Daily Current Affairs and GK | 01 & 02 December 2019

1. Haj 2020 process made entirely digital by India

• By making the Haj 2020 process entirely digital for pilgrims, India has become the first country to do so.
• Over 2 lakh Indian Muslims going for Haj will be provided with an online application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, 'e-MASIHA' health facility.
• The bilateral annual Haj 2020 agreement has been signed between Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Haj and Umrah Minister of Saudi Arabia Mohammad Saleh bin Taher Benten.
• This will be the first time that the "e-luggage pre-tagging" facility is provided to the pilgrims through which they will know about the accommodation and transportation in Mecca and Madina in India itself.
• E-MASIHA (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad) is an online system that will maintain the health database of all the pilgrims so that any emergency in Mecca and Madina can be handled well.

2. World AIDS Day: 1^st December

• World AIDS Day is observed every year on 1^st December to create awareness among the people about AIDS.
• Theme: "Communities Make the Difference"
• The day is an opportunity for people to come together and fight against HIV and also support the people living with HIV.
• In India, there are approx. 21.40 lakh people who are living with HIV (2017 estimate).
• National AIDS Control Programme (NACP)-a central sector scheme that was launched by the government for prevention and control of AIDS through three-pronged strategy- Prevention, Testing and Treatment.
• The government aims to completely eradicate HIV AIDS before 2030 through its 7-year National Strategic Plan (2017-2024).
• Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS):
  • It is a pandemic disease caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
  • It is a life-threatening disease that interferes with the human immune system rendering it susceptible to other chronic diseases.
  • HIV is spread through unprotected sex, blood transfusions, hypodermic needles and from mother to child during pregnancy.

3. Much awaited Hornbill festival begins in Nagaland

• The 20^th Edition of Hornbill festival has begun at Naga Heritage Kisama in Nagaland.
• It is a 10-day-long annual tourism promotional festival that is being organized by the Nagaland Government to provide a platform for the people to show their rich cultural heritage and traditions.
• The state also celebrated its 57^th statehood day on 1^st December as on this day in 1963, Nagaland became the 16^th State of India.

4. UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2019 released

• Emissions Gap Report 2019 has been released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which is the tenth edition of this report.
• Emissions Gap has been defined as the difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be.”
• The report states that the average temperature of the Earth’s surface may increase by 3.2 degrees Celsius by 2021.
• The report also indicates that the total GHG emissions have reached 55.3 GtCO₂ in 2018.
• The total emissions need to be reduced by 25% and 55% by 2030 from the 2018 levels in order to limit global warming to below 2°C and 1.5°C, respectively.
• The top four GHGs emitters (excluding land-use change emissions) on the absolute basis are- China, USA, European Union and India.
• The report suggests that the countries must increase their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) goals three times and more than five times so as to achieve the below 2°C goal and 1.5°C goal.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP):
  • It is an authority that sets the global environmental agenda and also helps the developing countries in implementing environment-related policies.
  • Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya

5. Jnanpith Award announced for the year 2019

• The 55^th Jnanpith Award has been conferred to famous Malayalam poet Akkitham Achuthan Namboothiri also known as Akkitham.
• Akkitham was born in 1926 and has written 55 books, of which 45 are a collection of poems.
• He has been honoured with various awards, including Vayalar Award, Padma Shri and Sahitya Akademi Award.
• Jnanpith Award:
  • It is a literary award that is presented every year by the Bhartiya Jnanpith for the outstanding contribution to Literature.
  • The award is given only to those Indian writers who have written any of the 22 Indian languages mentioned in the Eighth Schedule of the Indian Constitution and English.
  • The first award was presented in 1965.
  • The winner is presented a cash prize of Rs. 11 lakh, a plaque and a bronze statue of Goddess Saraswati.

6. Indian Corruption Survey 2019 released

• Indian Corruption Survey 2019 has been conducted by a social media firm Local Circles and Transparency International India.
• The survey was conducted after taking responses of near 2 lakh people in 248 districts of 20 states.
• The survey shows that Rajasthan has topped the corruption chart, where 78% people agreed that they had to pay bribe to get their work done.
• Rajasthan is followed by Bihar, Uttar Pradesh (third spot shared with Jharkhand) and Telangana.
• The least corrupt States were- Kerala, Goa, Gujarat, Odisha, West Bengal, Haryana, and Delhi.
• India ranked 78^th out of 180 countries in the Corruption Perception Index for 2018.

7. First-ever Startup Awards launched by Piyush Goyal

• The first-ever Startup Award has been instituted to honour the exceptional startups and ecosystem enablers for making innovative products/ solutions that have created measurable impact on the society and economy as a whole.
• The awards have been instituted under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.  
• A cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh will be given to the winner Startup in each of the subsectors.
• A cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh will be given to the winner Incubator.
• A cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh will be given to the winner Accelerator.
• The startups will be awarded in 35 subsectors broadly categorized into 12 sectors, including health, finance, education, food, space, tourism, agriculture and security.

8. Soma Roy Burman appointed as new CGA

• Soma Roy Burman has been appointed as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA), who will replace J P S Chawla.
• The 1986 batch Indian Civil Accounts Service officer is the 24^th CGA and also the 7^th woman to hold this position.
• She has served as the additional Controller General of Accounts in the office of the CGA.
• Controller General of Accounts (CGA):
  • It is the apex authority that acts as the principal advisor to the central government on Accounting matters.

9. CoP-25 to UNFCCC begins in Spain

• The two-week International Climate Conference CoP-25 to the UNFCCC has begun in Madrid, Spain, that will conclude on 13^th December.
• There will be delegates from around 20 countries at the conference.
• The conference will also include the 15^th meeting of Parties to the Kyoto Protocol.
• The conference aims to take steps regarding the UN Climate change agenda including finalizing the governing rules for the 2015 Paris Climate Accord.
• CoP-26 will be held in Glasgow, Scotland. 

10. Senior National Wrestling Championships going on in Jalandhar

• Senior National Wrestling Championships are going on in Jalandhar, Punjab.
• Vinesh Phoghat and Sakshi Malik claimed gold medals in 55 kg category and 62 kg, respectively.
• Anita Sheoran won bronze in the 68 kg category by defeating Divya Kakran.
• Gursharan Kaur of Punjab won the gold in the 76 kg category.
• Among the male wrestlers, Gurpreet Singh and Sunil Kumar won the gold medals on the final day of the championship.
• The championships concluded with Railways (210 points) on the top followed by Services (170) and Jharkhand (109).

11. Nationwide vaccination drive under Mission Indradhanush 2.0 launched

• The central government has launched a vaccination drive under Intensified Mission Indradhanush (IMI) 2.0 to prevent eight diseases.
• Under IMI, children under the age of 2 years and pregnant women are vaccinated against eight diseases- Diptheria, Whooping Cough, Tetanus, Poliomyelitis, Tuberculosis, Measles, Meningitis and Hepatitis B.
• In some selected areas vaccines for  Japanese encephalitis and Hemophilus influenza are also provided.
• The mission aims to fully immunize 272 districts across 27 states between December 2019-March 2020.

12. Govt to enroll beneficiaries under PMSYM and NPS-Traders

• During the celebrations of Pension week, Labour and Employment Minister Santosh Kumar Gangwar launched the drive for the enrollment of beneficiaries under Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM) and National Pension Scheme for Traders and Self-Employed Persons (NPS-Traders).
• The beneficiaries need to present Aadhar card number and details of saving bank account or Jan Dhan account for the enrollment.
• Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan (PM-SYM):
  • It is a pension scheme for unorganized workers.
  • The beneficiary should be in the age group of 18-40 years.
  • They should not be covered under the New Pension Scheme (NPS), Employees’ State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) scheme or Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO).
  • The contribution under the scheme has been kept minimal from Rs 55 to Rs 200.
  • The beneficiary will receive a monthly pension of Rs 3000/- per month after he/she attains the age of 60 years.

13. 54^th Raising Day of Border Security Force: 1^st December

• Border Security Force (BSF) celebrated its 54^th Raising Day on 1^st December. 
• Border Security Force (BSF):
  • The paramilitary force was established in 1965, which guards the Indian border with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
  • It is under the administrative control of Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • Motto- “Jeevan Paryant Kartavya”- Duty Unto Death.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the name of the online health facility through which the Indian pilgrims will be provided treatment in case of a health emergency during Haj 2020?

1. E-Swasthya
2. E-Masiha
3. E-Dawakhana
4. E-Aushadhi

Correct Answer: (b)

2. HIV AIDS is not transmitted through which of the following?

1. Mother to Child during pregnancy
2. Infected needles
3. Contaminated blood transfusions
4. Handshaking

Correct Answer: (d)

3. Hornbill festival is an annual tourism promotional event of which of the following Indian States?

1. Nagaland
2. Sikkim
3. Arunachal Pradesh
4. Assam

Correct Answer: (a)

4. Who among the following is not one of the top four greenhouse gas emitters on the absolute basis, according to the UNEP Emissions Gap Report 2019?

1. India
2. China
3. Japan
4. USA

Correct Answer: (c)

5. Recently, 55^th Jnanpith Award has been conferred to Akkitham, who is a renowned ______ poet.

1. Telegu
2. Tamil
3. Kannada
4. Malayalam

Correct Answer: (d)

6. Which of the following Indian States has topped the corruption chart in India Corruption Survey 2019?

1. Bihar
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. Rajasthan
4. Punjab

Correct Answer: (c)

7. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) comes under which of the following ministries?

1. Ministry of External Affairs
2. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
3. Ministry of Railways
4. Ministry of Finance

Correct Answer: (b)

8. Who among the following has been appointed as the new Controller General of Accounts?

1. Nasima Begum
2. Sindhushree Khullar
3. Soma Roy Burman
4. Pranjal Patil

Correct Answer: (c)

9. The 26^th session of the Conference of Parties (CoP-26) to the UNFCCC will be held in-

1. Glasgow, Scotland
2. Warsaw, Poland
3. Bonn, Germany
4. Vienna, Austria

Correct Answer: (a)

10. Senior National Wrestling Championships are going on in-

1. Jalandhar, Punjab
2. Roorkee, Uttarakhand
3. Rewari, Haryana
4. Guwahati, Assam

Correct Answer: (a)

11. Under the Intensified Mission Indradhanush 2.0, vaccination for how many diseases are provided?

1. 5
2. 6
3. 7
4. 8

Correct Answer: (d)

12. What is Pradhan Mantri Shram Yogi Maandhan Scheme?

1. A scheme to eliminate poverty
2. Pension scheme for unorganized sector workers
3. Old age income scheme
4. A scheme to employ skilled trainees

Correct Answer: (b)

13. What is the motto of Border Security Force (BSF)?

1. Shaurya, Dridhata, Karm Nishtha
2. Security First
3. Jeevan Paryant Kartavya
4. Service, Security and Brotherhood

Correct Answer: (c)