GK & Current Affairs: October 6, 2016

1. Which of the following personalities have won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry?
[A]William Moerner, Eric Betzig and Stefan Hell
[B]Fraser Stoddart, Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Bernard Feringa
[C]Arieh Warshel, Michael Levitt and Martin Karplus
[D]Paul Modrich, Tomas Lindahl and Aziz Sancar
Answer: Fraser Stoddart, Jean-Pierre Sauvage and Bernard Feringa
Notes:
Jean-Pierre Sauvage (from France), Sir J. Fraser Stoddart (from Scotland) and Bernard L. Feringa (from the Netherlands) have been awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the design and synthesis of molecular machines- the world’s smallest machines. The prize recognizes their success in linking molecules together to design everything from motors to a car and muscles on a tiny scale. They will share the 8m kronor (£727,000) prize; it was announced by the Royal Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden.
2. What is the India’s growth forecast for FY17, as per recently released IMF’s World Economic Outlook (WEO) report?
[A]7.4%
[B]7.6%
[C]7.8%
[D]8.0%
Answer: 7.6%
Notes:
As per latest revised edition of World Economic Outlook (WEO) report of International Monetary Fund (IMF), India’s GDP growth forecast has been raised by 0.2 % to 7.6 % for FY17 (2016-17 ) and FY18 (2017-18). According to report, India’s economy continued to recover strongly, benefiting from a large improvement in the terms of trade, effective policy actions and stronger external buffers, which have helped boost sentiment. Beside this, the report has also higlighted that the Indian government must have to continue to reform its tax system and eliminate subsidies to provide more resources for investments in infrastructure, education and healthcare.
3. Which union ministry has set up a Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC) in New Delhi?
[A]Ministry of Law and Justice
[B]Ministry of Labour and Employment
[C]Ministry of Home Affairs
[D]Ministry of Finance
Answer: Ministry of Finance
Notes:
The Union Finance Ministry has set up a Public Debt Management Cell (PDMC) to streamline government borrowings and better cash management with the overall objective of deepening bond markets. The PDMC, to be housed at RBI’s Delhi office, is an interim arrangement and will be upgraded to a statutory Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) in about 2 years. The PDMC will have only advisory functions to avoid any conflict with the statutory functions of RBI. PDMC has been tasked to plan government borrowings, including market borrowings and other borrowings, like Sovereign Gold Bond issuance. It will also advise government on matters related to investment, capital market operations, administration of interest rates on small savings among others.
4. Yusuf Arakkal, who passed away recently, was a well-known personality of which field?
[A]Painting
[B]Sports
[C]Politics
[D]Journalism
Answer: Painting
Notes:
Yusuf Arakkal (71), who recently passed away in Bengaluru, was a Malayali painter and was known for his contribution to the world of abstract and contemporary art. He was also known for his works depicting social issues. He recently released a book title “Faces of Creativity”, which is a comprehensive collection of portraits of fellow artists. It is first of its kind that an Indian artist had done portraits of other artists.
5. The 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) India Economic Summit has started in which city of India?
[A]Pune
[B]New Delhi
[C]Ahmedabad
[D]Chandigarh
Answer: New Delhi
Notes:
The 2016 World Economic Forum (WEF) India Economic Summit has been inaugurated by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi on October 6, 2016. The theme of the summit is “Fostering an Inclusive India through Digital Transformation’. The 2-day summit will focus on issues like digital transformation and regional economic integration. At least 600 participants from a little over 30 countries will take part.
6. Which Indian mountaineer has recently scaled the Mountain Cho Oyu?
[A]H P S Ahluwalia
[B]Mastan Babu Malli
[C]Arjun Vajpai
[D]Jamling Tenzing Norgay
Answer: Arjun Vajpai
Notes:
Arjun Vajpai (23), the professional Indian mountaineer, has recently scaled the world’s 6th highest mountain Cho Oyu (approx 8,188 metres), which is wedged between the China-Tibet border. It stands 20 km west of Mount Everest. With this, he became the youngest in the world to scale the Mount Cho Oyu among others. With the Cho Oyu summit, Arjun has climbed five of the 14 highest mountains in the world that tower over 8000 metres and holds world records as the youngest summiteer on Mount Lhotse, Mount Manaslu and Mount Makalu.
7. Who will become the new Secretary General of the United Nations?
[A]Matthew Rycroft
[B]Anibal Cavaco Silva
[C]Antonio Guterres
[D]Vitaly Churkin
Answer: Antonio Guterres
Notes:
Antonio Guterres, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, will become the 9th new Secretary General of the United Nations after the UN Security Council declared him to be the unanimous choice in the 6th straw poll. Guterres, who led the UN refugee agency for 10 years, will succeed Ban Ki-moon in 2017.
8. Who will be new chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)?
[A]Atulesh Jindal
[B]Sushil Chandra
[C]Nilesh Chand
[D]Shankar Gora
Answer: Sushil Chandra
Notes:
Sushil Chandra, a 1980 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax cadre), has been appointed as the new chairperson of the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the apex policy making body for the Income Tax department. He will replace Rani Singh Nair, who retires on October 31, 2016. Currently, Chandra is the member (Investigation) of the CBDT.
9. The 2016 World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) has started in which city of India?
[A]New Delhi
[B]Pune
[C]Bhopal
[D]Jaipur
Answer: New Delhi
Notes:
The first edition of the World Sustainable Development Summit (WSDS) 2016 has been inaugurated by President Pranab Mukherjee on October 5 in New Delhi. The 4-day summit is organized by The Energy and Research Institute (TERI) with theme “Beyond 2015: People, Planet and Progress”. It will be one of the first international platforms to discuss the new agenda post the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the signing of the Paris Agreement. The attempt will be to initiate discussions on methodologies to be adopted to chalk a path to realize the goals beyond 2015. The summit would emphasis on the need to limit the rise of climate change.
10. The book “Night of Fire” has been authored by whom?
[A]Jung Chang
[B]Colin Thubron
[C]Arundhati Roy
[D]Tim Tigner
Answer: Colin Thubron
Notes:
The book “Night of Fire” has been authored by Colin Thubron. The novel is a fictive masterpiece of exquisite beauty and lingering mystery. .

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