Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015

Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015

Q1.With which of the following organisations, the Union Transport Ministry is in collaboration to work on developing cost-effective battery technologies to make electric buses economically viable?

A. ISRO
B. DRDO
C. CDAC
D. BHEL

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ANSWER: A. ISRO

This initiative will also help in cutting down on the carbon emissions especially in the urban areas. A meeting was held on 20th Aug’15 in this regard between the officials from the Road and Highways Ministry, the Science and Technology Ministry and ISRO. The road ministry will within a week submit all its documents with regard to battery-specification requirement to ISRO. ISRO will develop a time-bound programme for the development of these commercial batteries.



Q2. On 20th Aug’15 with which country, the agreement for exchange of information with respect to taxes has been approved by the Cabinet?

A. Switzerland
B. Seychelles
C. Sweden
D. UAE

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ANSWER: B. Seychelles

The cabinet has approved the signing and ratification agreement between India and Seychelles for exchange of information with respect to taxes. The Agreement will stimulate the flow of exchange of information between India and Seychelles for tax purposes, which will help curb tax evasion and tax avoidance. The Union Cabinet also gave its approval for the signing of the revised Air Services Agreement (ASA) between India and Seychelles to modernize and update the existing ASA signed in 1978.



Q3. Name the country that will host ‘Call To Action Summit’ on 27th Aug’15, aimed at ending preventable child and maternal deaths?

A. Indonesia
B. China
C. Australia
D. India

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ANSWER: D. India

The programme--Call To Action Summit-- will be attended by Health Ministers from 24 countries, state health ministers from India and International academic experts. It will provide a platform to deliberate upon the importance of systems, innovations, convergence and evidence in ending preventable maternal and child deaths.



Q4. Who has been appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of national carrier Air India for three years?

A. Rajeev Lohati
B. Ashwani Lohani
C. R K Singh
D. Rohit Nandan

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ANSWER: B. Ashwani Lohani

On 20th Aug’15 Ashwani Lohani was appointed as Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of national carrier Air India for three years. He will be replacing Rohit Nandan, whose extended tenure ends on 21st August. The Appointments Committee of Cabinet has approved appointment of Lohani, a 1980 batch Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME) officer, as CMD, Air India Ltd. He is presently working as Managing Director of Madhya Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation in Bhopal.



Q5. Which country’s scientists have found a way to take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and make carbon nanofibres, a valuable manufacturing material?

A. India
B. United States
C. Japan
D. Singapore

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ANSWER: B. United States

Scientists in the U.S. have found a way to take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and make carbon nanofibres, a valuable manufacturing material. Their solar-powered system runs just a few volts of electricity through a vat full of a hot, molten salt; CO2 is absorbed and the nanofibres gradually assemble at one of the electrodes. It currently produces 10g in an hour. The team suggests it could be scaled up and makes an impact on CO2 emissions, but other researchers are unsure. Nonetheless, it could offer a cheaper way of making carbon nanofibres than existing methods.



Q6. Name the port where a Greek government chartered ferry has arrived near Athens, after picking up almost 2,500 migrants from islands near the Turkish coast?

A. Piraeus
B. Cape Matapan
C. Palermo
D. Cyclades

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ANSWER: A. Piraeus

The migrants, most of them Syrian refugees, boarded the Eleftherios Venizelos car ferry in Kos, Kalymnos, Leros and Lesvos in the past few days. The influx of migrants in Greece has increased dramatically in the past month to around 50,000. Greece has become the main transit point for migrants into the European Union in the past few months, with UN officials estimating that almost 160,000 have arrived on its shores since January.



Q7. In which state an efficient smart street lighting project ‘RISHTA’ was launched on 20th Aug’15?

A. Himachal Pradesh
B. Jharkhand
C. Madhya Pradesh
D. Karnataka

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ANSWER: A. Himachal Pradesh

It makes Himachal Pradesh the first state in North India to do so. Known as LED based Energy, Efficient and CCMS (Centralized Control and Monitoring System) Smart Street Lighting Scheme for Urban Local bodies and named as Rajiv Gandhi Illuminating Scheme for Hill Town Advancement (RISHTA). The Urban Development Department has taken this innovative in collaboration with EESL (Energy Efficient Services Limited), a joint venture company formed by 4 power sectors-National Thermal Power Corporation, Power Grid Corporation of India, Power Finance Corporation Ltd. and Rural Electrification Corporation. Under the scheme, the EESL will invest all the capital upfront.



Q8. To marked the anniversary of which leader ‘Sadbhavna Diwas’ observed by the Meghalaya along with the rest of the country?

A. Lala Lajpat Rai
B. Subhash Chandra Bose
C. Rajeev Gandhi
D. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

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ANSWER: C. Rajeev Gandhi

The birth anniversary of Rajeev Gandhi was observed on 20th Aug’15.



Q9. On 20th Aug’15 which of the following badminton players regained the first rank in the world badminton rankings?

A. Carolina Martin
B. Saina Nehwal
C. Ashwini Poppanna
D. Jwala Gutta

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ANSWER: B. Saina Nehwal

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal regained the number one spot in world badminton rankings by toppling Spaniard Carolina Martin to whom she had lost in the summit clash of the just-concluded World Championships. Olympic bronze medallist Saina, who was beaten by Carolina at Jakarta on 16th Aug’15, dethroned the Spaniard in the latest Badminton World Federation ranking released on 20th Aug’15.



Q10. Who has been appointed as the President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on 19th Aug’15?

A. Lamine Diack
B. David Russel
C. Sebastian Coe
D. None of these

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ANSWER: C. Sebastian Coe

The world government body of athletics, the International Association of Athletics Federations - the IAAF, has chosen the British former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe as its new president. His election comes at a time, when the organisation is facing allegations of widespread doping in the sport. He succeeds Senegalese Lamine Diack, 82, who has led the IAAF for 16 years.



Q11. With effect from which day, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways issued a notification to introduce the Bharat Stage IV' compliant four wheeler vehicles throughout the country?

A. 31st Dec’15
B. 1st Jan’16
C. 1st Apr’17
D. 31st Mar’16

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ANSWER: C. 1st Apr’17

The sale and registration of vehicles not meeting the new emission norms won't be allowed in the country from April 2017 and only Bharat Stage compliant four-wheeler vehicles will be manufactured. BS-IV norm was first introduced in the country in April 2010.



Q12. Name the Bollywood actor who has been named as an advocate for United Nations’ campaign on gender equality?

A. Amitabh Bachchan
B. Salman Khan
C. Arshad Warsi
D. Anupam Kher

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ANSWER: D. Anupam Kher

Anupam Kher has been appointed as the UN ambassador of the 'HeForShe' campaign for gender equality. The 'HeForShe' campaign has been initiated by UN Women. Its goal is to engage men as agents of change for the achievement of gender equality and women's rights, by encouraging them to take action against inequalities faced by women and girls.



Q13. Name the person who became the first-ever Indian to be chosen as one of the members of the prestigious Council of the IAAF, the global governing body of athletics on 19 July 2015?

A. Amrinder Gill
B. Lala Amarnath
C. Adille Sumariwalla
D. Aditya Das

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ANSWER: C. Adille Sumariwalla

He is an Olympian 100m runner and President of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), was elected as one of the nine individual members of the all-powerful IAAF Council at the IAAF’s 50th Congress held at Beijing.



Q14. Name the writer awarded the prestigious ‘Maharashtra Bhushan’ award on 20th Aug’15 by the Maharashtra Government?

A. Balasaheb Nemade
B. Dudh Nath Singh
C. Babasaheb Purandre
D. Ram Naik

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ANSWER: C. Babasaheb Purandre

Babasaheb Purandare is a well-known writer and theatre personality from Maharashtra, known for his ballads and writing on Maratha warrior Shivaji.


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    Discussion

  • RE: Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015 -Gurdeepinder Singh (08/23/15)
  • G8 Work done.
  • RE: Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015 -jagannathan.s (08/22/15)
  • Very useful !
  • RE: Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015 -pooja meena (08/22/15)
  • Himachal pradesh
  • RE: Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015 -Tippu (08/21/15)
  • thank u very much
  • RE: Current Affairs Questions and Answers - August 21, 2015 -Appu (08/21/15)
  • Thank u careerride.com