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:
H R Khan, former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has been appointed as first chairman of steering committee panel on Code for Responsible Lending (CRL) in Micro-Credit. Members of panel include: P Satish of Sa-Dhan, Sonia Krishnankutty of L&T Finance, Harsh Shrivastava of MFIN and Srinivas Bonam of IndusInd Bank among others.

Notes:
A court in Suriname on November 29,2019 convicted President Desi Bouterse of murder for the execution of 15 opponents in 1982 following a coup to seize power, sentencing the man who has dominated the former Dutch colony’s recent history to 20 years in prison. Opposition parties called for Bouterse, currently in China on an official visit, to step down. The military court that found him guilty has not yet ordered his arrest.

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:
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:
On December 3, 2019 the former arts and culture minister Pritivirajsing Roopun was elected as president of Mauritius. His predecessor Ameenah Gurib-Fakim resigned in March 2018 after being embroiled in a scandal over her use of a credit card to buy luxury personal items. In Mauritius, the prime minister is head of the government and holds most political power while the President is head of the state but has no executive role and is considered the guardian of the Constitution.

Notes:
Aiming to control the human-elephant conflicts, the Assam government launched Anti-Depedration Squads of the state forest department which would be stationed at 15 major human-wildlife conflict districts in order to mitigate the problem and to ensure safety of both humans and wildlife. Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal launched 15 Anti-Depredation Squads during a programme held in state capital Guwahati. The state forest department engaged specially trained 50 frontline staff to handle conflict situations.

Notes:
The fifth edition of “MED – Mediterranean Dialogues”, the annual high-level conference promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ISPI (Italian Institute of International Political Studies), is held in Rome from December 5 to December 7,2019. The core of MED has not changed since the first edition put the spotlights on the positive development in the region. The event aims at drafting a “positive agenda” for the Mediterranean by stimulating debate and promoting new ideas, rethinking traditional approaches and addressing shared challenges at both the regional and the international level. The conference builds upon four pillars: Shared Prosperity, Shared Security, Migration, and Civil Society and Culture.

Notes:
Ripu Daman Bevli has been appointed as the Plogging Ambassador of India. The appointment was announced by the Union Minister of State (I/C) for Youth Affairs & Sports, Shri Kiren Rijiju on the Fit India Plogging Run. The minister also launched the nation-wide Plogging Ambassador Mission under which, Indians who have been running and cleaning their cities, towns or districts, will be nominated as Plogging Ambassadors of their region.
Ripu Daman Bevli is India’s first plogger. His mission is to Run to make Litter Free India which is in line Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Swachh Bharat campaign.

Notes:
Sanna Marin has been elected as the Prime Minister of Finland. She became the world’s youngest Prime Minister ever. She also became the third female government leader of the country. She defeated Antti Lindtman to take over the government’s top post from incumbent Antti Rinne. The new government will be approving her appointment quickly. Marin was a lawmaker since 2015. She was the Social Democratic Party’s vice chairwoman. She served as the minister for transport and communications.