Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) hosted an event titled ‘Digital Payment Utsav’.
The day celebrated the journey and rise of digital payments in India and the event also included the unveiling of the DIGIDHAN logo, launch of an awareness campaign called Digital Payments Sandesh Yatra with a digital payments anthem.

Notes:
The USA recently announced a new bill named ‘Platform Accountability and Transparency Act (PATA)’.
The bill establishes new rules which could compel social media platforms to share data with “Qualified researchers”. They are defined as university-affiliated researchers pursuing projects that have been approved by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Notes:
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), Department of Space, and the government of India signed an MoU with smartphone maker OPPO to strengthen research and development of NavIC messaging service.
NavIC messaging service is the domestic satellite navigation system of India. They will develop indigenous solutions by incorporating the NavIC short messaging feature in the smartphones released by OPPO.

Notes:
The state government of Himachal Pradesh recently notified to constitute a “Samanya Varg Aayog”. This was notified amid an aggressive protest by the general category people.
A large number of people in the state belonging to the general category had been demanding to constitute a commission for them.

Notes:
Voters in the French island territory of New Caledonia chose to stay part of France, in a referendum, hailed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
Sonia Backes, President of the Southern Province region, announced the results, which showed 96 per cent of those who took part chose to stay in France. The vote was monitored by the UN and regional powers.

Notes:
Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett became the first Prime Minister of Israel to visit the United Arab Emirates.
He recently arrived in the United Arab Emirates to meet the Gulf state’s Crown Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. The two countries signed a US-brokered agreement known as the Abraham Accords.

Notes:
Four-time Olympic medalist Simone Biles was named Time’s 2021 Athlete of the Year, the Time magazine announced.
She had withdrawn from four event finals at the Tokyo Olympics, stating reasons of her mental health. However, the 24-year-old managed to earn all-around silver and a bronze in balance beam at the Tokyo Olympics.

Notes:
Scientists at the Himalayan Research Group NGO, a part of Department of Science and Technology Programme of Science for Equity Empowerment and Development (SEED) Division devised a customized solar water and space heating system.
Named the ‘Solar hamam’, the system is a cost-effective alternative to fuelwood. In the higher Himalayan region, 50% of fuelwood is consumed for the purpose of heating and is also a main reason for forest degradation.

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:
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has awarded a fuel-cell based Green Hydrogen Micro-grid Project at Simhadri in Andhra Pradesh.
According to the Power Ministry, this will be India’s first green hydrogen-based energy storage project and one of the world’s largest Green Hydrogen Micro-grid Projects. The hydrogen would be produced using the advanced Solid Oxide Electrolyser by taking power from Floating Solar project.