples.

About 60 guests and an equal number of journalists packed into Schoeneberg town hall’s “Golden Room” to witness the marriage of Karl Kreile and his partner of 38 years, Bodo Mende.

Germany has allowed same-sex partners to enter into registered partnerships since 2001, but these did not give couples exactly the same status in German law as marriage.

The German parliament voted to introduce marriage equality in June, after Chancellor Angela Merkel unexpectedly dropped her longstanding opposition to parliament holding a vote on the issue.

ANSWER: Shashi Shankar

Explanation:
Shashi Shanker has taken over as the Chairman and Managing Director of India's biggest oil and gas producer ONGC.

He replaces Dinesh K Sarraf, who superannuated from service yesterday.

Shanker is an industry veteran with over 30 years of experience in diverse exploration and production activities.

A Petroleum Engineer from Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, he also holds an MBA degree with specialisation in Finance.

The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) named Shanker, who till now was Director (Technical and Field Services) at ONGC, as CMD till his superannuation, as against an initial one-year term proposed by the Oil Ministry.

The ministry had, in a departure from past norms and guidelines, earlier this month recommended to the ACC that Shanker be appointed for an initial one-year term instead of the usual five-year period.

During this one-year term, his performance was proposed to be reviewed every quarter instead of the current practice of review after one year.

ACC, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, however, appointed Shanker as Chairman and Managing Director of ONGC till the date of his superannuation or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

Shanker, 56, will have a three-and-a-half-year term until March 31, 2021.

Under his leadership, ONGC drilled the deepest deepwater well covering a water depth of 3174 meters, a world record.

He also led the team to one of the finest drilling performance in 2016-17 when ONGC set a new record of drilling over 500 wells.

This is the first time in 23 years that ONGC has crossed the 500-well mark.

During his tenure, ONGC has conceptualised an ambitious company-wide project called 'DISHA' for the creation of a paperless office platform, the implementation of which is now underway.

Shanker will also be the Chairman of ONGC Videsh Ltd, the overseas arm of the state-explorer, as also its other subsidiaries like Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL), ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC) and ONGC Petro- additions Ltd (OPaL).

ANSWER: VNL

Explanation:
Domestic telecom equipment provider Vihaan Networks Limited (VNL) on 28th Sept 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) to launch "Relief 123" service to provide disaster management in India.

The "Relief 123" service is an integrated disaster response solution for first responders and public safety agencies.

The solution is designed and manufactured by VNL and the backhaul connectivity will be provided by BSNL.

Given that our country is prone to natural disasters, the availability and quick deployment of comprehensive communications solutions will help disaster management agencies mount faster and more reliable search and rescue operations.

The comprehensive communication solution will bring BSNL and disaster management agencies—National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) on one platform for better coordination.

On the very first day of the Mobile Congress, a Latin American company connected with us for the solution. The technology was tested in India and is 100 per cent successful.

The "Relief 123" is based on "ResQMobil", an integrated portable communication solution which packs in the required hardware into a portable transportable trailer-on-wheels.

The service will restore connectivity at disaster sites, help locate the affected people and integrate information across platforms for quick relief.

The model can also be scaled for Saarc countries, wherein BSNL would have roaming agreements with local mobile service operators.

Both companies have partnered in the past for the roll out of voice and data connectivity in the worst Left-wing extremism-affected areas of the country.

ANSWER: 1953

Explanation:
Launched in 1953, International Translation Day is a relatively recent entry into the calendar of world events.

Established by the International Federation of Translators, the annual celebration is an opportunity to pay tribute to the work of translators who endeavour to make the world a slightly smaller place by breaking down language barriers and allowing great literature to be enjoyed far more widely.

The work of translators is seen as being of growing importance due to growing opportunities for international travel and globalisation of trade markets.

The event is marked with a series of dedicated events, seminars and symposiums across the world.

International Translation Day itself coincides with the feast day of St. Jerome, a Christian scholar and priest who was the first person to translate the Bible into Latin from the original Hebrew, making it accessible for the first time to a far wider audience.

St. Jerome is the patron saint of translators.

ANSWER: Connecting Ships, Ports and People

Explanation:
"Connecting Ships, Ports and People" has been selected as the World Maritime Day theme for 2017. The theme was chosen to provide an opportunity to focus on the many diverse actors involved in the shipping and logistics areas.

This year's theme was chosen to provide an opportunity to focus on the many diverse actors involved in the shipping and logistics areas.

Its aim is to build on the World Maritime Day theme for 2016, "Shipping: indispensable to the world", by focussing on helping IMO Member States to develop and implement maritime strategies to invest in a joined-up, interagency approach that addresses the whole range of issues.

This is including the facilitation of maritime transport, and increasing efficiency, navigational safety, protection of the marine environment, and maritime security.

This give various UN entities the chance to contribute to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are a broad response to the challenges facing the world today.

Ultimately, more efficient shipping, working in partnership with a port sector supported by governments, will be a major driver towards global stability and sustainable development for the good of all people.

The maritime sector, which includes shipping, ports and the people that operate them, can and should play a significant role helping Member States to create conditions for increased employment, prosperity and stability ashore through promoting trade by sea; enhancing the port and maritime sector as wealth creators both on land and, through developing a sustainable blue economy, at sea.

World Maritime Day 2017 is formally celebrated at IMO on 28 September 2017. Member States and other entities are invited to celebrate with activities in the same week, and throughout the year.

ANSWER: Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017

Explanation:
The Centre on September 26 notified a new set of rules under the head Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017 replacing the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.

One of the outstanding rules of the notification is that encroachments on wetlands stand banned.

The rules prohibit solid waste dumping, discharge of untreated waste and effluents from industries, cities, towns, villages, and other human settlements into wetlands.

The new notification is expected to appreciably benefit the State government’s Haritha Keralam Mission to conserve and protect wetlands.

There is considerable scope for the new rules to complement the Kerala Irrigation and Water Conservation Act, 2003, say environmentalists.

The draft rules had largely sought to dilute the Centre’s onus for wetland conservation and pass that responsibility to the State governments.

The environmentalists had also felt that the draft had watered down priority to wetland conservation under the label of balancing development and environmental concerns.

ANSWER: Gujarat

Explanation:
The Election Commission of India (EC) will use Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) gadgets with Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in all 50,128 voting booths in Gujarat, which goes to the Assembly polls at the end of this year.

This is the first time an entire assembly poll will be conducted using the EVMs equipped with VVPAT.

VVPAT machines, which will be attached to the EVMs, will allow voters to verify if their vote has gone to the intended candidate.

This would ensure transparency in the voting process.

The machine is being put to use in Gujarat following a petition filed by Ms. Reshma Patel, one of the conveners of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti.

ANSWER: My Delhi Keep It Clean

Explanation:
Delhi based citizen group ‘My Delhi Keep It Clean’ gets the award for promoting voluntary efforts to clean public places effectively using Face Book, in the Self-Help Group category.

Fertilizer Cooperative, KRIBHCO was also conferred the Swachchta Award by the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs on the occasion of the third anniversary of the launch of Swachh Bharat Mission(Urban) for leading in marketing of compost made from Municipal Solid Waste.

The Ministry awarded 20 individuals and agencies in 7 categories for significant contribution towards furthering the Clean India objective in urban areas.

KRIBHCO has been chosen among the Companies category for marketing the highest quantity of 22,768 tons of compost during 2016-17.

Richmond Park, Gurugram, located in DLF Phase-IV and completed in 2002 has been chosen for the award for exemplary decentralized waste management initiative through waste segregation at source, in the RWAs category.

RWA Federation of Mysuru has shown the way in Zero-waste effluent management system.

Roseland Housing Society, Pune also gets the award for waste segregation initiative.

‘No Food Waste’ initiative of Coimbatore has been selected in the Innovative Practices category for end-to-end cycle to manage and reduce food waste.

Kasturba Gandhi Balika Awasiya Vidyalaya, Ambikar gets the award in the Schools and Colleges category while Swacch Ambikapur Sahakari Samiti has been chosen in Self-Help Group category for women empowerment and livelihood generation by converting garbage into wealth.

Pemayangste Monastery, Gyalshing, Sikkim was felicitated in the category of religious institutions for being a Zero-waste institution.