Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
Under a recent operation undertaken by the INTERPOL codenamed ‘HAECHI-II’, enforcement agencies in more than 20 countries have arrested over 1,000 individuals and seized about $27 million of illicit funds.
The programme is a part of a crackdown on cyber-enabled financial crime. India also participated in the global operation. The exercise targeted specific types of online fraud, such as romance scams, investment fraud and money laundering linked to illegal online gambling.

Notes:
As per National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for India for 2017-18, the share of government health expenditure in the GDP of the country has increased to 1.35% in 2017-18 from 1.15% in 2013-14.
The findings also show the government spending on health as a share of total expenditure also increased to 5.12% from 3.78% between 2013-14 and 2017-18. In case of per capita OOPE, there was a decline from ₹2,336 to ₹2,097 between 2013-14 and 2017-18.

Notes:
The first edition of the India Young Water Professional Programme was launched virtually, under National Hydrology Project and supported by the Australian Water Partnership.
It is a Central Scheme of Department of Water Resources, river development and Ganga rejuvenation. A total of 20 participants (10 men and 10 women) have been selected for the first edition of this Programme from central and state implementing agencies of the National Hydrology Project.

Notes:
The Nagaland Police recently launched ‘Call your Cop’ mobile App, which will enable all citizens of the state and those in distress to get in touch with the police, in a single click.
The features in the Application include directory, alerts, tourist tips, SOS, nearest police station and search.

Notes:
Senior Indian Revenue Service Officer Shri. Vivek Johri has been appointed as the chairman of the Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC), by the personnel ministry.
Shri. Vivek Johri is a 1985-batch Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Indirect Taxes) officer who is presently a member of the CBIC.

Notes:
Shillong’s famous Cherry Blossom Festival was held between November 25 and 27, this year. The festival was cancelled due to COVID outbreak last year.
Meghalaya’s Chief Minister Cornad Sangma announced about the festival in Twitter. Several cherry blossoms are seen across Meghalaya’s capital city, Shillong. The festival includes various competitions, programmes and other art events.

Notes:
The Hunar Haat is a platform provided by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs to showcase the expertise of artisans/craftsmen of India and explore the opportunities of employment under “Upgrading the Skills and Training in Traditional Arts/Crafts for Development (USTAAD)”.
Recently, the 33rd Hunar Haat was organized at Delhi, which received silver medal at the India International Trade Fair, 2021 for for strengthening commitment to the ‘vocal for local’ initiative.

Notes:
Alipore Zoological Garden in Kolkata has introduced month-long adoption of animals to create public awareness about them. The Zoo also had year-long adoption process in practice.
As per the zoo officials, adoption fees have been lowered, and people are being encouraged to adopt lesser-popular birds and animals, besides popular ones such as deer, tigers and chimpanzees.

Notes:
After 396 years of becoming a British Colony, the Caribbean island country Barbados has recently become the world’s newest republic.
The country removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of the state. Dame Sandra Mason was sworn in as the President by the chief justice of the country. Barbadian singer Rihanna was declared a national hero.

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.