Current
Affairs Q & A: 06 April 2018
1. Who has become the youngest
Indian weightlifter to win medal at Commonwealth Games (CWG)?
Answer: Deepak
Lather
Explanation: Teenager
Deepak Lather from Haryana has become the youngest Indian weightlifter to claim
a Commonwealth Games medal by clinching a bronze in the men’s 69kg
weightlifting category at the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG-2018) in Gold Coast,
Australia on April 6. He lifted a total of 295kg (136kg+159kg). The youngster,
competing in his first Commonwealth Games, holds the distinction of being the
youngest to hold the national record as well.
2. Who is the newly elected President
of Sierra Leone?
Answer: Julius
Maada Bio
Explanation: Julius
Maada Bio has recently taken oath as the new President of Sierra Leone in the
capital Freetown on April 4, 2017. Mr Bio is a former soldier who briefly ruled
Sierra Leone in 1996. He defeated ruling party candidate Samura Kamara, an
economist by training. President Ernest Bai Koroma has stepped down after
serving two five-year terms.
3. The joint anti-piracy, search
and rescue exercise ‘Sahyog – Hyeoblyeog 2018’ was held between India and which
country?
Answer: South Korea
Explanation: Indo-Korean
joint anti-piracy, search and rescue exercise ‘Sahyog-Hyeoblyeog 2018’ was
conducted off the Chennai coast, in Tamil Nadu on April 6. The Korean Coast
Guard ship ‘BADARO’ took part in the exercise. Indian Coast Guard deployed a
Dornier aircraft to carry out sea-air coordinated search along with ICG
Shaurya, Rani Abbakka, C-423, C-431 in the exercise. Director General of Indian
Coast Guard Rajendra Singh and Commissioner of Korean Coast Guard General Park
Kyung reviewed the exercise. The mission of the joint exercise is to develop
working level co-operation and enhance inter-operability in the fields of maritime
search and rescue, anti-piracy operations.
4. Which city hosted the Global
Logistics Summit (GLS-2018)?
Answer: New Delhi
Explanation: The Global
Logistics Summit (GLS-2018) was held in New Delhi on April 5-6 to improve
logistics and connectivity which are vital for increasing intra-state and
international trade flows. It was organised by the Department of Commerce,
Ministry of Commerce & Industry, along with Federation of Indian Chambers
of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and the World Bank Group. The Summit acts as
a platform to hold discussions for global experts, academics, government
officials and private sector and industry representatives. According to the
Union Minister for Commerce & Industry and Civil Aviation, Suresh Prabhu,
56 new airports will be ready for operation in the next few years.
5. The joint Humanitarian
Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise ‘Chakravath 2018’ is organised
by the Indian Navy in coordination with which state government?
Answer: Kerala
Explanation: The joint
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) exercise ‘Chakravath 2018’
is organised by the Indian Navy in coordination with the Kerala government at
Kochi Airport. The exercise is conducted by the Southern Naval Command from
April 5 to 8. The highlight of the 4-day disaster management exercise is Skill
Demo, which was conducted in the Mattancherry Channel off the BTP Jetty. The
skill demo showcased the capabilities and prowess of the Armed Forces, as well
as all state agencies, in tackling an emergency using all available resource.
6. The Union Government has
constituted a committee to frame regulations for online news portals. Who is
the head of the committee?
Answer: Narendra
Kumar Sinha, the I&B Secretary.
Explanation: The
Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Ministry has constituted the 10-member
committee to frame rules to regulate the functioning of news portals and media
websites, including platforms like YouTube. The committee will be headed by
Narendra Kumar Sinha, the I&B Secretary. The committee has been mandated to
frame and suggest a regulatory framework for online media, news portals,
digital broadcasting and entertainment and infotainment (information and
entertainment) sites and for media aggregators. Apart from I&B Secretary,
the panel will have secretaries of Ministry of Electronics and IT and Home
Ministry, and CEO of government’s citizen engagement platform MyGov. It will
also have representatives of the Press Council of India, News Broadcasters
Association and Indian Broadcasters Federation, and the head of government
outreach portal MyGov.
7. Who has been appointed as the
next Ambassador of India to the Republic of Serbia?
Answer: Subrata
Bhattacharjee
Explanation: Subrata
Bhattacharjee, an IFS officer of 1989 batch, has been appointed as the next
Ambassador of India to the Republic of Serbia. Currently, he is Joint Secretary
in Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He is expected to take up his assignment
shortly.
8. What is the theme of the 55th
edition of National Maritime Day (NMD-2018)?
Answer: Indian
Shipping – An Ocean of opportunity
Explanation: The
National Maritime Day (NMD) is celebrated every year in India on 5th April
since 1964 to commemorate the maiden voyage of the first Indian –owned ship “SS
Loyalty” sailed from Bombay to London on 5th April 1919. This was a crucial
step for Indian shipping history when sea routes were controlled by the
British. The theme of the 55th edition of the NMD 2018 is ‘Indian Shipping – An
Ocean of opportunity’. The United Nations’ World Maritime Day (WMD) is observed
every year on September 29 to highlight the importance of shipping safety,
maritime security and the marine environment.
9. The Government of India (GoI)
has launched UTTAM App for coal quality monitoring. What does “UTTAM” stands
for?
Answer: Unlocking
Transparency by Third Party Assessment of Mined Coal
Explanation: Piyush
Goyal, the Union Minister for Railways and Coal, has launched UTTAM App for
Coal Quality Monitoring. UTTAM stands for – Unlocking Transparency by Third
Party Assessment of Mined Coal (uttam.coalindia.in). The app is developed by
the Ministry of Coal and Coal India Limited (CIL). The purpose of the app is to
provide an app for all citizens and coal consumers to monitor the process of
Third Party Sampling of coal across CIL subsidiaries. UTTAM App ensures
accountability, transparency, effectiveness and efficiency in coal ecosystem.
It provides a platform for monitoring of sampling and coal dispatches. The App
is designed with an aim to make the citizens a stakeholder in the coal
ecosystem. UTTAM is an example of leveraging technology to facilitate a bidirectional
channel between Coal India Limited and a common citizen. It ensures
transparency and efficiency in the coal quality monitoring process and brings
coal governance closer to people.
10. The Online travel portal
MakeMyTrip has partnered with which of the following e-commerce giant?
Answer: FlipKart
Explanation: The Online
travel portal MakeMyTrip has formed a partnership with Flipkart to allow
customers to book domestic flight tickets and other travel services directly
through the e-commerce firm’s portal. The partnership will start with domestic
flight bookings in the next few weeks, followed by hotels, bus and holiday
bookings. Additionally, under the tie-up, all offerings of three of MakeMyTrip’s
brands – MakeMyTrip, Goibibo and redBus – will now be available to Flipkart
consumers.
11. The Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO) have tied up with which of the following digital company
to promote exports, leveraging the technology platform?
Answer: Paypal
Explanation: Digital
payments company PayPal and exporters’ body the Federation of Indian Export
Organisations (FIEO) have tied up to promote exports, leveraging the technology
platform. PayPal will work with FIEO to educate SMEs on how to leverage global
opportunities, help them receive money in a safe and timely manner with PayPal
products.
12. Isao Takahata who passed away
recently belongs to whic field?
Answer: Director
Explanation: Oscar-nominated
Japanese animation director Isao Takahata has passed away. He co-founded
the Studio Ghibli and was best known for his work “Grave of the Fireflies”. Takahata’s
latest film, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” earned him an Academy
nomination in 2014 for best animated feature.
13. Which country has introduced
national service for women?
Answer: Qatar
Explanation: Qatar is
introducing national service for women for the first time. Women aged over 18
will be able to volunteer for national service which comes into immediate
affect, while men will now serve a year instead of three months in the military
service. Every Qatari male between 18 and 35 is required to perform a
compulsory military service while the national service for females is
voluntary.
