Daily Current Affairs and GK | 10 December 2019

1. Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 passed in Lok Sabha

• The Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 has been passed in Lok Sabha, with 311 members voting in favor of the bill.
• The bill seeks to amend Citizenship Act 1955, the Foreigners Act, 1946, and the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920.
• The bill provides for citizenship to the non-muslim migrants that fled to India from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan till December 31, 2014.
• The bill shall not apply to the tribal areas mentioned under the sixth schedule and lying within the inner line permit regime.
• States included in the sixth schedule are Assam, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Tripura
• Inner Line Permit is a travel document issued to an Indian citizen travelling in the areas included in this regime.
• At present, Northeast states like Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland and Meghalaya are covered under this regime.
• Manipur is to be included in the inner permit line regime for this bill.

2. 3^rd India-Australia Secretary level 2+2 Dialogue

• The third India-Australia Secretary level 2+2 dialogue was held in New Delhi in which foreign secretaries and defence secretaries from both sides held discussions.
• Defence Secretary Dr. Ajay Kumar and Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale led the Indian side while Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty and Foreign Secretary Frances Adamson led the Australian side.
• The two sides discussed bilateral defence cooperation, regional security, countering terrorism through the exchange of information, etc.
• The first India-Australia Secretary level 2+2 dialogue was held in 2017.

3. Zozibini Tunzi crowned Miss Universe 2019

• Zozibini Tunzi, a citizen of South Africa, was crowned as Miss Universe 2019 at a televised event in Atlanta, USA.
• This is the third Miss Universe crown for South Africa.
• Miss Puerto Rico Madison Anderson was the first runner up, followed by Ashley Alvidrez of Mexico as the second runner up.
• From India, Vartika Singh entered into the top 20 contestants but could not make it to the top 3 positions.
• Catriona Gray of the Philippines was crowned as Miss Universe 2018.

4. Sale of arms increase by 4.6% in 2018: SIPRI Report

• Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) in the SIPRI Top 100 ranking stated that the sale of arms has increased by 4.6%.
• The US companies dominate the top 100 with five companies occupying the top five spots- Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and General Dynamics.
• Russia ranks second in the manufacturing of arms, followed by the UK and France.
• China was not included in the study due to lack of sufficient data.
• SIPRI:
  • It is an independent global level institute that was formed in 1966.
  • Headquarters: Stockholm, Sweden
  • It conducts research in conflicts, arms control, armaments, and disarmament.

5. Human Rights Day: 10^th December

• Human Rights Day is celebrated across the globe every year on 10^th December to mark the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the UN General Assembly in 1948.
• 2019 Theme: “Youth Standing up for Human Rights”
• This year's theme encourages youth to stand up for Human Rights and raise their voices against racism, bullying, hate speech, discrimination, climate justice, etc. as they are the agents of change.
• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also organized a function to celebrate this day.

6. Special Services for foreign tourists by Nilgiri Mountain Railway

• Nilgiri Mountain Railway has conducted a special service for 71 foreign tourists from several countries.
• These tourists travelled from Coonoor to Ooty via a special steam engine service.  
• Nilgiri Mountain Railway (NMR):
  • It runs from Mettupalayam to Ooty in the Nilgiri Hills of Tamil Nadu.
  • It is operated by the Southern Railways.
  • It uses the unique rack and pinion system, which is present in only few railways in the world.
  • It was designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005 as an extension to the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (also a UNESCO WHS).

7. Recycling of Ships Bill 2019 passed in Parliament

• The Recycling of Ships Bill 2019 has been passed in Parliament with the approval of Rajya Sabha.
• The bill defines ship recycling as the dismantling of ships at a facility to recover the components and materials for reuse and handle the hazardous material produced.
• Also, the Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019 has been passed in Lok Sabha.
• The bill aims to reduce the number of licensed arms per person and make celebratory firing punishable.
• The bill also increases the license period for arms from three to five years. 

8. Ministerial Plenary on Solar and the Small Island Developing States - Making the Sun Shine Brighter

• The Ministerial Plenary on Solar and the Small Island Developing States - Making the Sun Shine Brighter was held on the sidelines of the COP-25 climate conference.
• Environment Minister asked more countries to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and reduce the dependency on fossil fuels to meet rising energy demand.
•  The minister also pointed out that India aims to achieve 100 GW of solar energy by 2022.
• International Solar Alliance (ISA):
  • It was launched in 2015 by Indian PM Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande in Paris.
  • Till now, over 83 countries have joined the ISA.
  • ISA is an alliance of 121 countries lying either partially or completely between the Tropic of Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn.

9. Russia banned from international sporting events for 4 years

• Russia has been banned by World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from participating in international sporting events for four years.
• Also, Russia cannot participate in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
• The Russian athletes can participate in the sports events at the Tokyo Olympics as neutrals.
• WADA has also banned the Russian flag and national anthem in global events.
• World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA):
  • It is an international independent agency that was formed in 1999.
  • It aims at creating a world where all athletes can participate in a doping-free sporting environment.
  • Headquarters: Montreal, Canada

10. 13^th South Asian Games concludes

• The closing ceremony of the 13^th South Asian Games took place at Dasaratha Rangshala in Kathmandu, Nepal.
• India topped the medals tally with a total of 312 medals- 174 gold, 93 silver and 45 bronze medals.
• India is followed by Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. According to the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019, the migrants fled to India from countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan till which date are eligible for Indian Citizenship?

1. 31^st December 2011
2. 31^st December 2014
3. 31^st December 2013
4. 31^st December 2016

2. The first 2+2 Secretary level Dialogue started between India and Australia in-

1. 2017
2. 2016
3. 2015
4. 2009

3. Miss Universe 2019 Zozibini Tunzi is a citizen of which of the following countries?

1. USA
2. South Africa
3. Mexico
4. France

4. Which of the following countries’ companies lead in the sale of arms and military services?

1. China
2. Russia
3. France
4. USA

5. What is the theme for Human Rights Day 2019?

1. Humans Stand up for Their Rights
2. Human Rights and SDGs
3. Youth Standing up for Human Rights
4. Human Rights and Society

6. Which of the following railways in India has been designated as the UNESCO World Heritage Site?

1. Northeastern Railways
2. Western Railways
3. Nilgiri Mountain Railways
4. Northern Railways

7. Which of the following two nations formed the International Solar Alliance (ISA)?

1. India and Russia
2. India and France
3. India and Britain
4. India and Germany

8. As per the provisions of Arms (Amendment) Bill 2019, the license period for firearms will be for-

1. 3 years
2. 4 years
3. 5 years
4. 6 years

9. Recently WADA has banned which of the following countries from participating in global sporting events?

1. India
2. Brazil
3. Laos
4. Russia

10. How many golds have been clinched by India in the 13^th South Asian Games?

1. 174
2. 150
3. 98
4. 76

Solution:

1. b)

2. a)

3. b)

4. d)

5. c)

6. c)

7. b)

8. c)

9. d)

10. a)