Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Jan 12, 2016

ANSWER: Moonlight

Explanation:
Sans any sunlight, it is the moonlight which drives migration of tiny marine animals through the dark and frigid Arctic winter. As per the researchers, zooplankton which are tiny animals found at the surface of the aquatic environments, keep on moving during the Arctic winter. Migration have taken place with the moon rising above the horizon, as per the findings. Researchers have explained behaviour is likely an attempt by zooplankton to prevent run ins with predators with hunting by the moonlight. Findings have value for the carbon cycle important in the event of climate change.

ANSWER: Loen Entertainment

Explanation:
Chat app operator Kakao Corp is all set to purchase control of South Korean top music streaming services provider Loen Entertainment for USD 1.57 billion in another push to find fresh revenue streams. Kakao has indicated it will buy 76.4% stake in Loen which owns music streaming service MelOn and talent agency with IU, a K Pop artist. The stake is being purchased partly by issuing USD 754 billion won worth of new shares to top Loen shareholders Affinity Equity Partners and SK Planet Co Ltd.

ANSWER: Nexidia

Explanation:
Israeli software service provider Nice Systems has agreed to purchase analytics firm Nexidia for USD 135 million in cash for expanding the growing analytics business. Deal will close in the first quarter of 2016 and the acquisition will be accretive to earnings on adjusted basis each year.

ANSWER: Viral Shots

Explanation:
Times Internet Limited, digital arm of TOI Group has acquired micro-content app Viral Shots. Financial terms of the deal were not revealed. Viral Shots was founded by Kumar Apurva and Shalini Tewari with over 15 years of experience in mobile and internet space. Stories can be curated from 300 social destinations and web publications. Content shots will be presented in less than 60 words accompanied by picture and clocks roughly 100 million views in a month. App currently differentiated content in Hindu, English, Bengali and Telugu and shall be available in all major Indian languages at the close of 2016.

ANSWER: Kerala

Explanation:
Kerala has become the first state in the nation to attain total primary education. This has been attained through primary education equivalency drive of the state literacy mission-Athulyam. Equivalency programmes have produced great success and ultimate aim is to attain Plus Two education within the state.

ANSWER: India

Explanation:
The agreement is for enabling people of both nations for availing retirement benefits within each country to boost bilateral business linkages. Australian Minister for Social Services Christian Porter and Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer Kelly O’Dwyer indicated that the Commonwealth government wanted to ensure people living and working in more than one country are not disadvantaged. Agreement was signed on November 2014 and came into operation w.e.f January 1, 2016.

ANSWER: MF

Explanation:
With attempts for making MF reduce exposure to issuer or sector in the debt schemes, capital market regulatory authority SEBI has lowered the exposure cap for such investment of MF. SEBI Board has amended MF regulations for single issuer limit reduced to 10%of NAV of the scheme. It can be increased to 12% of the NAV only following approval from trustees. Sector specific exposure limit has been reduced to 25% from current 30%. SEBI norms have indicated that risks will be mitigated on the basis of high level of exposure in the light of events associated with credit downgrades and place MF in a better position to handle adverse credit events.

ANSWER: Real time basis

Explanation:
In a major step towards digitisation, Indian Railways on 11th January 2016 launched a web based system for monitoring track maintenance on real time basis by replacing close to one lakh registers pertaining to it. Web based management of track maintenance will be implemented in 68 divisions of the Indian Railways. Various activities including track inspection, maintenance and monitoring.