Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released ‘The State of Food and Agriculture (SOFA) 2021’ report.
As per the report, food costs could increase for up to 845 million people if a disruption to critical transport links occurs. It also highlighted the need to make agri-food systems resilient to address food security.

Notes:
R Ashwin recently became the India’s third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
The 35-year-old clinched his 418th wicket in the first Test against New Zealand, surpassing another Indian off-spinner Harbhajan Singh. Only Anil Kumble (619) and Kapil Dev (434) have more wickets than Ashwin, as of now.

Notes:
The ‘Day of Remembrance for all Victims of Chemical Warfare’ is observed by the United Nations on 30 November.
The day is marked to pay tribute to the victims of chemical warfare. The day also highlights the pledge taken by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to eliminate the threat of chemical weapons.

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:
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:
The NITI Aayog released a report titled “Designing the future of dispute Resolution: the ODR Policy Plan for India”.
It proposed measures at three levels to address the challenges in adopting ODR. The report recommends increasing digital infrastructure, building capacity, regulatory framework, including permission for online notarisation, etc.

Notes:
Skill Development Ministry launched a pilot project to revive traditional ‘Namda’ craft in Jammu and Kashmir.
The project has been launched under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0′. The project aims to increase the carpet export from ₹600 crore to ₹6,000 crore and will benefit 2,250 people of 30 Namda Clusters from six districts of Kashmir.

Notes:
Bangladesh Navy (BN) and the US military personnel began the annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) maritime exercise.
The exercise will be carried out virtually and in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladesh Navy has been taking part in the CARAT exercise since 2011. It aims to address shared maritime security concerns and strengthen partnerships between regional navies.

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.