TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS 2016

1. First Muslim Mayor of London is Sadikh Khan 

• Sadiq Khan of the British Labour party has been elected the new Mayor of London. Sadiq Khan became London’s first Muslim mayor. Sadikh Khan is the son of bus driver,  immigrants from Pakistan who settled in London in the 1960s. 

2. Indian Artist Wins Award at UN Poster Contest on N-Disarmament 

• A 22-year-old Indian artist, Anjali Chandrashekar, a New York-based designer and "artivist", won the third prize in UN Poster for Peace contest presented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA) to raise awareness of the need for Nuclear Disarmament. 

• Titled 'Cutting Barriers through Peace', the poster features a peace dove slicing through a nuclear weapon.

3. G-7 summit 2016

• G7 Finance Ministers and central bank governors have held discussions on the world economy, ahead of next week's G7 summit to be held in Ise-Shima, central Japan. 

• The first day of the 2-day meeting ended in the northern Japanese city of Sendai 19.05.2016.  Among world economic issues that they have discussed are the slowing Chinese economy and lower crude oil prices. 

• They also discussed ways of dealing with tax evasion and questionable tax avoidance in reaction to disclosures in the Panama Papers.

4. UN Honours over 100 Peacekeepers who Lost lives while Serving

• The United Nations has honored peacekeepers, who lost their lives while serving under the UN flag around the globe. 

• A wreath-laying ceremony in honor of all men and women who lost their lives in peacekeeping operations worldwide was held at UN headquarters in New York. More than 3,400 United Nations peacekeepers have died since 1948.

5. Billion people face global flooding risk by 2060

• A British aid charity is warning that by 2060 more than a billion people worldwide will live in cities at risk of catastrophic flooding as a result of climate change. 

• BBC reports quoting a study by Christian Aid that the US, China and India are among the countries most threatened. It says the Indian cities of Kolkata and Mumbai will be most at risk. The eight most vulnerable cities on the list are all in Asia, followed by Miami in the US. 

• The study says that the priority should be to rapidly reduce carbon emissions and limit temperature increase by switching from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy.

6. Egypt Air crash

• Egyptian military found the wreckage of the crashed Egypt Air aircraft in the Mediteranean Sea. The ill-fated plane flying to Cairo from Paris went down with 66 people on board 19.05.2016.

7. ROANU’ cyclonic storm moves towards Bangladesh

• The cyclonic storm “Roanu” has been named by Maldives.The word “Roanu” means “coir rope” in Maldivian.

• The cyclonic storm ‘ROANU’ over northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal moved east-northeastwards and lay centred at about 160km east of Paradip in Odisha and 435 km southwest of Chittagong in Bangladesh over northwest Bay of Bengal.

8. Indian-American student wins prestigious Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award

• A 15-year old Indian-American student has won the prestigious Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award for creating a device for people who can not walk well through disease or injury. 

• Syamantak Payra, a student at Clear Brook High School in Friendswood, Texas, received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards worth 50,000 dollars for developing a low cost electronically aided knee brace that allows an individual with a weakened leg to walk more naturally. 

9. World Hypertension Day being observed on 17.05.2016

• Nearly one billion people are estimated to be affected by Hypertension worldwide, and this figure may increase to 1.5 billion by 2025; right treatment and lifestyle can help in containing hypertension. 
• 20. India and Iran sign 12 bilateral agreements in various areasIndia and Iran signed 12 Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) and Agreements in various areas including building and operating the Chabahar port by India. 

• The other agreements include cooperation in science and technology, culture, library sciences, and cooperation between the EXIM banks of both the countries. These agreements were signed after the delegation level talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

10. Indian-American scientist wins Springer Theses Award

• An Indian-American scientist,  Arnab De has received the prestigious Springer Theses Award in recognition for his outstanding research in which he developed transgenic mice to study a critical tumor-suppressor called A20. 

• The thesis prize is awarded by Springer, a leading global publisher of renowned scientific journals and books, to recognize outstanding PhD research. Internationally top-ranked research institutes select their best thesis annually for publication in the book series: "Springer Theses: Recognising Outstanding PhD research"

CURRENT AFFAIRS JULY 2016

Antarctic ozone hole is starting to heal: 

 Scientists July 1, 2016 Scientists for the first time have found clear evidence that the thinning in the ozone layer above Antarctica is starting to heal. Ozone layer in the atmosphere’s stratospheric layer comprises of Ozone (O3), an allotrope of oxygen. It plays important role in blocking harmful ultraviolet radiation (UV) from the Sun. 

 The healing of ozone layer was due to the long term phasing out (banning) of ozone destroying chemicals (ODCs) such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) in Montreal Protocol 1987. More than half the shrinkage of ozone hole was due solely to the reduction in atmospheric chlorine. However, it has found that on the role of volcanoes in thinning of the ozone layer is making the problem worse.

Argentina women’s team wins 2016 Champions Trophy title of Hockey 

 July 1, 2016 Argentina women’s team has won the 2016 Champions Trophy title of Hockey by defeating Netherlands. In the final match played at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London, UK, Argentina women’s team defeated Netherlands by 2-1 goals. 

World Bank, ISA sign agreement for India’s solar-energy program 

 July 1, 2016 The World Bank (WB) Group has signed an agreement with the International Solar Alliance (ISA 17 to provide more than 1 billion dollars to support India’s solar initiatives. 

 The agreement was signed in the presence of World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal in New Delhi. Under this agreement World Bank will support projects such as solar rooftop technology, infrastructure for solar parks, introducing innovative solar and hybrid technologies to market and transmission lines for solar-rich state. 

 It will provide 625 million dollars to India’s grid-connected rooftop solar programme that will finance the installation of at least 400MW of solar photovoltaic installations. This programme will provide clean, renewable energy and reduce greenhouse gas (GHGs) emissions by displacing thermal generation. 

 World Bank will also collaborate with the 121-member International Solar Alliance (ISA) to mobilise 1 trillion dollars in investments by 2030 to promote solar energy worldwide. 

 For this purpose, World Bank will develop a roadmap to mobilize financing for development and deployment of affordable solar energy. It will also work with other multilateral development banks and financial institutions to develop financing instruments to support solar energy development.

TNPSC CURRENT AFFAIRS 2016

1. Google Acquires startup “Synergyse” of Varun Malhotra

• The Google has acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra. With this acquisition, Synergyse will be joining the Google Apps team and help it to accelerate its mission and build Google Apps. 

• Synergyse was launched in 2013 with an aim to teach users how to use Google Applications.

2. United Nations launches Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Zika Virus Response

• The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak. 

• The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York, United States.

3. 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index: India Ranks Ninth 

• India is Ranked Ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

• The index was based on new study by The Economist which had used data from a list of the World’s Billionaires and their worth published by Forbes.

4. First Muslim Mayor of London is Sadikh Khan 

• Sadiq Khan of the British Labour party has been elected the New Mayor of London. Sadiq Khan became London’s First Muslim Mayor. 

• Sadikh Khan is the son of bus driver, immigrants from Pakistan who settled in London in the 1960s. 

5. Delhi No Longer the World's Most Polluted City: WHO 

• World Health Organization has said that India is home to four of the five cities in the world with the worst air pollution. The dirtiest air was recorded at Zabol in Iran, which suffers from months of dust storms in the summer. 

• The next four are all Indian cities - Gwalior, Allahabad, Patna and Raipur. From the No. 1 position in 2014, India's capital New Delhi is the ninth worst city, measured by the amount of particulate matter under 2.5 micro grams found in every cubic meter of air. 

6. Obama Honors Indian-American Elementary Teacher

• An Indian-American woman elementary teacher from Texas has been honored by US President Barack Obama at the White House for her excellent work in the field of education. 

• Revathi Balakrishnan, a gifted teacher at Patsy Sommer Elementary School, was also named 2016 'Texas Elementary Teacher of the Year'. O

• riginally from Chennai, Balakrishnan was a systems analyst with Liberty Mutual, managing databases and programming for about 12 years before becoming a teacher.

7. Kenya to Close World's Biggest Refugee Camp in Dadaab

• The Kenyan government has decided to close World's biggest refugee camp in Dadaab. An estimated 3,28,000 refugees mostly from Somalia are staying in Dadaab camp. 

• The UN has urged Kenya to reconsider its decision to close Dadaab camp. US Secretary of State John Kerry said, he was concerned by the decision to close the camps.

8. Dilma Rousseff to Face Trial after Impeachment in Brazil

• Brazil President Dilma Rousseff to face trial after the Senate votes to impeach and suspend her;Rousseff accused of illegally manipulating finances to hide a growing public deficit;Rousseff says victim of a great injustice.

5. SAARC Countries to Set up a Uniform Toll Free Helpline for Children Across the Region 

• Member countries to cooperate on ICT initiatives to trace missing children, on the lines of Track child and Khoya paya. 

• The three day historic meeting of South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC) ended in New Delhi today with a stepped up commitment to promote child rights and safety and security of children in the SAARC region. 

6. CASA-1000 Power Project Launched in Tajikistan

• Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan and Pakistan launched the construction of an electricity power grid today to link the four nations to a jointly operated power supply and promote regional stability, security and prosperity. 

• Officials say the so-called CASA-1000 project comprises the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of a 750-kilometer high voltage direct current transmission system between Tajikistan and Pakistan via Afghanistan. 

7. An Islamist Leader has been Hanged in Bangladesh 

• Motiur Rahman Nizami had been convicted of genocide, rape and torture. Nizami had led Bangladesh's largest Islamist party, Jamaat-e-Islami. 

• He is the fourth leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami party to have been executed since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina set up a war crimes tribunal to look into abuses during the independence war. 

• Nizami was the fifth and highest-ranked opposition leader to be executed since December 2013 for war crimes. 

8. Google Acquires Startup “Synergyse” of Varun Malhotra

• The Google has acquired business technology startup Synergyse founded by an Indian-origin entrepreneur Varun Malhotra. 

• With this acquisition, Synergyse will be joining the Google Apps team and help it to accelerate its mission and build Google Apps. Synergyse was launched in 2013 with an aim to teach users how to use Google Applications.

9. United Nations Launches Multi-Partner Trust Fund for Zika Virus Response

• The United Nations has launched UN Zika Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) to finance critical unfunded priorities in the response to the Zika outbreak. 

• The fund was launched by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in New York, United States.

10. India Ranks Ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index 

• India is Ranked ninth in 2015 Crony-Capitalism Index with crony sector wealth accounting for 3.4 % of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). 

• The index was based on new study by The Economist which had used data from a list of the world’s billionaires and their worth published by Forbes.

Physics- Basic General Knowledge questions and answers

1. When the object is placed very close to the concave mirror, the image formed is

Small, inverted virtual image Enlarged, inverted virtual image Enlarged, erected virtual image Small erected virtual image

2.Which of the following is not a fundamental quality

Time Length Mass Area

3.The Audible Range of bazt is (Hertz)

20-20,000 900-2,00,000 100-32,000 1000-1,50,000

4.The Principle of fuse wire is

Oersted Experiment Amphere’s Law Ohm’s Law Jule Thermal Law

5.The method used to separate two substances based on the difference in the force of attraction between two substances

Chromatography Filtration Sublimation Distillation

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ - TNPSC

1.A river of 1.5m deep and 36 m wide is flowing at the rate of 3.5 km per hour. The amount of water that runs into the sea per minute is

3150 m3 31500 m3 6300 m3 63000 m3

2.Theethal Beach Located in the state of ....................

Maharastra Gujarat Kerala Karnataka

3./Arrange the following element in the order of their increasing atomic weight

C, AL, Na, P C, Na, Al, P Na, C, P, Al Na, C, Al, P

4.The ratio of numbers 3:4 and their H.C.F is 4. Their L.C.M is

12 15 24 48

5.Arun’s age is half as his father. Twelve years ago, his father’s age was three times that of Arun’s what is the present age of Arun?

24 48 36 12