Daily Current Affairs Quiz With Explanation 19/2/2016

#everydayquiz #20Questions With Explanation 1)   Centre has approved nomination of which officer of the NITI Aayog as the part time member of Telecom Commission on 17th February 2016? a. CEO b. CFO c. CIO d. Chairman Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: CEO Explanation:  The CEO of NITI Aayog will be the part time member of Telecom Commission instead of the Secretary of the Former Planning Commission. Participation in the Telecom Commission meetings will ensure value addition as NITI Aayog is the chief think tank of the government. Telecom Commission was set up in the 1980s and previously comprised 4 full and part time members as well as a chairman. Following replacement, only 3 part time members are left in the Telecom Commission.

2)   Space Applications Centre of ISRO and SFL of University of Toronto are collaborating for the development of the NEMO-AM satellite. What does NEMO-AM stand for? a. Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observing and Aerosol Monitoring b. Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observation and Aerosol Monitoring c. New Generation Earth Monitor and Observer and Aerosol Monitor d. None of the above Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observation and Aerosol Monitoring Explanation:  Space Applications Centre of ISRO and Space Flight Lab of the University of Toronto’s institute for Aerospace Studies collaborated on the NEMO AM or Next Generation Earth Monitoring and Observation and Aerosol Monitoring satellite. This is one of the top performing nano satellite missions of the ISRO which will monitor suspended particles and aerosols in the air of the most polluted Indian cities. SAC will provide necessary software and the nano-satellite, which will be of 2x2x1 feet dimension and weight 15kg, will be placed 500 km above the earth. NEMO-AM will cover around 50,000 square km of the country’s 32.87 lakh sq km.

3)   Aston Martin has set up a JV with which Chinese group for developing its first electric vehicle? a. LeEco b. Baidu c. Redme d. None of the above Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: LeEco Explanation:  Aston Martin has set up a joint venture with Chinese tech company LeEco to develop the Briths luxury car company’s first electric vehicle which will come to the markets in 2018. The partners plan to develop the new electric bar based on the Rapide S model. Alongside this, JV plans are on to collaborate with startup electric car venture led by Jia Yueting, Faraday Future.

4)   Which telecom company has inked an agreement with communication technology MNC Ericsson to deploy 4G network across specific Indian telecom circles? a. Idea Cellular b. Vodafone c. Airtel d. BT Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Idea Cellular Explanation:  Idea Cellular has announced the inking of an agreement with Swedish communication technology MNC Ericsson to deploy the 4G network across certain Indian telecom circles serving over 40 million subscribers. The existing mobile radio access and core network infrastructure across 9 circles for 2G and 5 circles for 3G is on the nail, according to CEO, India Cellular H. Kapania.

5)   Which special photoelectrode has been developed by Korea’s scientists to boost ability of solar water splitting to generate hydrogen? a. Ar NPs/TiO2/Au b. Ap NPs/TiO2/Au c. Aq NPs/TiO2/Au d. Au NPs/TiO2/Au Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Au NPs/TiO2/Au Explanation:  Much the way plants convert sunlight into energy, scientists from Korea have developed a new kind of multi-layered photoelectrode boosting the ability of absorbing visible light from the sun an using it to split H20 molecule into hydrogen and oxygen. The photoelectron is called Au NPs/TiO2/Au. This photoelectron takes the form of 2 dimensional hybrid metal dielectric structures comprising 3 layers of gold or Au film, ultra think TiO2 layer and golden nanoparticles (Au NPs). Researchers affiliated with Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology in S. Korea reported this promising new discovery demonstrates high light absorption of about 90% in the visible range 380-700 nanometre (nm), as well as significant enhancement in photo-catalytic applications. Moreover, this photoelectrode uses approximately 95% of the visible spectrum of sunlight, which makes up a substantial portion (40 per cent) of full sunlight.Developed technology will improve hydrogen production efficiency.

6)   Scientists have discovered the first fossil specimens of which family of flowering plants? a. Asterid b. Asparagusceae c. Adoxaceae d. Akaniaceae Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Asterid Explanation:  Scientists have discovered the first fossil specimens of the asterid, a family of flowering plants ranging from petunias to potatoes and tomatoes. The 20 to 30 million year old fossil flowers were found in piece of amber came from the darker side of the asterid family belonging to the genus Strychnos which is the base for famous poisons such as curare and strychnine. Asterids are among the most important and diverse plants with 10 orders, 98 families and 80,000 species representing one third of the earth’s diversity of angiosperms or flowing plants. There are now about 200 species of Strychnos plants around the world, in forms ranging from shrubs to trees and woody climbing vines, mostly in the tropics studied for medicinal properties.

7)   Which renowned writer recently passed away in Kerala and was vice president of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi? a. Arundhati Roy b. Akbar Kakkattil c. V. S. Naipaul d. None of the above Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Akbar Kakkattil Explanation:  Well known novelist and short story writer Akbar Kakkattil has passed away after succumbing to lung cancer. He was the Vice-President of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi and member of Malayalam Advisory Panel of NBT and Malayalam Advisory Board of government of Kerala. He won the Kerala Sahitya Akademi awards in 1992 and 2004 and his work “Paadham 30” is the first Malayali teacher service story. He also won several other awards such as Ankanam Sahitya award, SK Pottekad award, State television award for best story writer and Rajiv Gandhi peace foundation award.

8)   National Day of which nation was celebrated on February 18, 2016? a. Zambia b. Gambia c. Tanzania d. Liberia Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Gambia Explanation:  The National Day of Gambia was celebrated on the 18th February 2016. President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee extended greetings to the people and government of this nation. The current president of the Republic of Gambia is His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, and bilateral cooperation between India and this nation is considerable.

9)   Which e-commerce major has appointed Nitin Seth as its new Chief People Officer? a. Snapdeal b. Myntra c. Amazon d. Flipkart Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Flipkart Explanation:  e-Commerce major Flipkart has announced the appointment of Nitin Seth as new Chief People Officer and will report to CEO Binny Bansal. Before joining Flipkart, he was MD and country head for Fidelity International in India and responsible for company’s offshore operations in Tunisia and India.

10)   GoI has just launched the ENVIS portal. What does ENVIS stand for? a. Environment Informational Schedule b. Environmental Information System c. Ecological Information System d. Ecology India System Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Environmental Information System Explanation:  MoEF has launched the ENVIS or Environment alI information System Portal to discover new ways to reach people and make scene and sustainable practices popular. Ministry also awarded the best state ENVIS centre to Forests, Environment and Wildlife Management Department, Sikkim. Award for best thematic Envis centre went to IISC, Bengaluru. Knowledge products of the ENVIS Centre were also released namely an ENVIS Bulletin on ‘Ecology and Management of Grassland Habitats in India’ by WII ENVIS Centre, a book on ‘State at a Glance: Jammu & Kashmir’ Vol(1) 3, 2015 by GB Pant ENVIS Centre, a book on ‘Ecological Traditions of India - Gujarat - Vol. XI’ by CPREEC ENVIS Centre and a Compendium on "Environment in the Indian Parliament: 2011-2015" (CD format) by WWF ENVIS Centre. Mobile apps including the ENVIS App 2.2 was released regarding common medicinal plants by FRHLT ENVIS Centre. About ENVIS Environmental Information System (http://envis.nic.in) is a parallel initiative running with the Digital India Objective. ENVIS, a CSS scheme of the Ministry jas been implemented since the 1980s. The scheme aims to integrate nation-wide efforts in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval and dissemination through ENVIS websites, which are dedicated to different interesting themes. The network presently consists of 69 Centres, of which 29 are hosted by the environment/forest department of State governments/UT Administrations and deal with “State of the environment and related issues”, while 40 Centres are being hosted by environment-related governmental and non-governmental organisations/institutes of professional excellence. Key users of this information system will be state and central governments.

11)   NTPC has tied up with which German Institutes for consolidating presence in renewable energy/solar energy sector? a. DLR Cologne b. Institute of Solar Energy c. NETRA d. Both a and b Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Both a and b Explanation:  National Thermal Power Corporation’s NETRA (its R&D Wing) will collaborate with German institutions DLR Cologne and ISE, Fraunhofer, Freiburg on Solar Energy Research. Contract agreements have been signed with DLR Cologne for Research in Solar Thermal and ISE Fraunhofer for Research in Solar PV," said the source. As part of this programme, NETRA will also set up excellent evaluation facilities for Solar PV, CPV and CSP under knowledge sharing programmes with the government of Germany. Programme is funded by the German government under the Indo German Research Cooperation. NTPC has already commissioned several solar and hydro power projects. It aims to reduce dependence on fossil fuels to 56% by 2032 from 85#. Power producer envisages renewable energy will contribute 28% to capacity of 1,28,000 MW by 2030s.

12)   Union Cabinet has approved the Proposal for Notification of Commitments under TFA of the WTO and constitution of NCTF. What does TFA and NCTF stand for? a. Trade Facilitation Agreement, National Council on Trade Formation b. Trade Facilitation Accord, National Committee on Trade Facilitation c. Trade Facilitation Agreement, National Committee on Trade Facilitation d. None of the above Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Trade Facilitation Agreement, National Committee on Trade Facilitation Explanation:  Union Cabinet chaired by PM Narendra Modi has provided approval for the Proposal for Notification of Commitments under the Trade Facilitation Agreement of the WTO as well as ratification and acceptance of the Instrument of Acceptance of Protocol of TFA to WTO Secretariat and constitution of National Committee on Trade Facilitation. TFA contains provisions for movement, release and clearance of goods including transit goods apart from measuring effective cooperation between customers and appropriate authorities regarding trade facilitation and customs compliance issues. This matches with India’s Ease of Doing Business initiative. TFA shall come into force following acceptance by 2/3rds of the WTO members. NCTF will be established under the joint chairmanship of Secretary, Department of Revenue and Department of Commerce.

13)   Which website was launched for the Maritime Indian Summit 2016? a. www.maritimeinvestment.com b. www.indianmaritime.in c. www.indiamaritimeinvestment.com d. www.maritimeinvest.in Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: www.maritimeinvest.in Explanation:  Mr. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Shopping, Road Transport and Highways launched a website entitled www.maritimeinvest.in to commemorate the Maritime India Summit within the Make in India Summit. User friendly website will facilitate access to detailed information about the summit including registrations. Maritime India Summit 2016 is a global maiden summit being carried out by the Shipping Ministry in April. For MIS 2016, India’s partner country is the Republic of Korea. More than 50 maritime nations have also been invited to attend the summit.

14)   Which maritime summit is being held for the first time in India in April? a. Maritime India Summit b. Maritime Cluster Development Summit c. Maritime Smart Cities Summit d. Maritime Inland Waterways Summit Answer   ANSWER: Maritime India Summit Explanation:  This is the flagship initiative of the Shipping Ministry. It provides an excellent platform for participants to fund business opportunities. The Maritime India Summit will showcase investment opportunities in the maritime sector for different activities such as port modernisation, shipbuilding, ship repair and cycling. The aim is to provide a platform for interacting closely with pioneering international maritime organisations and create awareness about trends and potential for maritime sector in India.

15)   Ministry of Mines has finalised the draft NMEP. What does NMEP stand for? a. National Mines Exploration Policy b. National Minerals Exploration Policy c. National Mines Excavation Policy d. National Minerals Excavation Policy Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: National Minerals Exploration Policy Explanation:  Union Minister of Steel & Mines Mr. N. Singh Tomar released a report on identifying 100 mineral exploration blocks at the 55th Central Geological Programming Board (CGPB) meeting of Geological Survey of India, Ministry of Mines at A.P. Shinde Symposium Hall, Indian Council for Agricultural Research, NASC Complex, Pusa in New Delhi today. NMEP or Draft National Mineral Exploration Policy has outlined a host of measures for increasing mineral exploration in the country such as increasing private investment.

16)   Which world’s first wireless flexible smartphone has been developed that allows users to sense the buzz through app bending? a. ReFlex b. UnFlex c. InFlex d. DeFlex Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: ReFlex Explanation:  This smartphone enables users to feel the buzz by bending apps. ReFlex is the world’s first wireless flexible smartphone which combines multitouch with bend input and allows users to experience physical tactile feedback when interacting with their apps through bend gestures. Based on a high definition 720p LG Display Flexible OLED touch screen powered by an Android 4.4 “KitKat” board mounted to the side of the display, ReFlex also features a voice coil that allows the phone to replicate forces and friction through intricately detailed vibrations of the display.

17)   Which project has been launched by Geographical Survey of India in collaboration with Ministry of Mines and Steel? a. Operation Khanij Khoj/ Discover b. Operation Khanij Kosh/ Explore c. Operation Khanij Khazana/Excavate d. Operation Khanij Khoj/Uncover Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Operation Khanij Khoj/Uncover Explanation:  Minister of Mines and Steel, Mr. Narendra Singh Tomar launched the Khanij Khoj/Uncover project of the Geographical Survey of India. This is one of the flagship programmes of the draft NMEP. The project will be carried out in two selected parts of the country to look for buried/concealed mineral deposits. The main components of this initiative are as follows: Characterising the geological cover of India Studying lithospheric architecture Resolution of 4D geofynamic and metallogenic evolution Isolating the distal footprints of ore despots

18)   Cabinet has provided ex-post facto approval for agricultural MoUs with which of the following countries on 17th February 2016? a. Nepal b. Cyprus c. Liberia d. Both a and b Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Both a and b Explanation:  Cabinet has provided ex-post factor approval to as many as 13 MoUs in the field go agriculture, for cooperation in agriculture and allied sectors. The 13 countries are Cyprus, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Israel, Nepal, Netherlands, Bhutan, Mauritius, Chile, Tanzania, Suriname, Syria and Zambia. MoUs have been signed for capacity building, exchange of knowledge and genetic resources and development of suitable technologies and farm practices for increasing productivity.

19)   GoI has agreed to an MoU between India and which Singapore organisation for cooperation in the field of urban planning, governance? a. SCE b. STE c. SME d. SPE Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: SCE Explanation:  Government has provided approval for an agreement with Singapore for cooperation in areas of urban planning and governance. The Union Cabinet chaired by India’s PM has just provided ex post facto approval to an MoU signed with Singapore Cooperation Enterprise to share experiences in the field of urban development, capacity building and governance.

20)   WHO has released a USD 56 million operation appeal for combating Zika. Which two serious neurological disorders is Zika thought to be associated with? a. Microcephaly b. Encephala c. Guillain-Barre syndrome d. Both a and c Answer  Explanation  ANSWER: Both a and c Explanation:  WHO announced initial response to Zika virus outbreak, launching a funding appeal of 50 million euros for an operation to combat the outbreak. Zika was first discovered in 1947 in Uganda and has become a major health concern and has been implicated in Microcephaly and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. Brazil is the hardest hit by this virus.

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