Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 31, 2015

ANSWER: 110

Explanation:
In response to declining exports, government has extended duty incentives to various products including textiles and electronics to improve rate of shipments. Increased support for numerous products included additional items under the Merchandise Exports from India Scheme. Present revision includes 110 new tariff lines and increased rate or county coverage or both for 2228 existing tariff lines. As per the announcement, under the scheme, government of India has provided duty benefits at 2,3 and 5 percent based upon the product and country. Global support has been given to products such as pharma, project goods, telecom, electronics and railway transport equipment. Contraction for the 10th month in a row, Indian merchandise exports fell at 24.33 percent in September to USD 21.84 billion, due to steep fall in petrol product shipment, iron ore and engineering goods amidst international demand.

ANSWER: New York Global Leaders Dialogue Humanitarian Award

Explanation:
The New York Global Leaders Dialogue Humanitarian Award was conferred on B. Pathak, sociologist and founder of Sulabh International for improving the lives of manual scavengers. He started working for this cause after he joined the Bhangi-Mukti (scavengers’ liberation) Cell of the Bihar Gandhi Centenary Celebrations Committee. He founded the Sulabh International Social Service Organization in 1970.

ANSWER: Amarinder Kaur

Explanation:
1983 batch Indian Forest Service Officer Amarinder Kaur has become the first woman in India to head Haryana’s state forest department. She has been appointed as principal chief conservator o forests and will take over the new assignment on November 1, 2015. Dr Kaur will replace Mr. Jattan who is superannuating. She formed the separate women empowerment cell in the forest department of the state in June 2011, the first ever in the nation.

ANSWER: Shared Kumar

Explanation:
DG of National Investigation Agency will continue to be the chief of the anti terror agency for an additional year. Shared Kumar was superannuating on 31st October till the appointments committee of the cabinet approved a proposal for his reappointment. He is an IPS officer of ’79 batch, Haryana cadre and was appointed as NIA Chief in 2013.

ANSWER: Kem Sokha

Explanation:
Senior leader of Cambodian opposition party, Kem Sokha has been removed from his post as vice president of the parliament in a 68-0 vote whereby PM Hun Sen eliminated his most bitter critic. Vote was a surprise move which was not on the agenda of the National Assembly. Close to 55 lawmakers in the 123 member house protested against the vote and boycotted it.

ANSWER: Pakistan

Explanation:
Pakistan failed to win a re-election to the top human rights body, United Nations Human Rights Council through a secret ballot. They gained just 105 votes in a General Assembly of 193 members. Around 18 members were elected to the council through a secret ballot. Pakistan’s current term in the 47 member Council will expire on December 31. The new members starting a three-year terms from January 1 next year, are Belgium, Burundi, Cd’Ivoire, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Kenya, Panama, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Togo, Slovenia, Switzerland, UAE and Venezuela. India is a UNHCR member and its term will expire in 2017.

ANSWER: Civil Aviation

Explanation:
Government has proposed tax incentives for airlines and repair works of aircrafts apart from mooting 2 percent levy on all air tickets for funding regional connectivity scheme. The ministry has also mooted 50% FDI in domestic carriers in the event that the open skies policy is implemented. Currently, FDI limit is 49%. Another proposal is fare capping at INR 2500 for one hour flights as part of the regional connectivity scheme.

ANSWER: K. J. George

Explanation:
In a reshuffle of Karnataka cabinet, recently inducted cabinet rank minister Dr G Parameshwara has been appointed as the new home minister. Incumbent home minister has been reassigned as the new minister for Bengaluru. CM Siddaramaiah has also appointed Vinay Kulkarni as new minister of states for mine and geology.

ANSWER: National Pension System

Explanation:
RBI on 29th October 2015 permitted non resident Indians to subscribe to National Pension Scheme, taking the decision with the Union Government to enable National Pension System (NPS) as an investment option for NRIs under Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), 1999. NRIs can subscribe to PFRDA’s NPS scheme in accordance with the amendment to Foreign Exchange Management (Transfer or Issue of Security by a Person Resident outside India) (Ninth Amendment) Regulations, 2015 notified on 6 October 2015.

ANSWER: Pliobates cataloniae

Explanation:
Before the evolutionary great split of humans/great apes or hominids and gibbons 11.6 million years ago, a new genus and species of small ape called Pliobates cataloniae was found to have roamed earth 11.6 million years ago. This species has important implications for creating the last common ancestor of the two groups namely the living hominids. This fossil discovery provides the clue to the missing link at the start of ape and human history.New evidence reveals large and small apes may have co-existed since hominoids originated. Discovery filled a gap in fossil record providing researchers information about evolution of apes. The partial skeleton was discovered in Barcelona, Abocador de Can Mata, in 2011. It was composed of 70 fossil remains and scientists concluded the fossil remains belong to an adult female that weighed between 9 and 11 pounds.

ANSWER: 6000 year old eco home

Explanation:
British archeologists have discovered an eco home which is 6,000 years old close to the prehistoric Stonehenge monument. This shelter at Blick Mead was used from 4336 BC for a period of 90 year. It dates back to 4336BC to 4246BC, making it about 6,000 years old. Archaeologists are looking to discover clues about the ancient stone circle through this latest discovery.

ANSWER: TinyOwl

Explanation:
Food ordering platform TinyOwl has raised INR 50 crore from current investors led by Sequoia Capital and Matrix Partners. The 2 year old Mumbai based company is looking at controlling burn rate and outsourcing deliveries while restructuring operations. New funds have given the platform 12 months of run time to focus on creation of a sustainable business in this domain. Its co founders are IIT graduates Harshvardhan Mandad, Gaurav Choudhary, Saurabh Goyal, Shikhar Paliwal and Tanuj Khandelwal. It also counts Snapdeal’s Kunal Bahl among its investors.

ANSWER: Tsinghua

Explanation:
Chinese state backed technology group Tsinghua Unigroup Ltd will be purchasing a 25% stake in Powertech Technology for USD 600 million and is the largest shareholder in the chip packaging and testing industry in Taiwan. Alliance will boost the development of the fledgling chip industry in China. Tsinghua Unigroup will pay USD 2.31 per share in a private placement of new Powertech shares to garner 25% ownership of the firm.

ANSWER: INR 3.78 lakh crore

Explanation:
Central government has notched up fiscal deficit of INR 3.78 lakh crore totalling 68.1% of the full 2015-2016 fiscal target. This was during the period of the first 6 months (April to September), according to data released by the government. By September, government got revenue of INR 5.13 lakh crore which is 45% of FY16 estimate and total spending was pegged at INR 9.11 lakh crore or 51.2 percent. From the total spending, plan spending was estimated at INR 2.54 lakh crore and non plan at INR 6.57 lakh crore. Of the total revenues, GoI has received INR 144 lakh crore through non tax sources and a significant portions of tax revenues have been received during Q4.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Among 8 new species have been added to the Red List of IUCN. Of these, 5 have been uplisted from Least Concerned to Near Threatened Category including the Northern Lapwing, Red Knot, Eurasian Oystercatcher, Curlew Sandpiper and Bar Tailed Godwit. Two wetland birds namely the Horned Grebe and the Common Pochard have been stepped up to Vulnerable from Least Concerned. A raptor the Steppe Eagle has been upgraded from Least Concerned to Endangered in the Red List.

ANSWER: Atacama

Explanation:
Due to a disruptive weather phenomenon known as El Nino, a massive carpet of flowers has covered the most arid desert in the world, Chilean Atacama desert. In the vast desert of Northern Chile, the El Nino effect has caused explosion of numerous species of flowers in an otherwise arid region where temperatures would soar to 40 degree C. Various types of flowers have flourished including Nolana paradoxa, Bomarea ovallei and Rhodophiala rhodolirion. The reason for this bloom is the El Nino phenomenon altering weather patterns across the Pacific region.

ANSWER: HCL

Explanation:
International IT services company HCL Technologies has on 29th October 2015 acquired PowerObjects, a leading N. American provider of Microsoft Dynamics CRM for INR 299 crore. This will boost its global applications business. PowerObjects is a professional services firm that is focused on providing 100% service, support, education and add-ons for Microsoft Dynamics Customer Resource Management. The company is also the winner of 2012 Microsoft Dynamics CRM Partner of the year.