Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
World Bank raised its gross domestic product (GDP) growth forecast for India during the current financial year (FY23) to 6.9 per cent from 6.5 per cent.
As per the India Development Update, the World Bank cited the economy’s resilience to external headwinds, and a strong out-turn in the second quarter of the current financial year. The report forecasts that the economy will grow at a slightly lower rate of 6.6 per cent in fiscal FY24 from the earlier projected 7 per cent.

Notes:
Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act was amended in 2021 to make provision for medical termination of pregnancies for up to 24 weeks for special categories of women.
Delhi High Court has allowed a 26-year-old woman to terminate 33 week pregnancy after she moved the court claiming ‘cerebral abnormality’ of the foetus. The bench cited the choice of mother and dignified life of unborn child.

Notes:
According to a recent clarification, the Central Government will allow a consortium of foreign funds and investment companies to own over 51% in IDBI Bank Ltd.
As per the current Reserve Bank of India (RBI) rules, foreign ownership is restricted in new private banks. At present, the government and the Life Insurance Corporation of India hold 94.71% in IDBI Bank and are looking to sell 60.72%.

Notes:
Vice-President of India is the ex-officio Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. The winter session of the Parliament commenced as the Vice president Jagdeep Dhankar officiated as the chair of Rajya Sabha, for the first time.
The Centre’s agenda for the winter session of Parliament includes introduction of 16 new bills.

Notes:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released the ‘Global status of black soils’ Report on the occasion of World Soil Day, December 5, 2022.
As per the report, Black soils, which feed the global population, are under threat, with most losing at least half of their soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. As per the FAO, the reasons are Land-use change, unsustainable management practices and excessive use of agrochemicals.

Notes:
Government of UT, Ladakh has approached the Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS) to develop Spatial Data Infrastructure geoportal ‘Geo-Ladakh’ for UT-Ladakh.
A Memorandum of Understanding was earlier signed between Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), ISRO and UT-Ladakh Administration. The portal provides geospatial data visualization and analytics for Ladakh.

Notes:
The delegations from Sweden and Nepal last week visited the National Health Authority (NHA), to study India’s Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana.
NHA is the government department that is responsible for implementing the PMJAY scheme. The health assurance scheme aims to provide a health cover of ₹5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to over 100 million poor families.

Notes:
The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin launched sanitation workers’ development programme across the state and distributed safety equipment.
A survey will be carried out to identify sanitation workers and details will be uploaded on a mobile application. In the first phase, the scheme will be implemented in five urban local bodies and will be extended to all other local bodies.

Notes:
The International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime is observed on December 9.
In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly established 9 December as the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

Notes:
‘World Soil Day’ is being observed annually on 5 December to focus on the importance of healthy soil and to advocate for sustainable management of soil resources.
The theme of this year’s World Soil Day is ‘Soils: Where food begins’. An international day to celebrate soil was recommended by the International Union of Soil Sciences in 2002. The Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO Conference endorsed World Soil Day in June 2013.