Current Affairs Questions & Answers - June 26, 2017

ANSWER: India Liveability index

Explanation:
The urban development minister M. Venkaiah Naidu has launched its first liveability index which will rank the country’s 116 major cities on the basis of the quality of life.

The index named ‘City Liveability Index’ will cover cities with a population above one million, including the capital cities.

The index will help cities to analyse where they stand in terms of the quality of life. It will help them to come up with interventions required to improve it.

The index will assess cities based on a comprehensive set of 79 parameters such as availability of roads, education, healthcare, mobility, employment opportunities, emergency response, grievance redressal, pollution, availability of open and green spaces, cultural and entertainment opportunities etc. The rankings based on the index would be released in 2018.

The urban development minister has disbursed INR 500 crore as an incentive to 16 states that have performed well in implementing urban reforms during 2016-17.

Andhra Pradesh has topped the list of 16 states with the highest score in implementing urban schemes. The second place has been occupied by Odisha which is followed by Jharkhand, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Kerala, Goa, Mizoram, Gujarat, Chandigarh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.

While ranking, the progress achieved by these states in terms of reforms like e-governance, an audit of accounts, tax revision policies, extent of tax revenue collection, energy and water audit, establishing state level financial intermediaries for resource mobilisation and credit rating was taken into account.

Further, it has been proposed by the government to increase the incentive fund to INR 10,000 crore for the next three years to promote next generation urban reforms.

ANSWER: Moscow

Explanation:
India and Russia have finalized a roadmap to further boost bilateral defence cooperation during the 17th India-Russia intergovernmental commission on military-technical cooperation held at Moscow.

The meeting was co-chaired by defence minister Arun Jaitley and his Russian counterpart General Shoygu.

The agenda for the discussion ranged from joint development of futuristic weapon systems to a major upgrade of military-to-military ties.

India and Russia had signed a protocol that aims to enhance cooperation between both the countries in the field of political and military dialogue, exercises, exchange of visits, military cooperation and training.

The top-level bilateral meeting comes at the backdrop of Russia’s efforts to maintain its long-standing number one position as an arms supplier to India in face of stiff competition from the US, Israel, France and other countries.

Russia is on course of getting defence projects worth $10.5 billion from the acquisition of five S-400 Triumf advanced air defence missile systems, four Grigorivich-class frigates and 200 Kamov-226T light helicopters and the lease of a second nuclear-powered submarine after INS Chakra.

The economic and technical viability of going joint development and production of a fifth-generation fighter aircraft (FGFA) called the Sukhoi T-50 or Sukhoi PAK-FA is also being questioned.

Sukhoi Pak FA: Know More

• The Sukhoi PAK FA is a fifth generation fighter aircraft programme.
• PAK FA is a stealth, single seat aircraft that is intended to be the successor to the MiG-29 and Su-27 in the Russian Airforce.
• The aircraft will serve as the basis for the Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being jointly developed by Sukhoi and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for the Indian Air Force.

ANSWER: Palbinder Kaur Shergill

Explanation:
Palbinder Kaur Shergill has become the first turbaned Sikh woman to be appointed as Canada’s Supreme Court judge.

The announcement was made by the minister of justice and attorney general of Canada Jody Wilson-Raybould.

The appointment of Shergill as Supreme Court Judge of Canada is considered as a milestone for the Sikh community in Canada.

Justice Palbinder Kaur Shergill was born in Rurka Kalan in Jalandhar district.

At the age of four, justice Shergill had migrated to Canada. Justice Shergill has fought various cases and has actively represented the interests of Canadian Sikh community including the right of Sikh students to wear a ‘kirpan’ in schools.

ANSWER: Mithali Raj

Explanation:
Skipper Mithali Raj becomes the only Indian cricketer to score 7 consecutive ODI fifties shattering the world record.

The second highest run scorer in the world of women's cricket, Mithali Raj, added another feather to her illustrious cap on Saturday, by scoring an unbeaten 71 to take the Women in Blue over the line against England in the ongoing Women's Cricket World Cup.

Mithali became the first woman cricketer to clinch seven consecutive 50-plus scores in the format; a feat no Indian player, male or female, has ever achieved in the history of the game.

Rahul Dravid's five consecutive ODI fifties is the best among Indian cricketers; he stands at 16 in the all-time list of cricketers to have scored most consecutive fifties.

Pakistani legend Javed Miandad tops the list with most number of back-to-back ODI fifties at nine. Mithali is just two fifties away from equalling Miandad's all-time-record.

ANSWER: Both a and c are same

Explanation:
According to ‘Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17‘, the gross fiscal deficits of all the states have soared to Rs 4,93,360 crore in fiscal 2016 from Rs 18,790 crore in FY1991.

This is the second edition of RBI’s statistical publication.

‘Handbook of Statistics on States 2016-17 follows a ‘one-indicator-one table’ approach. It covers all sub-national statistics on socio- demographics, state domestic product, agriculture, industry, infrastructure, banking and other fiscal indicators across the states during the period 1950-51 to 2016-17.

The handbook also provides data on the state-wise availability of power, per capita availability of power, installed capacity of power, and power requirement, the length of national highways, roads and state highways, and railheads.

Uttar Pradesh had a fiscal deficit of INR 3,070 crore in FY91, which has soared to INR 64,320 crore in FY16.

It is projected to improve to INR 49,960 crore in FY17.

Rajasthan had a fiscal deficit of INR 540 crore in FY91, which has soared to INR 67,350 crore in FY16.

Maharashtra has a fiscal deficit of INR 37,950 crore in FY16 which is projected to soar to INR 35,030 crore in FY17.

Gujarat which has seen rapid industrialisation in the period of data analysis has got its fiscal deficit increased from INR 1,800 crore in FY91 to 22,170 crore in FY16 and the deficit is projected to further deteriorate in FY17 to INR 24,610 crore.

Andhra Pradesh has a deficit of INR 17,000 crore in FY16 which is set to increase to INR 20,500 crore in FY17.

Tamil Nadu is also projected to have a higher deficit at INR 40,530 crore in FY17. Karnataka is also estimated to post higher deficit in FY17 at INR 25,660 crore.

Bihar which has a fiscal deficit of INR 28,510 crore in FY16 is slated to improve its finances with the fiscal deficit of INR 16,010 crore in FY17.

Similarly, West Bengal is also slated to improve its fiscal deficit to INR 19,360 crore in FY17 .

However, the gross fiscal deficit is projected to decline to INR 40,530 crore in FY17.

ANSWER: Portugal

Explanation:
India and Portugal have signed 11 pacts after in-depth talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Costa in areas like counter-terrorism, space and climate studies.

This is the first-ever bilateral visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Portugal.

Portugal was thanked for its support for India’s permanent membership of UNSC, and of Multilateral Export Control Regime.

Agreements India and Portugal have agreed to set up a joint Science and Technology fund of four million euros.

The two countries also signed MoUs for the creation of an India Portugal Space Alliance for advancing collaborative research.

This agreement is expected to promote India’s science and technology partnership with Portugal and to set up Atlantic International Research Centre on the Azores Archipelago.

This Centre will act as a research, innovation and knowledge hub for trans-Atlantic and north-south cooperation.

The objective behind the Centre is to provide a shared environment for supporting new climate, earth, space and marine research.

Other Agreements: Know More

• The other agreements cover cooperation in outer space, double taxation avoidance, nano technology, improving cultural ties, youth and sports, higher education and scientific research, and Portugal-India business hub and Indian Chamber of Commerce.

They are:


• Protocol amending the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement MoU on Nano Technology
• MoU on Public Administration & Governance Reforms
• MoU on Cultural Cooperation MoU on Youth & Sports
• MoU between Portugal India Business Hub & Indian Chamber of Commerce
• MoU on Cooperation in the fields of Higher Education and Scientific Research
• MoU on Biotechnology MoU on Collaborative Research
• MoU between Portugal India Business Hub & AICEP

ANSWER: Planet 10

Explanation:
A mysterious, unseen ‘Planet 10’ may be lurking in the outer reaches of our solar system, say scientists, including one of Indian origin, who have found evidence of a Mars-like object that could be orbiting our Sun.

This object would be different from, and much closer than, the Planet Nine - whose existence yet awaits confirmation.

Researchers, including Renu Malhotra of the University of Arizona in the U.S., found compelling evidence of a yet-to-be-discovered planetary body with a mass somewhere between that of Mars and Earth.

The mysterious mass has given away its presence only by controlling the orbital planes of a population of space rocks known as Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) in the icy outskirts of the solar system.

While most KBOs - debris left over from the formation of the solar system - orbit the Sun with orbital tilts that average out to the invariable plane of the solar system, the most distant of the Kuiper Belt’s objects do not.

Their average plane is tilted away from the invariable plane by about eight degrees, researchers said.

This means something unknown is warping the average orbital plane of the outer solar system.

ANSWER: Both a and b

Explanation:
Kidambi Srikanth will be the most marked man at August’s badminton world championships after reaching three Super Series finals, and winning two: the youngest Super Series in Australia and the most popular one in Indonesia.

On 25th June 2017, when Srikanth beat Olympic and World Champion Chen Long 22-20, 21-16 to lift the Sydney crown, he propelled himself into becoming a serious contender for the Glasgow Worlds, even as he pocketed close to INR 1 crore in prize money and awards in two weeks.

Srikanth already had the home Super Series title in 2015, and a crown in China - in fact, he debuted as champion in the superpower’s backyard beating the game’s greatest, Lin Dan.

Last week, with the Indonesia Premier Super Series, he had won over the game’s most demanding fans, as he overpowered current World No 1 Son Wan Ho in back-to-back weeks.

However, beating Chen Long in a tournament final propels Srikanth into badminton’s stratosphere.

Last month this day, he was just another fighter jostling at World No 24, and only India’s fourth best.

In just six weeks, he has been the biggest mover in world rankings, rising 11 places last week, and set to regain his top-5 status after this triumph.

ANSWER: Kanyashree Prakalpa

Explanation:
The West Bengal Government’s Kanyashree Prakalpa on 23 June 2017 was awarded the first prize in United Nations Public Service Award for Asia Pacific.

Out of 552 initiatives from 62 different countries, West Bengal Government’s initiative was chosen the best. The award was presented at The Hague, Netherlands.

Kanyashree Prakalpa is a targeted conditional cash transfer scheme aimed at retaining girls in schools and other educational and skill development institutions and preventing child marriage.

The scheme has already enrolled more than four million adolescent girls and the State Government has till date transferred about USD 500 million directly to the beneficiaries’ bank account.

The scheme is being implemented through 16000 institutes and schools.

UN Public Service Awards

• The United Nations Public Service Awards are given by the world body to institutions from across the world for their innovation and excellence in providing public services.
• It is the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service.
• The overall purpose of the award is to recognize the institutional contribution made by public servants to enhance the role, professionalism, image and visibility of the public service.
• The award highlights the pivotal role of public services in the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals.

ANSWER: EPFO

Explanation:
Retirement fund body EPFO signed a pact with the Housing and Urban Development Corp (HUDCO) to enable members of its housing scheme to avail subsidy and interest subvention under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Under the housing scheme, the Employees Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) allows its subscribers from societies for withdrawing up to 90 per cent of their EPF accumulations to buy homes.

As part of the government commitment for ‘housing for all by 2022’, the EPFO is signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with HUDCO on June 22, 2017.

Agreement is regarding coverage of EPFO subscribers under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana by providing them various benefits like cheaper loans for buying homes.

EPFO will not construct houses for its subscribers but would act as a facilitator so that the members can buy homes.

The labour ministry intends to facilitate at least 10 lakh subscribers in the next two years by allowing them to use 90 per cent of EPF accumulations to make down payments to buy houses and use their accounts for paying EMIs of home loans.

In April this year, the EPFO had amended the EPF Scheme to enable the subscribers to make down payment to buy homes and pay EMIs through the EPF account.

The scheme (withdrawal of 90 per cent of EPF) will be aligned with the Urban Development Ministry (programmes) and other organisations because the Centre is also giving subsidy of Rs 1.5 lakh to weaker sections (to buy houses).

HUDCO: Know More

• The HUDCO is a nodal agency for implementation of credit linked subsidy scheme for middle and lower-income groups and economically weaker section under the PMAY
• Headquarters: India
• Founded: 1970
• Number of employees: 976
• Parent organization: Government of India

ANSWER: Banking ombudsman scheme

Explanation:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has allowed consumers to lodge complaints against banks for non-adherence to norms related to electronic banking services, including those provided on mobile phones, under the banking ombudsman scheme, its cost-free dispute resolution mechanism.

The central bank has also allowed customers to file complaints against banks for deficiencies arising out of sale of third party products such as insurance policies and mutual fund schemes sold by banks.

The scope of the scheme, introduced in 1995, has been expanded.
The banking ombudsman has now been powered to pass an award of INR 20 lakh, as against the earlier threshold of INR 10 lakh.

The ombudsman can also give a consumer up to INR 1 lakh as compensation for loss of time, expenses incurred and mental anguish suffered during fighting the case.

According to the annual report on the banking ombudsman scheme for 2015-16 (July-June), 15 offices of banking ombudsman received 102,894 cases, a jump of 21% over the 2016-17 fiscal year.

Currently, there are 20 offices of banking ombudsman, according to the information available on central bank’s website.

ANSWER: 29

Explanation:
A report by UNESCO has concluded that cutting down emissions and delivering the Paris Climate agreement to be the only ways out to save coral reefs the world over.

This is the first global assessment of the impact of climate change on world heritage listed coral reefs.

The assessment studies the impact of climate change on 29 world Heritage-listed coral reefs.

The assessment has found that local responses are no longer sufficient.

The report has found that global warming caused by an increase in frequency, intensity, and duration of heat-stress events has massive consequences for the 29 world heritage sites.

The report has warned that world’s coral reefs will die out completely by mid-century unless carbon emissions are reduced.

The consequences could also be severe for millions of people worldwide.

It is estimated that at least 25 coral reefs are set to experience twice-per-decade severe bleaching events by 2040.

As per the report in the last three years, 25 out of 29 coral reefs which comprise three-fourths of the world’s reef systems has experienced severe bleaching events which are labelled as the worst-ever sequence of bleachings to date.

According to the report, by 2100 most of the coral reef system would die unless carbon emissions are reduced.

Coral Reefs: Know More

• Coral Reefs are often referred as the rainforests of the oceans. They occupy less than 1% of the ocean floor but provides habitat for a million species.
• The deposits of Reefs are mostly made up of Calcium Carbonate.
• Warm tropical oceans located between 30 degree north and 25 degree south latitudes where a minimum temperature of 20 degree is found and this temperature favours the growth of coral organisms; Oceanic water free of sedimentation; Transparent parts of ocean bodies; Relatively low salinity ocean bodies. Bleaching of Coral occurs when the sea becomes too warm.
• Warm seas cause Corals to expel living algae and calcify turning into white.
• Scientists are concerned that climate change is killing the barrier reef.
• Rising temperatures by global warming increase the damage to the coral reefs harming the sensitive underwater ecosystem.
• The Great Barrier Reef is the biggest coral reef in the world. It was recorded as a World Heritage site in 1981.

ANSWER: 10

Explanation:
Piyush Goyal, the Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy and Mines launched a weather portal for Power sector on 23 June 2017 that will help all the electricity distribution companies of India in managing power distribution.

The Ministry launched the portal in association with the Power System Operation Corporation Limited (POSOCO) and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) at the meeting of the Forum of Regulators in New Delhi.

The information available in the Portal regarding weather forecast shall help State Discoms to take pro-active steps regarding short term and medium term management processes and supply planning requirements.

It would also enable better planning for infrastructure availability to ensure cost effective and reliable supply. It will also promote use of green and clean power more transparently and competition for lower costs as information will be available to all stakeholders including generators and utilities for more efficient procurement.

The transparency in the information sharing would also create pressure on utilities for continued efficiency.

Besides this, Power Minister Piyush Goyal also launched another portal called ‘MERIT’ (Merit Order Despatch of Electricity for Rejuvenation of Income and Transparency).

The portal is developed by the Ministry of Power in association with POSOCO and Central Electricity Authority.

It displays extensive array of information regarding the merit order of Electricity procured by states such as daily state-wise marginal variable costs of all generators, daily source-wise power purchases of respective states/UTs with source-wise fixed and variable costs, energy volumes and purchase prices.

Regional Weather Summary

• This provides Weather Outlook for the Region for the current day and upto next 7 days. Weather stations of Meteorological department have been mapped to the nearest important Power Stations in each State.
• The Meteogram at Web-Portal provides plots for meteorological variables such as rainfall, cloud cover, temperature, humidity, wind, speed, sea level pressure and indices for thunderstorm for 10 days with a resolution time of three hours.
• Each Meteogram provides information for 10 km radius. Region Specific Forecast – Fog Forecast, Metar, Bay Bulletin, Coastal Area Bulletin, Cyclone, Port Warning etc.
  Day to day weather variations have an impact on load demand and energy production, transport and distribution management, as well as energy prices.
• Extreme events such as heat waves or cold waves, wind storms or floods can have dramatic consequences on the production means or the electrical grid of a country including physical damage to the infrastructure.

ANSWER: My Plant

Explanation:
Maharashtra Forest Minister, Sudhir Mungantiwar announced on 23 June 2017 that the government plans to launch a mobile app named My Plant on 1 July 2017.

The app would help in recording data regarding tree plantations in the state.

App makes it possible to upload information of all the tasks given to the government departments in the tree plantation programme including the name of the tree species being planted and the status.

The Forest Department has set a target of planting four crore saplings through public participation between 1 and 7 July 1.

Many social and voluntary organisations, industry and trade representatives also plant trees on a large scale.

After downloading the app, the people or organisations would be able to feed in the data about the number of saplings they have planted with the Forest Department.

The details of the plantation including the number, the species and other details would help in creating a database of trees. Information on the app will be automatically recorded on the department’s website.

The app will advance the mission of planting 13 Cr trees in 2018.

The data bank will help the Ministry to figure out the performance of different districts along with the innovative concepts implemented by them.

The Ministry has also completed the preparations for 4 Cr tree plantations this year. So far, 4.41 Cr pits have been dug and over 16 Cr saplings have been made available.

ANSWER: 23rd June

Explanation:
The International Widows Day was observed globally on 23 June 2017.

The day is an opportunity for action towards achieving full rights and recognition for widows, who have been living with an invisible status for too long invisible.

The lack of reliable data remains one of the main obstacles to developing the policies and programmes to address the poverty, violence and discrimination faced by widows.

Hence, there is a need for more research and statistics separated by marital status, sex and age, in order to help reveal the incidence of widow abuse and illustrate the situation of widows.

Programmes and policies for ending violence against widows and their children, poverty alleviation, education and other support to widows of all ages also need to be undertaken.

The United Nations General Assembly decided to observe International Widows Day on 23 June each year through a resolution that was adopted on 21 December 2010 to give special recognition to the situation of widows of all ages and across regions and cultures.

The abuse of widows and their children constitutes one of the most serious violations of human rights and obstacles to development International Widows Day.

Millions of the world’s widows endure extreme poverty, ostracism, violence, homelessness, ill health and discrimination in law and custom.

Many widows in traditional societies have no rights or very limited rights to inheritance or land ownership under customary and religious law.

Without inheritance rights, they often find themselves financially insecure and totally dependent on the charity of their husband’s relatives.

In India, where widowhood is stigmatized and seen as a source of shame, thousands of widows are disowned by relatives and made homeless, forcing them to seek unskilled work such as domestic labourers or turn to begging or prostitution.

Widows in developed countries also face many difficulties including loss of insurance coverage, difficulties in accessing credit, becoming solely responsible for childcare and in some cases, they also become liable to pay the debts of their deceased spouse.