Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Jan 05, 2016

1)   How many micro satellites will be carried in a single mission of the PSLV-SSO?

a. 6
b. 7
c. 8
d. 9
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 8

Explanation:
In a new global era, vehicle configuration of the PSLV of 400 km Space Shuttle Orbiter is around 1200 kgs. Number of micro satellites can be carried in a single mission namely 8 each weighing 120 kg with total payload capacity 960 kg. Currently, domestic satellite communication is dominated by DTH and fixed satellite services. Thematic missions such as tele-medicine and tele-education as well as satellite aided navigation are also on the rise.


2)   How many new elements have been added to the periodic table?

a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 4

Explanation:
Periodic table has been given 4 new elements changing one of the most fundamental pieces of knowledge in science. The elements 113, 115, 117 and 118 will now be added to the 7th row of the table making it complete. The new elements were discovered by team from US, Russia and Japan and verified by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. All of the 4 new admissions are man-made. The new elements are the first to be added since 2011 when table got elements 114 and 116. New discoveries filled the 7th row or period of the table and existence and even properties of these elements have to be discovered before they can be added to the table. Elements are named after mythological concept, mineral, place, country, scientist or property.
Presently, the elements are named after their number: element 113 is referred to as ununtrium (which means 113-ium), and has the symbol Uut. Element 115 is called as ununpentium or Uup; While 117 is called ununseptium or Uus, 118 is called ununoctium or Uuo.


3)   Whom did Novak Djokovic beat during his first game of 2016, the Qatar Open?

a. Dustin Brown
b. Roger Federer
c. Rafael Nadel
d. Andy Murray
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Dustin Brown

Explanation:
Novak Djokovic won at the Qatar Open on 4th January 2016 beating Dustin Brown 6-2,6-2. The world number 1 beat his German rival easily. Brown who is World Number 118 lost the first set in just 25 minutes. This was the first ever meeting between the pair. This is Djokovic’s second appearance in Qatar.


4)   How many states have agreed to join the UDAY scheme so far?

a. 12
b. 13
c. 14
d. 15
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: 15

Explanation:
Close to 15 states have agreed to opt for the UDAY scheme meant for reviving debt stressed discoms in the nation according to Union Minister Piyush Goyal. A total of 15 from the current 29 states are on board for the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana. 4 major states- UP, Odisha, Bihar and Maharashtra have agreed to join UDAY with total of 15 states joining the scheme and 90% of over INR 4 lakh crore on discos debt will be covered under the scheme.


5)   103rd Indian Science Congress saw the coining of five Es for enquiry and engineering by Narendra Modi, India’s PM. What do the 5 Es stand for?

a. Economy, Ecology, Energy, Enquiry and Equity
b. Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity
c. Economy, Energy, Empathy, Ecology and Equality
d. Environment, Energy, Ecology, Empathy and Equity.
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity

Explanation:
The 103rd Indian Science Congress commenced on 3rd January 2016 with PM Narendra Modi coining the mantra of 5 Es for enquiry and engineering by the scientific community. 5Es need to be at the centre of their equity and engineering for scientists and technologists to prosper. The 5Es are Economy, Environment, Energy, Empathy and Equity. Economy is where one finds cost effective and efficient solutions while environment is the carbon footprint that determines energy on which prosperity relies, the PM said. The 5 Es also coincide with the centenary of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity published in 1916 called E=MC^2. Richness of the tradition of the country, consciousness of modern age and strength of commitment to world should create a more sustainable path.


6)   Which term has been coined by 5 Nobel Laureates at the 103rd Indian Science Congress?

a. Invent in India
b. Create in India
c. Explore in India
d. Discovery in India
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Invent in India

Explanation:
4 of the 5 Nobel laureates attending the Indian Science Congress have indicated that India should focus on discovering and inventing, not just making in India. Scientists remarked that to make in India without dependence on others, one must invent in India for which discovery is crucial. There must be a strategic plan and students must be encouraged to take up science.


7)   Armament Research and Development Establishment successfully test fired Pinaka II MBRL system in the last week of December 2015. What does MBRL stand for?

a. Multi Beam Rocket Launcher
b. Multi Barrier Rocket Launcher
c. Multi Beacon Rocket Launcher
d. Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher

Explanation:
Armament Research and Development Establishment during the last week of December 2015 successfully test fired multi barrel rocket launcher Pinaka II. The trials were conducted at Pokhran in Rajasthan. Pinaka is an unguided rocket system which can neutralise large areas with massive salvos and its range is 20 km more than Pinaka 1 version which has a 40 km range. System acts as a force multiplier and as used during the Kargil war.


8)   Which Oscar winning cinematographer passed away on January 1, 2016 at California, US?

a. Vilmos Zsigmond
b. Hans Zimmer
c. Brian De Palma
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Vilmos Zsigmond

Explanation:
Vilmos Zsigmond, the winner of the Oscar for Steven Spielberg’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind passed away on January 1, 2016 at the age of 85. He was also Oscar nominated for 3 other movies namely The Deer Hunter, The River and The Black Dahlia.


9)   Which British fast bowler died at the age of 22 on 3rd January 2016?

a. Matthew Hayden
b. Matthew Hobden
c. Matthew Johnson
d. Matthew Smith
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Matthew Hobden

Explanation:
Sussex fast bowler Matthew Hobden died at the age of 22 on 3rd January 2016. His death was announced by the ECB. He was a 1993 born English player who made his county championship debut on June 1, 2014. He was also part of the team which won the National Village Cricket Knockout Final at Lord’s.


10)   Which Committee on IPL spot fixing submitted its report to SC on 4th January 2015?

a. Justice AP Shah
b. Justice RM Lodha
c. Justice MB Shah
d. Justice Thakur Singh
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: Justice RM Lodha

Explanation:
Justice RM Lodha Committee on IPL spot fixing on 4th January 2015 submitted its report to the SC suggesting reforms in BCCI for India. Panel has also recommended separate governing bodies for IPL and BCCI with limited autonomy for IPL Governing Council. It has legalised betting and proposed that no minister or government servant should bear office at BCCI. Also the report holds that any BCCI office bearer cannot hold down two posts at the same time.


11)   Which Day was observed across the world on January 4th 2016 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille?

a. World Vision Day
b. World Eye Day
c. World Eyesight Day
d. World Braille Day
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: World Braille Day

Explanation:
World Braille Day was observed on 4th January 2016 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Louis Braille. Day also helps people to produce works in Braille language for the visually challenged. Louis Braille was born in the 1800s and credited with developing the Braille script which helps visually impaired people to read as well as write.


12)   Which countries have severed diplomatic ties with Iran following the storming of the Saudi Arabian embassy?

a. Sudan
b. UAE
c. Bahrain
d. All of the above
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Following the storming of the embassies of Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Bahrain and UAE have severed ties with Iran. “In response to the barbaric attacks on the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Tehran and its consulate in Mashhad the government of Sudan announces the immediate severing of ties with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” a Foreign Ministry statement said. UAE also recalled the envoy from Iran while Bahrain also announced the severing of ties.


13)   Growth in FY16 has been pegged at which percentage, according to HSBC?

a. 7.2
b. 7.3
c. 7.4
d. 7.5
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: 7.4

Explanation:
Foreign brokerage firm HSBC said the country is current amidst a credit less recovery and policy reforms were the main step to attaining higher growth. Economists have also expressed dissent with the new method of GDP computation and said the economy will clock 7.4% in FY16 and remain stable in FY17 as well. During this phase of credit less recovery, sectors like investment which rely on external funding take the longest to revive. The macro side is facing fiscal trilemmas according to economists where the main challenge was funding higher wages at the same time, lowering fiscal deficit and continuing government capex.


14)   Retail information for farm labourers rose in November to what percent, on account of increase in food items prices?

a. 5.02%
b. 4.92%
c. 4.43%
d. 4.65%
Answer  Explanation 

ANSWER: 4.92%

Explanation:
Retail inflation for farm labourers and rural workers in November increased to 4.92% and 5.02% respectively on account of increase in food item prices. Corresponding inflation in October was 4.43% and 4.65%. Food inflation under CPI-AL and CPI-RL came at 4.79% and 5.15 percent in November 2015. All India CPI numbers for agricultural and rural labourers for November rose to 853 and 857 points respectively. CPI-AL and RL of TN registered the maximum increase while Meghalaya saw the maximum fall.


15)   Wipro has appointed which executive as the CEO and member of the board w.e.f February 1, 2016?

a. T.K.Kurien
b. Abidali Z. Neemuchwala
c. Azim Premji
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Abidali Z. Neemuchwala

Explanation:
Wipro appoints T. K. Kurien as executive vice chairman and Abidali Z. Neemuchwala as the CEO and member of the company board and both appointments are effective w.e.f February 1st, 2016. Kurien will complete his 5 year tenure as CEO in January. He has restructured Wipro and made major efforts to energise it. The third largest IT services company has a lot of catching up to do with rivals.


16)   Bioware senior development executive has recently quit the Mass Effect Project on January 4th 2016. Who is he?

a. Chris Pine
b. Chris Wynn
c. Chris Jones
d. Chris Smith
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Chris Wynn

Explanation:
Bioware senior development director Chris Wynn has quit the Mass Effect project and will no longer be part of the company. He will be joining the N& community and await the release of Andromeda with considerable enthusiasm.


17)   Which telecom giant has gained control of its rival Alcatel Lucent to the tune of nearly 80%?

a. Vodafone
b. Nokia
c. BT
d. None of the above
Answer  Explanation  Related Ques

ANSWER: Nokia

Explanation:
Finnish telecom giant Nokia gains control of 80% of French American Rival Alcatel Lucent. Nokia currently holds 76% of shares and voting rights under Alcatel as part of its public exchange offer. Minimum requirement for Nokia is controlling 50% of shares and voting rights. This has been satisfied. With this, Nokia hopes the merger will make it the top network equipment and service provider.