Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
The UNAIDS agency said in its annual World AIDS Day Report that community-led responses are unrecognised, under-resourced and in some places under attack.
The UN first set out in 2015 the target of ending AIDS as a public health threat by 2030.  There are 39 million people around the world living with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Of them, 20.8 million are in eastern and southern Africa and 6.5 million are in Asia and the Pacific.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Tourism in association with Ministry of Culture, Sangeet Natak Academy and State Government of Andhra Pradesh successfully organised the prequel event of Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam.
It is a first of its kind festival to celebrate the rich heritage of classical music and promote lesser-known tourist attractions. The main event is to be organized in December 2023 in Vijayawada. The event will also feature spectacular display and sale of regional cuisine, local handicrafts and handlooms.

Notes:
Pakistan and the UAE have inked several agreements under which the Gulf nation is likely to invest between USD 20-25 billion in the cash-strapped nation, according to a media report.
The caretaker Prime Minister Anwaarul Haq Kakar’s meeting with the UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was held in Abu Dhabi. Pakistan is battling an acute balance of payments crisis and falling foreign exchange reserves.

Notes:
Rahul Dravid has been reappointed as the head Coach of the Indian men’s cricket team till the 2024 T20 World Cup.
Paras Mhambrey (bowling coach), Vikram Rathore (batting coach) and T. Dilip (fielding coach) have also been reappointed.

Notes:
World AIDS Day is observed on December 1st every year. The theme for 2023 is “Let Communities Lead”. This theme highlights the importance of communities in the HIV response and the goal of ending AIDS by 2030. World AIDS Day is an international day that raises awareness of the AIDS pandemic and mourns those who have died from the disease. It also celebrates victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

Notes:
The Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation has elected the Members of its Council for its assembly for the 2024–25 biennium. India has been re-elected to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Council with the highest tally
India’s re-election falls under the Category of 10 states with “the largest interest in international seaborne trade”, alongside Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Notes:
On December 5, Cyclone Michaung made landfall over Nellore in Andhra Pradesh as a super-cyclonic storm. A day earlier, the weather system had produced 150-200 mm of rain in north Tamil Nadu.
In 2000, a panel of the World Meteorological Organisation with members of the UN Economic and Social Commission prepared the list of names of tropical cyclones in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea, to be given from the September 2004 season. The name of each cyclone is picked from this list and cycles through each country’s suggestion. After Michaung (by Myanmar), the next five cyclones will be called ‘Remal’ (Oman), ‘Asna’ (Pakistan), ‘Dana’ (Qatar), ‘Fengal’ (Saudi Arabia), and ‘Shakhti’ (Sri Lanka).

Notes:
The Indian Government cleared for submission the country’s Third National Communication (TNC) and Initial Adaptation Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The submission will fulfil India’s obligation to furnish information under the Convention and the Paris Agreement. In a press brief, key points were highlighted from the TNC, emphasising India’s commitment to addressing climate change, reducing emissions, and enhancing adaptive capacities. India currently has a 41 per cent share of clean power in terms of capacity, while India generated 73 per cent of its power from coal in 2022-23.

Notes:
The Central government has approved the first urban flood mitigation project of Rs 561.29 crore for ‘Integrated Urban Flood Management’ activities for the Chennai Basin project, as per Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
This is the first in a series of urban flood mitigation efforts and will help develop a broader framework for urban flood management.

Notes:
Defence Ministry signed a Rs 588.68 crore contract with Telecommunications Consultants India Limited (TCIL) for the acquisition of Digital Coast Guard (DCG) project, under the Buy (Indian) category.
At its core, the project marks the establishment of a Tier-III standard Data Centre, armed with the latest technological capabilities. It enables centralised monitoring and management of applications deployed by the ICG, ensuring vigilant oversight of critical IT assets of the ICG.