Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
The International Mountain Day is celebrated across the world on December 11 every year. The day aims to encourage sustainable development in mountains. The theme of this year’s International Mountain Day is ‘Mountain biodiversity’.
United Nations General Assembly designated the Mountain Day in the year 2003. The UN also declared 2002 as the UN International Year of Mountains.

Notes:
Gennova Biopharmaceuticals has developed India’s first Covid-19 vaccine candidate based on mRNA. It has recently received approval from drug regulators of the country for entrusting it to clinical trials.
HGCO19 is the name of the mRNA vaccine candidate developed by the Pune based institution, using the seed grant received under Ind-CEPI mission of the department of biotechnology of the Union Ministry of science and technology

Notes:
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has decided to launch an international award / prize in the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Rahman. The award would be given in the field of “Creative economy”.
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Rahman politician belonging to Bangladesh and is commonly called as the “Father of Nation” of Bangladesh.

Notes:
In the year 2018, artists, journalists and activists gathered in the San Isidro region of Cuba, to protest against the country’s rules on censorship of cultural activities.
Hence, it came to be known as the Movimiento San Isidro, or the San Isidro Movement (MSI). After a member of MSI was arrested in November this year, its members began a hunger and then were arrested. The Government name the protestors as agents of Imperialism.

Notes:
The North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) was approved in 2014 as a Central Sector Scheme and is being funded with the assistance of World Bank fund.
It is being implemented through POWERGRID, a Public Sector Undertaking under Ministry of Power in association with six beneficiary North Eastern States namely, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Tripura. The Union Cabinet has approved the Revised Cost Estimate of the scheme at Rs 6700 crore.

Notes:
The Ministry of External Affairs has recently launched an Economic diplomacy website, to project ‘Brand India’ to global investors.
It is managed by the Economic Diplomacy Division of the Ministry. The website will also showcase India’s economic, regional and state-wise trends, the economic and policy profiles of state/ UTs. It connects the Indian businesses and the interested investors through agencies like APEDA.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh government is set to launch a special program named ‘Kisan Kalyan Mission’, to double the income of farmers.
Under the scheme, exhibitions of agriculture and allied sector will be organised. Meetings will be held to explain scientific farming and various schemes of the Government. Various state departments including Horticulture, animal husbandry, fisheries will partner in the scheme.

Notes:
The Government of India has recently offered official recognition to Yoga as a competitive sport, as a push to make it a part of the Olympic Games.
Recently, India established the National Yogasana Sport Federation of India (NYSFI) for the development of yoga as a competitive sport. Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and Ministry of AYUSH are collaborating in this regard. Sporting Leagues and Competitions are being planned.

Notes:
“Hawker culture” which is the Singapore’s tradition of communal dining has been recognised by UNESCO for its cultural significance.
It has been added to the UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The hawker centres of Singapore were set up in 1970s to house street vendors, or “hawkers” in a bid to clean up the county.

Notes:
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by the Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has cleared a set of proposals for military equipment procurement amounting Rs.27,000 crore.
The proposal includes indigenously designed airborne early warning aircraft and patrol vessels. Most of these procurements are to be made from the domestic industry.