[QandA] Short Answers - Part 5

Date: Oct 15, 2014

Answer the following:

Answer should NOT exceed 30 words each

[10*3=30]

(01) Vaan Islands

In Tamil Nadu; Vaan Island, one of the 21 islands located at the southern tip of Gulf of Mannar, is gradually shrinking in area due to erosion over the years. Vaan Island was most affected because of coral mining in the last three decades. If the erosion continued, it was obvious that the island would sink soon.

(02) Inch Towards Miles

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described India-China ties as “Inch towards Miles”. Inch (India - China) towards Miles (Millennium of Exceptional Synergy).

(03) Colombo Plan

Australian Prime Minister Mr. Tony Abbott launched the Australian Government's New Colombo Plan for India at Mumbai. The plan was launched to enhance student exchange and collaboration between universities of the two countries. At present Colombo Plan is an international organisation that has 26 nations including non-Commonwealth countries.

(04) Shinkansen

Japanese term for “Bullet Train”; India sought the help of Japan in running bullet trains in India. Japan agreed to run the Shinkansen along the Mumbai – Ahmedabad route

(05) Tran Quoc Pagoda

Located at Vietnam; Tran Quoc Pagoda is a place where a Bodhi tree was planted by the first President of India Rajendra Prasad in 1959. Recently when the President Pranab Mukherjee visited Vietnam, he seen this place and also presented a sapling of the Holy Bodhi Tree from Bodh Gaya to Vietnam. 

(06) Deen Dayal Antyoda Yojana

It is a new scheme launched by the government of India which aims at alleviating urban and rural poverty through enhancement of livelihood opportunities through skill development

(07) Debroy Panel

The Union government appointed Debroy Panel to suggest ways for restructuring the Railway Board. The Panel has been tasked to suggest measures to reorganize the Railway Board and its departments so that policy making is separated from day-to-day operations

(08) National Cancer Day

For the first time, India will be observing National Cancer Day. Union Health Ministry has decided that November 7 will be observed all over the country as National Cancer Awareness Day

(09) Pratyush Sinha Committee

Committee deals with the division of IAS and IPS officers among the two States – Andhra Pradesh and Telangana; this committee recommendations is believed to be India’s biggest revamp

(10) No-frill airports

Also called as low-cost airports; mainly developed to promote regional and remote area connectivity with a focus on promoting tourism and other economic activities. Recently Government of India gave nod for setting up 5 No-Frill airports across the country

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[QandA] Short Answers - Part 4

Date: Oct 14, 2014

Answer the following:

Answer should NOT exceed 30 words each

[10*3=30]

(01) Gatimaan Express

The new speed train between Delhi and Agra is to be named as “Gatimaan Express”

(02) ‘In-Residence’ Programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan

The ‘In-Residence’ Programme for writers, artists was launched by the President of India on December 11, 2013 with a view to encourage senior artists as well as young and upcoming individuals by facilitating them stay close to nature in the picturesque and serene surroundings of Rashtrapati Bhavan. Currently four eminent persons are in this programme. They are from the States of Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.

(03) ‘Chaman’

Under a new initiative by the Government of India named as ‘Chaman’ the horticulture crops would be mapped through remote sensing (Satellites).

(04) Pandit Kumar Gandharva

A Hindustani classical singer and was well known for his unique vocal style and his refusal to be bound by the tradition of any gharana. Recently, the President of India released a Commemorative Postage Stamp on him along with some other musicians.

(05) Kala Azar

Also known as “Black Fever”; a disease caused by protozoan parasites of the Leishmania genus. This disease is the second-largest parasitic killer in the world after malaria.  Bihar accounts for 80 percent of the kala azar cases in India. Also the States of West Bengal, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh are affected due to this disease. Government of India decided to eradicate Kala azar from India by 2015.

(06) Dharmadhikari Committee

Justice (Retd.) Chandrashekhar Dharmadhikari committee was constituted by the Maharashtra government in 2010 to suggest measures to curb atrocities against women. The committee comprises of senior women political leaders, social activists and bureaucrats. This Committee recommended the complete ban on bar dance.

(07) Hurricane Odile

Hurricane Odile hit the Mexican coast in Sept 2014. The Hurricane Odile is the strongest storm to hit the Mexican Coast since 1990s.

(08) Mahatma Ayyankali

“Kayal Sammelanam of 1913”, organized by Ayyankali two years before the arrival of Gandhiji in India, was a turning point in the history of social reform in India. Recently, the Prime Minister celebrated the birth anniversary of Ayyankali for the first time officially.

(09) Bryan Brothers

Bryan Brothers (Mike Bryan and Bob Bryan) are famous tennis players. They belonged to US. By winning the US Open Doubles title, they achieved the feat of 100 Doubles title.

(10) TMT Project

TMT Project – Thirty Metre Telescope Project; Recently, the Union Cabinet gave its approval for India’s participation in the Thirty Metre Telescope (TMT) Project at Mauna Kea, Hawaii, USA. The TMT will enable scientists to study fainter objects far away from the Universe, which gives information about early stages of the evolution of the Universe. USA, Canada, Japan and China are the other countries in this project.

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[QandA] Short Answers - Part 3

Date: Oct 13, 2014

Answer the following:

Answer should NOT exceed 30 words each

[10*3=30]

(01) Social Forestry

Management and protection of forests and afforestation on barren lands with the purpose of helping in the environmental, social and rural development

(02) Quantum Computer

A quantum computer maintains a sequence of qubits. A single qubit can represent a one, a zero, or any quantum superposition of these two qubit states. In general, a quantum computer with ‘n’ qubits can be in an arbitrary superposition of up to 2^n different states simultaneously

(03) Ozone Hole

The ozone hole occurs during the Antarctic spring, from September to early December, as strong westerly winds start to circulate around the continent and create an atmospheric container.  

(04) Cloudburst

An extreme amount of precipitation, sometimes with hail and thunder, which normally lasts no longer than a few minutes but is capable of creating flood conditions

(05) Mesocyclone

Mesocyclones are formed when there is a strong change of wind speed direction with height. Sometimes Mesocyclones leads to Tornado too.

(06) ISIS

Islamic State of Iraq; an unrecognized Sunni jihadist in Iraq and Syria

(07) Operation Lehar

It is the codename of Indian Navy’s rescue operations in tropical cyclone Hudhud, that devasted the coastal areas of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha in October 2014

(08) Surrogacy

Surrogacy is carrying of a pregnancy for intended parents. There are two main types of surrogacy, gestational surrogacy and traditional surrogacy. India is a main destination for surrogacy. Indian surrogates have been increasingly popular with intended parents in industrialized nations because of the relatively low cost.

(09) Lalitha Kumaramangalam

A woman politician, who has been appointed as chairperson of the National Commission for Women in September 2014.

  

(10) Liar’s Dice

Hindi film; directed by Geetu Mohandas; This film is India’s official entry to Oscar Film Awards wich will be held in 2015.

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[QandA] Short Answers -Part 2

Date: Oct 11, 2014

Answer the following, which are ‘CURRENTLY IN NEWS’:

Answer should NOT exceed 30 words each

[10*3=30]

(01) Panama Canal

Panama Canal that connects Atlantic Ocean with Pacific Ocean celebrated its 100th anniversary recently

(02) Gaurav Gill

Indian car racer, who won the Malaysian Rally recently.

(03) Umbrella Revolution

At Hong Kong; people demonstrate in Hong Kong demanding for the democratic government. This revolution is termed as “Umbrella Revolution”

(04) Operation Matanga

It is a project in Tamil Nadu to conserve elephants and evolve ways to reduce human-animal conflict

(05) Justice R Banumathi

Justice R Banumathi has become the first woman judge from Tamil Nadu to be elevated to the Supreme Court. She is only the sixth woman judge of the Supreme Court since independence.

(06) Bipin Chandra

Bipan Chandra - Indian historian, specialising in economic and political history of modern India, who passed away recently. He specialized on the Indian independence movement and is considered to be one India's foremost scholars on Mahatma Gandhi. His books: The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism, Communalism in Modern India.

(07) Manur Inscription

Belongs to the Pandya Kingdom; In Tirunelveli of Tamil Nadu; inscription says that, Tamil Nadu had an elected judiciary more than 1200years ago with rules stipulating that the judges should have sterling character, should have passed legal treatises and so on.

 (08) Subash Khot

Indian origin who have been awarded with prestigious international ward in the field of Mathematics

(09) ‘CitizenFour’

It is a documentary film directed by Laura Poitras concerning Edward Snowden and the NSA spying scandal.

(10) NOTTO

National Organ and Tissue Transplant Organisation; function as apex centre for All India activities of coordination and networking for procurement and distribution of Organs and Tissues and registry of Organs and Tissues Donation and Transplantation in the country.

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[QandA] Short Answers - Part 1

Date: Oct 10, 2014

Answer the following:

Answer should NOT exceed 30 words each

[10*3=30]

(01) Government of India launched P-3 recently. What is P-3?

P-3 is Pashmina Promotion Programme; launched by Minister of Textiles in Leh (Kashmir); Under this Programme, financial assistance would be provided under different components like Creation of Common Pashmina Facilitation Centre for Wool testing, Disease Surveillance Centre, Shelter for Nomads and others.

(02) ‘Hudhud’

‘Hudhud’ is a tropical cyclone that devasted the coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in October 2014. The city of Vizag was devasted completely. The name ‘Hudhud’ was coined by Oman

(03) Indian Super League

Indian Super League (ISL) is a IPL-style of football. ISL aims to promote football in India. ISL has 8 teams and each team is a mix of foreign and Indian talent.

(04) World Habitat Day

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of October of every year as World Habitat Day.  The theme of 2014 World Habitat Day is Voices from Slums.

(05) Chumar Standoff

Chumar village in Ladakh area, near Himachal Pradesh border; China says its their land, and they keep coming there on foot and through helicopters. China also constructed a road, though Indian army destroyed it recently. Chinese soldiers entered Chumar during the recent of Chinese President Xi’s visit.

(06) List the countries in BIMSTEC

Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal

(07) Write the full form of the following in connection with Government of India’s Science & Technology:

(i) INSPIRE

Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research

(ii) SEAT

Scheme for Early Attraction of Talent

(iii) SHE

Scholarship for Higher Education

(08) Sumitra Mahajan

Present Speaker of Lok Sabha; represents Indore Lok Sabha Constituency in Madhya Pradesh; she won the Lok Sabha elections for the eighth time in 2014

(09) Operation Polo

Military operation happened in 1948 in which the Indian Armed Forces invaded the State of Hyderabad and overthrew its Nizam, and annexed with the India.

(10) Operation Octopus 2014

Launched by Sierra Leone; to tackle the deadly hit virus Ebola

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