GK & Current Affairs: October 4, 2015

1. Who emerged as the winner of 11th Hero MTB Himalaya 2015?
[A]Luis Leao Pinto
[B]Andi Seewald
[C]Pau Zamora
[D]Peter Butt
Answer: Luis Leao Pinto
Portuguese cyclist Luis Leao Pinto crowned King of Himalaya in the 11th Hero MTB Himalaya 2015. Pinto, who won the race in 2013 as well, clocked 24 hours, 16 minutes and 29 seconds to complete the eight-day, seven-stage race, which had a days break in between. German Andi Seewald took just 19 more minutes to finish second while Spaniard Pau Zamora finished third in 25:06:20 in Mens Solo and Overall.
2. Which among the following has been ranked top in terms of brand value, globally?
[A]Google
[B]Coca Cola
[C]Apple
[D]Samsung
Answer: Apple
According to the annual report compiled by Interbrand, American tech giant Apple topped the list with its brand value estimated at $170.3 billion, up 43 percent from a year earlier. Google Inc. Ranked second at $120.3 billion, up 12 percent from the previous year. The top ten brands in the list, after Apple and Google, were Coca Cola ($78 billion), Microsoft ($67 billion), IBM ($65 billion), Toyota ($49 billion), Samsung ($45 billion), General Electric ($42 billion), McDonald’s ($39 billion) and Amazon ($37 billion).
3. Which type of cloud most often produces severe thunderstorm and hail storms?
[A]Cumulus
[B]Cirrus
[C]Cumulonimbus
[D]Stratus
Answer: Cumulonimbus
Cumulonimbus, from the Latin cumulus (“heap”) and nimbus (“rainstorm”, “storm cloud”), is a dense towering vertical cloud associated with thunderstorms and atmospheric instability, forming from water vapour carried by powerful upward air currents. Cumulonimbus can form alone, in clusters, or along cold front squall lines. These clouds are capable of producing lightning and other dangerous severe weather, such as tornadoes.
4. According to WHO standards, the level of Particulate Matter 2.5 should not exceed ___ per cubic meter. Fill the blanks with correct option?
[A]10 micrograms
[B]15 micrograms
[C]25 micrograms
[D]50 micrograms
Answer: 10 micrograms
As per the World Health Organisation standards the level of particulate matter should not exceed 10 micrograms per cubic meter. As per the WHO report New Delhi exhibits 153 microorganisms of PM 2.5 per cubic meter.
5. The Chang La seed bank, world’s highest research and development facility is located in which place?
[A]Leh
[B]Masoorie
[C]Tibet
[D]Shimla
Answer: Leh
The Chang La seed bank is located at a height of 5360 metres above sea level at a distance of 75 km from Leh. It is the world’s highest research and development facility and also only the second permafrost seed bank in the world, after the International Seed Vault in Norway’s Svalbard. The plant germplasm storage facility was set up in 2010 by the Defence Institute of High Altitude Research in Leh, under the aegis of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Today, it boasts of more than 5000 samples of about 200 plant species.
6. Who has been elected as President of Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)?
[A]Anurag Takur
[B]Shashank Manohar
[C]Rajiv Shukla
[D]R Srinivasan
Answer: Shashank Manohar
Shashank Manohar was unanimously elected as the new president of the BCCI. Manohar a lawyer by profession will be at the helm of the affairs of cricket in India for the second time after being elected unopposed for the first time in 2008.
7. Who won the 2015 Wuhan Open Women’s Single title?
[A]Garbine Muguruza
[B]Venus Williams
[C]Martina Hingis
[D]Camelia Begu
Answer: Venus Williams
Venus Williams won women’s single title at Wuhan Open in Central China. This is her second title of the season. Williams clinched the title after Garbine Muguruza retired in the second set.
8. Sheila Watt-Cloutier of Canada won the 2015 Right Livelihood Awards for her work in which field?
[A]Gay Rights
[B]Climate Change
[C]Press Freedom
[D]Child Right
Answer: Climate Change
Inuit leader Sheila Watt-Cloutier is one of three winners of the 2015 Right Livelihood Awards for her work on climate change in the Arctic. The awards, dubbed the ‘alternative Nobels,’ include a $475,000 cash prize that Watt-Cloutier will share with the two other recipients. The other two recipients of the prize are Kasha Jacqueline Nabagesera of Uganda, who was recognized for her work on gay rights and sexual minorities in Uganda, and Italian surgeon Gino Strada for providing medical assistance to victims of war.
9. At which place DRDO has set up the world’s highest Terrestrial Research Centre?
[A]Leh
[B]Srinagar
[C]Ladakh
[D]Anantnag
Answer: Ladakh
The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) set up the world’s highest terrestrial centre at 17,600 feet above sea level at Chang la near Pengong lake in Ladakh. The centre will serve as a natural cold storage for preserving rare and endangered medical plants for generations to come. The centre will act as an important utility for research work in frontal areas of food and agriculture and bio-medical sciences for well being of the soldiers deployed in high altitude cold desert. Along with Life Sciences the centre, may provide unique opportunity to other labs and establishments of DRDO for testing and evaluation of electronics and communication devices, It will serve as testing platform for various materials that can be used for high altitude applications, batteries, fuel cells, UAV’s micro engines in extreme cold conditions 17,600 feet above mean sea level.
10. Which bank has launched mVisa mobile payment solution recently?
[A]SBI
[B]ICICI
[C]HDFC
[D]Axis
Answer: ICICI
ICCI Bank has launched mVisa – a card-less and device-less solution the payments company is betting on in the mobile space. ICICI Bank has incorporated the mVisa application in its Pockets app that allows payments to be made by scanning a static QR code and entering the amount.