Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2021

Notes:
James Webb is a space telescope, which is regarded as the successor to Nasa’s Hubble space telescope, is set to be launched into space from French Guiana onboard an Ariane 5 rocket on 25th December.
It is said to be 100 times more powerful than the Hubble space telescope is built to research through space and time on formation of the universe and our solar system.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered a perfectly-preserved dinosaur embryo in Ganzhou province of China. Scientists have stated that the fossil would be between 72 and 66 million years old.
The embryo has been named Baby Yingliang and is thought to be one of the most complete dinosaur embryos ever found.

Notes:
The population of the United States grew more slowly in 2021 than in any other year since 1900, as per the US Census Bureau.
COVID pandemic, economic shutdowns, decreased migration and fewer births are among reasons for low population growth. The US population grew by about 393,000 in 2021, at an historic low of 0.1 percent, according to new estimates released by the Census Bureau.

Notes:
Researchers in the U.K. have found the fossilized exoskeleton of the largest arthropod to have ever lived in the Earth.
These giant millipede-like creatures were of the length of a car and likely lived during the Carboniferous Period, between 359 million and 299 million years ago.The monstrous millipede ancestors, known as Arthropleura, were already know but the exo-skeleton is found only now.

Notes:
The Prime Minister launched a Portal and Logo for the Conformity Assessment Scheme of milk products, in Varanasi. The certification scheme considers the short shelf-life of milk and milk products.
The Portal and Logo were developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) with the help of National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The unified logo features the earlier respective logos BIS-ISI mark & NDDB-Quality Mark and Kamdhenu Cow.

Notes:
Japan has recently launched an advanced commercial communications satellite named ‘Inmarsat-6 F1’ aboard H-2A rocket.
It is a 5,470 kilogram satellite and is one of the largest and most sophisticated commercial communications satellites ever launched.

Notes:
The state cabinet of Punjab has recently approved the formation of a State General Category Commission.
The commission would aim to protect the interests of the unreserved classes and ensure effective implementation of welfare schemes, designed for the benefit of the poorer section of the unreserved classes in the state.

Notes:
The Union Home Minister Amit Shah has asked all the states to form and notify a dedicated Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in their respective jurisdictions, with an aim to eradicate drugs from the country.
As per the official notification, these ANTF can act as Narco Coordination Centre (NCORD) secretariat at the state level.

Notes:
Uttar Pradesh has recently observed Sahibzada Day in remembrance of martyrdom of four sons (Sahibzadas) of Guru Gobind Singh.
Uttar Pradesh is the first state in India to observe Sahibzada Diwas since the year 2020 when chief minister Yogi Adityanath announced that the sacrifice of the Sikh Gurus should be part of the school curriculum.

Notes:
Scientists have recently identified ”quantum entangled” microscopic multicellular organisms known as – frozen tardigrade. These organisms are found to tolerate extreme physiochemical conditions, by being in a latent state of life known as cryptobiosis.
Under extreme conditions, tardigrades curl up into shrunken, dehydrated balls and suspend their biological functions indefinitely in order to endure extreme environmental conditions.