Daily Current Affairs Quiz: December 17, 2024

Answer: A

Observed annually on December 18^th .

• Aim : to promote and protect the rights of minority communities.
• This day focuses on raising awareness about the issues faced by minorities and emphasizes the importance of safeguarding their rights and ensuring their safety.

Answer: B

Observed annually on December 18^th .

• Aim : to honor the contributions of migrants worldwide and to raise awareness about the challenges they face.
• Theme : “Honouring the Contributions of Migrants and Respecting their Rights.”

Answer: D

Celebrated annually on December 18^th.

• Purpose:Celebrates the adoption of Arabic as one of the United Nations’ six official languages in 1973.
• Promotes:Multilingualism, cultural diversity, and the equal use of all six official UN languages.
• Theme :“Arabic Language and AI: Advancing Innovation While Preserving Cultural Heritage.”
• Significance:Highlights the importance of Arabic language in fostering innovation, while also preserving its rich cultural heritage in the digital age.

Answer: C

Current Context : Renowned tabla virtuoso Zakir Hussain passed away in San Francisco due to complications from idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

About

• Born on March 9, 1951, in Mumbai, Hussain was the son of legendary tabla maestro Ustad Alla Rakha.
• Birthplace: Mumbai, India
• Education: Attended St. Michael’s School in Mahim and graduated from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai.

Awards and Achievements

• Grammy Awards: Zakir Hussain won four Grammy Awards during his career.
  • At the 66th Annual Grammy Awards (2024), he achieved a historic feat as the first Indian musician to win three Grammysin one ceremony:
    1. Best Global Music Albumfor This Moment.
    2. Best Global Music Performancefor Pashto.
    3. Best Contemporary Instrumental Albumfor As We Speak.

Answer : B

Current Context : The sixteenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP16) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from December 2 to 13, 2024.

• Theme:“Our Land. Our Future.”
• Marks the 30th anniversary of UNCCD and the first COP in the MENA region.

Participation:

• Attended by representatives of 197 parties(196 countries + European Union).
• Over 20,000 participants, including 3,500 civil society members.

Goals:

• Accelerating land restoration and drought resilience
• Addressing the impacts of desertification, land degradation, and drought (DLDD)on livelihoods and ecosystems.

Major Outcomes:

• Launch of the Riyadh Global Drought Resilience Partnership, with $12 billion in pledgesfor combating drought.
• Discussions on financing land restoration initiatives.
• Negotiations on the Drought Protocoldeferred to COP17 (2026, Mongolia).

About UNCCD (United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification):

• Established: 1994, under the UN framework.
• Objective: To combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought, particularly in Africa.
• Parties: 197 (196 countries + European Union).
• Headquarter : Bonn, Germany

Structure:

• Conference of the Parties (COP): The decision-making body.
• Committee on Science and Technology (CST): Provides technical advice.
• Global Mechanism (GM): Mobilizes financial resources for land restoration.

Notable Initiatives:

• The Great Green Wall: Aimed at restoring Africa’s degraded landscapes.
• Drought Resilience Initiatives: Focus on drought-prone regions globally.

Relevance to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):

• Directly linked to SDG 15(Life on Land), specifically Target 15.3 (achieving land degradation neutrality).

Answer: A

Current Context : UK has recently become the first European country to join the Indo-Pacific trade bloc Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

• Previously, in 2023, CPTPP parties and the UK signed the accession protocol to enable the UK to join the CPTPP.

About CPTPP

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is a significant free trade agreement among countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Key points include:

• Formation: Originally signed by 11 countries in March 2018 in Santiago, Chile; entered into force on December 30, 2018.
• Members: Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom (joined in 2024 as the first European nation).

Significance:

• Economic Impact: Accounts for about 15% of global GDP, providing access to a market of over 500 million people.
• Trade Benefits: Eliminates or reduces tariffs on approximately 99% of goods traded among member countries, enhancing trade flows.

Answer: B

Current Context : The Jalvahak Scheme is an initiative by the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, launched on December 15, 2024, to promote cargo transportation via India’s inland waterways.

• Objective: To incentivize cargo movement through inland waterways, aiming for a modal shift of 800 million tonne-kilometers with an investment of ₹4 crores over three years.

Operational Routes:

• National Waterway 1 (NW-1):Kolkata – Patna – Varanasi – Patna – Kolkata stretch.
• National Waterway 2 (NW-2):Kolkata to Pandu in Guwahati via the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (IBPR).
• National Waterway 16 (NW-16):Barak River via IBPR.

Implementation Agencies:

• Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).
• Inland & Coastal Shipping Ltd (ICSL), a subsidiary of the Shipping Corporation of India.
• Validity Period:The scheme is initially valid for three years.
• Fixed-Day Scheduled Sailing Service:Introduced to ensure timely and reliable cargo delivery, with specific transit times set for each route.
• Significance : Aims to lower logistics costs by providing a cost-effective alternative to road and rail transport.

Inland Waterways in India:

National Waterways (NWs): India has 111 declared NWs under the National Waterways Act, 2016, facilitating inland water transport.

Key Waterways:

• NW-1:Haldia to Allahabad on the Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly River System.
• NW-2:Dhubri to Sadiya on the Brahmaputra River.
• NW-16:Barak River.

Regulatory Body: The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), established under the IWAI Act, 1985, is responsible for the regulation and development of NWs in India.

Answer: C

Current Context : India’s women’s hockey team clinched the Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup 2024 title, successfully defending their championship by defeating China in a thrilling final held in Muscat, Oman.

About Tournament :

• Dates:December 7–15, 2024
• Venue:Hockey Oman Stadium, Muscat, Oman
• Participating Teams:10 teams from the Asian continent
• Significance:This victory marks India’s second consecutive Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup title, underscoring their dominance in the region.
• The Women’s Hockey Junior Asia Cup has been held since 1992.
• With this win, India has secured the title twice, with previous victories in 2023 and 2024.