Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter Day is observed every year on 8th December.
On this day in 1985, SAARC Charter was adopted in Dhaka, during the first summit of the group. This year also marks the 37th Anniversary of the regional group. SAARC has organised 18 summits since 1985.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the ₹9,802 crore Saryu Canal National project in Uttar Pradesh’s Balrampur district.
The project, which is the biggest in Uttar Pradesh, connects five rivers which include Ghagra, Saryu, Rapti, Banganga and Rohin. Many sub canals with a length of 6,600kms have been linked to the 318 km long main canal.

Notes:
Google released its ‘Year in Search 2021′ list, which, like displays what was searched the most on its search engine around the world.
Olympic gold medallist Neeraj Chopra became the most searched-for personality in India in 2021. Among the most searched-for subjects on Google in India in 2021, ICC T20 World Cup and Indian Premier League, CoWin, Euro Cup, and Tokyo Olympics occupied the first five spots.

Notes:
Indian weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera has won the gold medal in the women’s 49kg category at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Earlier, Sanket Mahadev Sargar clinched the gold medal in the men’s 55kg snatch category and also created a new snatch national record. India is competing in both Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships and World Weightlifting Championships.

Notes:
A recent terrorist attack on convoy of United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) killed seven UN peacekeepers.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs condemned the attack held in Bandiagara region in Mali that resulted in the killing of seven UN peacekeepers from Togo.

Notes:
Global Methane Initiative (GMI) is a voluntary Government and an informal international partnership having members from 45 countries including the US and Canada. It was created in 2004 and India is one of the members since its inception
A Steering Leadership meeting of Global Methane Initiative (GMI) has been held virtually in which India’s representative from the Ministry of Coal was the Vice Chairman. The Chairperson of the Steering Leadership is from Canada.

Notes:
North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), a financial institution in the North-Eastern Region launched ‘Atmanirbhar Hastshilpkar Scheme’.
It aims to provide financial assistance in the form of term loan to the Artisans of the region, for setting up, modernization and other activities related to the sector. The credit facility is collateral free and carries a subsidized interest rate.

Notes:
The Pinaka MLRS has been successfully developed by two DRDO laboratories in Pune – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) – in partnership with two private sector firms, L&T and Tata Power Company Ltd (TPCL).
Recently, Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER) Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), was successfully tested with rockets built by the two private firms.

Notes:
The state government of Himachal Pradesh recently notified to constitute a “Samanya Varg Aayog”. This was notified amid an aggressive protest by the general category people.
A large number of people in the state belonging to the general category had been demanding to constitute a commission for them.

Notes:
Chief Justice Pinaki Chandra Ghose inaugurated the digital platform named LokpalOnline, which enables people to file corruption complaints with the Lokpal.
At present, complaints are being sent by post, e-mail or hand-delivered. The new portal can be accessed by the citizens of the country and complaints can be filed from anywhere, anytime at lokpalonline.gov.in. In 2019, Justice Ghose was appointed as the country’s first Lokpal.