Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2020

Notes:
Social media major Facebook has launched a new iOS app called Collab, which lets users create collaborative musical videos.
Launched as a rival to the Chinese short-video making platform TikTok, this experimental app is now available on the App Store in the United States. Facebook had earlier launched Reels feature on Instagram and another app Lasso.

Notes:
Project Loon is the subsidiary of Technology giant Google. It undertakes the project of delivering internet access to remote parts of the world.
The project uses helium-filled balloons for this purpose. In the month of October, the company has announced that the balloons set a new record for the longest stratospheric flight by staying in air for 312 days.

Notes:
The United Stated of America (USA) has imposed sanctions on Turkey under the Section 231 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (CAATSA).
This has been done in response to Turkey’s purchase of S-400 missile defence system from Russia. The sanctions have been imposed on Turkey’s defence procurement agency.

Notes:
The Union Ministry of health and Family welfare has recently issued guidelines on mass Covid-19 vaccination drive in the country.
The Ministry has stated that COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (Co-WIN) system would be used track the beneficiaries for COVID vaccination. In the first phase of vaccination, the Government has decided to vaccinate nearly 30 crore people.

Notes:
The Himalayan serow has been spotted for the first time in the Himalayan cold desert region, in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.
These are herbivores animals and are found between 2000 m and 4000 m altitude. They have an appearance similar to that of a goat, but with long ears. They have a habit of standing with fore legs stretched.

Notes:
Nehru Zoological Park, Hyderabad, recently received the ISO Certification, after an assessment from the UK-based accreditor ASCB.
The park became the first zoological park in India to acquire the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Standards Certification. The standards followed in the Park in the area of sanitation, food processing, animal breeding, among others were assessed.

Notes:
India has pledged USD 1 million to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) scientific research budget, to develop innovative anti-doping testing methods
As on date, this is the highest among contributions made by other countries. India’s National Dope Testing Laboratory was earlier suspended by WADA, and is to be inspected by next year.

Notes:
China and Russia have signed a protocol to extend an agreement between the two countries on notifications of launches of ballistic missiles and space missile carriers.
The validity of the agreement will be extended for another 10 years. The said agreement was signed by the two countries on October 13, 2009.

Notes:
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has been awarded with the Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2020 in the Steel Sector.
SAIL has been the winner of this prestigious award for successive two years. Steel Authority of India Limited is an Indian state-owned steel making company based in New Delhi. Various measures of the company to preserve environment have been recognised.

Notes:
The Union Minister for Oil and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan has stated that India has set a target of 15% for natural gas in the total energy mix of the country by 2030.
The existing share of natural gas in energy mix is 6.2%. The government has aimed to create a natural gas infrastructure with an investment of USD 60 billion by the year 2024.