Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
The Pinaka MLRS has been successfully developed by two DRDO laboratories in Pune – Armament Research & Development Establishment (ARDE) and High Energy Materials Research Laboratory (HEMRL) – in partnership with two private sector firms, L&T and Tata Power Company Ltd (TPCL).
Recently, Pinaka Extended Range (Pinaka-ER) Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), was successfully tested with rockets built by the two private firms.

Notes:
The Delhi government launched the “Dilli Ki Yogshala” programme, under which it will offer free yoga classes to people within their housing societies, colony parks or community centres.
Under the scheme, 400 certified yoga instructors from Delhi Pharmaceutical Sciences and Research University (DPSRU) and Delhi TTE Team will teach yoga lessons to people at their doorsteps in the city.

Notes:
World Trade Organization (WTO) panel has asked India to withdraw its subsidies under the ‘Production Assistance, the Buffer Stock, and Marketing and Transportation Schemes.’
Australia, Brazil and Guatemala raised complaints against India over its policy measures in the sugar sector, at WTO in the year 2019.  WTO also asked India to conform to its obligations under the Agreement on Agriculture and the SCM Agreement.

Notes:
Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan is implemented by Maharashtra Government. The state’s Department of Environment and Climate Change and UNICEF have developed the Majhi Vasundhara curriculum on environment for school students.
The curriculum for Class I-VIII includes Biodiversity Conservation, Solid Waste Management, Water Resources Management, Pollution & Climate Change.

Notes:
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced a prompt corrective action (PCA) framework for large non-banking financial companies (NBFCs).
The PCA framework for NBFCs comes into effect on October 1 next year on the basis of their financial position on or after March 31. NBFCs not taking deposits and with an asset size of less than Rs 1,000 crore, primary dealers, government-owned NBFCs, and housing finance companies are exempt from this framework.

Notes:
Researchers at IIT Delhi’s Kusuma School of Biological Sciences have developed an RT-PCR based kit for detection of the Omicron (B.1.1.529.1) variant of SARS-CoV-2.
The assay is based on detecting specific mutations, which are present in the Omicron variant and absent in other currently present variants of SARS-CoV-2. Globally, the detection of the Omicron variant requires over 3 days.

Notes:
The Government of India has appointed Indian Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, following the demise of General Bipin Rawat.
Here, the Government of India has adopted the old system of appointing a Chiefs of Staff Committee instead of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Under the old system, the senior most among the chiefs among the armed forces would assume charge as Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Notes:
Union Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh launched MIS (Management Information System) portal for rankings of States/UTs in Land Acquisition Projects.
It is based on RFCTLARR Act, 2013 (Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013). The Department of Land Resources developed this MIS portal and top 3 Districts and States will be awarded based on their rankings on the portal

Notes:
The Centre has given ‘in-principle’ approval to set up six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra.
The six nuclear power reactors, which will have a capacity of 1,650 MW each, will be established with technical cooperation from France. It will be India’s largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9,900 MW.

Notes:
The Barn owl is the most widely distributed species of owl in the world and one of the most widespread of all species of birds. Its scientific name is “Tyto alba”.
Recently, the bird is spotted in the state of Bihar. Though it is seen across many parts of the world including the US, the UK and other parts of Europe, it is very rarely seen in the Indian subcontinent. It is generally found in countries with low temperature.