Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
All 5 central Asian countries- Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have been invited by India as the Republic day guest.
This is the first time that all central Asian countries will be present as the guest. In 2018, countries of ASEAN bloc were invited. Prime Minister Modi had visited all Central Asian countries in 2015, a first by any Indian Prime Minister.

Notes:
Global Technology Summit was recently organised by the Union External affairs Ministry and Carnegie India.
Union External Affairs Minister S Jai Shankar addressed the Summit. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivered a special message at the summit. They also highlighted that technology is a key part of the India-UK Roadmap for 2030.

Notes:
The Retail inflation based on Consumer Price Index increased to a three-month high of 4.91 per cent in November.
As per the data released by the National Statistical Office (NSO), Food inflation increased to 1.87 per cent in November from 0.85 per cent a month ago. The inflation figure is within the 4+/-2 per cent target range of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Notes:
Manohari Gold Tea, a rare variety of tea in Assam has recently created history as it was sold for Rs 1 lakh per kilogram at Guwahati Tea Auction Centre.
The Tea variety broke its own record of 2020, when the tea was auctioned at Rs 75,000 per kg. The North Eastern Tea Association has planned to increase the production of such tea and started making different types of tea like white tea, green tea, yellow tea.

Notes:
Meta-owned WhatsApp announced its pilot programme of adopting 500 villages across Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The programme aims to empower people with access to digital payments through ‘payments on WhatsApp’. The announcement regarding the programme was made at “Fuel For India 2021 — Meta’s annual event in India”.

Notes:
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is co-hosting the Global Refugee Forum together with Switzerland.  The first follow-up to the Global Refugee Forum has started.
The two-day virtual event will be opened by the President-elect of the Swiss Confederation, Ignazio Cassis and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi. The meeting commences on UNHCR’s 71st anniversary, on December 14. The next Global Refugee Forum will be held in 2023.

Notes:
Researchers at IIT Delhi’s Kusuma School of Biological Sciences have developed an RT-PCR based kit for detection of the Omicron (B.1.1.529.1) variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The assay is based on detecting specific mutations, which are present in the Omicron variant and absent in other currently present variants of SARS-CoV-2. Globally, the detection of the Omicron variant requires over 3 days.

Notes:
Former US President Barack Obama has retained his position at the most admired man in the world as per an international survey carried out by YouGov.
For this survey, 42,000 people from 38 countries were asked who they admired most. Bill Gates is in second spot among men while Chinese President Xi Jinping is on third place. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi was listed as 8th most admired man. Among women, Michelle Obama bagged the top spot.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet approved the implementation of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) for 2021-26 with an outlay of Rs.93,068 crore. PMKSY was launched in 2015-16.
The three components: Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP), Har Khet ko Paani (HKKP) and Watershed Development components have been approved for continuation during 2021-26.  AIBP is implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti; Per Drop-More Crop and Micro Irrigation scheme of Agriculture Ministry and Watershed Development by Rural Development Ministry.

Notes:
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has granted emergency approval to the India-manufactured coronavirus vaccine Covovax.
The vaccine is produced by Serum Institute of India under licence from the U.S.-based Novavax. WHO listed the Covovax as the ninth COVID-19 vaccine for emergency use. The vaccine will be distributed as part of global vaccine-sharing system Covax.