Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
The book titled “The Legacy of Militancy in Punjab: Long Road to Normalcy” have been authored by civil rights activist Inderjit Singh Jaijee and journalist Dona Suri. The book provide details how militancy in Punjab affected judiciary by delaying trials, how it influenced the popular culture and how the youth today are still responding to conditions in the northern state. It also aims at holding up a mirror to developments in post-militancy Punjab regarding politics, government policies, and functioning of police and courts among other things.

Notes:
Recently released United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Emissions Gap Report-2019 warns that the Earth’s average temperature may rise by 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2021. Moreover, despite all scientific warnings and political commitments emissions of greenhouse gases (GHG) couldn’t decrease globally. The report was released prior to United Nations Climate Conference (COP-25) to be held in Spain from 2 December 2019. It states that GHG emissions have increased by 1.5% since last decade and that carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have reached an all-time high figure of 55.3 gigatons. China, United States of America (USA), European Union (28) and India are among the top four greenhouse gas emitters.
UNEP report highlights that India is regularly considering deadlines and targets to curb carbon emission. As per the report, India’s per capita emission is one of the lowest within G20 countries. Also, India is one of the leading countries that are looking for electric vehicle development.

Notes:
The government of India has introduced an online complaint management system named Sexual Harassment electronic-Box (SHe-Box). It was developed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.The aim of the SHe-Box portal is to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment of women at the workplace. It will ensure the implementation of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act), 2013.
SHe-Box is used to register complaints related to sexual harassment at the workplace faced by women, including government and private employees. The victim can submit a complaint in the SHe-Box portal.

Notes:
India has become the first country in the world to completely digitize the Haj process. Various services have been added to the online application service like e-visa, haj mobile app, e-messiah health facility, stay and traffic information in Mecca Medina and Haj pilgrimage information. It is for the first time when digital pre-tagging has been arranged by the airlines so that Haj pilgrims will get all kinds of information in India itself. Haj pilgrims will get prior information about which room of which building in Mecca Medina and what number bus will have to be taken after landing at the airport.

Notes:
13th South Asian Games have formally begun in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.President of Nepal Bidya Devi Bhandari declared games open in a glittering ceremony at Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu on December 1. Vice President Nanda Bahadur Pun, Chairman of National Assembly Ganesh Timilsina, Deputy Prime Minister Ishwor Pokharel, Ministers from South Asian countries and a large number of other dignitaries also graced the opening ceremony. Over 2700 athletes from seven South Asian Countries participated in the march past.

Notes:
The third edition of the Khelo India Youth Games which is scheduled to be held from January 10 to 22,2019 in Guwahati. The third edition will have two additional sports — Cycling and Lawn Bowls as over 10,000 participants from across the country participate in a total of 451 medal events during the 13 action-packed days. The Khelo India Games was launched in 2018 to imbibe a culture of sports in the country.

Notes:
Lewis Hamilton ended another title-winning Formula One season by cruising to victory at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. In his 250th grand prix, Mercedes’ six-time world champion qualified on pole for the first time since July’s German Grand Prix and eased clear of the field to claim an easy victory at the Yas Marina Circuit. It marked Hamilton’s 11th triumph of the campaign in a race where there was little on the line for most on the grid. Max Verstappen was second to ensure he finished third in the drivers’ championship, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium, though Ferrari were due to meet with the stewards after the race over a fuel discrepancy in his car.

Notes:
NASA satellite orbiting the Moon has found India’s Chandrayaan-2 Vikram lander which crashed on the lunar surface in September. NASA released an image taken by its Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) that showed the site of the spacecraft’s impact (September 6 in India and September 7 in the U.S.) and associated debris field, with parts scattered over almost two dozen locations spanning several kilometers.

Notes:
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden are on a five-day visit to India aimed at strengthening bilateral ties. The Swedish royal couple, who arrived in India on December 2,2019 were accorded a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Apart from Delhi, the royal couple is scheduled to visit Mumbai and Uttarakhand. The ties between India and Sweden have been on an upward trajectory in the last few years. The King is leading a high-level business delegation from his country. The bilateral trade volume was USD 3.37 billion in 2018.

Notes:
The Lok Sabha on December 2, 2019 passed a Bill to replace an Ordinance promulgated in September for effecting reduction of corporate tax rates. Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019, will amend the Income Tax Act 1961 and the Finance (No 2) Act 2019.