GK & Current Affairs – June 23, 2016

1. Who is the current Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Government of India (GoI)?
[A]Arvind Subramanian
[B]Kaushik Basu
[C]Arvind Virmani
[D]Shankar Acharya
Answer: Arvind Subramanian
Notes:
Arvind Subramanian, an Indian economist, is the current Chief Economic Advisor (CEA) to the Government of India (GoI). He is the author of two books “India’s Turn: Understanding the Economic Transformation” and “Eclipse: Living in the Shadow of China’s Economic Dominance”. The CEA is the ex-officio cadre controlling authority of the Indian Economic Service (IES). The CEA is under the direct charge of the Minister of Finance.
2. “Sunway TaihuLight” has been named as the fastest computer of the world. It has been developed by which country?
[A]China
[B]Japan
[C]Russia
[D]Indonesia
Answer: China
The computer called “Sunway TaihuLight” has been developed by the National Research Centre of Parallel Computer Engineering and Technology (NRCPC) and is built in China.
3. The book “A Life in Diplomacy” has been authored by whom?
[A]Christophe Jaffrelot
[B]S. K. Misra
[C]Jairam Ramesh
[D]Maharajakrishna Rasgotra
Answer: Maharajakrishna Rasgotra
Notes:
The book “A Life in Diplomacy” has been authored by Maharajakrishna Rasgotra, an Indian diplomat and former Indian Foreign Secretary. It is an insider’s account of the personalities and policies that shaped Indian diplomacy. The book provides a ringside view of the beginnings of ethnic violence in Sri Lanka, the last years of the Cold War, the negotiations on the formation of SAARC, Indira Gandhi’s assassination and the Bhopal gas disaster.
4. On which date United Nations (UN) Public Service Day is observed?
[A]June 20
[B]June 24
[C]June 19
[D]June 23
Answer: June 20
Notes:
The United Nations (UN) Public Service Day is observed every year on June 23 to celebrate the value and virtue of public service to community and also to raise awareness regarding the contribution of public service in the development of society and honouring the work of public servants.
5. The first annual meeting of the Board of Governors’ of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be held in which country?
[A]Russia
[B]Brazil
[C]China
[D]South Africa
Answer: China
Notes:
The first annual meeting of the Board of Governors’ of Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) will be held in Beijing, China on June 25-26, 2016. From India, the Union Finance Minister Shri Arun Jaitley will attend the meeting.
6. With which country India has recently signed MoU to establish cooperation in skill development?
[A]Switzerland
[B]Singapore
[C]Indonesia
[D]Malaysia
Answer: Switzerland
Notes:
India and Switzerland have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish formal cooperation in the fields of skill development and vocational and professional education and training. The MoU was signed in Winterthur city in Zurich between State Secretary Mauro Dell’ Ambrogio and Union Minister for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Rajiv Pratap Rudy.
7. What is the theme of 2016 World Hydrography Day?
[A]Hydrography – underpinning the Blue Economy
[B]Hydrography – the key to well-managed seas and waterways
[C]Hydrography – much more than just nautical charts
[D]Hydrography – Protecting the marine environment
Answer: Hydrography – the key to well-managed seas and waterways
Notes:
The World Hydrography Day is observed every year on June 21 to create awareness about hydrography which is an essential science before undertaking any activity on or under the sea. The 2016 theme is “Hydrography – the key to well-managed seas and waterways”.
8. Who is the newly appointed President of the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group?
[A]Nikesh Arora
[B]Ken Miyauchi
[C]Masayoshi Son
[D]Pranjal Sen
Answer: Ken Miyauchi
Notes:
Ken Miyauchi has been appointed as the new President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group. He succeeded Nikesh Arora.
9. Which historical site has been declared as the SARRC cultural capital for 2016-17?
[A]Bamiyan
[B]Maynamati
[C]Shilaidah
[D]Mahashangarh
Answer: Mahashangarh
Notes:
Mahasthangarh, the 3rd century BC archaeological site in Bogra, Bangladesh, has been declared as the SARRC cultural capital for 2016-17. The historic place will host festivals on literature, films, foods and dances from October 2016 to September 2017. Every year, an archeologically and culturally rich city of one of the 8- South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries is declared the cultural capital for that year to create a bridge among the people of those countries. Bamiyan, a historic city of Afghanistan, is the current SAARC cultural capital for 2015-16.
10. What is the recently extended deadline for states to join Union Government’s Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme?
[A]March 2017
[B]January 2018
[C]March 2018
[D]January 2017
Answer: March 2017
Notes:
The Union Government has extended the timeline for states to join Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) scheme by a year to March 2017. The move would help states which could not enroll in or operationalise the scheme due to various reasons such as elections and regulatory approvals. Earlier, states were required to join the scheme last fiscal and issue bonds to pay off discoms’ 50 % debt in 2015-16. The main purpose of UDAY scheme is to get these discoms out of the vicious circle of debt and enable them to purchase power to increase consumption in the country. .

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