Current Affairs | December 16, 2021

Current Affairs | December 16, 2021

This article presents a quick overview of everyday events on December 16, 2021, in the form of GK one-liners to help you prepare for the upcoming Kerala PSC, UPSC, SSC, Banking, Railways, and other competitive examinations.


Current Affairs

December 16, 2021


Important Days & Events

  • Vijay Diwas.
    • 50th.
    • To honor Indian victory in Indo-Pak war of 1971.

New Appointments

  • New Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee – General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Army Chief).
  • Newly appointed Head of NFDC, films division, and CFSI – Ravinder Bhakar. 
    • CEO of Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) – Ravinder Bhakar. 

National & International

  • The Central Government has approved raising the legal marriage age for women in India from 18 to 21. Who led the four-person task force behind this decision? Jaya Jaitly (taskforce constituted in June 2020).
    • Bill to amend – Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (PCMA), 2006.
  • Venue of 7th edition of India International Science festival – Panaji.
    • Theme –  'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav: Celebrating Creativity, Science, Technology, and Innovation for a prosperous India.'
  • The Central Government recently allocated funding to strengthen the semiconductor manufacturing and display industries, therefore positioning India as a worldwide center for electronic system design and manufacture. How much money has been set aside for this purpose? Rs. 76,000 cr.
  • Where is 'Askot Wildlife Sanctuary' which is now declared as Eco-Sensitive Zone located? Uttarakhand.
    • Also known as Musk Deer Park.
    • Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change – Bhupender Yadav.
  • A rare variety of Assam tea was auctioned off for an exorbitant Rs 99,999 per kg. Name the variety – Manohari Gold Tea.
    • Dikom Tea Estate in Dibrugarh, Assam, produces this handcrafted tea.. 
    • In a public auction, this was the highest sum ever paid for tea.
  • Name the newly launched portal for rating states and union territories in land acquisition projects. – MIS (Management Information System).
    • Developed by – Department of Land Resources. 
    • Union Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj – Giriraj Singh.
  • Which Indian state has partnered with UNCDF to develop the 'Mission Shakti Living Lab'?Odisha.
    • UNCDF – United Nations Capital Development Fund.
      • Founded in – 1966.
      •  Headquarters – New York.
    • Mission Shakti 
      • Launched in – 2001.
  • New EdTech Platform launched by Paytm – Paytm Wealth Academy.
    • Founded in – 2010.
    • Headquarters – Noida (Uttar Pradesh).

Kerala

  • First school in Kerala to introduce gender-neutral (unisex) uniform – GGHSS, Balussery (Kozhikode).
  • First police station in Alappuzha district to bag the ISO certification – Mararikulam police station.
    • ISO – International Organisation for Standardisation.
  • First police station in Kerala to bag the ISO certification – Kozhikode Town Police Station.
  • The market intervention programme launched by the Kerala govt to curb tomato prices from climbing up – Tomato vans (തക്കാളി വണ്ടി).
  • The new scheme introduced by Kerala police that aims to prevent drug trafficking, sand smuggling, smuggling, and gang violence and to identify and prosecute those behind it – Operation Kaval (ഓപ്പറേഷന്‍ കാവല്‍).
  • The bottled water brand of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC) – Hilly Aqua.
    • Plants at  – Thodupuzha & Aruvikkara.
  • Identify the microorganism responsible for the Green Sea fire/Sea sparkle occurrence, which occurs in the sea waves off the coasts of Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, and Kozhikode.– Noctiluca scintillance.
    • This green color is caused by Pedinomonas noctiluca, a single-celled alga found in their body of Noctiluca scintillance, a type of marine planktonic organism.
  • The ‘Thanka Anki procession is associated with – Sabarimala pilgrimage.
  • The ‘Thanka Anki' for the procession was offered to the Sabarimala Ayyappan temple by – Sree Chithira Thirunaal Balarama Varma (1973).

Sports

  • Name the internationally acclaimed auto racer who was recently knighted – Lewis Hamilton.
    • 4th F1 driver to be knighted.
    • The only F1 driver to be knighted during his career.
    • 7 times Formula One (F1) champion.
    • Holds the record of most race wins (103).

Today in History

  • 1773 – Boston Tea Party.
  • 1971 – India defeated Pakistan in Bangladesh War.
  • 1991 – Independence of  Kazakhstan, the last Soviet republic.
  • 2012 –  Nirbhaya gang-rape case which shook the nation.
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