Monthly Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2017

Notes:
The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has recently approved the establishment of International Training Centre for Operational Oceanography, as a Category-2 Centre (C2C) of UNESCO, in Hyderabad. The purpose of this Agreement is to establish a training centre towards development of capacity for the countries on the Indian Ocean Rim (IOR), African countries bordering the Indian and Atlantic Oceans, small island countries under the framework of UNESCO. The operational oceanography is an activity of conducting systematic oceanographic studies towards providing information services to various sectors viz. fisherman, disaster management, shipping, ports, coastal states, navy, coast guard, environment, offshore industries for conducting their day-to- day operations.

Notes:
The headquarters of National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) is located in New Delhi. It is in news because the first national-level Training of Trainers programme for Sendai Framework will be organise by NDMA in collaboration with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction-Global Education and Training Institute (UNISDR-GETI) from December 18-20, 2017. The 3-day programme will sensitise various Central Ministries and Departments on utilisation of Sendai Monitor for developing action plans for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), 2015-2030, is the first major agreement of the post-2015 development agenda and identifies targets and priority actions towards reducing disaster risks and implementing development that is both resilient and sustainable. India, being a signatory to the SFDRR, is committed to work towards achieving the targets enshrined in the Framework.

Notes:
India and Morocco has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for enhanced cooperation in the health sector in New Delhi on December 14, 2017. Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and Dr. Abdelkader Amara, Ministry of Health, Kingdom of Morocco signed the MoU in the presence of senior officers from the Union Health Ministry and a high level delegation from Morocco. The main areas of cooperation include the following: Non-communicable diseases, including child cardiovascular diseases and cancer; Drug Regulation and Pharmaceutical quality control; Communicable Diseases; Maternal, child and neonatal health; Hospital twinning for exchange of good practices and Training in administration and management of health services and Hospitals.

Notes:
According to recently released UN World Migration Report (2018), published by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), India has largest diaspora in the world with more than 15.6 million people from India living overseas. Of the international migrants (people living outside the country of their birth) which was estimated at 243 million in 2015, the Indian diaspora constitutes nearly 6%.The report stated that the global migrant population rose by 10% in 2015 compared with the figure recorded in 2010, which means of the 7.3 billion global population in the given year, one of every 30 people was a migrant. The report also said that nearly half of all migrants worldwide in 2015 were born in Asia, mainly from India, China and other South Asian countries. Mexico ranked second in terms of diaspora population followed by Russia, China, Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Notes:
The Gautam Budha Wildlife Sanctuary (GBWS) is a wildlife sanctuary located in Gaya district of Bihar state and Koderma district of Jharkhand state in east-central India. The sanctuary covers an area of 259 square kilometres. It is home to tigers, leopards, wolves, sloth bears, chitals, chinkaras, and many species of birds.

Notes:
To promote digital transactions, the union cabinet has recently decided to bear the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) applicable on digital payments via debit cards, etc., up to Rs 2,000. The MDR applicable on transactions made through debit cards, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) and Aadhaar-Enabled Payments System (AEPS) up to and including a value of Rs 2,000 will be borne by the government for a period of two years with effect from 1 January, 2018. MDR is the charge paid by a merchant to a bank for accepting payment from customers via credit or debit cards. It is expressed as a percentage of the transaction amount.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship has signed an agreement with Maruti Suzuki Ltd to impart training to youth and enhance their employment potential. The Flexi MoU was signed by Vijay Kumar Dev, Director General, DGT (MSDE) and Mukesh Kumar Gupta, Vice President (Maruti Suzuki India Limited) in New Delhi on Dec 18, 2017. As part of the agreement, Maruti Suzuki in consultation with Directorate General of Training (DGT) will develop specific training modules as per need of the automobile industry. The company shall conduct courses at pan-India locations leveraging the facilities and services available at ITIs, regional training centers, training centers of training partners, vendors and dealers associated with Maruti Suzuki. The courses include Manufacturing, Automotive Service & Repair, Automotive Body Repair and Automotive Paint Repair.

Notes:
The Assam government has become the 6th state in the country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Isha Foundation to conserve and rejuvenate the rivers of Assam. Isha Foundation is a non-profit making and spiritual organisation—the Isha foundation. Its founder Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev’s nationwide ‘Rally for Rivers’ campaign is an initiative for revitalizing India’s rivers.

Notes:
India has recently signed a financing agreement of $125 million with the World Bank (WB) in New Delhi for the Skills Strengthening for Industrial Value Enhancement Operation (STRIVE) Project. The purpose of the project is to improve access to quality and market-driven vocational training provided in it is and apprenticeships. The result areas for the project include Improved Performance of Industrial Training Institutes; Increased Capacities of State Governments to Support Industrial Training Institutes and Apprenticeship Training; Improved Teaching and Learning; and Improved and Broadened Apprenticeship Training. The closing date for the project is 30th November, 2022.

Notes:
Project ‘Mausam’ is the initiative of Ministry of Culture to be implemented by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as the nodal agency with research support of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) and National Museum as associate bodies. This project aims to explore the multi-faceted Indian Ocean ‘world’ – collating archaeological and historical research in order to document the diversity of cultural, commercial and religious interactions in the Indian Ocean. The main purpose of the project is to inscribe places and sites identified under Project Mausam as trans-national nomination for inscription on UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Till date, 39 countries have been identified under Project Mausam viz. Bahrain, Bangladesh, Iran, Pakistan, Somalia, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen, UAE, Thailand, South Africa, etc.