Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Sep 06, 2017

ANSWER: uptake of health services, food, drinking water & sanitation and income & livelihoods

Explanation:
Leader of the Green Revolution Dr. M.S Swaminathan and Padma Shri Dr. H Sudarshan, on Sept 5 2017, launched the National Nutrition Strategy, along with Vice Chairman Dr. Rajiv Kumar and Member Dr. Vinod Paul.

With a benefit to cost ratio of 16:1 for 40 low and middle-income countries, there is a well recognized rationale, globally, for investing in Nutrition.

The recently published NFHS-4 results reflect some progress, with a decline in the overall levels of under nutrition in both women and children.

However, the pace of decline is far below what numerous countries with similar growth trajectories to India have achieved.

Moreover, India pays an income penalty of 9% to 10% due to a workforce that was stunted during their childhood.

To address this and to bring nutrition to the centre-stage of the National DevelopmentAgenda, NITI Aayog has drafted the National Nutrition Strategy.

Formulated through an extensive consultative process, the Strategy lays down a roadmap for effective action, among both implementers and practitioners, in achieving our nutrition objectives.

The nutrition strategy envisages a framework wherein the four proximate determinants of nutrition - uptake of health services, food, drinking water & sanitation and income & livelihoods - work together to accelerate decline of under nutrition in India.

National Nutrition Strategy: Know More

• The Nutrition Strategy framework envisages a Kuposhan Mukt Bharat - linked to Swachh Bharat and Swasth Bharat.
• The aim is to ensure that States create customized State/ District Action Plans to address local needs and challenges.
• This is especially relevant in view of enhanced resources available with the States, to prioritise focussed interventions with a greater role for panchayats and urban local bodies.
• The strategy enables states to make strategic choices, through decentralized planning and local innovation, with accountability for nutrition outcomes.

ANSWER: Jomde Kena

Explanation:
Arunachal Pradesh Health and Family Welfare Minister Jomde Kena died at a private hospital in Guwahati after prolonged illness.

52-year old Kena, a resident of Gensi village in Lower Siang district was undergoing treatment at Guwahati.

Kena, who represented Likabali constituency, was first elected to the Legislative Assembly in 2004.

He was re-elected to the House from the same constituency in 2009 and 2014.

Kena was elected as Deputy Speaker during Nabam Tuki Government and served as Parliamentary Secretary under the Dorjee Khandu and Jarbom Gamlin ministries.

He is survived by his wife, four daughters and two sons.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Meritorious teachers working in primary, middle and secondary schools will be conferred the National Award on the occasion of Teachers’ Day by the Vice President.

As per NDTV report, in the programme, apart from the teachers from government schools, teachers from schools affiliated with CBSE, CISCE, Sainik School, Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan (KVS), Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS), Central Tibetan School Administration (CTSA) and schools run by the Atomic Energy Education Society are also conferred with the award.

There is a set quota of awards for each state.

About the award

• The awards were instituted in 1958 and there are 374 awards in total out of which 20 awards are reserved for Sanskrit, Persian and Arabic teachers
• The award carries a medal, certificate, and award money of Rs 50,000
• Since 2001, ‘Special Awards’ have been instituted for special educators who promote inclusive education in schools.
• The awards also include a total of 43 ‘Special Education’ awards which are given to teachers of the following category:
• Teachers with disabilities working in mainstream schools
• Special teachers or trained teachers having done outstanding work in the field of inclusive education

ANSWER: Surya Kiran

Explanation:
India and Nepal on Sept 5, 2017 began their joint military exercise in the western part of the Himalayan country.

This is focusing on counter-terrorism and forest fighting operations.

The exercise - Surya Kiran - was being participated by around 300 troops each side in Rupandehi district.

Senior Nepal Army officer Rajendra Karki inaugurated the exercise.

The 12th edition of Nepal-India joint military exercise will conclude on September 16.

Surya Kiran is the largest joint exercise in terms of troop participation.

The battalion-level joint training between the two armies will focus on counter-terror operations in mountainous terrain by facilitating interoperability.

Disaster management and joint operations for disaster relief will also be a part of the exercise.

The 11th edition of the joint exercise was held in Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand.

The Nepal Army said the joint exercise will provide the two armies a platform to exchange experiences, ideas and skills.

Surya Kiran series of exercises are held alternately in India and Nepal.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The Reserve Bank of India has listed HDFC Bank as a domestic systemically important bank (DSIB) under the bucketing structure identified last year.

State Bank of India and ICICI Bank were identified as DSIBs under the RBI rules in 2015.

The additional Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) requirement for D-SIBs has already been phased-in from April 1, 2016 and will become fully effective from April 1, 2019.

The additional CET1 requirement will be in addition to the capital conservation buffer.

D-SIB surcharge for HDFC Bank will be applicable from April 1, 2018.

What is DSIB?

• The RBI had issued the framework for dealing with domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) on July 22, 2014.
• The D-SIB framework requires the RBI to disclose the names of banks designated as D-SIBs every year in August starting from 2015 and place these banks in appropriate buckets depending upon their systemic importance scores (SISs).
• In case a foreign bank having branch presence in India is a global systemically important bank (G-SIB), it has to maintain additional CET1 capital surcharge in India as applicable to it as a G-SIB, proportionate to its risk weighted assets (RWAs) in India.
• Based on their systemic importance scores in ascending order, banks will be plotted into four different buckets and will be required to have additional Common Equity Tier 1 capital requirement ranging from 0.20 per cent to 0.80 per cent of risk weighted assets.
• SIBs are perceived as banks that are ‘Too Big To Fail (TBTF)’. This perception of TBTF creates an expectation of government support for these banks at the time of distress.

ANSWER: Isha Foundation

Explanation:
Isha Foundation has a decade of experience in matters related to environment and sustainability and hence has come up with a solution to stabilise and revitalise the rivers.

To ensure that the rivers are fed by moist soil throughout the year, the campaign plans to maintain a tree cover for at least one kilometre on either side of the entire river length and of about half a kilometre for tributaries.

Forest trees will be planted on government land and fruit trees on farmer’s land.

fruit trees will help to enhance the livelihood of farmers as well as improve nutritional intake among the people.

Rally for rivers: Know More

• The rally was flagged off on September 2 in Coimbatore and will be driving across 13 states and 22 cities in India and culminate on October 2 in Delhi.
• It will conduct over 21 events in major cities.
• The simplest way to participate in the campaign is by giving a missed call to 80009 80009.
• The missed calls will act as a vote to support the initiative.
• The rally is informational and celebratory at the same time. Artists and celebrities will also take an active part in the campaign.
• Film-stars, politicians and sportspersons have extended their support to the rally.
• Celebrities like Salman Khan, Arbaaz Khan, Anupam Kher, Rishi Kapoor, Kajal Agarwal, Ramya Krishnan, Manisha Koirala, PV Sindhu, Mithali Raj, Uma Bharti and Sonia Gandhi, among others, are urging fans and followers to support the campaign.

ANSWER: Solar storms

Explanation:
The mass beachings of sperm whales in countries around the North Sea last year could have been due to solar storms.

Twenty-nine sperm whales washed up on German, Dutch, French and British shores between January and February 2016.

This was surprising scientists after only 82 previous beaching of sperm whales had been documented since the 1990s.

The solar storms which create the Northern Lights phenomenon could also have caused the world’s magnetic field to shift by up to 460 km (286 miles) which would interfere with the whales’ sense of orientation.

That could explain why the whales swam into the relatively shallow North Sea rather than follow their traditional routes in the Atlantic where they would find it easier to correct their direction.

If whales enter the North Sea they cannot navigate back as it’s an unnatural environment for them and very shallow. However, if they were in the Atlantic then they could.

ANSWER: Sparrow Hawk

Explanation:
The common cuckoo, notorious for evading parental duty by hiding her eggs in the nests of other brooding birds, is even more devious than previously thought, scientists revealed.

After laying an egg, the female distracts the owner of the nest - a reed warbler in this case - essentially by frightening the poor bird out of its wits.

The cuckoo gives a “chuckle” that mimics the call of the sparrow hawk - which loves to snack on warbler flesh - before abandoning her egg among the warbler’s clutch and flying off to freedom.

This hawk-like chuckle call increases the success of parasitism by diverting host parents’ attention away from the clutch and towards their own safety.

ANSWER: Only a and b

Explanation:
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi on Sept 5, 2017 presented a reproduction of an 1841 map of a stretch of the River Salween to President of Myanmar H.E. Mr. U Htin Kyaw.

Prime Minister also presented a sculpture of Bodhi tree to the Myanmar President.

This is the PM's maiden bilateral visit to the country.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to meet Myanmar President Htin Kyaw, who shall host a banquet for the Indian PM.

Modi will be meeting Aung San Suu Kyi, the Burmese State Counsellor and will likely discuss issues pertaining to security and counter-terrorism, trade and investment, infrastructure and energy, and culture.