Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Apr 07, 2017

ANSWER: INS Shardul

Explanation:
In keeping with India’s national objective of ensuring a secure and stable regional environment to allow unhindered economic and social development, not just in India, but also in the Indian Ocean Region, Indian Naval Ship Shardul is on a two month long deployment in the South Indian Ocean.

It has an aim to provide surveillance support in the region.

The warship is under the command of Commander Rohit Mishra.
Deployment was aimed to show presence, deter IUU fishing and drug trafficking.

Since 2009, Indian Navy has been deploying ships to the region bi-annually to assist in patrolling of the vast EEZ of the country based on request by host nations.

The last such deployment was by the same ship in Dec 16. These committed and custom made deployments for joint patrol by Indian Navy Ships with the Coast Guard of the host nation underscore the strong relationship and cherished bonds of friendship between the nations of the region.

INS Shardul: Know More

• INS Shardul is a Landing Ship Tank (Large) of the Indian Navy
• Its primary role is to transport troops, vehicles, armaments and accomplish all objectives of an amphibious operation which primarily includes landing of combat equipment and personnel to an Amphibious Objective Area.
• INS Shardul has the capability to launch and recover Marine Commandos through sea as well as by helicopters.
• In addition, the ship can act as a ‘Hospital Ship’ with facilities provided in containerised form as well as a ‘Fleet Tanker’ for limited mission/ exercise.
• The ship is routinely deployed with the First Training Squadron and is responsible for the ab-initio sea training of Young Officers of Indian Navy.

ANSWER: Grameen Vidyutikaram

Explanation:
Grameen Vidyutikaran (GARV) App has been upgraded for monitoring the villages and households electrification in the country.

GARV-II includes monitoring of electrification of habitations as well as households. It also provides an interactive platform for feedback and would help in expediting electrification works.

Government of India has launched Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) with total investment of Rs.43,033 crore in the country in December, 2014 with the objectives of, inter-alia,

(i) Village Electrification;
(ii) Providing access to households;
(iii) Feeder Separation;
(iv) Strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution network and
(v) Metering.

Under DDUGJY, projects of an amount of INR.42553.17 crore have been sanctioned for rural electrification works which include village electrification, access to households, feeder separation, metering and system strengthening.

Initiatives to Improve Efficiency of Coal Plants: Know More

• The Government has taken several steps to modernize and improve the efficiency of coal based thermal power plants and to reduce the pollution level of coal based thermal power plants in the vicinity of these plants.
• Supercritical technology has already been adopted for thermal power generation.
• The design efficiency of Supercritical units is about 5% higher than that of typical 500 MW subcritical units and these (supercritical) units are likely to have correspondingly lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions in ambient air.
• A capacity addition of 39,710 MW power based on supercritical technology has already been achieved and 48,060 MW of supercritical technology is in the pipeline.
• All Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPs) are required to use supercritical technology.
• Coal based capacity addition during the 13th Plan period shall be through super-critical units.
• Indigenous research is being pursued for development of an Advanced Ultra Supercritical Technology (A-USC) with targeted efficiency improvement of about 10% over supercritical unit.
• Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), NTPC Ltd. and BHEL signed an MoU, in August 2010, for development of 800 MW A-USC indigenous demonstration plant with main steam pressure of 310 kg/cm2 and temperature of 710/ 720 deg C.
• A capacity of about 7751.94 MW of old and inefficient unit has already been retired till date.
• To facilitate State Utilities/IPPs to replace old inefficient coal based thermal units with supercritical units, Ministry of Coal, Government of India has formulated a policy of automatic transfer of Letter of Assurance (LOA)/Coal linkage (granted to old plants) to new (proposed) super-critical units.
• Perform Achieve and Trade (PAT) Scheme under National Mission on Enhanced Energy Efficiency is under implementation by BEE (Bureau of Energy Efficiency). In PAT cycle–II, individual target for improving efficiency has been assigned to 154 thermal power stations.
  High efficiency Electrostatics Preceptor (ESP) are installed to capture Particulate Matters from Flue gases.
• Low NOX burners are installed for reducing NOx emission from flue gases.
• SO2 emission control is achieved through dispersion of flue gases through tall stacks (275 metres) to reduce the concentration of polluting gases at ground level.

ANSWER: Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission

Explanation:
The Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM) is making a difference to the lives and livelihoods of over 3.6 crore households from where women have joined Self Help Groups (SHGs).

The collectives of women under SHGs, Village Organisations (VOs) and Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) has evolved transformational social capital that is changing gender relations, access to services and participation in Gram Sabhas and Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).

The programme has given confidence to women to seek Bank loans for economic activity after developing skills and competencies through a sustained Community Resource Person (CRP) led handholding for livelihood diversification.

Since the inception of the programme in 2011, women members of SHGs have accessed Rs. 1.06 lakh crore as Bank credit.

From INR 20,000 crore Bank linkage in 2014-15, SHGs got more than INR. 30,000 crore as credit in 2015-16.

Till February 2017 over INR. 29,000 crore had already been disbursed and it is expected that about INR. 35,000 crore to Rs. 38,000 crore will be mobilised as credit in the Financial Year 2016-17.

Analysis of Bank linkage in 2016-17 shows the remarkable increase in credit linkage in States like Assam, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Under the DAY-NRLM, over 30 lakh women farmers have been supported under Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana (MKSP) to promote sustainable agricultural practices.

The DAY-NRLM programme has reached nearly 1/3rd of the Gram Panchayats of the country and efforts for its consolidation and expansion are being continuously made.

During 2017-18, 52 lakh households through 4.5 lakh new SHGs were added to DAY-NRLM. Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme (SVEP) to develop 84,000 micro enterprises was started in 17 States covering 47 Blocks.

Solid Waste Management initiative through convergence was done in 11,000 (nearly 90%) villages of Tamil Nadu through their women SHGs.

To facilitate diversification of livelihoods, skill development for Placement Based Wage Employment and self-employment was promoted on a large scale through the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDUGKY) and Rural Self Employment & Training Institutes (RSETIs) respectively under DAY-NRLM.

The first National evaluation of DAY-NRLM has been completed recently by the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA).

Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh are ahead of other States in addressing urban poverty during the last three years i.e 2014-17.

Tamil Nadu is in the forefront in assisting urban poor with subsidized loans for self-employment through setting up of individual and group micro enterprises and formation of Self-Help Groups under Deen Dayal Antyodaya Yojana-NULM (DAY-NULM) and Uttar Pradesh led in skilling urban poor. Madhya Pradesh stood second in skill training and providing loans support.

NULM: Know More

• National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) was launched in September,2016.
• It has the objective of reducing the poverty and vulnerability of urban poor households by enabling them to access gainful self-employment and skilled wage employment opportunities for improvements in their livelihoods on a sustainable basis.
• NULM which was launched in 790 cities and towns in 2013 was subsequently extended to all the statutory 4,041 cities and towns in February, 2016.
• During 2014-17, 8,07,187 urban poor were given skill training, 1,35,158 beneficiaries were given subsidized bank loans for setting up own enterprises and 1,62,285 Self-Help Groups have been formed for taking up income augmenting activities with the support of bank loans.

ANSWER: 'Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development: Making India Resilient by 2030'

Explanation:
The Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir launched the website, http://npdrr2-mha.net.in, for the ensuing 2nd meeting of National Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction (NPDRR).

This is an exclusive website to share all information related to the NPDRR and keep updating delegates on daily basis about the meeting.

The 2nd meeting of the NPDRR will be held in the last week of April this year in New Delhi on the theme 'Disaster Risk Reduction for Sustainable Development: Making India Resilient by 2030'.

The first meeting of NPDRR was held during May 13 -14, 2013 in New Delhi on the theme 'Mainstreaming DRR in Development: From Risk to Resilience'.

The NPDRR is a multi-stakeholder National Platform headed by the Union Home Minister.

It consists of representatives from Central Government, State Governments, Local Self Governments, Parliament, Specialised agencies dealing with disaster, Institutions of National Importance, Industry, Media, Civil Society Organizations and International Organizations.

The NPDRR promotes participatory decision making in disaster management and strengthens federal policy of our country.

National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) are organizing 10 pre-events on different aspect of DRR in collaboration with their partner organizations as a build up to this 2nd meeting of NPDRR.

A national level slogan competition on "Role of NPDRR in disaster management" has been launched on March 31, 2017 to enhance citizen's involvement in Disaster Management.

ANSWER: Ganga

Explanation:
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, on April 6, 2017 launched development projects at Sahebganj in Jharkhand.

He laid the Foundation Stone of a 4-lane bridge over the River Ganga, and a multi-modal terminal.

The multi-modal terminal is an important component of the development of the National-Waterway 1 from Varanasi to Haldia.

The Prime Minister inaugurated the 311 kilometre Govindpur-Jamtara-Dumka-Sahebganj highway; and dedicated to the nation, a solar power facility at Sahebganj District Court Premises and Sahebganj District Hospital.

Ganges/Ganga: Know More

• Length: 2,525 km
• Mouth: Ganges Delta
• Basin: 1,080,000 km2 (416,990 sq mi)
• Sources: Gangotri Glacier, Nanda Kot, Satopanth Glacier, Kedarnath, Nanda Devi, Kamet, Trisul
• Cities: Varanasi, Haridwar, Allahabad, Kolkata, Patna, Kanpur, Ghazipur
• Important Bridges: Mahatma Gandhi Setu, Lakshman Jhula

ANSWER: Graphene

Explanation:
Researchers have developed a graphene-based sieve capable of removing salt from seawater, an advance that may provide clean drinking water for millions of people.

When immersed in water, graphene-oxide membranes become slightly swollen and smaller salts flow through the membrane along with water, while larger ions or molecules are blocked.

Researchers have now successfully developed graphene membranes and found a strategy to avoid the swelling of the membrane when exposed to water.

The pore size in the membrane can be precisely controlled, which can sieve common salts out of salty water and make it safe to drink.

When the common salts are dissolved in water, they always form a ‘shell’ of water molecules around the salt molecules.

This allows the tiny capillaries of the graphene-oxide membranes to block the salt from flowing along with the water.

Water molecules are able to pass through the membrane barrier and flow anomalously fast which is ideal for application of these membranes for desalination, researchers said.

Realisation of scalable membranes with uniform pore size down to atomic scale is a significant step forward and will open new possibilities for improving the efficiency of desalination technology according to Professor Rahul Nair, University of Manchester.

The membranes are not only useful for desalination, but the atomic scale tunability of the pore size also opens new opportunity to fabricate membranes with on-demand filtration capable of filtering out ions according to their sizes.

ANSWER: April 6

Explanation:
6 April was declared as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP) by the UN General Assembly.

In 2013, the Sixty-seventh session of the United Nations General Assembly decided to proclaim 6 April as the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace.

On the occasion of the 2017 International Day of Sport for Development and Peace (IDSDP), the United Nations Office on Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP) launched the digital campaign #WePlayTogether to encourage organizations and individuals.

ANSWER: 6%

Explanation:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kept the key policy rate, or the repo rate, unchanged in the first bimonthly policy review of 2017-18 but narrowed the policy corridor by 25 bps by raising the reverse repo rate to 6%, from 5.75%.

All six members of the monetary policy committee (MPC) - which decides interest rates - voted in favour of the decision.

The central bank said the policy decision was consistent with the neutral policy stance with the objective of achieving the medium-term target for retail inflation, which is 4%.

The MPC saw the path of inflation in 2017-18 challenged by upside risks and unfavourable base effects towards the second half of the year.

Accordingly, inflation developments have to be closely monitored with food price pressures can be checked so that inflation expectations can be anchored.

The central bank indicated the future course of monetary policy would largely depend on incoming data on how macroeconomic conditions are evolving.

While the repo rate action was in line with market expectations, the governor’s hawkish tone disappointed bond traders who were expecting a softer tone.

Yield on the 10-year benchmark bond hardened to 6.77% as compared with its previous close of 6.65%.

The central bank has set its inflation projection to an average of 4.5% in the first half of 2017-18 and 5% in the second half, while keeping its GVA growth projection unchanged at 7.4% for FY18 as compared with 6.7% in FY17.

Surplus liquidity in the banking system had fallen from close to ?8 lakh crore in January to ₹4.8 lakh crore in March.

A standing deposit facility to the government in November 2015, was proposed approval for which was still awaited.

SDF is a mechanism to drain surplus cash at a rate lower than the repo rate without the need for any collateral.

Key Takeaways from RBI Monetary Policy review:

• RBI is optimistic about growth in FY18 and has projected Gross Value Added (GVA) growth to be 7.4 percent as against 6.7 percent last year.
• Inflation has been projected to be between 4.5-5 percent for the year with some caution being posted on the monsoon progress.
• RBI has lowered the corridor around the repo rate.
• RBI has not quite said anything specific about Non-performing assets (NPAs) but will be coming out with another paper on prompt corrective action which addresses some of the issues.
• RBI has put forward a proposal to set up a standing deposit facility to the government whereby banks can park their surplus funds with the RBI without bonds as securities.
• The Reserve Bank of India, in its first monetary policy review of financial year 2017-18, kept the repurchase (repo) rate unchanged at 6.25%, citing upward risks to inflation and global uncertainty.
• The Monetary Policy Committee, however, raised the reverse repo rate by 0.25 basis points to 6%, and cut the marginal standing facility (MSF) rate to 6.5%.

ANSWER: Airtel

Explanation:
Telecom major Bharti Airtel has terminated the services of its vice president and head of alliances Pallab Mitra for alleged violation of code of conduct.

The company's code of conduct is of paramount importance and it follows a policy of zero tolerance in the event of any violation of the same.

Mitra has worked with Airtel for about 12 years with a gap of around five and half years in between.

He started working with Airtel in 2001 as head of commerce for about 4 years. Mitra left the company in February 2010 to join Tata Teleservices.

His second innings at Airtel started from September 2015 onwards after his one-and-half year stint with wi-fi firm Ozone Networks.

Airtel learnt about the purported code of conduct violation by Mitra from a whistleblower.

ANSWER: Voice Calls over 4G

Explanation:
Telecom regulator Trai will bring out in the next few weeks its order on the revised quality of service norms for mobile services, including benchmarks for newer technologies like VoLTE.

Elaborating on the review of service quality norms, TRAI has indicated new standards like VoLTE have come up whose parameters have to be mapped equivalent to parameters of other technologies.

Interestingly, new technologies have come like VoLTE which have different names for some parameters. So, TRAI has to map them so that the service quality parameters are in place.

Tightening the noose around mobile operators over call drops, Trai last year had issued a consultation paper where it proposed stricter quality norms for local areas and graded financial disincentives for poor services.

The final views of the regulator on this consultation paper are expected now.

Airtel, Aircel and RCom's 2G service quality was below Trai norms in December quarter on the issue of regulation of Internet-based call and messaging applications termed 'Over The Top' services, TRAI noted that the regulator had previously initiated consultation on the same.

VoLTE: Know More

• VoLTE stands for voice over LTE.
  
• It's voice calls over a 4G LTE network, rather than the 2G or 3G connections which are usually
• 4G is not just about downloading, streaming and web browsing
• It can also be used to improve calls.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
The Lok Sabha on April 6, 2017 passed a bill which will ensure continuance of levy of excise on petroleum products and abolition of cess on some other items following GST rollout from July 1.

The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2017 seeks to amend the Customs Act, 1962, the Customs Tariff Act, 1975, the Central Excise Act, 1944, the Finance Act, 2001 and the Finance Act, 2005.

Moving the bill which was passed later by the House by a voice vote, Minister of State for Finance Santosh Gangwar said the amendments in these laws were necessary because after the roll out of GST on July 1, only a few items would remain under these Acts.

After the rollout of the GST, central excise duty on goods other than crude oil, petrol, diesel, ATF and natural gas, service tax on taxable services and VAT on sale or purchase of goods will be subsumed in the new indirect tax regime.

The bill seeks to include 'warehouse' in the definition of customs area to ensure that an importer is not asked to pay Integrated Goods and Services Tax (IGST) at the time of removal of goods from a customs station to a warehouse.

The proposed bill also seeks to abolish the cess levied on water consumed by certain industries and by local authorities under the Water (prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977.

ANSWER: Virat Kohli

Explanation:
India’s ace batsman Virat Kohli on 5 April 2017 was named the Leading Cricketer in the World for 2016.

The announcement was made in the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, which is also often called the ‘Bible of the Cricket.’

Kohli also features on the cover of the 2017 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.

It shows the cricketer playing a reverse sweep in a Test match.

Two Pakistani cricketers, Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, have been named in the list of the five Cricketers of the Year for the first time since 1997.

The other Cricketers of the Year are Ben Duckett, Toby Roland-Jones, and Chris Woakes.

Ellyse Perry was named the Leading Woman Cricketer in the World.

The other awardees included AJ Woodland, the left-hand opening batsman who scored 1200 runs across formats for St Edward’s School, Oxford who was chosen as the Wisden Schools Cricketer of the Year.

Emma Johns book Following On was named Wisden Book of the Year.

Saqib Majeed, won the Wisden-MCC Cricket Photograph of the Year award, also found a feature in the Almanack.

About Wisden: Know More

• Wisden Leading Cricketer Almanack is a cricket reference book published annually in the United Kingdom.
• It is considered the world’s most well known sports reference book.
• In October 2013, an all-time Test World XI was announced to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
• An Indian edition of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack was launched in the year 2012.

ANSWER: Kani maranjandu

Explanation:
Scientists have discovered a new species of long legged, tree-dwelling crabs Kani maranjandu in Western Ghats of Kerala.

The new species named Kani maranjandu after the Kani tribe in Kerala, are substantially different from other congeners.

The characteristic traits of the crab include the structure of its hard upper shell.

Also different are the structure of its male abdominal structure and reproductive parts and diagnostic elongated walking legs, which no other genus displays.

This is the first report of its kind to offer a record of an arboreal crab - a species that lives in trees.

The survey of the freshwater crab fauna started in 2014 in the Westerns Ghats in Kerala.

As water holding hollows in large trees are essential for the survival of this unique species, the discovery also stress the need for conservation of large trees in the degraded forest ecosystems of the Western Ghats.

Western Ghats: Know More

• Elevation: 2,695 m
• Area: 160,000 km²
• Highest point: Anamudi
• Passes: Tamhini Ghat, Naneghat, Palakkad Gap, Kasara ghat
• Types of rock: Basalt, Limestone

ANSWER: 7^th largest tourist economy

Explanation:
India ranks 7^th in tourism economy in terms of GDP according to the WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council).

According to data, the travel and tourism sector generated INR 14.1 trillion (USD208.9 billion) in 2016.

This makes it the world’s 7^th largest in terms of absolute size; the sum is equivalent to 9.6% of India’s GDP.

Additionally, the sector created 40.3 million jobs in 2016, which ranks India 2nd in the world in terms of total employment generated.

The sector accounts for 9.3% of the country’s total jobs.

India’s Travel and Tourism sector was also the fastest growing amongst the G20 countries, growing by 8.5% in 2016.

A further 6.7% growth is forecast for 2017.

India’s figures are predominantly generated by domestic travel, which accounts for 88% of the sector’s contribution to GDP in 2016.

Visitor exports, money spent by foreign travellers in India, only represents 12% of tourism revenues and in 2016 totalled Rs 1.5 trillion (USD22.8bn).

This is 5.4% of the country’s total exports, compared to a global average of 6.6%.

Data from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) shows that India received only 9 million international arrivals in 2016, placing it at 40th place in the world; a tenth of those received by top-ranking France.

However, there is a lot of potential for India to grow their visitor exports.

WTTC data suggests that visitor exports will grow by 5.4% in 2017.

WTTC: Know More

• Headquarters: London, United Kingdom
• Founded: 1990
• Industry: Travel & Tourism
• Chairman: Gerald Lawless

ANSWER: None of the above

Explanation:
IDBI bank has appointed Mahesh Kumar Jain as the Managing Director & CEO with immediate effect.

Before his role in IDBI, Jain was the Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer of Indian Bank.

Jain joined Indian Bank as an executive director in September 2013 where he handled several key portfolios.

Prior to joining Indian Bank, Jain served as general manager with Syndicate Bank. He began his banking career with Punjab National Bank.

He was also a member of the steering committee on Risk Management of IBA and a member of the IBA working group on risk management and implementation of Basel II and III.

He was also the secretary & coordinator to Basant Seth Committee on review & revamp of internal & concurrent audit system in PSBs.

Currently, he is a member of the NIBM governing board, PGDM executive council of NIBM, CII national committee on Banking 2016-17 and CII national council on financial sector development 2016-17.

PSU Banks in India: Know More

Bank	Location	Tagline
Andhra Bank	Hyderabad	Where India Banks
Bank of Baroda	Vadodara	India’s International Bank
Bank of India	Mumbai	Relationships beyond Banking
Bank of Maharashtra	Pune	One Family One Bank
Canara Bank	Bangalore	Together we Can, It’s easy to change for those who you love
Central Bank of India	Mumbai	Central to you since 1911, Build A Better Life Around Us
Corporation Bank	Mangalore	A Premier Public Sector Bank, Prosperity for all
Dena Bank	Mumbai	Trusted Family Bank
Indian Bank	Chennai	Your Tech-friendly bank
Indian Overseas Bank	Chennai	Good people to grow with
Oriental Bank of Commerce	Gurugram	Where every individual is committed
Punjab National Bank	New Delhi	The Name you can Bank Upon
Punjab & Sind Bank	New Delhi	Where series is a way of life
Syndicate Bank	Manipal	Faithful. Friendly
UCO Bank	Kolkata	Honors Your Trust
Union Bank of India	Mumbai	Good people to bank with
United Bank of India	Kolkata	The Bank that begins with “U”
Vijaya Bank	Bangalore	A friend You can Bank Upon
IDBI Bank Ltd	Mumbai	Banking for all; “ Aao Schein Bada”
State Bank of India	Mumbai	The Nation banks on us; Pure Banking Nothing Else; With you all the way
State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur	Rajasthan	The nation banks on us
State Bank of Hyderabad	Hyderabad	You can always bank on us
State Bank of Mysore	Bangalore	Working for a better tomorrow
State Bank of Patiala	Punjab	Blending Modernity with Tradition
State Bank of Travancore	Thiruvananthapuram	A Long Tradition of Trust
AXIS Bank	Mumbai	Everything is the same except the name
Citi Union Bank	Tamilnadu	Trust and Excellence since 1904
Dhanlaxmi Bank	Tamilnadu	Tann. Mann. Dhan
ICICI Bank Ltd	Mumbai	Hum Hain na!!,Khayaal Apka
IndusInd Bank	Mumbai	We make money simple
Karnataka Bank	Mangalore	Your family bank across India
Kotak Mahindra Bank	Mumbai	Let’s make money simple
Catholic Syrian Bank	Thrissur	Support all the way.
Federal Bank	Kerala	Your perfect banking partner
HDFC Bank	Mumbai	We understand your world.
Karur Vysya Bank	Tamilnadu	Smart way to bank
Lakshmi Vilas Bank	Tamilnadu	The Changing Face of prosperity
Yes Bank	Mumbai	Experience our expertise
Bharatiya Mahila Bank	New Delhi	Empowering women, Empowering India

Source: Official Websites