Daily Current Affairs Quiz : November 12,2021

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS?

• China has launched the world’s first Earth-science satellite, Guangmu or SDGSAT-1 into space from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in the northern Shanxi Province.
• The satellite was launched by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and developed by the International Research Center of Big Data for Sustainable Development Goals (CBAS).
• Guangmu was launched by a Long March-6 carrier rocket which is the 395th flight mission. SDGSAT-1 is the first satellite customized according to the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development which was adopted in 2015 with 17 SDGs for peace and prosperity.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

• Sankalp Gupta has become India’s 71st Grandmaster by scoring 6.5 points and finishing second in the GM Ask 3 round-robin event in Arandjelovac, Serbia.
• The Maharashtra player also touched the 2500 Elo rating mark during the tournament. To achieve the GM title, a player has to secure three GM norms and cross the live rating of 2,500 Elo points.

ANSWER: D

WHY IN NEWS?

• The Punjab Cabinet headed by chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi approved the ‘Punjab Tissue Culture Based Seed Potato Rules-2021’ to develop Punjab as a standard potato seed centre.
• With this decision, Punjab has become the first Indian state to have the facility of tissue culture-based certification, which will develop the Jalandhar-Kapurthala belt of Punjab as the export hub of potatoes.
• The Cabinet also approved to introduce the ‘Punjab Horticulture Nursery Bill-2021’ by amending ‘Punjab Fruit Nursery Act-1961‘.

ANSWER: B

WHY IN NEWS?

• The government has announced the appointment of chiefs of two key Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). These are the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
• Special Director in the Intelligence Bureau Sheel Vardhan Singh has been appointed as the new CISF DG,while National Police Academy Director Atul Karwal has been appointed as the NDRF DG.
• The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Home Affairs for appointments.

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS?

• Vice Admiral R Hari Kumar has been named as the next Chief of the Naval Staff by the Government of India. He is presently posted as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command.
• He will take on the new role with effect from November 30, 2021. He will replace the incumbent Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Karambir Singh, who will complete his tenure on November 30, 2021.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

• In India, the National Education Day is celebrated on 11 November every year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the first education minister of independent India.
• The day was announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development on 11 September 2008. Maulana Abul Kalam Azad served as education minister from 15 August 1947 to 2 February 1958.
• On 11 September 2008, the Ministry of Human Resource Development (HRD) has announced to commemorate the birthday of the great person by recalling the contribution of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad in the field of education by celebrating 11 November as National Education Day.
• Since 2008, every year in India, National Education Day is celebrated without declaring it a holiday.

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS?

Punjab Assembly adopted a resolution against Centre’s three contentious farm laws on November 11, 2021.

About:

• This resolution was passed after claiming that firm laws had unlawfully ventured into state government’s domain.
• This is the second resolution adopted by Vidhan Sabha against three agriculture laws.
• First resolution was passed in October 2020.
• New resolution was moved by state Agriculture Minister Randeep Singh Nabha.

About the resolution

• As per resolution, Vidhan Sabha of Punjab strongly deprecates and condemns the efforts of Union government. It was aimed at systematic dismantling of regulated mandis and replacing mandis with trader-friendly unregulated mandis.
• Resolution showed concerned about unfair concessions which was extended to the traders and corporations to allow purchases from unregulated markets without paying market fee and rural development fee etc.
• Resolution will lead to shifting of trade from APMC mandis to private mandis apart from causing fiscal loss to state government.

What are those three firm laws?

1. The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020

This act was launched with the aim of opening agricultural sale and marketing outside notified Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) mandis for farmers. The act removes barriers to inter-State trade as well as provides a framework for electronic trading of agricultural produce. It also expands the scope of trade areas of farmers’ produce from select areas. It seeks to break monopoly of government-regulated mandis and allows farmers to sell directly to private buyers.

2. Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020

This act creates a national framework for contract farming. It provides a legal framework for farmers to enter into written contracts with companies and produce for them.

3. Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020

The act removes pulses, cereals, edible oils, oilseeds, onions and potatoes from the list of essential commodities. It seeks to deregulate the production, movement, storage, and distribution of these food commodities.

ANSWER: A

WHY IN NEWS?

India and Sri Lanka have revived their “Parliamentary Friendship Association” for which Minister Chamal Rajapaksa has been selected as its president.

About:

• This association was there in the past.
• It is being revived for current Parliament which was elected in August 2020.
• At the revival event, Sri Lanka’s Foreign Minister G.L. Peiris noted the “close civilisational ties” between India & Sri Lanka. He observed that greatest gift of India to Sri Lanka was Buddhism.
• This association will help in “reinvigorating” Parliamentary exchanges and strengthening bilateral ties between both the countries.

Background

Sri Lanka formed India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship group, after deciding to buy fertiliser from India on November 11, 2021. The Indian Parliament proposed to form Parliamentary Friendship Group with the friendly nations to strengthen the bilateral relations.

India-Sri Lanka Parliamentary Friendship group

• This association comprises of senior members of Lankan parliament to rejuvenate ties in spite of its close relations with China.
• This association was established for 9th Parliament of Sri Lanka.
• It was established at the Parliament complex in the presence of Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the Speaker of Parliament.

About meeting at Parliament complex

This meeting was attended by about 100 Members of Parliament. It was attended by several MPs, Ministers, State Ministers. During the meeting Chambal Rajapaksa was elected as the President of this Association.

ANSWER: C

WHY IN NEWS?

During COP26 conference in Glasgow, it was decided that Egypt will host COP27 United Nations Climate Change Conference in 2022.

About:

• Egypt will host the conference in Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh.
• This decision was taken after Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi showed in September Egypt’s interest in hosting COP27 on behalf of the African continent.
• Apart from that, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was selected to host COP28 international climate conference in the year 2023.

United Nations Climate Change Conferences

• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was signed at the United Nations Conference on Environment & Development in 1992.
• United Nations Conference on Environment & Development is also known as Rio Summit, Rio Conference or Earth Summit.
• India is among few countries to have hosted the COP of all three Rio conventions on climate change, biodiversity and land.
• UNFCCC was enforced on March 21, 1994.
• Till date, it has been ratified by 197 countries.
• UNFCCC is the parent treaty of the 2015 Paris Agreement as well as 1997 Kyoto Protocol.
• UNFCCC secretariat is a United Nations entity that has been tasked with supporting global response to the threat of climate change.
• It is headquartered in Bonn, Germany.

Conference of the Parties (COP)

COP is the apex decision-making authority of UNFCCC. It meets every year. The first COP meeting was held in March 1995 in Berlin, Germany. COP meets in Bonn, seat if the secretariat. The office of the COP President rotates among five United Nations regional groups namely, Asia, Africa, Central & Eastern Europe, Latin America & the Caribbean, and Western Europe & Others. President of COP is usually the environment minister of home country, who is elected by acclamation after opening of COP session.