Israel's first moon lander, the 585 kg "Beresheet" ("Genesis" in Hebrew), was launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the private US-based SpaceX in Florida, United States. At a cost of USD 100 million, it is the lowest-budget spacecraft to ever undertake such a mission. It is part of renewed global interest in the Moon, sometimes called the "Eighth Continent" of the Earth. The project is funded almost entirely by donations making it the first privately backed lunar lander mission.It was notably financed by businessman and philanthropist Morris Kahn. Other partners include Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), Israel's space agency and Israel's Ministry of Science and Technology. Beresheet carries a "time capsule" loaded with digital files containing a Bible, children's drawings, Israeli songs, memories of a Holocaust survivor and the blue-and-white Israeli flag. Landing is the main mission, but the spacecraft also carries a scientific instrument to measure the lunar magnetic field, which will help understanding of the Moon's formation.
2. What is the position of India in terms of highest number of impacted species in hotspots?
India was ranked 16th in the world in terms of highest number of impacted species in biodiversity-rich zones (also known as hotspots) due to human actions. In India, 35 species affected on an average in biodiversity-rich zones. Malaysia ranks first among countries with highest number of impacted species (on an average 125 species). Southeast Asian tropical forests - including those in India's Western Ghats, Himalaya and north-east - are among the 'hotspots' of threatened species.
3. What is the name of the third transiting planet in the Kepler-47 Circumbinary System discovered by astronomers from San Diego State University?
A group of researchers, led by astronomers at San Diego State University, by using data from NASA's Kepler Space Telescope, detected the new Neptune-to-Saturn size planet orbiting between two previously known planets Kepler-47b and Kepler-47c. This new planet named as Kepler-47d. The research was recently published in the Astronomical Journal.According to a new study, Kepler-47d is about seven times larger than Earth and also the largest of the three planets in the Kepler-47 circumbinary system. The Kepler-47 system is approximately 3.5 billion-years-old and it is 3,340 light years away in the direction of the constellation Cygnus.
4. How many states have joined in a pan-India network of single emergency helpline number '112'?
To get immediate assistance to the people who are in trouble, Union territories and 20 states have joined in a pan-India network of single emergency helpline number '112',which is implemented by central government's Nirbhaya Fund( 2012 Delhi gangrape case). Police (100),women(1090) and fire(10A) helpline numbers are amalgamated in this and is similar to '911' in US. Kerala, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh,Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Nagaland, Gujarat,Telangana,Lakshadweep,Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu,Jammu and Kashmir are the joined states ad UTs. When a person activate the panic button on the mobile,it will trigger an emergency call to 112.Emergency response Centre (ERC) can recieve panic call via voice call to 112,the '112' mobile app or email requests on state ERSS website.A long press of the '5' or '9' key will activate the panic call in normal case.
5. Which financial inclusion program of India is set to cross Rs 1 lakh crore accounts?
The total deposits in Jan Dhan Account are set to cross Rs 1 lakh crore soon. The scheme was launched on 28th August 2014 by the Modi-government with an aim to provide universal access to banking facilities to all households. On 3rd April, the total balance in the Jan Dhan accounts was at Rs 97,665.66 and the total number of Jan Dhan accounts crossed 35.39 crores. Also, more than 27.89 crores account holders have been issued the Rupay debit cards.Recently, the government increased the accident insurance cover to Rs 2 lakh from Rs 1 lakh for new accounts opened after 28th August 2018 and the overdraft limit was also doubled to Rs 10,000.
6. The Union Commerce and Industry Ministry introduced the Footwear Design and Development Institute (FDDI) Bill, 2017 in the Lok Sabha. Who is the Union Commerce and Industry Minister?
The Indian Navy signed MoU with the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to undertake joint research and development of advanced technologies for the Indian Navy. This will be a collaborative arrangement between labs of CSIR, the Indian Navy and Indian industry. The MoU provides a formal framework for interaction between the Indian Navy and CSIR.
8. Darryl D'Monte passed away at age of 74 years in Mumbai. He belongs to which of the following field?
Darryl D'Monte (7D), the senior journalist and environmental activist, has passed away in Mumbai on March 16, 2019. During his long career, D'Monte worked as the resident editor with leading media organisations such as 'The Times of India' and 'Indian Express' in Mumbai. He also wrote for websites and penned the book 'Ripping the Fabric' on the decline of cotton mills in Mumbai and the resulting challenges.
9. South Korea's Ki Sung-yueng announced his retirement from which sport on 31st January 2019?
On January 31st 2019, Football player Ki Sung-yueng announced his retirement from the South Korean national team. The midfielder though decided to retire after the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia yet decided to compete in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, which held in United Arab Emirates, under the new national team coach Paulo Bento
10. India's 1st Manned Mission Gaganyaan will be launched by __________.
ISRO Chairman Dr. K Sivan has announced that the organization is well prepared to meet the targets of launching Gaganyaan manned mission to outer space by December 2021. Under Gaganyaan project, India is planning to send three astronauts to outer space for seven days and bring them back. 332 launches are planned this year. Important among them are Chandrayaaan -2 mission to the moon in mid-April. GSAT-20 Satellite for high bandwidth connectivity to be launched in September-October.