GK & Current Affairs – April 13, 14, 2016

1. The International Day of Human Space Flight is observed on which day?
[A]April 11
[B]April 10
[C]April 12
[D]April 13
Answer: April 12
Notes:
The International Day of Human Space Flight is observed every year on April 12 to begin the space era for mankind and to reaffirm the important contribution of space science and technology in achieving sustainable development goals. On this date, in 1961, the first human space flight was carried out by Yuri Gagarin, which opened the way for space exploration for the benefit of all humanity.
2. Which state government has recently launched “Food Entitlement Scheme”?
[A]Sikkim
[B]Jammu and Kashmir
[C]Himachal Pradesh
[D]Haryana
Answer: Jammu and Kashmir
Notes:
The Jammu and Kashmir government has recently launched Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme (MMSFES) to supplement the National Food Security Act in the state. As per the scheme, all those persons who are covered under the state’s public distribution system, will get additional 5 kgs of ration per person in addition to 5 kgs of ration they are entitled to get under NFSA.
3. Which of the following has become the first entity to receive approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a payments bank?
[A]Airtel M Commerce Services
[B]Fino Pay Tech
[C]Reliance Industries
[D]Cholamandalam Distribution Services Ltd.
Answer: Airtel M Commerce Services
Notes:
Airtel M Commerce Services Ltd., a subsidiary of Bharti Airtel, has become the first entity to receive final approval from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to start a payments bank. The payments banks are not allowed to lend, they have to tie-up with banks will help them source loans for their customers.
4. Which of the following districts has been recently renamed by the Haryana Government?
[A]Rohtak
[B]Hissar
[C]Gurgaon
[D]Faridabad
Answer: Gurgaon
Notes:
The Haryana Government has recently renamed Gurgaon district as “Gurugram district”. The city is the corporate hub of Haryana located immediately south of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. As per the sources, Gurgaon derived its name from the name of Guru Dronacharya, the master of archery in Mahabharata who tutored the Pandavas. The village was given as gurudakshina to him by his students “the Pandavas” and thus, it came to be known as Guru-gram, which in course of time got distorted to Gurgaon. Beside this, the Haryana government has also decided to rename Mewat district as Nuh.
5. Who has won the 2016 Global Indian of the Year award?
[A]Shahrukh Khan
[B]Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
[C]Sanjay Leela Bhansali
[D]Priyanka Chopra
Answer: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
Notes:
The bollywood actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the Global Indian of the Year award at the 2016 NRI of the Year award function in Mumbai, Maharashtra. The NRI of the Year Award recognises outstanding achievements of the Indian diaspora globally.
6. Which country has successfully launched “SJ-10” a retrievable scientific research satellite?
[A]India
[B]United States
[C]China
[D]Russia
Answer: China
Notes:
China has successfully launched a retrievable scientific research satellite “SJ-10” in a bid to aid scientists to study microgravity and space life science. The satellite was put into orbit by Long March 2-D rocket from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwestern China’s Gobi desert. It will house 19 experiments including microgravity fluid physics, microgravity combustion, space material, space radiation effect, microgravity biological effect and space bio-technology, etc., before coming back to Earth with results.
7. Which interface has been launched by National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for next-generation mobile banking?
[A]Unique Payments Interface
[B]Unified Payments Interface
[C]Universal Payments Interface
[D]Unicellular Payments Interface
Answer: Unified Payments Interface
Notes:
The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has launched “Unified Payments Interface (UPI)”, which will leverage trends such as increasing smart phone adoption and deeper penetration of mobile data. The UPI is a new payment method that powers multiple bank accounts into a single mobile application (of any bank) of a participating bank,merging several banking features, seamless fund routing and merchant payments into one hood. It facilitates ‘virtual address’ as a payment identifier for sending and collecting money and works on single click 2 factor authentication. It also provides an option for scheduling push and pull transactions for various purposes like sharing bills among peers.
8. Who has been chosen for 2015 Saraswati Samman?[A]K Aiyappa Panickar[B]Vijay Tendulkar[C]Padma Sachdev[D]Veerappa Moily

Padma SachdevPadma Sachdev, Jammu-born poet and novelist, has been chosen for the 25th edition of prestigious Saraswati Samman 2015 for her autobiography ‘Chitt-Chete’ written in Dogri language. The award carries an award money of Rs 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque.
9. Which Indian Army Chief has been conferred with the Officer of the Legion of Honour, the highest French civilian distinction?
[A]Bikram Singh
[B]Deepak Kapoor
[C]Joginder Jaswant Singh
[D]Nirmal Chander Vij
Answer: Joginder Jaswant Singh
Notes:
Joginder Jaswant Singh, ex-Indian Army Chief General, has been conferred with the prestigious “Officer of the Legion of Honour” in recognition of his “stellar role” in modernising the Indian Army and initiating robust exchanges between the Indian and French armies leading to unprecedented levels of cooperation and inter-operability and creation of enduring ties and promotion of mutual understanding between the two countries. The award is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.
10. Who has been appointed as the Director General of Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D)?
[A]Abhay Singh
[B]Meeran Borwankar
[C]Deepak Jog
[D]Arvind Inamdar
Answer: Meeran Borwankar
Notes:
Meeran Chadha Borwankar, senior Maharashtra cadre IPS officer of the 1981 batch, has been appointed as the Director General of Bureau of Police Research & Development (BPR&D). She will hold the post till her retirement in September 2017. .

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