2 December 2021 current affairs

1. CURRENT AFFAIRS
2 DECEMBER 2021
Dr. A. PRABAHARAN
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2. What is S Gene in COVID Test?: How it
confirm the presence of Omicron variant
 Genome sequencing can confirm the presence of the new
Omicron Covid variant, as per Dr. Naveen Dang, Director of Dr
Dangs Lab.
 He stated that the missing S-gene is one of the indicators for
detection and ultimate diagnosis for the variant of concern,
Omicron.
 According to Dr Dang, the S-gene dropout is one of the proxy
indicators to ascertain the presence of the Omicron variant. It
is not necessarily that the ultimate diagnostic tool is distinct for
gene mutation.
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3. Omicron Covid Variant: SII seeks approval for
Covishield vaccine as booster dose amid new
variant concerns
 The Serum Institute of India, amid the rising Omicron
variant concern, has sought approval from India’s drug
regulator for the Covishield vaccine as a booster dose.
 With the approval, SII has cited an adequate stock of
Covishield vaccine in the country.
 The demand by the vaccine manufacturer has been
made due to the emergence of a new Covid variant-
Omicron. With this, SII has also become the first Indian
company to seek approval for the COVID-19 booster
dose.
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4. Magdalena Anderson: Sweden's first female
Prime Minister returns to power- for second
time in a week
 Magdalena Andersson, the first female Prime Minister of Sweden
returned to power in a week on November 29, 2021, after she
submitted her resignation on November 24. She had become the first
female PM of Sweden only for a few hours before resigning due to a
budget defeat that made a coalition partner quit.
 However, Magdalena Andersson was again elected in a 101-173 vote
with 75 abstentions. The 349-seat Riksdag elected Andersson as a
Prime Minister of Sweden for the second time. Andersson is a leader
of the Social Democrats and she was confident that she will return to
power.
 Sweden’s Parliament, in a first, on November 24, 2021, had elected
Magdalena Andersson, Social Democratic Party leader and Finance
Minister, as the first female Prime Minister of Sweden. The decision
came after Andersson clinched a last-minute deal securing the key
support.
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5. National Control Pollution Day 2021
 The pollution prevention day is observed annually on
December 2 in India in memory of the people who lost
their lives in the tragic 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
 The horrific industrial accident took place in the Union
Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal
killing thousands of people.
 The National Pollution Prevention Day also works towards
spreading awareness regarding the pollution caused by
industrial processes, industrial disasters and making
people aware of the impact of pollution and significance
to control the related acts.
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6. Pension payable to employees to be
determined on rules existing at time of
retirement: SC
 The Supreme Court observed on December 2, 2021 that
the pension payable to an employee upon retirement shall
be determined based on the rules existing at the time of
retirement.
 The court also stated that the law does allow the employer
to apply the rules differently in relation to persons who are
similarly situated.
 The SC bench of judges comprising Justices MR Shah and BV
Nagarathna gave the ruling while considering a civil appeal
against an order dated August 29, 2019, which was passed
by the Division Bench of the Kerala High Court wherein the
High Court had dismissed an appeal.
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7.  At the World Athletics Awards 2021, a retired Indian
sprinter Anju Bobby George was awarded ‘Woman of the
Year’ by the World Athletics for her efforts in advancing the
sport in India and for inspiring more women to follow her
footsteps and achieve their dreams of being a successful
athlete.
 At the World Athletics Awards 2021, the Olympic
Champions Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica and
Norway’s Karsten Warholm were named the World Athletes
of the year.
 The ceremony of the prestigious World Athletics Awards
was held in a virtual mode on December 1, 2021.
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World Athletics Awards 2021: India Legend
Anju Bobby George named ‘Woman of the Year

8. World's most expensive cities list: Tel Aviv
ranked world’s costliest city
 Tel Aviv has become the world's most expensive city to live in,
surpassing Paris and Singapore as per the Economist
Intelligence Unit's Worldwide Cost of Living Index 2021.
 According to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Tel Aviv
climbed from 5th place to the top in 2021 due to the rising
value of the Israeli currency shekel against US Dollar and the
increase in the price of grocery and transport.
 While Tel Aviv has topped the Cost of Living Index 2021, Paris
and Singapore are jointly ranked second, followed by Zurich
and Hong Kong at the fourth and fifth spots. Syria’s Damascus
was ranked as the world’s cheapest city.
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9. Sanjeev Kaushal becomes Chief Secretary of
Haryana
 The Haryana Government on November 30, 2021, appointed the senior
IAS Officer Sanjeev Kaushal as the new Chief Secretary of Haryana.
 Sanjeev Kaushal has replaced Vijai Vardhan who retired on September
30, 2021. Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal was the senior-most officer
after Vijai Vardhan and had been a frontrunner for the position.
 The new Chief Secretary Sanjeev Kaushal will be the 35th Chief
Secretary of Haryana since it was carved out as a separate state in
1966.
 Sanjeev Kaushal is due for retirement in July 2024. His brother Sarvesh
Kaushal had earlier served as the Chief Secretary of Punjab.
 The Government of Haryana also affected the transfer of PK Das,
Additional Chief Secretary, Power Department.
 He has been posted as ACS to Haryana Government, Financial
Commissioner, Revenue & Disaster Management & Consolidation
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10. Rajya Sabha MP suspension: Suspension of
12 Rajya Sabha MPs not revoked; Opposition
stages walkout
 Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu said on November 30,
2021 that the suspension of 12 Rajya Sabha MPs for unruly
behaviour during the last day of the Monsoon session of the
Parliament will not be lifted.
 Twelve Rajya Sabha opposition MPs have been suspended
from the Winter Session of the Parliament for violence that
broke out on the last day of the Monsoon Session in August.
 Rajya Sabha Chairman turned down the appeal of Leader of
Opposition, Congress' Mallikarjun Kharge, saying that the
suspension will remain as the MPs "haven't expressed
remorse".
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