Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
A bright comet in northern skies was spotted in November this year. It is Comet C/2021 A1, also known as Leonard.
The comet was first discovered around Jupiter in January 2021.  The comet was picked up by the telescope, with a greenish coma, at the heart of NGC 4631 also known as the Whale Galaxy. The comet Leonard will grow brighter in the month of December.

Notes:
UPI is the single-largest retail payment system in the country, with 14 crore transactions per day in October 2021 and 50% transactions were below Rs 200.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has recently proposed to increase the transaction limit for payments made through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) for the Retail Direct Scheme and initial public offering (IPO) applications to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. RBI also proposes td launch UPI-based payment products for feature phone users.

Notes:
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has granted Observer Status to International Solar Alliance (ISA).
The International Solar Alliance is an alliance of 124 countries initiated by India, headquartered at Gurugram. The fourth general assembly of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), was held earlier in October.

Notes:
The 94-year-old renowned Indian architect Balakrishna Doshi has recently won the Royal Gold Medal 2022, by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
It is the highest honor for architecture in the United Kingdom. During the architect’s 70 year career, which included 100 projects, he has significantly contributed in both practice and his teaching.

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:
Mathematician Neena Gupta from Kolkata’s Indian Statistical Institute has been awarded the ‘2021 DST-ICTP-IMU Ramanujan Prize for Young Mathematicians from developing countries.
She became the third woman to receive the award ever it was introduced in 2005. She was honoured for her contribution in affine algebraic geometry and commutative algebra. The Ramanujan Prize is given to an eminent Mathematician less than the age of 45.

Notes:
North Eastern Development Finance Corporation Ltd. (NEDFi), a financial institution in the North-Eastern Region launched ‘Atmanirbhar Hastshilpkar Scheme’.
It aims to provide financial assistance in the form of term loan to the Artisans of the region, for setting up, modernization and other activities related to the sector. The credit facility is collateral free and carries a subsidized interest rate.

Notes:
The United States witnessed over 30 tornadoes ripped through at least six states (Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee).
As per the officials, the death toll could exceed 80 due to the tornadoes that hit across parts of the central and southern United States. More damages were found in the state of Kentucky, where over 70 people died and several buildings, factories and warehouses were damaged.

Notes:
Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the India-Poland treaty on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.
The treaty will enhance capability of both countries in investigation and prosecution of crimes, including crimes related to terrorism through mutual legal assistance. It will also increase India’s effectiveness in tackling criminal activities involving Poland.

Notes:
The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed by Lok Sabha. It is an unusual amendment and seeks to rectify a drafting “anomaly” created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation.
The anomaly is just a sentence that alters numbering of the provisions. The 2021 Bill amends the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985. Section 27A of the NDPS Act, 1985, prescribes punishment for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders.