Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
The Golden Jubilee Edition of International Film Festival of India, IFFI, culminated in Goa. The festival saw screening of 300 films of various languages from India and abroad for delegates from different parts of the world.The IFFI was awarded the ICFT-UNESCO Fellini medal at the closing ceremony which was received by Information and Broadcasting Secretary Amit Khare and Director of festivals Chaitanya Prasad. Governor of Goa Satyapal Malik, Chief Minister of Goa Dr. Pramod Sawant, Union minister Babul Supriyo and others were present on the occasion.

Notes:
In shooting, Angad Vir Singh Bajwa unofficially hit a world record score in the men’s skeet final at the 63rd National Shooting Championships for Shotgun events in New Delhi on 29th November 2019. He defeated his senior and fellow Tokyo 2020 quota winner Mairaj Ahmad Khan of Uttar Pradesh. He also equalled a record he jointly holds with skeet legend Vincent Hancock and two others.

Notes:
Renowened theatre artiste of Odisha, Paramananda Sahu (72) has passed away in Balasore  on 30th of November . He had directed and acted in more than a hundred dramas, besides being an artiste in All India Radio (AIR) and Doordarshan.

Notes:
The Government of India has proposed increasing the fine for illegal and improper use of national emblems for commercial gains from Rs.500 to Rs.1 lakh. It also suggested change also includes jail time and a fine of Rs.5 lakh for repeat offenders. The aim is to crack down on their misuse. The Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act, 1950 of India prohibits the misuse of the national flag, the Ashoka Chakra, the official seal of the President or Governor, the coat-of-arms used by a government department, the pictorial representation of Mahatma Gandhi and the Prime Minister.

Notes:
The Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) has launched the Estate Management System (EMS) and Web-based Geographic Information System (Web-GIS) on 28 November 2019. PSIEC launched it under the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh. The aim of the system is to ensure transparency. The system also promotes ease of doing business in the State.

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:
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 Hornbill Festival began with a colourful blend of culture and tradition with a modern twist at Naga Heritage Kisama in Nagaland this evening. This is the 20th edition of Hornbill Festival. The festival organised by Nagaland Government is an annual tourism promotional event to showcase the state’s traditional and rich cultural heritage in all its ethnicity, diversity and grandeur.

Notes:
Punjab CM Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh made it clear that devotees applying online to visit Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan were not being charged facilitation fee by ‘sewa kendras’ set up by the state government. In a statement he said, anyone asked to pay any fee should inform his office directly. He asserted the application process was totally free of cost.

Notes:
A powerful typhoon is blowing through the central Philippines, damaging homes and heading toward the capital, Manila. Typhoon Kammuri hit the eastern coast overnight and was moving west through Quezon province ripping off roofs, toppling trees and knocking out power. It had maximum sustained winds of 155 km per hour and gusts of up to 190 kmph. Nearly 90,000 residents were evacuating coastal and low-lying areas prone to flash floods and landslides.