Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
Union Government is planning to set up a new rocket launch pad near Kulasekarapattinam in Tamil Nadu. At present, the Indian Space Research organisation (ISRO) has two launch pads at Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDCC) in Sriharikotta, Andhra Pradesh. The development comes on the backdrop of increasing launches from India, both for domestic as well as international customers.
The new launch pad is intended to be used for future Indian rockets including- Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV) Mk III, Avatar Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), Unified Modular Launch Vehicle (UMLV), Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV), and even older ones like Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) and Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV). However, the government did not elaborated on Launchpad’s exact usage.

Notes:
US President Donald Trump signed a bill that supports pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong, a move that is bound to anger China. The legislation proposes to impose sanctions on officials committing human rights violations against pro-democracy supporters in Hong Kong. It was passed by both the chambers of the US Congress House of Representatives (417-1) and the Senate unanimously.

Notes:
The government is to organize a two-day Conference on Ek Bharat Shreshta Bharat form 30 November- 1 December 2019 at Jammu. It will be inaugurated by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent charge) of the Ministry of DONER, Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions; Atomic Energy & Space along with Shri G.C. Murmu, Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir, Shri R.B. Udhayakumar, Minister for Revenue & Disaster Management, Government of Tamil Nadu and Shri R.K. Mathur Lieutenant Governor of the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Notes:
Eminent Malayalam poet Akkitham has been chosen for the 55th Jnanpith Award, the Jnanpith Selection Board announced on November 29. “The Jnanpith Selection Board has announced the recipient of the 55th Jnanpith Award for the year 2019. It went to Shri Akkitham, eminent Indian poet writing in Malayalam. Born in 1926, Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri, popularly known as Akkitham is one of the most revered names in Malayalam poetry. Apart from poetry, his literary excellence has footprints in genres like drama, reminiscence, critical essays, children literature, short stories and translation.

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:
Carolina Marin won second title in 71 days but Sourabh Verma faltered at the final hurdle of the $150,000 Syed Modi International badminton tournament on December 1,2019. Marin, a three-time World champion and ranked 18th in the world, went about her job in a business-like manner. She was comfortably ahead in the opening game. In the second, she easily bridged a five-point deficit. In fact, she won 15 of the last 20 points. In January, Marin suffered a nasty fall during the Indonesia Masters final against Saina Nehwal and underwent a surgery on her right knee. Following an eight-month layoff, in six tournaments, Marin won the China Open in September, lost the French Open final and now added a second title.

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:
The International Day for the Abolition of Slavery is a yearly event on December 2, organized by the United Nations General Assembly. The Day was first celebrated in 1986. The convention for the suppression of the traffic in persons and of the exploitation of the prostitution of others was approved by the United Nations General Assembly on December 2, 1949. Besides, by resolution 57/195 of 18 December 2002, the Assembly proclaimed 2004 the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle against Slavery and its Abolition.

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.

Notes:
The Indigenous Faith Day (IFD) 2019 was celebrated in Tezu, Arunachal Pradesh. The Day aims to preserve the rich culture and identity of the State. The function was presided by Tezu legislator Karikho Kri. The programme was organized by the Indigenous Faith and Cultural Society of Arunachal Pradesh (IFCSAP) of Tezu. The tribes of the district showcased their cultures in a colourful programme.