Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully flight-tested the stand-off anti-tank (SANT) missile from Pokhran range.
The indigenously designed and developed helicopter-launched missile has the ability to neutralise targets in a range of up to 10 kilometres. It also has a millimetre wave (MMW) seeker which provides high precision strike capability from distance.

Notes:
Union Minister for Ports Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the River Cruise Services at the Marmugao Port in Goa.
Mormugao Port is a 32- year- old port, located in South Goa. As per the Ministry, any entrepreneur can start a new and similar type of Service from this berthing facility, which is available in the Port.

Notes:
The present world chess champion Magnus Carlsen of Norway defended his title and won the FIDE World Championship in Dubai.
Carlsen beat Ian Nepomniachtchi of Russia, crossing the seven point threshold to win the global tournament held at Dubai’s Expo 2020 in the United Arab Emirates.Carlsen clinched his fifth world championship title.

Notes:
Photodynamic therapy involves the use of light-sensitive medicine, which is activated by a light source. The treatment is used to treat certain cancers, and patients report a side effect due to the treatment.
Many people claim to have better night vision and also vision of unusual patterns and silhouettes in the dark. Researchers discovered Rhodopsin, a light-sensitive protein found in retinas, interacts with chlorin e6, a photosensitive used in cancer treatment.

Notes:
The Odisha government and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) signed an agreement to announce the launch of Mission Shakti Living Lab.
It aims to empower women economically and promote gender equality. The Mission Shakti Living Lab will promote the use of digital technologies and e-commerce. The Mission Shakti was originally launched in 2001 for holistic development of women.

Notes:
Meta-owned WhatsApp announced its pilot programme of adopting 500 villages across Karnataka and Maharashtra.
The programme aims to empower people with access to digital payments through ‘payments on WhatsApp’. The announcement regarding the programme was made at “Fuel For India 2021 — Meta’s annual event in India”.

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.

Notes:
The UNESCO has added Durga Puja to its ‘Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity’.
The 16th Committee of UNESCO for safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) at its meeting held in Paris added Durga Puja in Kolkata on the Representative List. This is the first festival of Asia, to be included in the prestigious list.

Notes:
Keechant Sewell has been named the New York City’s next police commissioner, making her the first woman to lead the nation’s largest police force.
Keechant Sewell was a Long Island police official. The 49-year-old will also be the third Black person to serve as New York Police Department commissioner. Among about 35,000 uniformed members of the department, around 45% are white, 30% are Hispanic, 15% are Black and 10% are Asian.

Notes:
The Supreme Court of India has permitted the state of Maharashtra to hold bullock cart races in the state till the pendency of the issue before the constitutional Bench. Generally, such races would be held in several parts of the state like Pune and western Maharashtra region and is considered to be a  400-year-old tradition.
Bullock cart races were banned in Maharashtra state after the apex Court ruled that the race is violative of the provisions Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.