Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security released the ‘Global Health Security (GHS) Index’.
As per the index, the world remains unprepared for future epidemic and pandemic threats. The world’s performance on the GHS Index score slipped to 38.9 (out of 100) in 2021, from a score of 40.2. India, with a score of 42.8, has slipped by 0.8 points since 2019.

Notes:
Switzerland has retained its top spot on the latest World Talent Ranking report, which is published annually by the IMD World Competitiveness Center.
The report ranks 64 economies based on a range of factors including how they invest in and develop local personnel, their ability to attract and retain skilled workers, and the quality of domestic talent pools. All the top 10 countries are from European region.

Notes:
The NITI Aayog launched Convoke 2021-22, a national level symposium in partnership with Bharti Foundation.
Through this platform, school teachers and heads of government schools and teachers from the Bharti Foundation network will be encouraged to use research-based solutions through scientific approaches, for improving learning outcomes.

Notes:
The Log4j vulnerability is a software flaw as reported by cyber-security researchers that could allow attackers to have uncontrolled access to computer systems.
Dubbed CVE-2021-44228, it could impact several products from those of Apple to Microsoft. US government’s cyber-security agency has also issued a warning on the same. The issue was discovered in Microsoft-owned Minecraft.

Notes:
Section 124A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deals with the Sedition Law. This section defines sedition as an offence committed when “any person attempts to excite disaffection towards government established by law, by means of spoken or written words, or by signs, or by visible representation.
Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju informed the Lok Sabha by a written reply that there is no proposal to scrap sedition law.  The Indian Penal Code was enacted in 1860, under the British Government.

Notes:
The Seine is a 777-kilometre-long river situated in northern France. The opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on July 26, 2024, will be held on the River Seine.
Athletes and officials from more than 200 countries will sail almost 6 kilometres (4 miles) between the Pont d’Austerlitz and Pont d’Iena bridges in Paris.

Notes:
The Odisha government and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) signed an agreement to announce the launch of Mission Shakti Living Lab.
It aims to empower women economically and promote gender equality. The Mission Shakti Living Lab will promote the use of digital technologies and e-commerce. The Mission Shakti was originally launched in 2001 for holistic development of women.

Notes:
Four-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was named Time’s 2021 Athlete of the Year, the Time magazine announced.
She had withdrawn from four event finals at the Tokyo Olympics, stating reasons of her mental health. However, the 24-year-old managed to earn all-around silver and a bronze in balance beam at the Tokyo Olympics.

Notes:
“Q-Commerce” stands for “Quick commerce”, which essentially involves delivering customer orders faster than it does currently, by setting up micro-warehouses located closer to the point of delivery.
Online grocer Grofers has rebranded itself “Blinkit”, with a focus on “quick commerce”. Grofers decided to change its business model from the conventional grocer model to the quick-commerce model.

Notes:
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the India-Poland treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
The treaty will enhance capability of both countries in investigation and prosecution of crimes, including crimes related to terrorism through mutual legal assistance. It will also increase India’s effectiveness in tackling criminal activities involving Poland.