Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
Several bar-headed geese have recently migrated to Point Calimere Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located on the eastern coast of Tamil Nadu.
These birds have the ability to fly in extreme weather and very high altitudes. They might have flown thousands of miles from Tibet, Central China and Mongolia. They breed in these countries and migrate to India during winter.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami has recently launched a project to set up 2,000 mini-clinics across the state.
They will be known as ‘Amma Mini Clinics’, after the former late Chief Minister J Jeyalalitha. The clinics aim to provide essential healthcare services to the poor and downtrodden. Minor ailments will be treated and this step will reduce the burden of Government hospitals.

Notes:
The Prime Minister headed Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved a financial assistance amounting Rs.3500 crore to sugarcane farmers of the country.
The funds are to be credited directly into the bank accounts of the farmers. The decision is expected to benefit 5 crore sugarcane farmers and 5 lakh workers employed in the sugar mills.

Notes:
The Human Development Index for the year 2020 has been released by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
As per the report, India has been ranked at 131 out of 189 countries. Last year, India was ranked at 130. HDI is measured with three parameters namely life expectancy, education and per capita income. This year’s index has incorporated new parameters namely CO2 emission and Material foot print and introduced Planetary pressures–adjusted Human Development Index (PHDI).

Notes:
The Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi lit the ‘Swarnim Vijay Mashaal’ at the National War Memorial (NWM) in Delhi. This has kick started the 50th-anniversary celebrations of the 1971 India-Pakistan war.
In December 1971, the Indian Armed Forces won a battle against the Pakistan counterpart, which resulted n creation of a new nation called Bangladesh.

Notes:
Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, recently received the ISO Certification, after an assessment from the UK-based accreditor ASCB.
The park became the first zoological park in India to acquire the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification. The standards followed in the Park in the area of sanitation, food processing, animal breeding, among others were assessed.

Notes:
International Development Association (IDA) is member of the World Bank Group, headquartered in Washington, D.C. It offers concessional loans and grants to the poorest developing countries.
The IDA has signed a USD 400 million agreement with India, to support India’s efforts to provide social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier, the World Bank group had approved a USD 750 million loan to India.

Notes:
The United Nations Development Programme introduced a new measure named called the Planetary Pressures-adjusted HDI, or PHDI.
It assesses the impact caused by each country’s per-capita carbon emissions and its material footprint. While India stands at 131st rank in the Human Development Index, when this metric is considered, India is placed at 123rd rank in the list, which is topped by Ireland.

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:
India has pledged USD 1 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) scientific research budget, to develop innovative anti-doping testing methods
As on date, this is the highest among contributions made by other countries. India’s National Dope Testing Laboratory was earlier suspended by WADA, and is to be inspected by next year.