IAS Current Affairs is more tended towards the Current Affairs Analysis and their Backgrounders. The current event is only the tip of the iceberg and the UPSC Civil Services Exam ask about the background of that event. The Political, Economical and the Sociological dimensions of the current affairs are also important for the IAS Exam. These Current Affairs questions are framed keeping in view the pattern of IAS Exam.
1. Which among the countries became first country in the world to prohibit deforestation?
a. India
b. Singapore
c. Norway
d. USA
Answer: c
Explanation:
On 26 May 2016, the Norwegian Parliament had pledged to make government’s public procurement policy deforestation-free. The step was taken after a committee of MPs recommended imposing regulations to ensure the state did not contribute to deforestation of the rainforest.
Norwegian lawmakers also committed to find a way to source essential products such as palm oil, soy, beef and timber so that they leave little to no impact on their ecosystems. Norway had pledged to do that at the U.N. Climate Summit in 2014, alongside Germany and the United Kingdom.
2. The ‘International Albinism Awareness Day’ observes on which of the following day every year?
a. 12th June
b. 13th June
c. 14th June
d. 15th June
Answer: b
Explanation:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) launched the World Day against Child Labour in 2002 to focus attention on the global extent of child labour and the action and efforts needed to eliminate it. Each year on 12 June, the World Day brings together governments, employers and workers organizations, civil society, as well as millions of people from around the world to highlight the plight of child labourers and what can be done to help them.
Second International Albinism Awareness Day was observed on 13 June 2016. The day is observed to recognize the importance of increasing awareness and understanding of albinism in order to fight against global discrimination and stigma against persons with albinism.
The theme of the 2016 World Blood Donor Day, 14 June, campaign is "Blood connects us all". The objectives are to thank blood donors for their life-saving gift of blood and highlight the theme of blood connecting us all; to create wider public awareness of the need for regular blood donation, and inspire those who have not yet donated blood to start donating; to persuade countries to show appreciation to regular, voluntary, unpaid donors and commit to self-sufficiency in blood supply.
The United Nations General Assembly, in its resolution, designated June 15 as World Elder Abuse Awareness Day. It represents the one day in the year when the whole world voices its opposition to the abuse and suffering inflicted to some of our older generations.
3. Which of the first Indian city to have its own ‘city animal’?
a. Mumbai
b. Chennai
c. Guwahati
d. Kolkata
Answer: c
Explanation:
Guwahati on 6 June 2016 became first city in the country to have its own ‘city animal’ with Kamrup metropolitan district administration declaring Gangetic River Dolphin as its mascot.
Gangetic River Dolphin is locally known as ‘Sihu’ and fewer than 2000 such animals remain in the River Brahmaputra along Guwahati.
The district administration had organised online and off-line voting among three protected creatures to decide the ‘city animal’. These three creatures are Gangetic River Dolphin, Black Soft-shell Turtle (Bor Kaso) and Greater Adjutant Stork (Hargila) and are on the verge of extinction.
4. Recently the Central Government of India signed a Loan agreement for 200 million US dollars to upgrade State roads of which of the following states of India?
a. Jharkhand
b. Bihar
c. Odisha
d. Assam
Answer: a
Explanation:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Union Government on 3 June 2016 signed the Loan Agreement for 200 million US dollars to upgrade 176 Kilometres of State roads in Jharkhand.The agreement will upgrade existing sections of four State roads to two lane standard and will also support improvements in the design, safety and maintenance of the network.
It will also enhance the State’s ability to systematically identify, analyze, develop and prioritize critical road safety measures, which will benefit all road users.
5. Which of following High Powered Committee was set up on ‘Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi’?
a. Mirza Imtiyaz Judicial Commission
b. Rajiv Gauba Committee
c. TSR Subramanian Committee
d. DB Shekatkar Committee
Answer: b
Explanation:
Mirza Imtiyaz Judicial Commission: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on 7 June 2016 appointed a judicial commission to probe into the recent Mathura violence hours. The Judicial commission will be headed by retired Allahabad High Court judge Justice Mirza Imtiyaz Murtaza. It has been asked to submit its report in two months.
Rajiv Gauba Committee: The Rajiv Gauba Committee on Decongestion of Traffic in Delhi on 5 June 2016 submitted its report to the Union Ministry of Urban Development. To ensure a safe, sustainable, affordable, equitable, comfortable, accessible and environmental friendly public transport system in the city, the Committee recommended a 4-pronged strategy-
• Improving Public Transport and Dis-incentivising use of private vehicles
• Promoting Road Safety and efficient Traffic Management
• Setting up Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority and enhancing institutional capacity
• Promotion of Transit Oriented Development through integrated land use and transportation planning
TSR Subramanian Committee: Union Government had constituted a Committee for Evolution of the New Education Policy comprising TSR Subramanian as the Chairman and Shailaja Chandra, Sevaram Sharma, Sudhir Mankad and Prof. JS Rajput as members of the Committee.
DB Shekatkar Committee: The Union Government on 20 May 2016 constituted a committee of experts on defence spending. The 11-member committee will be headed by Lt Gen DB Shekatkar (retd) and include top military officers and civilian experts. The committee will recommend measures to enhance the combat capabilities of the over 13-lakh strong armed forces.
6. Which of the following first Indian state to provide social benefits to the transgender community:
a. Madhya Pradesh
b. Kerala
c. Odisha
d. Tamil Nadu
Answer: c
Explanation:
Odisha became the first Indian state to give transgender people social welfare benefits, such as a pension, housing and food grains.
The state took the step to give the transgender community the same benefits as those living below the poverty line. The step was aimed at improving their overall social and economic status.
7. Which of the following first private sector bank to open dedicated branch for Start-ups in India?
a. HDFC Bank
b. RBL Bank
c. ICICI Bank
d. City Bank
Answer: b
Explanation:
The RBL Bank on 19 April 2016 became the first private sector bank in India to open dedicated branch for start-ups. The dedicated branch was inaugurated at Koramangala, Bengaluru by Nandan Nilekani, noted entrepreneur and former chairman of Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).
The move came following the launch of first branch dedicated of the State Bank of India in January 2016 to serve the needs of start-ups in Bengaluru.
8. In which of the following place the 27th India-Indonesia CORPAT concludes in Belawan?
a. Delhi
b. Jakarta
c. Belawan
d. Mumbai
Answer: c
Explanation:
The 27th edition of the India-Indonesian CORPAT (Coordinated Patrol) concluded on 19 May 2016 in Belawan, Indonesia. The closing ceremony Belawan saw the two navies conducting interactive session on measures to enhance inter-operability. The 27th CORPAT was conducted from 29 April to 19 May 2016.
The Indian and Indonesian navies have been carrying out Coordinated Patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) twice a year since 2002. It is being carried out to keep the vital part of the Indian Ocean Region safe and secure for commercial shipping and international trade.
9. In which of the following states, the state government has abolished the tax on agricultural income recently?
a. Kerala
b. Karnataka
c. Maharashtra
d. Bihar
Answer: b
Explanation:
In a relief to the beleaguered coffee, tea and rubber growers in Karnataka, the State government has proposed to abolish the agriculture income tax with effect from April 1, 2016.
With this, Karnataka, the largest coffee producer, has followed the neighbouring Tamil Nadu, which had abolished agriculture income tax way back in 2004. Even Kerala has provided a relief to the planters’ community by exempting the income tax for a year in 2016-17.
Karnataka’s latest move will provide relief to about two dozen companies such as Tata Coffee and Bombay Burmah Trading Corporation that operate coffee, tea and rubber plantations in the State besides thousands of individual coffee growers. Plantation companies had to pay a 35 per cent tax on their net income in the State and the total outgo in the State is estimated at around ₹20 crore.
10. India along with which of the following two countries has started 2016 Malabar Trilateral Naval exercise?
a. Japan and United States
b. Iran and Qatar
c. Afghanistan and Turkey
d. Malaysia and Saudi Arabia
Answer: a
Explanation:
Four Indian Navy ships will participate in Exercise Malabar along with the navies of Japan and the US. The trilateral naval exercise, scheduled for month of June, will be held in Japanese waters east of Okinawa.
The Indian fleet will include two stealth frigate, one tanker and one Kirch-class corvette with integral helicopters for Malabar 2016, a set of exercises that began 24 years ago.
