Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur, one of India’s most prestigious engineering and research institutes, is establishing the Kotak School of Sustainability on its campus in collaboration with Kotak Mahindra Bank. This marks India’s first fully integrated school focusing holistically on sustainability education, research and solutions. Being set up with support from Kotak Bank, the school will offer undergraduate and postgraduate programs on various sustainability themes and will be housed in a state-of-the-art green building with net zero energy and waste systems. This highlights the rising global and national priority for sustainability across higher education.

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India will assist Saint Lucia, an island country in the Caribbean, under the Tax Inspectors Without Borders (TIWB) initiative coordinated by the United Nations Development Programme and OECD. Indian tax experts will work with Saint Lucia tax authorities under this program expected to last 12-18 months and focus on effective utilization of automatic exchange of tax information systems. It aims to aid capability advancement for resource mobilization.

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Kashi Tamil Sangamam is an initiative by the Ministry of Education, government of India aimed at celebrating the civilizational connect between Kashi (Varanasi) and Tamil Nadu. Being held from December 17-31 this year, it involves cultural groups from Tamil Nadu showcasing various art forms in Kashi. The objectives are to revive ancient bonds between the two knowledge and cultural centres, and provide a platform for exchange of literature, philosophy, spirituality, music, dance and more. 27 shops showcasing special products of both regions have also been set up.

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Sultan Haitham bin Tarik was on state visit to India from December 16, 2023. Trade between India and Oman has a history of several millenniums and archaeological excavations in Oman have unearthed evidence to show Indo-Oman trade during the Classical Age dated to circa third century BCE. Later, Oman had links with the Indians through Gujarat, and with Tamilakam along the Malabar Coast. The Sultans of Oman and Zanzibar heavily banked on Kutchi moneylenders such as Jairam Shivji. A large number of Kutchi Bhatias migrated from Kutch to Muscat and from Muscat to Zanzibar.

Notes:
The G7 nations will ban imports of rough diamonds directly from Russia starting January 1, 2024. The ban will also include Russian diamonds that have been processed in third countries starting March 1, 2024. The G7 will also implement a full traceability system by the beginning of September. The restrictions will apply to diamonds of one carat and above, expanding to half a carat or lower from September with traceability systems.

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President Putin mentioned plans to connect the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) to the port of Murmansk in Russia’s Arctic coast. The 7,200-km INSTC network runs through Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia to offer the shortest land and sea route between Russia and India. Putin aims to boost Eurasian connectivity by linking INSTC to Murmansk, describing how it would enable shipping goods from the Arctic port to Western India within 15 days. The proposed connectivity holds strategic significance amid Russia’s increasing pivot to Asia and efforts to develop transport infrastructure across the Eurasian landmass. India has been a key partner in projects like INSTC, which stand to counterbalance China’s BRI.

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Gujarat accounts for 31% of India’s total rooftop solar installation capacity, which is highest among states and UTs. According to data shared in Lok Sabha, Gujarat has 3,174 MW of rooftop solar capacity installed, which is 31% of India’s 10,406 MW total as of 2023. This shows Gujarat was the biggest beneficiary of the centre’s Phase II solar rooftop scheme with subsidies.

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Courtney Walsh, a right-arm fast bowler from the West Indies, is the first bowler to take 500 wickets in Test cricket. Walsh achieved this feat in 2001 against South Africa. Stuart Broad, an English fast bowler, became the seventh bowler in cricket history to take 500 wickets in Test matches. He achieved this feat during the third and final Test against West Indies.
Nathan Lyon became the eighth bowler to take 500 or more wickets in Test cricket on December 17, 2023. The Australian off-spinner achieved the milestone by dismissing Pakistan’s Faheem Ashraf at Perth Stadium.

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Australian World Cup winning captain Pat Cummins became the 2nd most expensive IPL player in history (first being Mitchell Starc to KKR) as Sunrisers Hyderabad bought him for a record Rs 20.5 crore.

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Russia is the world’s biggest producer of rough diamonds that the G7 nations have announced a ban on imports from starting January 1st. This is part of the bloc’s broader measures to limit Moscow’s revenues that aid its invasion of Ukraine. The G7 also plans to introduce a system to trace the origin of diamonds by September to prevent circumvention of the ban.
India, which is home to 90% of the world’s diamond cutting and polishing industry centered in Gujarat, is critical for implementation of the G7’s ban on Russian diamond imports. India has urged the G7 to delay the ban citing lack of clarity around rules to trace origins of gems and possible sensitive data sharing requirements that Indian businesses are uncomfortable with.