Current Affairs Quiz-December, 2019

Notes:
Researchers from the National Astronomical Observatory of China have discovered a black hole in the Milky Way. The black hole is so huge that it challenged the existing models of the evolution of stars. The black hole was discovered by an international team of scientists using China’s sophisticated Large Sky Area Multi-Object Fibre Spectroscopic Telescope (LAMOST) telescope. The black hole, LB-1, is located 15,000 light-years away from Earth.

Notes:
On November 28, 2019 Aditya Birla Finance became the first company to list its commercial papers borrowing of Rs 100 crore on the Indian stock exchanges. The non-banking finance company (NBFC) listed its CPs on NSE with a value date of November 28, 2019 and maturity date on February 7, 2020.

Notes:
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has extended a $451 million loan to strengthen power connectivity between the southern and northern parts of the Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC). CKIC is part of the East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC) in Tamil Nadu. Government of India and Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed a $451 million loan for strengthening power connectivity between northern and southern parts of Chennai–Kanyakumari Industrial Corridor (CKIC) which is part of East Coast Economic Corridor (ECEC). ECEC is India’s first coastal economic corridor.
It will help establish extra-high-voltage transmission link between Coimbatore and Virudhunagar. It will meet increased power demand in CKIC by transfering additional generation capacity of 9,000 megawatt (MW), including 6,000 MW from renewable by 2025. This will help reliably evacuate power from these new power plants in southern CKIC.

Notes:
Seeking to address some of the most pressing issues facing India, including air pollution, through innovation, the United Nations Development Programme on November 28 launched the country chapter of its Accelerator Lab in New Delhi. The laboratory that will be housed in the UNDP India office has partnered with the Indian government’s Atal Innovation Mission to achieve its objectives.

Notes:
The book titled “The Legacy of Militancy in Punjab: Long Road to Normalcy” have been authored by civil rights activist Inderjit Singh Jaijee and journalist Dona Suri. The book provide details how militancy in Punjab affected judiciary by delaying trials, how it influenced the popular culture and how the youth today are still responding to conditions in the northern state. It also aims at holding up a mirror to developments in post-militancy Punjab regarding politics, government policies, and functioning of police and courts among other things.

Notes:
The Indian Navy has commissioned its sixth Dornier aircraft squadron in the Porbandar town of Gujarat. It aims to give a fillip to coastal security near the sea border with Pakistan. It was commissioned by Deputy Chief of Naval Staff Vice-Admiral M S Pawar. Dornier aircraft squadron: The Indian Naval Air Squadron 314 is called Raptors. It will operate with four newly-inducted, next-generation Dornier aircraft.

Notes:
BlackBuck, the online trucking platform, has partnered with private lenders IDFC Bank and Yes Bank on 28 November. The partnership aims to provide FASTags to truck owners free of cost. With this partnership, the Truck owners can order FASTags on BlackBuck’s Boss App. It will be delivered at their doorstep free of cost until 31 December 2019. The initiative will help over 3 million trucks in India become FASTag compliant.

Notes:
The Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC) has launched the Estate Management System (EMS) and Web-based Geographic Information System (Web-GIS) on 28 November 2019. PSIEC launched it under the leadership of Capt. Amarinder Singh. The aim of the system is to ensure transparency. The system also promotes ease of doing business in the State.

Notes:
The hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts will be mandatory from January 15, 2020. Hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts is being made mandatory in India for which a notification will be issued by the Department of Consumer Affairs and a period of one year will be given for implementation to ensure that new assaying and hallmarking centres will be set up by private entrepreneurs at locations where demand of gold jewellery and artefacts arises.

Notes:
The government on December 1,2019 appointed Soma Roy Burman, a 1986-batch Indian Civil Accounts Service Officer, as the new Controller General of Accounts (CGA). Ms. Burman is the 24th CGA and is the seventh woman to hold this position. During her 33-year long career, she has held cadre positions at different levels in ministries such as Home Affairs, Information & Broadcasting, Industry, Finance, Human Resource Development and Shipping, Road Transport & Highways.