Daily Current Affairs and GK | 04 December 2019

1. Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 passed in Parliament

• The Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, 2019 has been passed in Parliament, which seeks to amend Special Protection Group Act, 1988.
• The bill provides for SPG security to the former Prime Minister and his immediate family members living with him at his official residence for a period of five years.
• Special Protection Group:
  • It is a special force that was raised in 1985 to provide security to the PM, former PM and their family members.
  • Motto- “Bravery, Dedication, Security”
  • Current Director- Arun Kumar Sinha
• The Parliament has also approved the Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (Merger of Union Territories) Bill, 2019.

2. Vice President launches Bharatiya POSHAN Anthem

• Bharatiya POSHAN Anthem was launched in New Delhi by the Vice-President M Venkaiah Naidu.
• He emphasized on providing quality, accessible and affordable maternal health care services for all women.
• The anthem aims at spreading the message of achieving Malnutrition-free India by 2022.
• The anthem has been written by Prasoon Joshi and sung by Shankar Mahadevan while it was conceptualized by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• POSHAN Abhiyaan:
  • Prime Minister’s Overarching Scheme for Holistic Nourishment – POSHAN Abhiyaan was launched in 2018.
  • The government aims to make India Malnutrition-free by 2022.
  • Rashtriya Poshan Maah is celebrated every year to sensitize people regarding the importance of holistic nutrition.

3. Prithvi-II missile successfully test-fired

• The user trial of the Prithvi-II missile was successfully conducted by the Strategic Forces Command (SFC) of the Indian Army.
• Prithvi-II Missile:
  • It is a surface-to-surface nuclear-capable missile.
  • The missile weighs about 4,600 kg and can carry warheads of the weight 500-1000 kg.
  • It is 9m long and is a single-stage liquid-fueled missile.
  • The missile was developed by DRDO in collaboration with Bharat Dynamics Limited.

4. MoU signed between India and Sweden

• A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between India and Sweden for India-Sweden Healthcare Innovation Centre.
• The innovation centre will provide a platform for startups and healthcare delivery stakeholders to collaborate and address challenges in the health sector.

5. Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)

• A total of 1,696 Gram Panchayats have been identified by the Member of Parliament under Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY)
• These gram panchayats have to prepare Village Development Plans (VDP) under the guidance of MP.
• Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana:
  • The programme was launched in 2014 to develop model villages called Adarsh Grams by implementing existing schemes and village development programs.
  • Under the scheme, each Member of Parliament has to choose one village from their constituency (except their own village/in-laws village).
  • No separate funds have been allocated for this scheme.

6. New President of the European Commission appointed

• Ursula von der Leyen has been appointed as the new President of the European Commission.
• She is the first woman President of the European Commission.
• She has invited the Indian Prime Minister to attend the next India-EU Summit that will be held in Brussels.
• European Commission:
  • It is the executive branch of the European Union that is responsible for implementing decisions, managing day-to-day business, etc.
  • It was established in 1958, and its headquarters is located in Brussels, Belgium.

7. NATO members meet in London to celebrate 70^th anniversary of the organization

• The members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will meet in London to celebrate the 70^th anniversary of the alliance.
• North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):
  • It is a political and military alliance of 29 member states.
  • It was formed on 4^th April 1949.
  • Headquarters: Brussels, Belgium

8. Prithviraj Singh Roopun-New President of Mauritius

• Prithvirajsing Roopun has been elected as the new President of Mauritius.
• He was the former Arts and Culture Minister of Mauritius.
• Mauritius:
  • It is an island nation which is located in the Indian ocean.
  • Capital: Port Louis
  • Prime Minister: Pravind Kumar Jugnauth
  • Currency: Mauritian Rupee

9. Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize awarded to Tony Joseph

• Tony Joseph, an English author, has been awarded the 12^th Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for his book titled “Early Indians: The Story of Our Ancestors and Where We Came From”.
• Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize:
  • The award was instituted in 2008 and is presented by Shakti Bhatt Foundation.
  • A Trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakhs are given to the winner.
  • The award is given to the author whose book is published in India in English or translated into English from an Indian language.
  • Winner of 2018 Prize: Sujatha Gidla for her book “‘Ants Among Elephants: An Untouchable Family And The Making Of Modern India.”

10. India Rankings Society approved by the Ministry of HRD

• Minister of Human Resource and Development Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishaank' in a written reply told Lok Sabha that the approval for the formation of India Rankings Society had been given at the 127^th meeting of AICTE held in August 2019.
• This independent society will develop methodologies and system to rank and rate higher educational institutions under different categories, domain and sub-domain.
• At present, higher educational institutes are ranked using the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF).
• All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE):
  • It is a statutory body that was established in 1945.
  • It functions under the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of HRD.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who is the current director of the Special Protection Group?

1. Narshimha Varman
2. K F Rustamji
3. Arun Kumar Sinha
4. Rajeev Chopra

Correct Answer: (c)

2. The government aims to achieve the target of Malnutrition-free India by _______.

1. 2022
2. 2025
3. 2030
4. 2020

Correct Answer: (a)

3. Which of the following statements is not correct regarding Prithivi-II?

1. It is a surface-to-surface missile.
2. It is a nuclear-capable missile.
3. The missile has been developed by DRDO in collaboration with the Russian Defence Organisation.
4. It is a 9 m tall, single-stage liquid-fuel missile.

Correct Answer: (c)

4. India and Sweden have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in which of the following field?

1. Defence
2. Healthcare
3. Education
4. Tourism

Correct Answer: (b)

5. Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana that aims to develop model villages through the implementation of existing schemes was launched in-

1. 2013
2. 2014
3. 2016
4. 2018

Correct Answer: (b)

6. Who among the following has taken over as the new President of the European Commission?

1. Luis Alberto Moreno
2. Jean Claude Juncker
3. Ursula von der Leyen
4. David Malpass

Correct Answer: (c)

7. Where is the headquarters of NATO located?

1. Vienna
2. Brussels
3. Stockholm
4. Oslo

Correct Answer: (b)

8. Who has been elected as the new President of Mauritius?

1. Ibrahim Mohamed Solih
2. Pravind Jugnauth
3. Eddy Balancy
4. Prithivirajsing Roopun

Correct Answer: (d)

9. Who among the following has been conferred the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize 2019?

1. Tony Joseph
2. Richard Powers
3. Amitav Ghosh
4. Arundhati Roy

Correct Answer: (a)

10. India Rankings Society will develop and evolve methodology to rank which of the following?

1. Startups
2. Higher educational institutions
3. Private schools
4. Government Hospitals

Correct Answer: (b)