Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
In a bilateral meeting between India’s Education Minister and Foreign Secretary of UK, the countries agreed to strengthen their engagement in the field of education and research.
They also agreed to set up a joint Task Force consisting of designated higher education organizations from both the countries, for working towards mutual recognition of academic qualifications.

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 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 vaccine maker Serum Institute of India is set to achieve “Net Zero State” by cutting down all forms of emission and harmful release in to the environment to zero.
A start-up firm incubated at IIT-SINE named h2e Power Systems and backed by SII would be joining hands to transform SII into a company that runs on renewable and green energy.

Notes:
The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) has set up a dedicated control centre for Space Situational Awareness (SSA).
It has been named as Netra” and is aimed at monitoring, tracking and protecting India’s space assets. It is set up at ISTRAC campus at Peenya, Bangalore.

Notes:
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched ‘PAReSHRAM’ portal, for the industrial development of the state.
The Chief Minister also launched 22 online services of Department of Labour and Employees’ State Insurance (ESI). The portal will have information regarding different labour laws. Entrepreneurs can get registration certificate, licence and approval through the portal.

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.

Notes:
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)’s Shark Specialist Group conducted an assessment of sharks, rays and chimaeras in the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
As per the assessment, out of the 170 species found across the oceans of the country, 19 species, which is about 11%, are classified as Critically Endangered (CE) and are facing high risk of extinction.

Notes:
India and the United Kingdom held discussions on issues that are on the UN Security Council agenda, ahead of India taking up a non-permanent seat.
In June 2020, India was elected unopposed to the UN Security Council as non-permanent member, for a two-year term starting January 1, 2021. India’s priorities including reformed multilateralism and counterterrorism were briefed to the U.K side.

Notes:
Department of Telecommunication, Ministry of Communication presents the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Telecom Skill Excellence Awards.
The Award scheme was originally launched in the year 2017, to recognise the successful telecom skilled people and to enable them apply telecom related solution in various fields like health and Education. This year’s awards were recently presented by the Communications Minister.