Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has extended a $451 million loan to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts of the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC). CKIC is part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) in Tamil Nadu. Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $451 million loan for strengthening power connectivity between northern and southern parts of Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) which is part of East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). ECEC is India’s first coastal economic corridor.
It will help establish extra-high-voltage transmission link between Coimbatore and Virudhunagar. It will meet increased power demand in CKIC by transfering additional generation capacity of 9,000 megawatt (MW), including 6,000 MW from renewable by 2025. This will help reliably evacuate power from these new power plants in southern CKIC.

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:
Reliance Industries (RIL) chief Mukesh Ambani ranked as the 9th richest person globally in the Real-Time Billionaires List of Forbes. His net worth was $60 billion. Ambani made it to the daily list of the top 10 richest people in the world because of the increase in the share price of his flagship firm Reliance Industries. Also, he became the first Indian firm to hit the Rs.10 lakh crore market valuation mark.
The list was topped by Amazon Founder and CEO Jeff Bezos with a net worth of $113 billion. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates ranked second with a net worth of $107.4 billion. Bernard Arnault & family Chairman and CEO, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton ranked third with a net worth of $107.2 billion.

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 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:
Maharashtra’s Savitribai Phule Pune University (STPU) and Qatar’s Milestone International Education signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enable the University to set up its campus in Doha. The aim of the agreement is to provide opportunities in higher education to around 8 million Indian diasporas based in Qatar.

Notes:
Namibia’s President Hage Geingob has been re-elected for a second term, the country’s electoral commission says.Mr. Geingob polled 56.3% in election, well ahead of his nearest rival Panduleni Itula with 29.4%.However, Mr. Geingob’s tally was well down from 87% with which he won his first term in 2014.

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:
The Mumbai Central Terminus of Western Railway has been certified as India’s first ‘Eat Right Station’ with a 4-Star rating awarded by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), as a part of ‘Eat Right India’ movement launched in 2018. FSSAI is an autonomous body under Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW).
The honour came on basis of compliance of food safety and hygiene, food handling at preparation, promotion of local and seasonal foods, trans-shipment and retail or serving points, food waste management, availability of healthy diet, as well as creating awareness on food safety and a healthy diet.