Current Affairs Quiz , 28 Nov 2018

1) NASA’s spacecraft Insight is designed to study the deep interiors of which planet?

a) Jupiter
b) Saturn
c) Mars
d) Neptune

Answer: c
• NASA’s Insight spacecraft successfully lands on Mars.
Insights Spacecraft:
• The Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport (InSight) mission is a robotic lander designed to study the deep interior of the planet Mars.
• InSight’s objectives are to place a seismometer, called SEIS, on the surface of Mars to measure seismic activity.
• And provide accurate 3D models of the planet’s interior; and measure internal heat flow using a heat probe called HP3 to study Mars’ early geological evolution.
• This could bring a new understanding of the Solar System’s terrestrial planets, Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars and Earth’s Moon.
• This will be the first time in the Red Planet’s formation where Mars’ interior will be studied to this level of detail.
• The planet’s core, mantle and crust will be explored allowing scientists to find out more about the formation of the rocky planets in our Solar System and measure its’ tectonic activity.

2) Global Wage Report is published by which of the following organisations?

a) IMF
b) International Labour Organisation
c) Socialist International
d) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

Answer: b
• According to the International labour organisation report, India has recorded the highest real wage growth in South Asia.
• India recorded the highest average real wage growth in South Asia during 2008—17, according to a report by the International Labour Organisation (ILO).
• Reflecting more rapid economic growth than in other regions, workers in Asia and the Pacific have enjoyed the highest real wage growth among all regions over the period 2006-17, with countries such as China, India, Thailand and Vietnam leading the way, the Global Wage Report 2018/19 said.
• In South Asia, India led the average real wage growth in 2008-17 at 5.5 against a regional median of 3.7. Following India was Nepal (4.7), Sri Lanka (4), Bangladesh (3.4), Pakistan (1.8) and Iran (0.4).
• The report said that all emerging G20 countries except Mexico experienced significant positive growth in average real wages between 2008 and 2017.
• The report added that wages grew higher and faster in less well-off countries last year than in richer nations, but salaries are still far too low in the developing world.
• Overall, global wage growth declined to 1.8 percent in 2017 from 2.4 percent in 2016. The findings are based on data from 136 countries.
• Gender pay gap:
• For the first time, the ILO report also focuses on the global gender pay gap, using data from 70 countries and some 80 percent of employees worldwide.
• In high-income countries, the gender pay gap is at its biggest in top-salaried positions.
• In low and middle-income countries, however, the gap is widest among lower-paid workers, the ILO report found.
International Labour Organisation:
• The International Labour Organization (ILO) is devoted to promoting social justice and internationally recognized human and labour rights, pursuing its founding mission that social justice is essential to universal and lasting peace.
• Only tripartite U.N. agency, the ILO brings together governments, employers and workers representatives of 187 member States, to set labour standards, develop policies and devise programmes promoting decent work for all women and men.
• Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland.
• India is one of the founding members of the International Labour Organization.

3) INDRA is a joint biannual military exercise conducted by India and which among the following countries?

a) Myanmar
b) Russia
c) Portugal
d) USA

Answer: b
• INDRA is a joint, biannual military exercise conducted by India and Russia.
• The word INDRA is a portmanteau of the participants’ respective countries.
• Recently the 10th edition of Indo-Russian joint military exercise EX INDRA 2018 culminated after a joint tactical exercise and an impressive closing ceremony held at Babina Military Station.

4) The Hyper Spectral Imaging Satellite (HysIS) has been recently launched by space organisations of which of the following countries?

a) The USA
b) Japan
c) India
d) Russia

Answer: c
• ISRO to launch new imaging satellite HysIS.
• HysIS, the country’s first hyperspectral imaging satellite for advanced Earth observation, is slated for launch.
• About 30 small satellites of foreign customers will be its co-passengers on the PSLV launcher, numbered C-43, the Indian Space Research Organisation has announced.
• A hyperspectral imaging camera in space can provide well-defined images.
• It helps to identify objects on Earth far more clearly than regular optical or remote sensing cameras.
• The technology will be an added advantage of watching over India from space for a variety of purposes such as defence, agriculture, land use, minerals and so on.
• The primary goal of HysIS is to study the Earth’s surface in visible, near-infrared and shortwave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum.
• HysIS will be ISRO’s first full-scale working satellite with this capability.
• While the technology has been around, not many space agencies have working satellites with hyperspectral imaging cameras as yet.

5) Non-performing Asset (NPA) is a loan whose interest and/or installment of principal have remained overdue for a period of

a) 90 days
b) 190 days
c) 270 days
d) 1 year

Answer: a
• NPAs on declining trend says RBI.
• According to RBI reports, both gross and net non-performing assets (NPAs) of scheduled commercial banks have reduced in the two quarters ending September, since their peak in March 2018, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
• However, the RBI did point out that the profitability of banks was still impacted due to a decline in earnings from loan assets.
• It highlighted the bank credit growth that had accelerated over the last two quarters.
• Public sector banks:
o Public sector banks account for an overwhelming proportion of these gross NPAs but even their contribution had marginally come down.
o Public sector banks accounted for 86.6% of all gross NPAs of scheduled commercial banks, this fell to 85.9% by September 30.
• Commercial banks:
o Net NPAs for all scheduled commercial banks fell from ₹4.54 lakh crore in the March quarter to ₹4.10 lakh crore as of September 30.
o Correspondingly, the net NPA percentage fell from 7.97% to 7.19% over the same period.
• A loan whose interest and/or installment of principal have remained ‘overdue’ (not paid) for a period of 90 days is considered as NPA.
• Substandard Assets: An asset which remains as NPAs for less than or equal to 12 months.
• Doubtful Assets: An asset which remained in the above category for 12 months.
• Loss Assets: Asset where loss has been identified by the bank or the RBI, however, there may be some value remaining in it. Therefore, the loan has not been not completely written off.