Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Aug 15, 2017

ANSWER: Only a and c

Explanation:
Over 100 delegates from 10 ASEAN countries - Brunei, Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam - will participate in the India-ASEAN Youth Summit to be held in Bhopal from August 14-19.

A statement from the India Foundation said the think tank in collaboration with the ministry of external affairs and the ministry of youth affairs and sports will organise the first- of-its-kind event.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, her deputy V K Singh, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Vijay Goel, and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be among the key speakers at the event.

The exercise will mark the 25th anniversary of the ASEAN-India dialogue partnership in the ongoing year and also the commemorative years theme of "Shared Values, Common Destiny".

It aptly reflects the close cultural and civilisational links that India and South East Asia have enjoyed over two millennia.

More engagement with the region has come with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Act East Policy", it said.

PM Modi at the 12th ASEAN-India Summit and the 9th East Asia Summit held in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar, in November, 2014, had formally enunciated the Act East Policy.

Apart from the 100 delegates from ASEAN countries, the summit will also have participation of 75 youth leaders from India.

The statement said participants will represent some of the largest institutions in their countries, including leaders from ruling as well as opposition parties, think tanks, media and universities.

ANSWER: Infusion therapy

Explanation:
Infusion Nurses Society (INS), India is all set to launch one of its own kind online course on infusion therapy for nurses.

Utilizing the reach and ease of digital platform, the course will enable INS members to access the various infusion therapy modules and speaker presentations from previous conferences through INS website.

The first course would be on the Peripheral IV Cannulation.

Infusion Therapy is a comprehensive method of quality care to all patients.

Online courses will educate the nurses in the scientific method of delivering and maintaining infusion with the aim of cure and prevention of Infection.

Nine out of ten patients admitted in hospitals receive infusion therapy during the course of their stay for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes.

Improper infusion practices may lead to complications, causing an increase in mortality, morbidity, duration of hospital stay and healthcare costs.

In a complex healthcare environment, with varied patient needs, ensuring the quality of infusion calls for best nursing practices.

To ensure a patient-centred plan of care, a nurse strives to meet the infusion needs of their patients.

In doing so, they need to strictly adhere to the best practices and the comprehensive INS standards help the infusion nurses to provide excellent infusion care across all practice settings.

Along with online infusion therapy courses for the nurses, INS India is now launching an online course for its 3000 members on peripheral IV cannulation and an annual Mastermind Quiz, where all region’s hospitals will compete for the rotating trophy.

In the past, INS India launched an android app for the nurses and standards to help healthcare professionals, institute gold standard and evidence based protocols into patient care practices, by minimizing medication errors, treatment related complications and healthcare associated infections.

The revised standards will be instrumental in ensuring safety for patients and healthcare professionals.

With such online courses and Android apps, INS India wants to empower nurses with digital tools in infusion standards for better patient care.

ANSWER: Russia

Explanation:
The exercise Indra, which will be held in Russia from October 19 to 29, will primarily focus on achieving coordination between forces of the two countries in a tri- services integrated theatre command scenario.

In the midst of evolving security situation in the region, India and Russia will hold a mega war game in October involving their armies, navies and the air forces for the first time to further ramp up military ties.

It will be for the first time India will participate in a tri-services exercise with a foreign country with such a large scale participation by the Navy, the Army and the Air Force.

A total of 350 Indian Army personnel will participate at the mega exercise and the contingent will be led by a major- general rank official.

The contingents by the Navy and the IAF will also be sizeable in numbers.

The exercise is taking place at a time when India's ties with China have nosedived due to the simmering border dispute and its ties with Pakistan have deteriorated over cross-border terrorism and number of other issues.

The exercise will take place in three locations in Russia including in mountainous Vladivostok region.

The armies, navies and air forces of Russia are holding bilateral exercises separately but this is for the first time, both the countries will carry out a tri-services exercise.

Russia has been a long-standing defence partner of India and both the countries are now eyeing to further deepen the ties.

During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia in June, both countries had decided to "upgrade and intensify" defence cooperation through joint manufacture, co-production and co-development of key military hardware and equipment.

A vision document, issued then had said that both the countries also decided to work towards a qualitatively higher level of military-to-military cooperation.

India has already decided to significantly ramp up its defence capability and has lined up billions of dollars of procurement proposals as part of military modernisation.

The armies, navies and air forces of Russia are holding bilateral exercises separately but this is for the first time, both the countries will carry out a tri-services exercise.

ANSWER: Zika

Explanation:
Scientists have developed the world's first plant-based Zika vaccine that may be more effective, safer and cheaper than other vaccines against the mosquito-borne virus.

Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or therapeutics available to combat Zika.

The vaccine developed by researchers from Arizona State University (ASU) in the US works against a part of a Zika viral protein, called DIII, that plays a key role for the virus to infect people.

All flaviviruses have the envelope protein on the outside part of the virus. It has three domains.

The domain III has a unique stretch of DNA for the Zika virus, and scientists exploited this to generate a robust and protective immune response that is unique for Zika.

The researchers first grew the envelope protein in bacteria, then prepared the DIII protein domain in tobacco plants.

The team then performed immunisation experiments in mice, which induced antibody and cellular immune responses that have been shown to confer 100 per cent protection against multiple Zika virus strains in mice.

The team's protein-based vaccine uses the smallest and most unique part of the Zika virus that can still elicit a potent and robust immune response.

A pseudovirus which is a fake virus displays only the DIII part of the envelope protein on the surface.

The vaccine produces a potent protective immune response, but also, that it does not produce antibodies that may be cross reactive for dengue, West Nile, yellow fever or others

Zika: Know More

• The worldwide Zika threat first emerged in 2015.
• It was responsible for infecting millions as it swept across the Americas.
• It struck great fear in pregnant women, as babies born with severe brain birth defects quickly overburdened hospitals and public health care systems.

ANSWER: IMMSAREX

Explanation:
Despite growing tensions with China, the Indian Navy would join the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in a maiden maritime search and rescue exercise to be chaired by Bangladesh at the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) in November 2017.

Bangladesh, the current Chair, is scheduling a maiden International Maritime Search and Rescue Exercise (IMMSAREX) in November in the Bay of Bengal to be attended by ships and aircraft of the members and observers of the IONS.

The IONS is a regional forum of Indian Ocean littoral states, represented by their Navy chiefs, launched by India in February 2008. It presently has 23 members and nine observers.

The exercise comes at a time of intensifying competition among regional navies for dominance in the Indian Ocean — navies of China and Japan, presently observers, in addition to member states like India, France, Iran and the U.K.

In addition, Bangladesh is also scheduling an “extraordinary conclave of Chiefs,” a meeting of chiefs of Navy before it hands over the Chair to Iran next year, the source added.

Under the charter of business adopted in 2014, the grouping has working groups on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), Information Security and Interoperability (IS&I) and anti-piracy now renamed as maritime security.

India has considerably expanded its engagement with countries to further its own interests as well as to check the rapid expansion of Chinese naval forays in the Indian Ocean.

Other countries in the region are also engaged in rapid expansion of their military capabilities.

The working group’s conferences are held annually and India had chaired the one on HADR in May this year and Pakistan had chaired the meeting on IS&I in July.

ANSWER: Ministry of Railways

Explanation:
Ministry of Railways is observing ‘Swachhta Pakhwada’ across its entire network from August 16TH to 31ST August 2017.

This period was allotted to Ministry of Railways by the Nodal Ministry for ‘Swachh Bharat Abhiyan’ namely ‘Union Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation’.

The ‘Pakhwada’ has been named as “Rail Swachhta Pakhwada”.

Each date of the ‘Pakhwada’ has been associated with a particular theme pertaining to cleanliness. The detailed theme-wise schedule is given below.

• 16/08/2017: Swachh Awareness: The day should be started by administering Swachhta pledge to Railway staff and safai karamacharis. On this day Parbhat Pheris should be taken out in the morning with the slogan “Swachh Rail Swachh Bharat” with a view to raise awareness of all railway employees and their families to ensure cleanliness in the vicinity of their habitat.
• 17/08/2017: Swachh Samwad (Cleanliness dialogue/Public): All DRMs should organize seminars on Sanitation and upkeep of railway stations by involving NGOs, Charitable institutions, Scouts & Guides, Unions and all employees to undertake cleanliness drive on their nearest railway stations.
• 18/08/2017: Swachh Samwad (Cleanliness dialogue/In-house): Seminars and Workshops should be organized on Sanitation and upkeep of Railway Colonies and other Institutions on Railway premises.
• 19/08/2017: Swachh Stations (Clean Stations): Intensive Cleanliness drive at all A1 and A category stations should be undertaken. Availability and working of cleaning machines, tools & plants, protective gears for cleaning staff must be ensured.
• 20/08/2017: Swachh Stations (Clean Stations): This day should be dedicated to intensive cleaning of all stations other than A1 and A category. Segregation of waste should be encouraged by setting up of separate dustbins.
• 21/08/2017: Swachh Railgaadi (Clean Train): Intensive inspection/cleaning of listed trains should be undertaken by teams of officers and staff to ensure cleanliness onboard.
• 22/08/2017: Swachh Railgaadi (Clean Train): Intensive inspection/cleaning of all other trains not covered in drive dated 21/08/17 should be undertaken on this day.
• 23/08/2017: Swachh Parisar (Clean Work Place): Intensive drive should be undertaken to clean up and improve offices including Hospitals, Schools, Coaching Depots and Lobbys. Required amenities in the circulating areas of station complexes be ensured and unauthorized encroachments removed. Cleaning of all drains to be undertaken.
• 24/08/2017: Swachh Parisar: (Clean Residential Premises) Residential Premises including Railway Colony, Retiring/Waiting Rooms, Rest Houses and Dormitories, Running Rooms etc., should be taken up for intensive cleaning on this day.
• 25/08/2017: Swachh Ahar: On this day intensive cleaning of all canteens should be taken up.
• 26/08/2017: Swachh Ahar: In continuation to station vending units, on this day intensive cleaning of all pantry cars in trains should be taken up.
• 27/08/2017: Swachh Neer (Clean Water): Intensive inspection of all water installations including filter plants, sources of water supply, water taps for drinking water at stations as well as trains shall be undertaken.
• 28/08/2017: Swachh Neer (Clean Water): Intensive inspection of all water installations in offices, Railway Colonies/Hospitals/Health Units/Schools should be taken up on this day.
• 29/08/2017: Swachh Prasadhan: The day should be dedicated to intensive cleaning of all toilet blocks at railway stations, coaching depots, trains and surrounding areas.
• 30/08/2017: Swachh Competition: A sense of healthy competition for cleaning should be inculcated and commendation be given to those units which are found perennially/regularly cleaned. Supervisors/staff working on cleaning activities should be suitably recognized.
• 31/08/2017: Review/Briefing: On this day, the work carried out during the Pakhwada should be reviewed and a detailed report with photos and videos should be uploaded on the website of each Railway. Due coverage of the drive should be ensured in social/print/electronic media.

As part of the Clean Energy drive, equipments fitted with Solar Energy will be made fully functional during this period. Proposals for solar energy fitments will be expedited.

Special emphasis will be given to A1 and A category Stations for cleanliness in passenger and non-passenger areas including the approach to the stations.

Suitable Senior Officers will be nominated to monitor the campaign at different levels. It is also proposed to do monitoring of cleanliness through CCTV wherever installed.

Some 200 Trains have also been identified for special attention regarding cleanliness during this fortnight.

ANSWER: Bharat Ke Veer

Explanation:
The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh launched the live twitter wall for promoting Bharat Ke Veer portal on the eve of Independence Day 2017.

On this occasion, Shri Rajnath Singh and Ministers of State for Home Affairs Shri Hansraj Gangaram Ahir and Shri Kiren Rijiju contributed their one month salary for Bharat Ke Veer.

Shri Rajnath Singh said that the Security Forces have made supreme sacrifice in the line of duty and the people need to stand by their families to support them.

This social media awareness campaign will display all tweets with hashtag Bharat Ke Veer (#BharatKeVeer), at Connaught Place, CGO complex and Khan Market in New Delhi where huge LED display screens have been installed.

Emoji has also been created for this hashtag.

Union Home Secretary Shri Rajiv Mehrishi, OSD Shri Rajiv Gauba and Senior Officers of MHA were present on this occasion.

Bharat Ke Veer portal was launched by the Union Home Minister and actor Shri Akshay Kumar on April 9, 2017.

This portal facilitates online donation directly to the families of CAPF Martyrs who have sacrificed their lives for the country in line of duty from January 1, 2016.