Daily Current Affairs Quiz : December 07,2021

ANSWER: A

• Maitri Diwas 2021 was recently commemorated on December 6 to mark the day on which India recognised newly-formed Bangladesh in 1971.

About Maitri Diwas

• On December 6, 1971, India was one of the first countries to establish bilateral diplomatic ties with Bangladesh.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Bangladesh in March 2021 to attend the National Day of Bangladesh and there it was decided to observe December 6 as Maitri Diwas or Friendship Day.

In how many countries, Maitri Diwas is being observed?

• It is being observed in 18 countries across the world apart from Dhaka and Delhi. These countries are Belgium, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Russia, Qatar, Singapore, UK, Australia, France, Japan, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE and USA.

Significance of the day

• The celebration of the day is a reflection of the deep and abiding friendship between India and Bangladesh people that has been forged in blood and shared sacrifices.

ANSWER: B

• Fertiliser major IFFCO has been ranked number one cooperative among the top 300 cooperatives in the world by 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report.

About IFFCO Ranking

• The ranking is based on the ratio of turnover over the gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO).
• The ranking is as per the 2021 edition of the 10th Annual World Cooperative Monitor (WCM) report published by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA).
• IFFCO has also inched up to 60th position in overall turnover ranking from 65th in the last financial year.

ANSWER: B

• In an attempt to eliminate the escalating human-elephant conflict along the north-eastern state of Assam, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has rolled-out Project RE-HAB (Reducing Elephant-Human Attacks using Bees) at Village Mornoi in Goalpara district of Assam.

About Project RE-HAB

• Referred as a replication of the project initiated in Karnataka, RE-HAB has been launched by the KVIC Chairman Vinai Kumar Saxena.
• Supported by the local forest department, this project has been implemented in Assam to mitigate human-elephant conflict.
• Under this project, “Bee-fences” will be created by setting up bee-boxes in the passage of elephants to block their entry to human territories.
• The boxes are connected with a string so that when elephants attempt to pass through, a tug or pull causes the bees to swarm the elephant herds and dissuade them from progressing further.
• It is a cost-effective idea to reduce human-wildlife conflicts.
• Scientifically recorded that elephant are annoyed by the honey bees, due to their bee swarms.
• Elephants believe bees can bite their sensitive inner side of the trunk and eyes, thereby forcing them to return back.
• Besides, high resolution, night vision cameras have been installed at strategic points to record the impact of bees on elephants and their behaviour in these zones.

ANSWER: D

• An Indian army contingent has left for the 11th edition of Exercise Ekuverin between India and the Maldives, which will be conducted at Kadhdhoo island in the Maldives from December 6-19.

About Exercise Ekuverin

• The exercise will enhance synergy and inter-operability between the Armed Forces of both the nations in terms of understanding transnational terrorism both on land and at sea, conducting counter terrorism and counter insurgency operations and sharing best military practices and experiences, an official press release said.
• Besides rigorous training, the joint military excercise will also include cultural and sports activities to enhance defence cooperation and bilateral relations.
• The exercise will go a long way in strengthening India’s relations with Maldives amidst emerging security dynamics in the Indian Ocean Region.

ANSWER: C

• The death anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, which falls on December 6, is dubbed as Mahaparinirvana Divas.

About Mahaparinirvana Divas

• On this day each year, millions of people throng to Dr Ambedkar’s Samadhi in Mumbai, which is called Chaitya bhoomi to pay respect to the father of Indian Constitution. This year, due to the on-going pandemic, the Maharashtra government has urged people to refrain from visiting this site and observe the day staying home.

What is Mahaparinirvan?

• Mahaparinirvan is one of the major goals of Buddhism. It means ‘’Nirvana after death”. Parinirvan is written as Parinibbana in Pali. Pali language is native to Indian continent. The Buddhist text “Mahaparinibbana Sutta” considers the death of Lord Buddha at the age of 80 as the original Mahaparinirvan.

Why is Death anniversary of Dr Ambedkar celebrated on Mahaparinirvana Divas?

• Dr Ambedkar died in a few days after completing his work “The Buddha and his Dhamma”. Also, he converted to Buddhism after studying the religion for years together.
• He converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956 in Nagpur along with five lakh supporters. These supporters considered Dr Ambedkar as their Buddhist leader.
• Also, he was considered as a Buddhist guru for his contributions to the eradication of untouchability. Thus, Ambedkar’s death anniversary is marked as Mahaparinirvan Divas.

ANSWER: A

• A 1990-batch IAS officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, Alka Upadhyaya has been appointed as the chairperson of National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).

About National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)

• The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is an autonomous agency of the Government of India, set up in 1995 (Act 1988) and is responsible for management of a network of over 50,000 km of National Highways out of 1,32,499 km in India.
• It is a nodal agency of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
• It has been entrusted with the National Highways Development Project, along with other minor projects for development, maintenance and management.
• National Highways Development Project (NHDP) is a project to upgrade, rehabilitate and widen major highways in India to a higher standard. The project was started in 1998.
• NHAI maintains the National Highways network to global standards and cost effective manner and promotes economic well being and quality of life of the people.

ANSWER: C

• Jharkhand Chief Minister, Hemant Soren has launched a web portal named ‘Hamar Apan Budget’ and a mobile application prepared by the state finance Department from the Chief Minister’s residential office in Ranchi.

About Hamar Apan Budget Portal

• Through this portal, the general public of the state can share their suggestions for the 2022-23 budget.
• The public can give suggestions through Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp and e-mail and also through the app by downloading the ‘Hamar Budget’ from Google Playstore for Android phones.

How to give suggestions?

• The public could use the hyperlink https://finance.jharkhand.gov.in/budgetvichar to register oneself on ‘Hamar Apan Price range Portal’.
• The portal requires a Mobile number and e-mail (non-compulsory) to generate OTP.
• After profitable authentication of the OTP, the public can file the suggestion for the desired area in the budget.

ANSWER: B

• World Soil Day is celebrated every year on December 5 to raise awareness of the importance of soil quality for human well-being, food security and ecosystems.

About World Soil Day 2021

• World Soil Day 2021 (#WorldSoilDay) and its campaign “Halt soil salinization, boost soil productivity” aims to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining healthy ecosystems and human well-being by addressing the growing challenges in soil management, fighting soil salinization, increasing soil awareness and encouraging societies to improve soil health.

History of the day:

• In June 2013, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) Conference unanimously endorsed World Soil Day. It was also adopted officially in the 68th United Nations General Assembly. As a result, World Soil Day was for the First time Officially celebrated on 5th December 2014. The date of 5 December was chosen because it corresponds with the official birthday of the late H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand, who was one of the main proponents of this initiative.