Current Affairs Quiz 11th December 2023 Quiz

Exp. PM Modi approves India’s first project to tackle urban floods

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sanctioned an ambitious urban flood mitigation project for Chennai, with a budget allocation of Rs. 561.29 crore under the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

This announcement arrives as Chennai grapples with the devastating aftermath of Cyclone Michaung. Torrential rains have left the city submerged in water, highlighting the critical need for improved flood prevention measures.

The ‘Integrated Urban Flood Management Activities for Chennai Basin Project’ represents a proactive measure to address the challenges posed by urban flooding.

Exp. India ranked 7th in Climate Change Performance Index 2023

India has been placed 7th in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI). The country improved one rank from the previous one and also remained among the highest performers.

According to a report released during the global climate conference (COP-28) in Dubai, India maintained its top 10 position for the fifth year in a row.

India ranked 7th in this year’s Climate Change Performance Index, up one spot from the previous one, and also remained among the highest performers.

India has received a high ranking in the greenhouse gas emissions and Energy Use categories, but a medium in Climate Policy and Renewable Energy, as in the previous year.

The Index evaluates the climate mitigation efforts of 63 countries and the European Union, covering over 90 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions.

China, the largest polluter came in at number 51 while the US, the second biggest emitter came in at number 57.

India’s past performance in the CCPI ranking shows significant improvement from 31st rank in 2014 to seventh in 2023.

Recent index

• World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2023 – India ranked 49th; topped by US
• Global Unicorn Rankings – Rank 1. USA, Rank 2. China, Rank 3. India
• Inclusiveness index by US varsity – India ranked 117th; topped by – New Zealand
• Global Pension Index 2023 – India ranked 45; Topped by Netherland
• Global Hunger Index 2023 – India ranked 111^th

Exp. PM Modi addressed financial technology event “Infinity Forum 2.0”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has addressed the 2nd Edition of the flagship Financial Technology event – Infinity Forum 2.0.

The event is hosted by the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) and Gujarat International Finance Tec-City, GIFT City, under the aegis of the Union Government.

Organized as a pre-cursor event to Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2024, the 2nd edition of the Infinity Forum 2.0, was held in hybrid mode, with an invite-only in-person event scheduled in GIFT City and for virtual participation from participants across the globe.

The Infinity Forum is a global thought leadership platform on financial services, where progressive ideas, pressing problems, and innovative technologies from across the world get Discovered, Discussed, and Developed into solutions and opportunities.

The 1st edition of the Forum was organized in December 2021 and witnessed over 95 thousand registrations across more than 80 countries and a ‘FinTech Showcase’ with more than 100 virtual exhibitors hosted alongside the main event.

PM Modi in News

• PM Modi inaugurated 2nd edition of ‘World Food India 2023’ in New Delhi
• PM Modi dedicated projects worth ₹5950 Crore in Gujrat
• PM Modi inaugurated 7th Edition of Indian Mobile Congress
• PM Modi chairs meeting of 43rd edition of PRAGATI
• PM Modi launched Bengaluru Metro’s Purple Line operations

Exp. New branch of CAT, Mumbai Bench inaugurated by CJI Chandrachud

The new office premises of Central Administrative Tribunal, Mumbai Bench at Nishtha Bhawan, New Marine Lines, near Churchgate Station, Mumbai-400020; has been inaugurated by Chief Justice of India Dr DY Chandrachud.

He commended the Central Government’s support in establishing judicial infrastructure.

He has further elaborated the creation of the Tribunals by 42nd amendment with the objective of combating the delays and backlog faced by the Courts.

Exp. Sri Lanka to host FAO conference in 2024

Sri Lanka will host the 37th session of the Asia Pacific Regional Conference (APRC) of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in February 2024.

The conference will enable ministers of agriculture and high officials from 46 member countries across the Asia Pacific region to discuss challenges and priorities related to food and agriculture, promoting regional coherence.

According to the FAO, by hosting the event, Sri Lanka demonstrates the country’s dedication to the growth of sustainable agriculture, not just at home but across the region, and showcases its commitment to being partner in sustainable agricultural development.

About Sri Lanka

• Legislative capital – Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte
• Executive and Judicial capital – Colombo
• Currency – Sri Lankan rupee
• President – Ranil Wickremesinghe
• Prime Minister – Dinesh Gunawardena

Exp. RBI has canceled the license of Sitapur-based Urban Co-operative Bank

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has canceled the license of Sitapur-based Urban Co-operative Bank in Uttar Pradesh.

The bank’s license was canceled due to lack of adequate capital and prospects of earning.

The RBI has prohibited the bank from any banking, including depositing money and repaying its customers.

On liquidation, every depositor would be entitled to receive deposit insurance claim amount of his/her deposits up to a monetary ceiling of ₹5 lakh from Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGC).

As per the data submitted by the bank, 98.32 percent of the depositors are entitled to receive full amount of their deposits from DICGC.

About Reserve Bank of India (RBI)

• Founded – 1 April 1935
• RBI Nationalized – 1 January 1949
• Headquarters – Mumbai, Maharashtra
• RBI set up – Hilton Young Commission
• 1st Governor – Sir Osborne Smith (Australia)
• 1st Indian Governor – CD Deshmukh
• 25th Governor – Shaktikanta Das

Exp. India’s economy to grow at 6.8% in FY24, accelerate to 7% in FY25: CII

Industry chamber CII expects the country’s economy to grow at 6.8 percent in the current fiscal and accelerate to 7 percent in 2024-25, driven by the government’s continued focus on infrastructure development and promotion of ease of doing business.

The expected gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 6.8 percent will be more than the 6.5-6.7 percent estimated earlier by the industry body.

India’s economy recorded a growth of 7.7 percent in the first half of the current fiscal ended in September.

Updated GDP List

• CII – 6.8% (FY24), 7% (FY25)
• UBS – 6.3 % (FY24)
• World Economic Outlook by IMF – 7.2% (FY23), 6.1% (FY24), 6.3% (FY25)
• Economic Survey –7% (FY23), 6.5% (FY24)
• World Bank – 6.9% (FY23), 6.3% (FY24), 6.4% (FY25), 6.5% (FY26)
• Moody– 6.7% (FY23), 6.1% (FY24), 6.3% (FY25)
• NACER – 7.4% (FY23), 6.5% (FY24)
• S&P – 6% (FY24), 6.9% (FY25), 6.9% (FY26), 7% (FY27)
• ICRA – 6.9% (FY23), 6% (FY24)
• IMF – 6.3% (FY24), 6.3% (FY25)
• ADB – 7% (FY23), 6.3% (FY24), 6.7% (FY25)
• RBI – 6.8% (FY23), 6.5% (FY24)

Exp. Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi conferred with Sahitya Akademi’s Premchand Fellowship

Noted Bhutanese author Tshering Tashi was conferred with the Sahitya Akademi’s ‘Premchand Fellowship’.

Based in Bhutan’s capital Thimphu, Mr. Tashi is a writer known for his works in the field of creative non-fiction.

He has written numerous books on Bhutan and has made his country accessible, engaging, and interesting for the youth. He is also the co-director of the Bhutan Echoes Literary Festival.

Tashi is the co-author of The Bodhisattva King, Bold Bhutan Beckons, Symbols of Bhutan, and is an independent author of works like Mysteries of the Raven Crown, Legacy of Gongzim Ugyen Dori, and Myth and Memory – Untold Stories of Bhutan.

About Premchand Fellowship

• The ‘Premchand Fellowship’ is named after popular Hindi writer Munshi Premchand and was instituted by the Sahitya Akademi in 2005 on his 125th Birth Anniversary
• It is given to “a person of eminence in the field of culture and literature” doing research on Indian literature or to creative writers from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation countries other than India.
• The period of the research ranges from one month to three months. The visiting fellow needs to submit a comprehensive report of their visit which is to be placed before the executive board and are requested to deliver lectures on the topic of their specialisation in universities and institutions dealing in the discipline.
• Tashi is the 12th recipient of the fellowship. Pakistani Urdu writer Intizar Hussain was the first recipient of the fellowship.

Recent Awards

• Bank of the Year (India) Award by Financial Times – Federal Bank
• CEO of the Year 2023 by TIME magazine – Sam Altman (co-founded OpenAI developed ChatGPT)
• Person of the Year 2023 by TIME magazine – Taylor Swift (American singer)
• Athlete of the Year 2023 by TIME magazine – Lionel Messi
• Singapore’s Highest Arts Award ‘Cultural Medallion’ – Indian-Origin Novelist Meira Chand

Exp. Indian Army conducted Table-top Exercise for Asean Women Peacekeepers

In a landmark initiative to promote gender inclusivity and enhance the capabilities of women military personnel in peacekeeping operations, the Indian Army conducted a Table-Top Exercise (TTX) for the Women Officers of Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) at Manekshaw Centre in New Delhi.

The Exercise is part of ongoing efforts of Centre for United Nations Peacekeeping (CUNPK) to strengthen international cooperation and capacity-building in peacekeeping missions, with specific focus on empowering women in the field.

CUNPK is a premier institution of the Indian Army to impart training in peacekeeping operations. CUNPK had earlier conducted ASEAN Women Military Officers Course from 18th to 29th September 2023.

This TTX is a follow-up exercise of ongoing joint military training between India and ASEAN member states. The Exercise underscores India’s shared commitment to the world peace, stability, and gender equality.

This Exercise served as a platform for participants to simulate and strategise responses to complex peacekeeping scenarios, reflecting real-world challenges. It also included exposure to complex operational peacekeeping environment and methods to ensure women peace and security.

Exp. Vishnu Deo Sai becomes the new CM of Chhattisgarh

Former Union Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vishnu Deo Sai has become the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

He will be the central Indian State’s fourth Chief Minister, and the first tribal leader to hold the post. He is also the first to hail from a region beyond the Other Backward Class-dominated central plains in Chhattisgarh’s 23-year-old history.

A prominent tribal face of the BJP, Sai will take over as the next Chhattisgarh CM before January 3, 2024 — when the tenure of the Chhattisgarh Assembly ends.

Vishnu Deo Sai belongs to a tribal community. He hails from the influential Sahu (Teli) community which has a sizable presence in the Durg, Raipur, and Bilaspur divisions.

Vishnu Deo Sai served as the BJP’s Chhattisgarh president from 2006 to 2010 and again from January to August 2014. After the BJP lost power in the state in 2018, he was again given the responsibility to lead the party in Chhattisgarh in 2020. He was replaced with Arun Sao, an OBC leader, in 2022, just a year ahead of the assembly polls.

Vishnu Deo Sai began his political career as a member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly between 1990-98 before Chhattisgarh was carved out of Madhya Pradesh. He was a member of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly from 1990-1998 from the Tapkara constituency.

The assembly elections in Chhattisgarh was held in two phases, with the first on November 7 featuring 223 candidates and the second seeing 958 candidates put their electoral fates to the test on November 17. Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the

the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35.

About Chhattisgarh

• Capital – Raipur
• Chief Minister – Vishnu Deo Sai (replace Bhupesh Baghel)
• Governor – Biswabhusan Harichandan

Exp. Italy won Admiral’s Cup 2023 held at Indian Naval Academy, Ezhimala

The 12th edition of ‘Admiral’s Cup’ Sailing Regatta concluded with a glittering closing ceremony at Ettikulam Beach at Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala.

Team Italy represented by Midshipman Avallone Antonio & Midshipman Creati Carlo Leonardo won the Admiral’s Cup 23.

Team India represented by Midshipman PPK Reddy and Cadet GY Reddy was the Runners-Up and Team United Kingdom & Germany represented by Officer Cadet Lucy Bell and Midshipman Aaron Middleton from United Kingdom and Cadet Beckman Carl & Cadet Hinz Anton from Germany shared the third position.

Seaman Gorkunov Petr from Russia stood first in the individual position in the men’s category followed by Midshipman Avallone Antonio from Italy and Midshipman PPK Reddy from India at second and third positions respectively.

Officer Cadet Lucy Bell from United Kingdom stood first in the individual position in women’s category followed by Cadet Sangla Elma Salsadila from Indonesia and Cadet Jhanvi Singh from India at second and third positions respectively.

43 participants skillfully navigated challenging wind and weather conditions in Laser Radials boats.

The event saw participation from 20 countries and Indian teams.

Exp. Google launches its largest and ‘most capable’ AI model, Gemini

Google has introduced to the world its newest language model (LLM) called Gemini.

This new LLM can seamlessly understand, operate across, and combine different types of information, including text, code, audio, images, and video.

Google claims that Gemini is their most capable and general-purpose AI model to date. However, there’s more to it than meets the eye.

Gemini isn’t just one model; it’s actually a family of AI models that come in three sizes: Gemini Ultra, Gemini Pro and Gemini Nano

According to Google, its new flagship AI model, Gemini, has arrived in its first iteration, version 1.0, and comes in three distinct sizes, each tailored to specific needs. It has the flexibility to run on everything from data centres to mobile devices.

Exp. 10 December – Human Rights Day

The Human Rights Day is celebrated around the world on December 10 every year.

It focuses on the fundamental rights and liberties of people and advocates for the rights that transcend nationality, gender, ethnicity, race, sexuality, religion, or any other distinctions.

Theme 2023 – Freedom, Equality and Justice for All

This year marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

1950, Human Rights Day was formally established after the adoption of the UNGA Resolution 423. As per the resolution, all the states and interested organizations were invited to celebrate the day and commemorate the proclamation of the UDHR.

Exp. 9 December – International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Crime of Genocide

International Day of Commemoration of the Victims of Crime of Genocide is observed every year on 9 December.

Theme 2023 – A Living Force in World Society: The Legacy of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.

By UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/69/323 of September 2015, 9th December became the International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of the Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime.

Exp. Naeem Sayyed aka Junior Mehmood passes away

Naeem Sayyed, a well-known actor known for his comic roles, passed away at the age of 67.

He also known as Junior Mahmood by fans, had a prolific career that included many critically acclaimed films.

For the unversed, Junior Mehmood was a part of Nakuul Mehta and Disha Parmar starrer Pyaar Ka Dard Hai Meetha Meetha Pyara Pyara.

Junior Mehmood was a well-known actor who appeared in films such as Caravan, Mera Naam Joker, and Haathi Mere Saathi.