Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
The Indian Navy has taken two MQ-9B Sea Guardian drones from an American defence company, on lease for 1 year.
The unmanned aerial vehicles, manufactured by US firm General Atomics, have been obtained on lease, to enhance surveillance over the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). The vehicles arrived at the naval air station INS Rajali in Tamil Nadu.

Notes:
China’s first domestically made nuclear reactor ‘Hualong One’, has started its operations, as per the China National Nuclear Corp (CNNC).
The third-generation pressurised water nuclear reactor has been connected to the national grid. The reactor can generate 10 billion kw-hours of electricity each year and cut carbon emissions by 8.16 million tons. This is expected to reduce China’s dependency in nuclear power from its western allies.

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:
The Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has recently launched a portal named India Climate Change Knowledge Portal.
The portal would contain all major initiatives taken by the Government of India address the climate change and environment related issues. The portal is expected to be a single point of information regarding climate change initiatives.

Notes:
World Investor Week (WIW) is a week-long global campaign observed to raise awareness about the importance of investor education.
The campaign is promoted by the International Organisation of Securities Commissions (IOSCO). In India, the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chose November 23 – 29, 2020 to celebrate this week. Various bodies including AMFI, NSDL and stock exchanges conduct awareness campaigns.

Notes:
As per the US Air Quality Index released recently, Lahore is named the most polluted city in the world, followed by Delhi and Kathmandu.
Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, has reported a particulate matter (PM) rating of 423. The The United States Environmental Protection Agency registers air quality as ‘satisfactory’ if the AQI is under 50.

Notes:
The World AIDS Day is observed every year on the 1st of December, since 1988. It is an international day dedicated to raise awareness about AIDS and to mourn for those who have lost life due to this pandemic.
The theme for this year’s AIDS Day is “Ending the HIV/AIDS Epidemic: Resilience and Impact”. There were 38 million people living with HIV infection, in the year 2019.

Notes:
The first ever SCO Online Exhibition on “Shared Buddhist Heritage” has been launched recently at the 19th Meeting of the SCO Council of Heads of Government. The meeting was held in New Delhi in a virtual mode.
This online exhibition has been developed by National Museum, New Delhi in association with the museums and cultural institutions of SCO member countries.

Notes:
Avian Influenza, commonly called as the Bird flu, has been detected in a fourth region in Japan. This can be the country’s worst outbreak in over 4 years.
Avian influenza was discovered at a poultry farm in Hyuga city in Honshu island in southwestern Japan. However, the country announced that there is no possibility that humans will contract bird flu from eating poultry or eggs. It has also decided to cull over 1.8 million chickens.

Notes:
Facebook-backed Libra cryptocurrency has been renamed as “Deim” which means “Day” in Latin.
The Libra Association has made this decision in order to gain approval from regulators and to increase its publicity. The new Deim crypto currency is proposed to be launched in early 2021, which would be backed by USD.