GK & Current Affairs – December 5, 2015

1. Tim Peake is related to which of the following fields?
[A]Physicist
[B]Astronaut
[C]Writer
[D]Political activist
Answer: Astronaut
The British astronaut Tim Peake will attempt to run the London Marathon in space. On 24 April 2016, he will run 26.2 miles on a treadmill aboard the International Space Station (ISS), the same day as more than 30,000 runners will take part in the London Marathon. He will be only the second Briton in space after Helen Sharman in 1991. He will be the first Briton on board the ISS. Earlier, NASA astronaut Sunita Williams ran the Boston Marathon on board the ISS in 2007.
2. Which one of the following companies has joined with ISRO to launch satellite-based portal to monitor its pipelines?
[A]ONGC
[B]HPCL
[C]GAIL (India) Ltd.
[D]BPCL
Answer: GAIL (India) Ltd.
Recently, the GAIL (India) Limited in collaboration with National Remote Sensing Centre, a unit of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), has launched a surveillance geo-portal – ‘Bhuvan-GAIL Portal’. The portal utilises space technology to monitor GAIL (India) Ltd. pipelines. GAIL (India) Ltd. is presently monitoring its 13,000 km of pipeline network via helicopter surveys. It is also planning alternative methods such as advanced Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) to monitor pipelines.
3. As per the latest report of NITI Aayog, which of the following states has emerged as the “fastest growing economy” in India in 2014-15?
[A]Bihar
[B]Madhya Pradesh
[C]Maharashtra
[D]Goa
Answer: Bihar
According to the latest report of the NITI Aayog, Bihar has emerged as the “fastest growing economy” at 17.06 per cent growth rate in 2014-15. NITI Aayog’s data takes into account growth rate of states on Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP). Bihar is followed by Madhya Pradesh (16.86%) and Goa (16.43%). Maharashtra grew by 11.69 per cent to become the biggest state with Rs 16.87 trillion economy.
4. On which date, the Indian Navy Day is celebrated?
[A]November 6
[B]December 4
[C]December 5
[D]January 3
Answer: December 4
Recently, the 44th Indian Navy Day was celebrated on December 4, 2015 to commemorate the success of Operation Trident of Indian Navy that was carried out during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. On December 4, 1971, the Indian Navy carried out Operation Trident, which was a devastating attack on Pakistan Naval Headquarters of Karachi. The attack irreparably damaged destroyers and oil storage tanks at the Karachi port. To commemorate this, December 4 is celebrated every year as the Indian Navy Day.
5. In which of the following states the union government will introduce e-transfer of wages under MGNREGA from January 2016?
[A]Bihar
[B]Uttar Pradesh
[C]Kerala
[D]Tamil Nadu
Answer: Kerala
The Union government will introduce the system of e-transfer of wages to the MGNREGA scheme beneficiaries from January 1, 2016 in Kerala. This will try to prevent the leakages in the scheme. If it is successful, then e-transfer of wages will also be introduced in other states. For smooth fund flow, the electronic Fund Management System (e-FMS) has been made mandatory from April, 2015.
6. Which of the following organisations has signed an Integrity Pact with Transparency International India (TII)?
[A]Jute Corporation of India Ltd. (JCI)
[B]Handicrafts and Handlooms Export Corporation (HHEC)
[C]National Textile Corporation (NTC)
[D]Cotton Corporation Of India Ltd. (CCI)
Answer: National Textile Corporation (NTC)
The Central public sector enterprise, National Textile Corporation Limited (NTC Ltd) has become the first textile corporation to sign Integrity Pact (IP) with Transparency International India (TII). It owns 23 working textile mills which produce yarn and fabric. Integrity Pact ensures that all activities and transactions between an organisation and their suppliers are handled in a fair, transparent and corruption-free manner. It prohibits any kind of bribing, favours or any other unethical practices with close monitoring by honorary Independent External Monitors (IEMs).
7. What is the revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) target for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) from January 1, 2016?
[A]60% of outstanding advances
[B]70% of outstanding advances
[C]75% of outstanding advances
[D]80% of outstanding advances
Answer: 75% of outstanding advances
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has revised Priority Sector Lending (PSL) norms for Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). As per the new norms, the PSL target has increased to 75% of total outstanding advances from the existing 60%. It will come into effect from January 1, 2016. However, the RBI has liberalised the amount they can lend to segments such as agriculture and also included medium enterprises, social infrastructure and renewable energy under PSL category. Loans to individual farmers has increased to Rs. 50 lakh from the present Rs. 10 lakh against pledge/ hypothecation of agricultural produce (including warehouse receipts) for a period not exceeding 12 months. In case of housing loans, loans to individuals up to Rs. 20 lakh only are considered as PSL as against the earlier limit of Rs. 25 lakh.
8. The first India International Science Festival (IISF) 2015 has started in which city?
[A]Kochi
[B]Pune
[C]Mumbai
[D]New Delhi
Answer: New Delhi
The first India International Science Festival (IISF) has started at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Delhi campus on December 4, 2015. It is being organised during December 4 to 8. It is a joint event of Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences. The purpose of the IISF 2015 is to provide a platform for young scientists from all over the country to share and spread their scientific ideas, achievements and inventions. It is also supporting many flagship programmes like Make in India, Digital India, Start-up India, Smart Villages, Smart Cities, etc. initiated by the Government of India (GoI).
9. Which of the following states has become the first Indian state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project?
[A]Mizoram
[B]Himachal Pradesh
[C]Karnataka
[D]Rajasthan
Answer: Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh has become the first Indian state to launch Rotavirus vaccination project. The vaccine will help in controlling the child mortality rate (under 5 years of age) due to diarrhoea. The rotavirus vaccines are administered orally to infants in three dose course at ages of 6, 10 and 14 weeks and are part of Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). The project was launched in Kangra district. It will soon be launched in Vellore (Tamil Nadu) and Pune (Maharashtra).
10. Which of the following cities is the host for the first International Bird Festival?
[A]Agra
[B]Kota
[C]Indore
[D]Kolkata
Answer: Agra
To promote Uttar Pradesh as an international bird watching destination, the state government is hosting the first International Bird Festival at the National Chambal Sanctuary (NCS), Agra from December 4. It will come to an end on December 6. The festival is being celebrated between the ravines of Chambal and Yamuna. It is being conducted by the state forest department, in collaboration with FICCI.

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