Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
An international team of researchers has discovered a new marine reptile. Named as Kyhytysuka sachicarum, the specimen was a metre-long skull of a Hypercarnivore “Fish Lizard”.
Kyhytysuka translates to ‘the one that cuts with something sharp’ in an indigenous language from the region in central Colombia where the fossil was found. The name honours the ancient Muisca culture that existed in the region.

Notes:
Under Jagan Anna Vidya Deevena Scheme, the fee of students belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, other minority groups are reimbursed.
Andhra Pradesh government has released ₹686 crore as the third tranche of the ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’ education assistance scheme. The amount has been credited to the accounts of over 9 lakh mothers of 11 lakh students.

Notes:
‘World Aids Day’ is observed every year on December 1, across the world. It was first observed in 1988.
“End inequalities. End Aids. End pandemics.” is the theme for this year’s World Aids Day as per the UN. The Day aims to create awareness about the disease and working towards ending the stigma surrounding it.

Notes:
India recently joined the G20 Troika, which now includes Indonesia, Italy and India. Indonesia has assumed the G20 Presidency and will convene G20 meetings throughout the year ending with the G20 Leaders` Summit on October 30-31, 2022.
The theme of this year’s Summit is “Recover Together Recover Stronger”. India will assume the G20 Presidency from Indonesia and will convene the G20 Leaders` Summit for the first time in India in 2023.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate a thought leadership forum on fintech. The two-day event is hosted by International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) in collaboration with GIFT City and Bloomberg.
Indonesia, South Africa and the U.K. are partner countries in the first edition of the forum. The event will bring together policymakers, business leaders and experts to find fintech solutions for inclusive growth.

Notes:
The United Nations has adopted 2nd December as the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery. It was on this date, the UNGA passed a resolution in 1949 against Slavery.
As per International Labour Organisation, more than 40 million people across the globe are victims of modern slavery, which includes forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking.

Notes:
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), under the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), is an intelligence and enforcement agency of the Government of India on anti-smuggling matters.
The Union Finance Minister Ms Nirmala Sitharaman was addressing the 64th ‘Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI), Foundation Day’. DRI released a report on the occasion, which said that gold smuggling shifted from the Middle East to Myanmar during 2020-21.

Notes:
World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5, to highlight people’s attention to the importance of soil and its sustainable management.
This year’s campaign is based on the theme of “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity”. It aims to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being. The international observance was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences (IUSS) in 2002.

Notes:
The number of ATMs across the country stood at more than 2.13 lakh by the end of September 2021, as per the data given by the Finance Ministry said in Parliament.
Over 47 per cent of the ATMS are in rural and semi-urban areas. According to the RBI data, scheduled commercial banks have installed 2.13 lakh ATMs up to September 2021. In addition to this, 27,837 White Label ATMs (WLA) were also installed.

Notes:
Forbes, an American business magazine releases the rankings of 100 most powerful women of the world ever year.
This year, Jeff Bezos’ former wife Mackenzie Scott earned the topmost spot in this year’s list. US Vice-President Kamla Harris is ranked second, and European Central Bank Head Christine Lagarde is at the third position. India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is ranked at 37th position.