Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
The Parliament of Iran has passed a bill, called as “The strategic measure for the removal of sanctions”.
It aims to uplift the country’s nuclear activities, following the assassination of Iranian nuclear physicist Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. The scientist, who died of gun men attack, was the head of the Iranian Defense Ministry’s innovation center.

Notes:
‘Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare’ is observed on November 30 every year, across the world.
United Nations observes the day to pay tribute to millions of lives lost round the globe in the wake of chemical warfare. ‘Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) is the implementing body for Chemical Weapons Convention. It is headquartered at the Hague, Netherlands.

Notes:
As many as 12 leopards from Sakkar Baug Zoological Park, which came in conflict with the humans, have been transferred to a private rehabilitation centre by Gujarat Forest Department.
The leopard’s maintenance would be done in a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode by the Government of Gujarat and Reliance Industries Ltd- RIL’s Greens Zoological Rescue and Rehabilitation Kingdom. This is the first of its kind PPP model for protection of wild animals in India.

Notes:
The state-owned PSU Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has delivered a cryogenic propellant tank (C32 LH2) to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).
The component has been delivered by HAL much ahead of its scheduled delivery time. This is supposed to be the biggest ever component fabricated by HAL and is to be used in GSLV Mk 3 launch vehicle.

Notes:
State Bank of India has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and Japan’s JCB International Co to launch new ‘SBI RuPay JCB Platinum Contactless Debit Card’.
This card has a dual interface feature, under which customers can use it for both contact and contactless transactions, both in the domestic market as well as overseas. The card has been launched on the RuPay network.

Notes:
The New Zealand Government has recently declared a climate emergency. This decision has been taken by the government to stress the fact that if emission cuts are not recorded, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predictions on adverse environmental effects would be witnessed.
The country also announced that its public sector would strive to become carbon neutral by 2025.

Notes:
One of the two lesser florican birds that was tagged by the Gujarat forest department has flown all the way to the state of Telangana.
The bird was tagged at the Blackbuck National Park (BBNP), Velavadar, in Bhavnagar. This has confirmed a research finding that lesser florican birds migrate to peninsular India from the western part of India after their breeding season.

Notes:
The National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN) is located in the city of Pune. The present building of NIN is called the “Bapu Bhavan”. Gandhiji performed many Naturopathy experiments and organised various national and International activities while staying here.
The Ministry of Ayush has proposed to name the upcoming new campus of National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN), Pune as “Nisarg Gram”.

Notes:
Recently, the state Government of Jharkhand has accepted the Union Government’s alternative offer to meet the GST compensation shortfall for States. By this, all states and 3 UTs have joined the option 1.
To compensate the shortfall in GST, the central government has proposed two options – First, States can borrow ₹1.1 lakh crore out of the estimated ₹ 2.35 lakh crore shortfall or second, states could borrow the entire compensation shortfall through the issue of market debt.

Notes:
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has recently raised concern on pollution and frothing in Yamuna River.
The body has asked Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and other states to implement effective sewage treatment. Increase in ammonia level from untreated water and industrial effluents containing phosphorous are the two main reasons for frothing.