Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
‘Children of Nobody’ clinched the Golden Royal Bengal Tiger Award for Best Film at the 29th Kolkata International Film Festival. Other films like ‘Endless Borders’ and ‘Kantara’ received accolades at the 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI), with ‘Kantara’ making history in the Kannada film industry. Michael Douglas was honored with the Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award, and ‘Panchayat Season 2’ was named Best Web Series. ‘Featherweight’ had its Asian premiere at the 54th IFFI.

Notes:
Mercer’s 2023 Quality of Living Index ranks Hyderabad as India’s best city for quality of life. Globally, Hyderabad is 153rd, Pune is 154th and Bengaluru 156th. Vienna, Zurich, and Vancouver lead globally. The index assesses living conditions for expatriates and is based on factors like climate, education, health, safety, and infrastructure. Additionally, in India’s Cost of Living City ranking 2022, Pune was the least expensive among major cities.

Notes:
The new Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita Bill tabled in parliament proposes that filing of charge sheet in criminal cases cannot be delayed beyond 180 days as part of provisions to speed up justice delivery. It also stipulates mandatory forensic team visits for serious offences, production of all case documents within 30 days and concludes trial in case of absent accused in 90 days.

Notes:
Mission Karmayogi, the government’s capacity building scheme for civil servants was extended with new features. Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh launched My iGOT, Blended Programs and Curated Programs on the digital iGOT Karmayogi platform. My iGOT provides targeted courses matching individual and organizational needs. Blended Programs integrate offline and online learning components. VIKAS is a blended course on developing functional, behavioral and technological competencies among mid-level civil servants. The extensions aim to groom civil servants to be more innovative, progressive and technology-enabled.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh has been the largest recipient of funds under the Centre’s “Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure/Investment” over the last 4 years. It has received over ₹22,800 crore so far out of the ₹1.67 lakh crore allocated overall under this scheme. This major financial assistance aligns with the BJP’s focus on touting a strong development record in UP ahead of 2024 national elections.

Notes:
Dean Elgar is the former captain of South Africa. He has announced his retirement from international cricket after a test series against India concludes early January 2024.

Notes:
On December 27, 2023, Pakistan’s military successfully conducted a flight test of the indigenously developed guided multi-launch rocket system Fatah-II. Fattah-2, new and improved hypersonic weapon has been launched by Iran in November 2023.

Notes:
Reliance Jio Infocomm, an Indian telecom operator in India, is set to launch a groundbreaking initiative in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Mumbai — the ‘Bharat GPT’ program. This program aims to leverage the power of large language models and generative artificial intelligence (GPT) to transform various sectors in the country.

Notes:
The Central Zoo Authority (CZA) has approved the transfer of a cheetah, African lion, and Chimpanzee from Dubai Safari Park to Nandankanan Zoological Park (NZP) in Odisha. The NZP, in exchange, will provide various animals including Hippopotamus, blackbuck, hog deer, gaur, red junglefowl, and gharial.

Notes:
Amid rising inflation hitting 10% for rice, the government has decided to start selling rice under the ‘Bharat’ brand at Rs 25 per kilo through public distribution channels. This is an attempt to boost supply and make the staple more affordable as high cereal costs drive food inflation. The government already sells atta and pulses under the Bharat brand to stabilize prices.