Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari has recently inaugurated the Koilwar bridge over Sone river in Bihar.
This 1.5 km long bridge has been laid in parallel to the 138-year-old two lane rail-road bridge. A six-lane bridge is being constructed with the outlay of Rs 266 crore. The three-lane carriageway has been opened for public.

Notes:
Malana Cream is a type of hash, which comes from the Malana Valley in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. The Charas is the resin obtained from a species of the cannabis plant, which grows in the valley.
The Narcotics Control Bureau has recently claimed that it has seized the smuggled ‘Malana Cream’. Charas was banned in India in 1986 under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.

Notes:
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has circulated a draft of Indian Ports Bill 2020 for public consultation. The bill seeks to repeal and replace the Indian Ports Act, 1908.
This bill aims to enable the growth and sustainable development of ports and attract investments in the Port sector. Maritime Port Regulatory Authority, National Port policy and National Port plan are some of the new initiatives described in the bill.

Notes:
The state of Maharashtra is set to launch an ambitious scheme for distribution of assistive devices to persons with disabilities.
Named as Maharashtra System for Health and Rehabilitation Assistance or ‘MahaSharad’, the Digital Platform is named after the NCP chief Sharad Pawar. The platform, which aims to lakhs of people, will be available by March 2021.

Notes:
Every year December 12th is observed as the International Day of Neutrality by the United Nations. Neutrality is defined as abstention of a state from all participation in a war and maintaining impartiality.
A resolution in this regard was adopted by the United Nations in the year 2017, which was introduced by Turkmenistan.

Notes:
The Export-Import Bank of India (Exim Bank) has recently extended a USD 448-million line of credit (LOC) for various infrastructure projects in Uzbekistan.
Extended on behalf of the Indian government, the LoC would be used in various projects in transport, water and technology sectors in the country. EXIM Bank has so far extended 266 LOCs to various countries.

Notes:
The year 2021 has been declared as the International Year of Creative Economy for Sustainable Development, by the United Nations. This has been decided in the UN General Assembly meeting held in December 2020.
The proposal was sponsored by Indonesia and was presented by a group of nations including China, India, Australia, Philippines and Thailand.

Notes:
The Swadhinata Sarak, which is a road link between India and Bangladesh, is set to be reopened on 26th March 2021.
Swadhinata Sarak is a road that was formed in the Meherpur district of Bangladesh, that was formed during a provisional government was in charged in 1971. The reopening of the road will be held to mark the 50 years of Bangladesh’s Independence and to enhance Indo-Bangladesh bi lateral ties.

Notes:
Project Loon is the subsidiary of Technology giant Google. It undertakes the project of delivering internet access to remote parts of the world.
The project uses helium-filled balloons for this purpose. In the month of October, the company has announced that the balloons set a new record for the longest stratospheric flight by staying in air for 312 days.

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.