Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Jan 17 & 18, 2016

ANSWER: Start Up India

Explanation:
PM Narendra Modi released the first Startup India action plan addressing the gathering of eminent names from the industry. The aim should be to grow and not just earn money. Startup is not just about capital and funding, but involves finding solutions to numerous problems.

ANSWER: Tsai Ing-wen

Explanation:
Taiwan’s independence leaning opposition leader Tsai Ing-wen has won the island’s presidential election after the ruling party admitted defeat. Tsai will be thrust into Asia’s toughest and most dangerous job after losing Nationalists fled from Mao Zedong’s Communists to Taiwan in the Chinese civil war. Wen will have to balance the superpower interests of China which is the largest trading partner for Taiwan.

ANSWER: President Xi Jingping

Explanation:
China based Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank in which India and 56 other nations have joined as founding members was formally launched by President Xi Jingping. Dinesh Sharma leads the Indian delegation for which the US based ADB has identified potential co-financing projects with AIIB in areas such as transport, urban and water, renewable energy etc.

ANSWER: Anuradha Roy

Explanation:
India’s Anuradha Roy has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature 2016 for her novel Sleeping on Jupiter. This deals with the subject of violence against women. At the Fairway Galle Literary Festival in Galle, Sri Lankan PM Ranil Wickremesinghe presented her with the rpize. This novel has been chosen on account of elegance, readability and flair. Other authors and novels in contention for this year’s prize were: Akhil Sharma (Family Life); K.R. Meera (Hangwoman) [translated by J. Devika]; Mirza Waheed (The Book of Gold Leaves), Neel Mukherjee (The Lives of Others) and Raj Kamal Jha (She Will Build Him A City).

ANSWER: Asia and Pacific amateur category

Explanation:
Ankita Anand on 14th January 2016 won the European Commission prestigious Lorenzo Natali Media Prize in 2015 in Asia and Pacific amateur category. She has earned the prize for a young woman’s story of facing the diktat of khap panchayats in Haryana with the title Stirrings Beneath the Peepul published in the journal The Equator Linel. Arison Tamfu editor of the Cameron Journal has won the Lorenzo Natali Grand Prize for critical investigative report on the manner in which the UN Climate change negotiations called on nations to make the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. Organized by the European Commission’s DG for International Cooperation and Development since 1992. The Prize is divided into two distinct categories- amateur and professional journalism.

ANSWER: 903

Explanation:
Haryana’s child sex ratio (0-6 aged group) crossed the 900 mark for the first time in decade in December 2015. This is a major jump from 2011 when the census figures showed the state has the worst sex ratio in the nation- 834. Sirs topped the table with 999 girls per 1,000 boys in the state where there is a high incidence of female foeticide. Officials said 12 districts have recorded gender ratio of above 900. Panchkula has registered a sex ratio of 961 followed by Karnal (959), Fatehabad (952), Gurgaon (946), Sonipat (942), Jind (940), Rewari (931), Mewat (923), Bhiwani, Mahendragarh (912) and Hisar (906). State overall recorded sex ratio of 903.

ANSWER: Max Financial Services Ltd

Explanation:
Analjit Singh on 15th January 2016 has resigned as Chairman of Max Financial Services Ltd after the demerger of Max India Ltd. Singh will continue to serve as Chairman of Max Ventures and Industries Ltd. Singh will also be Chairman Emeritus and a permanent invitee for boards and committees of all Max Group companies.

ANSWER: Indira Gandhi Zoological Park

Explanation:
World Bank tames wild economies and enables people to stabilise fluctuating finances but in a global first, banker has also extended support to urban regeneration. In Vishakapatnam, global bank is extending an assistance of USD 20 million for helping reconstruct the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park. This has been devastated by cyclone Hudhud. This is part of the USD 370 million from 2015-2020.

ANSWER: Tejas

Explanation:
History has been created when the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas which has been indigenously designed and developed by DRDO touched the foreign soil at Bahrain’s Sakhir Airbase. For the first time, LCA Tejas has flown into foreign space to participate in the Bahrain International Airshow during 21 to 23 January 2016.

ANSWER: Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute

Explanation:
Symbiosis Institute of Health Science a constituent unit of the SIA has signed an MoU with Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Research and Training Institute/BARTI for skill based training in the healthcare sector. SIHS will provide training to BARTI candidates in areas such as home healthcare provider, dental assistant and diabetic educator.

ANSWER: Zinnia

Explanation:
First flower has bloomed in outer space namely an orange Zinnia. Flower is native in the southwestern United States. NASA astronaut Scott Kelly has released a photo of the first every flower grown in space.

ANSWER: Near Earth Objects

Explanation:
NASA has commenced a new programme for detection and tracking of near Earth objects - comets and asteroids passing by the orbit of earth- to ward off threats to the planet. Close to 13,500 near Earth objects of differing sizes have been discovered to date with 95% of them since NASA funded surveys commenced in 1998. Close to 1,500 NEOs have been detected each year.

ANSWER: Sikkim

Explanation:
President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has condoled the passing away of Shri. V Rama Rao, former Sikkim governor. Shri Rao has served the nation in different capacities during his public life. He worked as member of the Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council for terms from 1966-1990. The nation will remember him for contributions and the pursuit of excellence in public life.