1)
Asia’s first Shore Based Test Facility (SBTF) was commissioned into the
Indian Navy recently with which India joined the select league of just
two countries – the United States and Ukraine. Where this SBTF has been
established? - at INS Hansa in Panaji (Goa)
– The SBTF is primarily used for flight testing of Naval aircraft that
operate from aircraft carriers. The SBTF has two parts including the
Take-off Area with a ski-jump facility and the Landing Area with
arresting wire facility, both of which are a replica of INS
Vikramaditya)
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2) Who was sworn in as the new Chief Minister of Uttarakhand on 1 February 2014? – Harish Rawat
(Rawat was the Union Water Resources Minister in Union Government and
he succeeded Vijay Bahuguna who was asked by the Congress high command
to step down in a bid to boost the party’s prospects ahead of the
April-May Lok Sabha polls. Bahuguna relinquished his post on 31 January
2014. Rawat became the 8th Chief Minister of the state)
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3)
Which Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) of ISRO (Indian Space
Research Organisation) was on 31 January 2014 elevated to the status of
ISRO’s Propulsion Complex giving more autonomy to this centre? – Mahendragiri centre, at Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli
(The Mahendragiri centre, which was functioning under LPSC in
Valiyamala near Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala, would henceforth directly
report to the ISRO chairman. The Mahendragiri centre has been
instrumental in assembling and testing as many as 125 engines made by
ISRO so far. The elevation would be a challenge to the scientists
working in the centre)
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4)
In the first-ever move that would adversely affect flight operations to
the US, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on 31 January 2014
downgraded India’s aviation safety ranking, bringing it below Pakistan
and at par with countries like Ghana, Barbados and Bangladesh. Air
passengers to and from the US may have to face the brunt as Indian
airplanes would have to go through more engineering and other safety
checks on the American soil. What would be the main effect of this
downgrade on Indian airline companies?
- This downgrade would effectively bar Air India and Jet Airways from increasing flights to the US from the current level
- They would also not be able to enter into any new code-share relationships with any US airline
(The
downgrade does not mean that these airlines are unsafe but shows that
the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA’s) safety oversight is
not enough to properly monitor safety performance of Indian carriers. As
per the FAA, the downgrade means that the DGCA does not meet the safety
standards set by UN agency International Civil Aviation Organisation
(ICAO))
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5)
Which British nuclear power site came to news on 31 January 2014 after
an alert was declared after discovering higher than usual levels of
radioactivity, but later called it off, saying naturally occurring radon
gas had triggered the alarm? – Sellafield
(Sellafield is the largest nuclear site in Europe and is situated in
northwest England. It is the site of Britain's worst nuclear accident in
1957 and once the producer of plutonium for nuclear bombs. The plant's
operating company said there was nothing wrong with its operations, but
for several hours the cause of the higher reading at an air monitor near
a perimeter fence was unclear, raising fears of a radioactive leak)
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6)
The Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I tie between India and Chinese Taipei
started on 1 February 2014. This is the first time that a tie of the
tennis’ prestigious Davis Cup was organized at a city of Madhya Pradesh
(MP). Which centre is this? – Indore
(The tie was held at Madhya Pradesh Tennis Association’s (MPTA’s)
tennis facility at Indore. India won the tie on the first day itself by
taking unassailable 3-0 lead. MPTA is one of the very few state
associations which has its own tennis complex consisting of six
synthetic flood courts, gym, swimming pool and medical facilities)
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