Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
India, Iran and Uzbekistan are on discussion about the joint use of Chabahar port, located in Iran. In this regard, a joint trilateral meeting would be held to deliberate regarding the same.
The trilateral meeting would be held in a virtual mode and is set to be chaired by the Dy. Minister of Iran, Dy. Minister of Uzbekistan and senior Foreign Ministry official from India.

Notes:
The researchers at Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (CAOS) – Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have revealed that more than half of the droughts that have occurred in India has occurred due to atmospheric disturbances from the North Atlantic region.
Since, Indian agriculture and water needs are predominantly rain dependent, any shortfall in annual rain fall has drastic impact. Till date, the usual suspect for such droughts has been the El Nino.

Notes:
Every year December 12th is observed as the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day by the World Health Organisation. UHC ensures that all people get access to quality health services without any financial hardships.
Universal health coverage has been inducted as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the United Nations.

Notes:
The European Council President has declared after their recent summit that the EU leaders have agreed to set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030.
After long series of discussions, the EU leaders came to a consensus of the target. European Commission had set a target of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.

Notes:
NITI Aayog has recently released a white paper titled ‘Vision 2035 – Public Health Surveillance in India’.
It describes India’s vision for public health surveillance via the integration of three-tiered public health system into Ayushman Bharat. The paper aims to make the public health surveillance system of the country, more responsive.

Notes:
Shaheen (Eagle)-IX is the 9th joint Air Force Exercise between Pakistan and China. It conducted at an Air Force Base at Pakistan.
It is designed to deepen the cooperation between the two countries and enhance their combat skills. The first such exercise was conducted in the year 2011 at Pakistan. Every year, this exercise is held alternatively in China and Pakistan.

Notes:
French President Emmanuel Macron has announced a referendum to add the efforts against climate change and the need to protect the environment in the French Constitution.
The President proposed a change in the constitution that requires a parliamentary vote, and then a referendum. Earlier, the EU leaders including Macron agreed to achieve at least 55 per cent compared with 1990 levels, by 2030.

Notes:
Vigyan Yatra is the name of the promotional activity of the India International Science Festival. Mobile science exhibition vans were flagged off from many cities as a part of the activity, to promote the culture of science among the people.
The sixth edition of the India International Science Festival to be organised from December 22 to 25 on a virtual platform due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Notes:
The Himalayan serow has been spotted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region, in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
These are herbivores animals and are found between 2000 m and 4000 m altitude. They have an appearance similar to that of a goat, but with long ears. They have a habit of standing with fore legs stretched.

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.