Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Sept 20, 2015

ANSWER: Experience Himachal on The Road-Rajaa Bhasin

Explanation:
Times Group Books has won a national award for tourism under the “excellence in publishing -English” for the travel guide Experience Himachal On The Road, written by Raaja Bhasin. Union tourism ministry presented the award to encourage healthy competition with the aim of promoting tourism.

ANSWER: Cross

Explanation:
In a first move of its kind, none of the above options on EVMs will carry the symbol of a cross in Bihar polls and all forthcoming elections. It will be present on the last panel of all EVMs carrying photos of candidates and other ballot papers against the Nota option. State chief electoral officers have been issued instructions for the same. Symbol has been designed by National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad.

ANSWER: USD 500 to 700 million

Explanation:
Etihad Airways and equity partner airlines have increased funds garnered from unique platform financing transaction from USD 500 million to 700 million. Etihad has 24% stake in Jet Airways and will attain 16% of this amount for USD 110 million. Funds will be divided across 7 businesses and used for capital expenditure, fleet investment and refinancing. Additional funds will pave the way for the airline to realise its vision and strategies. The CEO and President of Etihad is James Hogan.

ANSWER: Vikas Purohit

Explanation:
Vikas Purohit, heading the key fashion and lifestyle category at Amazon India has moved on from the company . Since the launch of this category in September 2013, it has emerged as one of the top three stores on Amazon.in, in terms of volume and value. Susan Saideman, VP for global vendor management has been appointed the interim head for this business. Fashion is one of the biggest potentials for US based companies in India. The top online fashion retailers include Myntra and Jabong. Purohit has worked for Tommy Hilfiger, Diesel, Madura Garments and Planet Retail before this.

ANSWER: NexAge Technologies

Explanation:
Cloud competing services provider 8K Miles Software has purchased US based NexAge Technologies specialist in life sciences sector for USD 3 million which is its 4th acquisition in the past one year. 8K Miles Software is headquartered in San Francisco and it has a registered office in Chennai. It is the only listed cloud computing services provider in India. Acquisition aims to strengthen life sciences competency.

ANSWER: TATA Motors

Explanation:
TATA Steel has sold shares equalling INR 2500 crore in TATA Motors in 2 separate transactions of INR 1250 crore as per the term sheet of the deal. Largest private sector for steelmaker, TATA group owned 5.54% stake in TATA Motors in June 2015 and sold 1.33% stake in block deal at average price of INR 324.5 per share to raise INR 1250 crore. TATA Steel continues to hold 2.88% in TATA Motors as per the analysis. TATA Steel has a debt of INR 69,000 crore in FY15 and has sold 2.18% of its stake in Titan to TATA Sons for INR 637 crore.

ANSWER: Integrated Power Development Scheme

Explanation:
PM Narendra Modi has launched the Integrated Power Development Scheme/IPDS worth INR 45,000 crore to strengthen distribution networks and ensure 24/7 power supply by 2022. This scheme will address issues such as fraud in the power sector, specifically in urban areas. IPDS will cover works pertaining to distribution and transmission system. This includes provisioning of solar panels, metering of distribution consumer/ feeder/ transformers in urban areas. Scheme also focuses on strengthening power distribution. Scheme will also work to make the city of Kasha a smart one through use of the INR 572 crore fund in this scheme.

ANSWER: 40 lakh tonnes

Explanation:
To deal with the huge stockpile of sugar in the country to prevent further price cashing and poor industry health, food ministry has established an MIEQ for manufacturers to export 40 lakh tonnes in the next sugar season in October 2015. UP millers will have to export 10 lakh tonnes and manufacturers in Maharashtra will have to export 13 lakh tonnes. This comes when India is recording surplus sugar production for the 6th consecutive year. Total domestic consumption is projected at 284 lakh tonnes. Exports from India continue to remain unviable and the industry will seek the government’s help.

ANSWER: Pythagorean theorem

Explanation:
World bank economist Kaushik Basu has found new proof of the Pythagorean theorem. Cornell University economist, Basu demonstrated his proof in a paper titled "A New and Very Long Proof of the Pythagoras Theorem By Way of a Proposition on Isosceles Triangles.” Greek mathematician Pythagoras proved the same theorem around 500 BC. James Garfield also completed his proof of the Pythagoras theorem in 1876, 4 years prior to his election as a president. In deriving the proof Basu discovered some new things about the properties of isosceles triangles — ones with at least two sides of equal length. Right triangles are ones with one square (90-degree) angle.

ANSWER: Sunil Duggal

Explanation:
Sunil Duggal will take over as the new chief executive officer of Hindustan Zinc Ltd we.f October 1, 2015. Duggan is currently deputy CEO and he will also become a whole time director of Hindustan Zinc. His elevation comes when current CEO Akhilesh Joshi is going to take over as whole time director of HZL and president, global zinc business of Vedanta Group.

ANSWER: Bunostegos akokanensis

Explanation:
A 260 million year old cow sized pre-reptile Bunostegos akokanensis was the earliest known creature to stand upright on all fours. Most of the known pareisaurs roving the super continent pf Pangea in Permian era a quarter of billion years ago were sprawlers. Their limbs jut out from the side of the body and continue to slant down from the elbow( much like modern lizards). Though the Bunostegos akokanensis was expected to be a sprawler too, bones of the animal’s forelimb pointed to a different direction. Its anatomy is sprawling precluding and directed underneath its body.

ANSWER: Both of the above

Explanation:
Japanese Parliament has voted into law a defence policy shift which could permit its troops to fight overseas for the first time since 1945. This shift which is the biggest change in the defence policy of Japan since creation of post war military in 1954 is critical to meet new challenges, especially from China. Legislation has triggered protests from citizens who fear it could ensnare the Japanese troops in global violence. Bills promoting the law were approved by the lower and upper house of the Japanese parliament, despite opposition efforts to block vote submitting censure motions and no confidence motion against the cabinet of Shinzo Abe in the lower house. Long standing ban on collective self defence is to be removed via this law.

ANSWER: Bal Pandit

Explanation:
Veteran Marathi cricket commentator and writer Bal Pandit passed away in Pune, Maharashtra on September 17, 2015 at the age of 89. He popularised cricket through vernacular Marathi commentary in various media such as radio, books, magazines and newspapers. Pandit also authored 30 books on numerous aspects of cricket. He translated Sunil Gavaskar’s autobiography Sunny Days into Marathi. Pandit was also bestowed with Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Award in 1978 by the Maharashtra Government in recognition of his contribution to the game of cricket.