Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
A US-based rights group ChinaAid has awarded journalist Zhang Zhan with the Lin Zhao Freedom Award. She was jailed by Chinese authorities for reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic.
The journalist was conferred with the award for her work in promoting the Chinese civil society and advancing the rule of law. Lawyer-turned-journalist Zhang travelled to Wuhan and  investigated the area.

Notes:
The Chilean President Sebastián Piñera recently signed a law permitting same-sex couples to marry and adopt.
The ceremony was attended by activists for LGBT and broader human rights. As per the country, the law ‘puts all love relationships between two people on an equal footing’. The law includes recognition of parental ties, full spousal benefits and adoption rights for married same-sex couples.

Notes:
Government think tank NITI Aayog recently announced the launch of ‘e-Sawaari India Electric Bus Coalition’, to share knowledge on e-bus adoption in India.
The Coalition has been launched in partnership with Convergence Energy Service Ltd (CESL) and World Resources Institute, India (WRI India), with support from Transformative Urban Mobility Initiative (TUMI).

Notes:
Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP) is a US government program, launched in 2019, under former President Donald Trump. It is also dubbed as “Remain in Mexico” policy.
It mandates that certain citizens and nationals of countries other than Mexico be returned to Mexico while their American removal proceedings are pending. UNICEF has expressed concern about the re-implementation of the program.

Notes:
December 11 is celebrated as International Mountain Day every year, as designated by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
International Mountain Day creates awareness about the importance of mountains to life. This year’s theme for International Mountain Day is Sustainable Mountain Tourism. According to the UN, mountain tourism attracts about 15-20 per cent of global tourism.

Notes:
Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program is implemented by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The program comes under the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 and was designed to recognize pilots and flight crew. Recently, FAA announced that it will no longer issue Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, the pins given to individuals reaching space but instead recognise on its website.

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:
Embassy of India in Madagascar organized the monthly literary program LaLitTana. It was held in a virtual platform for the first time due to the Omicron spread.
The event witnessed Malagasy and Indian poets reading their translations of poems to each other. The event was attended by several Indian poets. The Indian ambassador to Madagascar & Comoros Abhay Kumar highlighted that the Malagasy language has about 300 Sanskrit words.

Notes:
Wholesale inflation, based on the Wholesale Price Index, jumped to 14.23 per cent in November from 12.54 per cent in October.
As per the data released by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, the rise is primarily due to rise in food prices especially of vegetables, and minerals and petroleum products. This is the highest level of wholesale inflation in the 2011-12 series.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet headed by the Prime Minister of India has approved the construction of the Lakhwar Multipurpose Project in Uttarakhand, on the Yamuna River.
The project includes construction of a dam and a underground power house, to be constructed by Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. This project would benefit Uttarakhand, Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.