Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
Mahe, Malvan and Mangrol, the first three ships of Shallow Water Craft (CSL) project were launched recently.
The contract for building eight ASW SWC ships was signed between the Ministry of Defence and Cochin Shipyard Limited in 2019. The Mahe class of ships will be equipped with indigenously developed, state-of-the-art underwater sensors, and are envisaged to undertake anti-submarine operations in coastal waters as well as Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO) and Mine Laying Operations.

Notes:
National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) launched Periodic Labour Force Survey (PLFS) Quarterly Bulletin for July – September 2023
As per the report, the unemployment rate in urban areas of the country decreased from 7.2% in July-September 2022 to 6.6% in July–September 2023.

Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the Terms of Reference for the Sixteenth Finance Commission.
The 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations, upon the acceptance by the government, would cover the period of five years commencing April 1, 2026. Article 280(1) of the Constitutions lays down that the modalities for setting up of a Finance Commission. The Fifteenth Finance Commission was constituted in 2017, whose recommendations are valid up to the financial year 2025-26.

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 government has approved a five-year extension of the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), its flagship free foodgrain scheme for the poor, beyond December 2023. Launched in 2020 to provide relief during the COVID-19 crisis, the PMGKAY supplies 5 kgs of free ration monthly to over 800 million beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act. The scheme will now continue till 2028 at an estimated expenditure of Rs 1.18 lakh crore annually.

Notes:
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar recently inaugurated the 5th edition of Global Ayurveda Festival in Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala. The Global Ayurveda Festival (GAF) 2023 with the theme ‘Emerging Challenges in Healthcare and a Resurgent Ayurveda’ was held from 1 – 5 December.
The conclave witnessed the participation of Kerala Governor, Chief Minister of Kerala, Union Ayush Minister, Union Minister of Animal Husbandry Parshottam Rupala, President of the Republic of Mauritius, Minister of State for Indigenous Medicine of Sri Lanka, among others.

Notes:
India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew at 7.6% in the July-September 2023 quarter, as per initial estimates from the National Statistical Office.
GDP growth of 7.6 per cent beat most estimates, including 6.5 per cent projected by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In the April-June quarter, the gross domestic product (GDP) growth was 6.2 percent.

 

Notes:
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has enabled two-factor authentication for all e-waybill and e-invoice systems to further enhance the security of the goods and services tax systems.
The feature was enabled on December 1 and was rolled out on Monday. Currently the pilot rollout has been done for a state of Haryana and after seamless operation of the same in the state, it is being rolled out for Punjab, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Delhi taxpayers in the first phase. In the second phase, it will be rolled out across the country.

Notes:
Former Indian cricketer Suresh Raina has been appointed as the youth voter awareness ambassador for Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief electoral officer (CEO) of Jammu and Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole announced the collaboration and said that Suresh Raina holds considerable influence, particularly among the youth.

Notes:
India announced a USD 250 million line of credit to Kenya for modernisation of its agricultural sector as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Kenyan President William Samoei Ruto agreed to enhance bilateral ties in areas of defence, trade, energy, digital public infrastructure and healthcare.
The two sides signed five pacts providing for cooperation in a range of areas including sports, education and digital solution, and unveiled a joint vision document to scale up maritime engagement in the Indian Ocean region. The Kenyan side offered to provide land to Indian companies and institutions for cultivation of crops, including millets.