Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
Gujarat is set to launch the country’s first online mechanism for approval and renewal of fire safety certifications for buildings.
A portal named ‘Fire Safety COP’ will be launched for implementing the process. Under the system, the state will train and empanel private ‘Fire safety officers (FSOs)’ to carry out periodic inspection and maintenance of fire safety systems.

Notes:
Russia has successfully test-launched its heavy lift Angara A5 space rocket for the second time, the first launch having undertaken in 2014.
As per the state space agency Rocosmos, these Angara rockets do not use aggressive and toxic propellants, thereby increasing environmental safety in the areas adjacent to the launch complex and in the drop zones.

Notes:
UNESCO has launched the ‘2020 State of the Education Report for India: Vocational Education First’ report, virtually in New Delhi.
This is the second edition of the State of Education Report and it focuses on technical and vocational education and training (TVET). UNESCO also reaffirmed to support India in the National Skill Development Mission.

Notes:
The Goa Shipyard Limited has launched the fifth Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) named ICGS Saksham for the Indian Coast Guard (ICG).
This is the last such Offshore Patrol Vessel being launched by the shipyard for the ICG. The vessel is fitted with 30-mm guns, quick response boats which makes it capable of handling emergencies along the coast, emergencies along the coast and piracy.

Notes:
As per the recent announcement from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), widespread rain or thundershowers will come back to Tamil Nadu, Kerala and regions over the South Peninsula.
The Easterly waves move fast across the Bay of Bengal and usually target the south peninsula region. Also called as the tropical wave or tropical easterly wave, it is an area of relatively low air pressure, which moves from east to west across the tropics and causes cloudiness and thunderstorms.

Notes:
Maharashtra had tabled the Maharashtra Shakti Criminal Law (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2020, as well as Maharashtra Exclusive Special Court Law in the state legislature.
The government has accepted the demand of the Opposition and sent the bill to a joint committee of both houses of the state legislature. The bill seeks to provide strict punishments for crimes such as rape, acid attack, and derogatory material on social media against women and children.

Notes:
A Coroner in the United Kingdom has delivered a landmark judgement, which stated that severe air pollution was the cause of the death of a 9-year-old child in the year 2013.
The child named Ella Kissi-Debrah died in a hospital due to acute respiratory failure, severe asthma and air pollution exposure.

Notes:
The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) held a voting for conducting Asian Games for the year 2030 and 2034. The candidates were Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
The 2030 Asian Games were awarded to Qatar (Doha), while the 2034 event went to Saudi Arabia (Riyadh). The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is a governing body of sports in Asia and was formed in the year 1982.

Notes:
The US Federal Reserve has recently joined the Network of Central Banks and Supervisors for Greening the Financial System (NGFS).
NGFS is an international group of central banks of various countries, that has a special focus on climate change risks. It is headquartered at Paris, France.

Notes:
E-commerce platform Snapdeal has partnered with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to allow buyers to make digital payments at the time delivery.
This QR-based facility aims to assist new or first-time users who are not comfortable in pre-paying for the goods. The delivery executive will generate a UPI-linked QR code, which will be scanned by the customer for payment.