Current Affairs : December quiz 2015 (Multiple choice Questions) - 4

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GIAN

Q). India has launched the GIAN scheme to boost the quality of the country's higher education through international collaboration. What is the full form of GIAN?

1.  Global Indian Academic Network 
2.  Global International Academic Network
3.  Global Indian Advancement Network
4. Global Initiative of Academic Network

Answer) Global Initiative of Academic Network

The human resource development (HRD) ministry initiative was launched at IIT Gandhinagar by HRD Minister Smriti Irani, and IIT Kharagpur. GIAN will deliver courses in Indian institutions in partnership with foreign universities and leading academicians and is connected with Make in India campaign and IMPRINT programme. Its nodal institution is IIT Kharagpur.

Q). Which nation has taken an initiative to create alternative media platform for the emerging economies by hosting the first media summit of countries belonging to the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) grouping on 30th November 2015?

1.  Russia
2.  Brazil
3.  India
4.  China

Answer) China
A total of 25 media organisations are participating in the summit, which hopes to create a new institutional framework that would be tailored to benefit the media of five emerging economies, which have deep linkages with the Global South. It will be held on December 1 2015. Initiative follows the formation of the New Development Bank. The media summit has been launched with The Hindu group of publications, the Brazil Communication Company, Russia Today International News Agency, and South Africa’s Independent Media.

Q). How many countries are participating in the UN conference for Climate Change summit?

1.  140
2.  150 
3.  195 
4.  120

Answer) 195
UN conference for Climate Change is going at Paris and 195 countries are taking part in this event and Leaders from approx. 150 nations will participate in this event.

Q). How much amount of financial aid has been announced by India for poor nations to fight climate change?

1.  $ 1.2 billion 
2.  $ 2.0 billion 
3.  $ 2.5 million 
4.  $ 1.8 million

Answer)$ 2.5 million
India has announced to provide a financial assistance of $ 2.5 million to the poor nations who are vulnerable due to climate change for the uses renewable energy and reduction in greenhouse gases emission.

Q). Which of the following companies has introduced the Li-Fi technology?

1.  Ericsson 
2.  Google 
3.  Velmenni 
4.  Motorola

Answer) Velmenni
Estonian startup velmenni has successfuly tested the Li-Fi technology which provides 100 times faster internet service than Wi-Fi. It provides internet speed upto 1 Gbps.

Q). During COP21, the UN Climate Change Conference in Paris, 21 countries including India launched an ambitious initiative to double their clean energy research and development budget over the next five years as part of global efforts to tackle climate change. What is the name of this mission under which the countries pledged $20 billion to promote clean technologies?

1.  Mission climate change 
2.  Mission Green world
3.  Mission Innovation 
4.  None of the above

Answer) Mission Innovation
Under ‘Mission Innovation’ each participating country will seek to double it’s governmental and/or state-directed clean energy research and development investment over five years. The countries participating in the new initiative include: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Norway, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, the United Kingdom (including Northern Ireland), the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and the United States of America (USA). In addition to 21 countries that launched the initiative, other countries will be encouraged to join in the future. The formal announcement of ‘Mission Innovation’ was made during COP21 at a meeting attended by US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande along with other leaders.

Q). What was the GDP growth rate of the Indian economy during the second quarter (July-September) of 2015-16, as disclosed in the data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) on 30 November 2015?

1.  7.4% 
2.  8.4%
3.  9.4%
4.  10.4%

Answer) 7.4%
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate for the three-month period ended 30 September 2015 stood at 7.4% as compared with 7% in the previous quarter (April-June 2015) and 8.4% in the same quarter last year. Growth is thus tracking as per RBI’s trajectory of between 7-7.5% for the full year. Manufacturing growth during the quarter was 9.3%, against 7.2% in the previous quarter. The agricultural sector grew 2.2%, against 1.9%. With these figures being disclosed, there is likely to be a downward revision in official GDP growth estimates for the full financial year 2015-16.

Q). Which country won the Davis Cup title for 2015 on 29 November 2015 and thus became title holders of this prestigious tennis team title after a gap of 79 years?

1.  Switzerland
2.  United States
3.  Great Britain 
4.  Belgium

Answer)  Great Britain 
Andy Murray led Great Britain to its first Davis Cup title since 1936 after defeating hosts Belgium by 3-1 in the finals played at Ghent. In the first reverse-singles on 29 November, Murray defeated Belgium’s David Goffin by 6-3, 7-5, 6-3 to give his country a great tennis gift. Earlier Andy had partnered his elder brother Jamie Murray to victory in the doubles on 28 November. Belgium had hosted Britain in the final from 27 to 29 November 2015 in a repeat of their 1904 final when the Britons won 5-0 at Wimbledon. Belgium had reached its first Davis Cup final since 1904 when in September 2015 they had defeated Argentina by 3-2. On the other hand Britain had defeated arch-rivals Australia 3-2 in the semis. Davis Cup is the most prestigious men’s team tennis championship and is often called the “World Cup of tennis”. It is run by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and is contested annually between teams from competing countries in a knock-out format.