Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

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:
Mouse opossums are relatively small members of the Neotropical marsupial family Didelphidae. They are endemic to Americas, especially to South America.
Recently a newly-identified species, named the Adler’s mouse opossum (Marmosa adleri), is among the smallest subgenus Micoureus. It was named after the researcher Greg Adler and  has larger ears, with a short furry tail.

Notes:
Commercial Space Astronaut Wings Program is implemented by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
The program comes under the Commercial Space Launch Act of 1984 and was designed to recognize pilots and flight crew. Recently, FAA announced that it will no longer issue Commercial Space Astronaut Wings, the pins given to individuals reaching space but instead recognise on its website.

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:
Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar has launched a National Helpline against Atrocities (NHAA).
The Helpline is available on toll-free number “14566” across the country in Hindi, English and regional language of the State/UTs. It aims to ensure proper implementation of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) [PoA] Act, 1989.

Notes:
The Nupi Lal Day is observed to pay rich homage to the brave women of Manipur who fought for justice against the British Government.
It is observed every year on December 12. This year, an observation ceremony was held at Nupi Lal Memorial Complex located at Imphal. The day is also observed by NGOs and women-based organizations across the state.

Notes:
Malini Parthasarathy, the chairperson of The Hindu Group Publishing, is among four veteran journalists who are named by US-based Columbia Journalism School as the 2022 alumni award winners.
The other winners include Eric Marcus, founder and host of “Making Gay History” podcast, Stuart Schear, American Jewish World Service, and Thomas Maier, investigative journalist. Wendy Lu (HuffPost) and Mukhtar Ibrahim (Sahan Journal), jointly bagged the First Decade Award.

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:
India, Iran and Uzbekistan held a virtual second trilateral working group meeting on the joint use of Chabahar port.
Dr. Sanjeev Ranjan, secretary, Ministry of ports, shipping and waterways co-chaired the meet along with his counterparts. India is participating in the development of the first phase of the Shahid Behesti Terminal, Chabahar port in cooperation with Iran.

Notes:
The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) has named Aditya Birla Group Chairman, Kumar Mangalam Birla, as the Global Entrepreneur of the Year in Business Transformation, for his leadership during the Covid-19 pandemic.
He is also the first Indian industrialist to receive this award. Other awardees are Elon Musk (Global Entrepreneur of the Year-Immigrant Entrepreneur), Jeff Bezos (Global Entrepreneur of the Year-First Generation) and Satya Nadella (Global Entrepreneur of the Year – Entrepreneurial CEO).