Current Affairs Questions & Answers - Oct 12, 2016

ANSWER: Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India

Explanation:
Government of India has come out with another set of draft rules including liquidation of insolvent corporate persons under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy code

• As part of implementing the code, government of India has constituted the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India
• Draft norms will be finalised after taking the stakeholder views into account
• Notified by the government in May, code seeks consolidation and amendment of laws relating to reorganisation and insolvency resolution of corporate persons, partnership firms and individuals in a timely manner
• Latest set of draft regulations relate to liquidation of insolvent corporate persons, insolvency resolution processes for corporate persons and application to the judicial authority
• Ministry has also issued draft regulations for registration of insolvency professionals, agencies and model bye-laws
• The IBBI chaired by MS Sahoo will have 10 members
• Apart from the chairman currently there are 4 government nominated members and the rest will be appointed in the coming months.

ANSWER: Dustin Johnson

Explanation:
Dustin Johnson was named PGA Tour Player of the Year on 11th Oct, 2016 following a breakthrough season where he landed his first major after leading the United States to victory in the Ryder Cup.

• The 32-year-old worked his way up to the top after overcoming personal problems and testing positive for cocaine in 2014
• Johnson’s season saw him win the US Open as well as the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship
• In 22 starts, the world number two posted 15 top 10 finishes and made 21 cuts
• Johnson has won an average of one PGA tour event in 9 consecutive seasons dating back to the rookie year in 2008
• This marks the longest active streak on the Tour
• His triumphant campaign comes after many setbacks and a voluntary sabbatical.

ANSWER: Illham Tohti

Explanation:
Leading human rights organisations have awarded the annual prize for human rights defenders to imprisoned Chinese Muslim minority economics professor, Illham Tohti, garnering new attention on a case that has brought strong global condemnation

• The Martin Ennals award is given by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and 8 other human rights groups
• Award was announced on 11th Oct and the award ceremony will take place in Geneva, Switzerland
• Prof. Tohti has been jailed for life on account of “separatism” in Sept 2014, after a 2 day long trial
• A member of the Turkic Muslim Uighur ethnic group, he has taught at Beijing’s Minzu university and criticised China’s ethnic policies in Xinjiang.
• He has denied advocating separatism
• He also worked to bring Uighur grievances to light
• His sentence brought international condemnation from Western nations such as the EU
• Chinese government policies and an influx of migrants of the majority Han ethnic group have threatened cultures bring economic marginalisation
• Sentiments such as these have brought deadly riots in Urumqi in 2009
• Stopped from publishing, Prof. Tohti had turned to the Internet, running a site to foster discussion about social, economic and developmental issues handled by Chinese Uighur
• The other finalists for the award were Ethiopian collective for independent journalism Zone 9 bloggers and Syrian human rights lawyer, activist and journalist Razan Zaitouneh.

ANSWER: Telangana

Explanation:
On 11th Oct, 2016, the day of Vijay Dashami, the youngest state of India Telangana has redrawn its map creating 21 new districts.

• The state now has 31 districts
• Telangana came into existence on 2nd June as the 29th state of India
• It started out with 10 districts
• On an average, each district will have a population of 2-4 lakh families except Hyderabad which has larger numbers
• CM C. Rao inaugurated the Siddipet district carved out of Medak. Other 20 districts were inaugurated by cabinet members
• The new districts are Siddipet, Mancheriyal, Vikarabad, Jagtial, Jangaon, Jayashankar, Warangal (Rural), Mahabubabad, Kamareddy, Medak, Rajanna, Asifabad, Suryapet, Kothagudem, Nirmal, Wanaparthy, Nagarkurnool, Yadadri, Peddapally, Jogulamba and Medchal/Malkajgiri.
• The state government has also created 25 new revenue divisions,125 new mandals and 4 new police commissionerates
• Around 23 new police subdivisions and 28 new circles as well as 91 police stations have also been created

ANSWER: Abdelilah Bekirane

Explanation:
Abdelilah Bekirane, leader of the Moroccan Islamic Justice and Development Party was appointed as the new PM of the country on 10th Oct 2016

• This marks his second term as PM of Morocco
• Mohammad VI, king of Morocco made the announcement after his PJD party emerged with the mot number of seats in the 395 seat lower house
• In the election held on 7th Oct 2016, Abdelilah Bekirane leading the PJD party won 125 seats. The PJD party has been in coalition government since 2011
• The opposition Authenticity and Modernity Party came second with 102 seats
• Country’s oldest party Istiqlal stood third with 46 seats
• Abdelilah Bekirane has been serving as PM of the nation since Nov 2011
• PJD will now reach out to other parties to form a coalition government
• This is because the multi-party system in the kingdom makes it difficult for any political party to get an absolute majority
• Of the 395 members of the lower house, 305 were elected in multi-seat constituencies from electoral lists put together by the parties
• 60 of the remaining 90 seats are reserved for national list of women and rest 30 seats are for candidates under 35 years of age

ANSWER: Haryana

Explanation:
Haryana government is considering a proposal to install telephones in all state jails for the use of prisoners

• The police department sent a proposal to the state government and the plan seeks to replicate the success of Delhi’s Tihar jail
• Under the plan, one or two special telephones will be installed in 18 prisons of the state for calling family members or seeking legal aid
• Numbers will be registered as jail and no other number will be permitted for use by prisoners
• There are close to 70,000 prisoners lodged in 18 jails of the state
• A Special phone will also have the facility to identify the prisoner prior to the call being made
• Day, date and time of the conservation will also be duly recorded
• Special software will be installed
• Innovative project will cost money to the tune of INR 15 lakh per phone set

ANSWER: Parmeshwar Godrej

Explanation:
Businesswoman, philanthropist and fashionista Parmeshwar Godrej passed away on 10th Oct 2016 after a prolonged lung illness at a Mumbai hospital

• The wife of industrialist Adi Godrej, she was known for her charity work
• Adorned in her signature beret. she hosted some of the most well known celebs in the world
• She also championed the cause of HIV-AIDS prevention and her biggest initiative was in 2004– the Heroes Project which involved a collaboration with actor Richard Gere, the Clinton Global Initiative and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• She was the daughter of an army officer
• She married Adi Godrej in 1965, having met him when she was 17 and working as a AI air hostess
• She has two daughters- Tanya Subhash and Nisa Godrej and one son Pirojsha
• She also refashioned several homes and iconic restaurants such as China Garden and Khyber
• She also designed clothes for actress Hema Malini in the movie Dharmatma in the 1970s
• The fashion icon also teamed up with director Shekhar Kapur to launch production house Starlight in 2000 which was preceded by co-producing the Merchant Ivory Production The Perfect Murder in 1988
• The style icon was remembered on Twitter by many celebs and thinkers as well as known names in the business, fashion industry and among charity houses across national and international shores