Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
Unnati Hooda becomes first Indian to enter U-17 women’s singles final in Asia Junior Badminton Championships.
She clinched the silver medal in the Championships held in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Men’s doubles pair of Arsh Mohammad and Sanskar Saraswat and U-15 men’s singles shuttler Anish Thoppani also won silver medals.

Notes:
Ministry of Culture in association with Department of Post launched ‘Daakroom’, the famous letter writing carnival.
The event was organised under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, at Raj Ghat, New Delhi. The event is supported by India Post, Ministry of Culture and Gandhi Smriti and Darshan Samiti, with the aim of reviving the art of letter writing in India.

Notes:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Orion capsule made its closest approach to the Moon within 130 km.
The feat has been achieved after Apollo 17 flew half a century ago. The spacecraft is set to parachute into the sea and splash down on December 11. NASA shared a picture of the ‘Moon and the distant crescent Earth’ captured by the Orion spacecraft.

Notes:
The Oxford English Dictionary recently unveiled the word of the year 2022 as ‘Goblin mode’, which was selected by public votes.
According to Oxford University Press (OUP), it means ‘a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations.’ The term was first used in 2009 but went viral on social media earlier this year.

Notes:
Cyclone Mandous lies over southwest Bay of Bengal, about 620 km southeast of Chennai. The storm is likely to cross the coasts of north Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh between Puducherry and Sriharikota.
Under its influence, rainfall is expected over parts of coastal Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Andhra Pradesh for two days. Red alert has already been issued for Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Notes:
Yoginder K Alagh, a veteran economist and former Union minister, reecntly passed away at the age of 83.
He was the Union minister of state for Planning and Programme Implementation, Science and Technology and Power during 1996-98. He also served as the Vice Chancellor at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi.

Notes:
Three Indian billionaires Gautam Adani, Shiv Nadar, and Ashok Soota find place in Forbes Asia’s Heroes of Philanthropy list.
Business tycoon Gautam Adani, HCL Technologies’s Shiv Nadar, and Happiest Minds Technologies’ Ashok Soota are the three Indians in the 16th edition of the list. The list highlights individual altruists in the Asia-Pacific region who are donating from their own fortunes, and giving personal time and attention to their select causes.

Notes:
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) released the ‘Global status of black soils’ Report on the occasion of World Soil Day, December 5, 2022.
As per the report, Black soils, which feed the global population, are under threat, with most losing at least half of their soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. As per the FAO, the reasons are Land-use change, unsustainable management practices and excessive use of agrochemicals.

Notes:
After completing the Artemis-1 mission, NASA’s Orion capsule splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean.
It was the first test flight of a new spaceship meant to carry people back to the Moon. Orion’s next trip will be a loop around the Moon with astronauts on board, named ‘Artemis II’. It is scheduled around 2024.

Notes:
Young Indian cricketer Ishan Kishan created many records in the third and final ODI match of the series against Bangladesh.
He became the seventh batter in the world to score a double century in ODIs and fourth from India after Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma and Virender Sehwag. He scored a double century off just 126 balls. He became the seventh batter in the world to achieve the feat. Ishan also broke Chris Gayle’s record for the fastest to 200 in an ODI innings.