Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
UN recognised the 38 degrees Celsius measured in Siberian region of Russia, as the new record high for the Arctic
The heat equivalent to 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit was seen on June 20, 2020 in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk. It marked the highest temperature ever recorded above the Arctic Circle, as per the World Meteorological Organization.

Notes:
Maharashtra tops the list of states with maximum number of beneficiaries under the Atmanirbhar Bharat Rojgar Yojana (ABRY).
It is followed by Tamilnadu and Gujarat. ABRY was announced as a part of Aatmanirbhar Bharat 3.0 package to boost the economy, increase the employment generation along with social security benefits.

Notes:
World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has asked India to withdraw its subsidies under the ‘Production Assistance, the Buffer Stock, and Marketing and Transportation Schemes.’
Australia, Brazil and Guatemala raised complaints against India over its policy measures in the sugar sector, at WTO in the year 2019.  WTO also asked India to conform to its obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture and the SCM Agreement.

Notes:
The Geographical Indications Registry (GIR) has accepted the plea to rename Bihar Makhana as Mithila Makhana.
It also suggested amendments in the brand logo to reflect its origins along with identifying and protecting the product’s Geographical Indications (GI) rights. Makhana or fox nut is one of the most famous products of mithila region, span across Bihar and Jharkand.

Notes:
The world’s largest natural corundum blue sapphire- named the “Queen of Asia”, was found from a gem pit in Ratnapura, Sri Lanka.
Ratnapura, also known as gem city, is situated around 85 km away from capital Colombo. The rare gem weighs around 310 kg. The National Gem and Jewellery Authority of Sri Lanka certified the gem stone and said that more tests are to be carried out on the gem stone.

Notes:
The Thwaites glacier, which spans 120 kilometres is a West Antarctic glacier. Scientists have warned that the melting of this glacier threatens to cause the world’s greatest rise in sea levels before 2100.
As per the warning, the ice shelf holding it back from the sea could collapse within three to five years. The Thwaites glacier would raise sea levels by 65 cm if it fell into the ocean.

Notes:
The World Health Organization recently released the “Tracking Universal Coverage – 2021 Global Monitoring Report”.
On the occasion of Universal Health Coverage day, World Bank also released the “Global Monitoring Report on Financial Protection in Health 2021”. The report showed that the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to halt two decades of global progress towards Universal Health Coverage.

Notes:
The Government of India has appointed Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, following the demise of General Bipin Rawat.
Here, the Government of India has adopted the old system of appointing a Chiefs of Staff Committee instead of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Under the old system, the senior most among the chiefs among the armed forces would assume charge as Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Notes:
International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is observed every year on December 17. It seeks to highlights the hate crimes committed against sex workers all over the globe.
‘Red umbrella’ is an important symbol for sex worker rights and is used for events which are held on December 17. The red umbrella symbol was first used by sex workers in Venice, Italy, in the year 2001.

Notes:
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh launched MIS (Management Information System) portal for rankings of States/UTs in Land Acquisition Projects.
It is based on RFCTLARR Act, 2013 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013). The Department of Land Resources developed this MIS portal and top 3 Districts and States will be awarded based on their rankings on the portal