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:
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:
Catherine Russell, an assistant to US President Joe Biden, has been appointed as the next head of the UN children’s agency UNICEF.
Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced  that Russell will succeed Henrietta Fore, who resigned in July. Russell heads the White House Office of Presidential Personnel and had served as the ambassador-at-large for global women issues.

Notes:
SCORES is a grievance redressal system of the Capital Market Regulator SEBI- Securities Exchange Board of India. The portal was launched in June 2011.
According to the data released by SEBI, a total of 3,789 complaints received through grievance redressal system SCORES have been disposed of against listed entities or market intermediaries in November.

Notes:
Parker Solar Probe of NASA has successfully flown through the Sun’s upper atmosphere, the corona. It is an extreme environment that’s roughly 2 million degrees Fahrenheit.
The probe has sampled particles and magnetic fields from the corona. A key instrument on board the probe, the Solar Probe Cup, collects particles from the Sun’s atmosphere. the outer boundary, which scientists call the Alfven point.

Notes:
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by Lok Sabha. It is an unusual amendment and seeks to rectify a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation.
The anomaly is just a sentence that alters numbering of the provisions. The 2021 Bill amends the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Section 27A of the NDPS Act, 1985, prescribes punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders.

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:
The Union Cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved an incentive scheme worth Rs 1,300 crore for a period of one year, for the promotion of RuPay Debit Cards and low-value (up to Rs 2,000) BHIM-UPI transactions (person-to-merchants).
The scheme will enable the acquiring banks in building a robust digital payment ecosystem and promoting RuPay Debit card and BHIM-UPI digital transactions. The main aim is to further deepen digital payments in the country.

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India has permitted the state of Maharashtra to hold bullock cart races in the state till the pendency of the issue before the constitutional Bench. Generally, such races would be held in several parts of the state like Pune and western Maharashtra region and is considered to be a  400-year-old tradition.
Bullock cart races were banned in Maharashtra state after the apex Court ruled that the race is violative of the provisions Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

Notes:
India and Vietnam have signed a letter of intent for enhanced cooperation in the field of postal sector.
It includes cooperation in the field of posts and telecom, cooperation in HR development and postal designated operators and service providers. The two countries also signed MoU for cooperation in marine science and ecology.