Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2017

Notes:
The French film on AIDS “120 Beats Per Minute”, directed by Robin Campillo, has won the prestigious Golden Peacock award for best film at the 48th International Film Festival of India (IFFI-2017), while the film’s actor Nahuel Perez Biscayart won the Silver Peacock in the best actor male category in Panaji, Goa. Apart from this, Amitabh Bachchan was felicitated with the Indian Film Personality of the Year Award 2017 and the 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award was given to Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan.

Notes:
The 14-day long Combined Military exercise ‘Ajeya Warrior- 2017’ between India and the United Kingdom (UK) has started in the Mahajan Field Firing Range near Bikaner of Rajasthan on December 1, 2017. The purpose of this exercise is to increase mutual cooperation and coordination between the two countries. Both armies will learn and share from each other’s experiences. The 20 Rajputana Rifles unit of the Indian Army and the first battalion of the Royal Anglian Regiment of the UK Army are participating in the exercise, which is third joint military exercise between the two countries. The first exercise of this series was held in Belgium in 2013 and the second maneuvers were held in the UK in 2015.

Notes:
India was re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) under Category B at an assembly of the organisation at its headquarters in London on December 1, 2017. Indian High Commissioner to the UK, YK Sinha represented India at the assembly where India secured the second-highest 144 number of votes from member-countries, just after Germany’s 146. India has been one of the earliest members of the IMO, having ratified its convention and joined it as a member-state in the year 1959. India has been elected to the Council of the IMO ever since it started functioning, except for a two-year hiatus during 1983-1984. The IMO Council plays a crucial role in deciding various important matters within the mandate of the IMO, in relation to the global shipping industry and its work strategy and budget. 

Notes:
The World Telugu Conference (WTC) will be held at Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium in Hyderabad, Telangana from December 15 with focus on how the Telugu language is preserved, protected, enriched in the Telangana region. The conference will provide the data related to Telugu Conferences (Telugu Maha Sabhalu) and eminent Telugu Personalities across the Globe. President Ram Nath Kovind will be the chief guest of the 5-day event and the Telangana Sahitya Akademi will be the nodal agency for the conference.

Notes:
Adithyan, the noted South Indian music director, has passed away in Hyderabad on December 6, 2017. The musician is known for his numbers in films such as the super hit gangster flick Amaran, besides Seevalaperi Pandi, in the early 90s. He has scored music for many Telugu and Malayalam movies, the sources added. Adithyan also hosted a culinary show in a popular Tamil TV channel.

Notes:
The Jambughoda Wildlife Sanctuary (JWS) is located in Jambughoda Tehsil, in the South-Central part of Gujarat and covers an area of 542.08 square kilometres. It is a forest of teak, bamboo and other miscellaneous species. Flora here includes Sag, sadad, shisham, khair, mahuda, bamboos, timru, bor, dhav, bili and dudhalo. It is home to Indian leopard, hyena, wolf, jackal, four horned antelope, Blue bull, wild boar, etc.

Notes:
Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has launched the UNICEF-ICC’s adolescent campaign “Power of Sports to Shape the Future of Adolescents” in Colombo, Sri Lanka to promote a UNICEF sports initiative for youngsters in South Asia.

Notes:
Michael I (96), the former King of Romania, has passed away in Aubonne, Switzerland on December 5, 2017. He ruled Romania twice – first in the 1920s, when he was just five years old and then again from 1940 to 1947. He was one of the last people alive to have served as a head of state during World War Two. King Michael was known for ousting fascist ruler Antonescu and ending his country’s alliance with the Nazis in 1944, switching sides to the Allies. However, in 1947 he was forced to abdicate by the country’s communists, who ruled until the revolution of 1989. He went into exile until the 1990s when he returned to Romania after the fall of the country’s communist leader, Nicolae Ceaucescu. After being diagnosed with cancer in 2016, he retired from public life.

Notes:
Cristiano Ronaldo, the Real Madrid and Portugal superstar, has won the 2017 Ballon d’Or award for the year’s best player in Paris, France. It is his record-equalling 5th Ballon d’Or award with his great Barcelona rival Lionel Messi. Ronaldo, who also won the FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award in October 2017, added the 2017 Ballon d’Or to his previous wins in 2008, 2013, 2014 and 2016.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) has signed a MoU with Rotary India for concerted efforts towards achieving immunization target. The MoU will provide support and accelerate the efforts under Polio Eradication Programme, Routine Immunization including Mission Indradhanush, Intensified Mission Indradhanush and Measles-Rubella. It will generate awareness through innovative approaches and involving private practitioners and local leaders to achieve immunization target.