Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
The NASA astronauts Josh Cassada and Frank Rubio have successfully installed Roll-Out Solar Array (iROSA) on the starboard truss structure of the International space station.
The astronauts have also disconnected a cable allowing restoring a power channel to 75% of its operating capacity.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Government has raised the monthly pension amount of differently-abled persons from Rs. 1000 to Rs. 1500 from January 2023.
An expert committee has been formed by the state to identify vacancies in all the departments where differently abled can be employed.

Notes:
To mark the 51st anniversary of India’s victory in the Longewala battle during the India-Pakistan war, Parakram Diwas was celebrated at Jaisalmer Military Station and Longewala War Memorial in Rajasthan.
The Longewala battle between India and Pakistan was held in 1971.

Notes:
After significant deterioration in air quality of Delhi-NCR in last 24 hours, the Stage III of revised Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) was invoked.
This is in addition to the preventive/ restrictive actions mentioned in Stage I and Stage II of the GRAP. Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) crossed the 407 mark, which is likely to be a localized influence.

Notes:
World Bank approved USD 250 million financing to help Bangladesh strengthen environment management and promote private sector participation in green investment.
The Bangladesh Environmental Sustainability and Transformation (BEST) Project will help the country tackle key pollution issues. An E-waste management facility will be set up to process 3,500 metric tons of e-waste annually.

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:
Chinese leader Jiang Zemin passed away recently at the age of 96. He was China’s first head of state to have visited India in 1996, and played a key role in signing a crucial agreement to reduce the tensions along their disputed border.
Jiang was the President of China and General Secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) from 1989 to 2002.

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 Female umpires will officiate in Ranji Trophy this season, for the first time in Indian cricket history.
Vrinda Rathi, Janani Narayan and Gayathri Venugopalan will officiate in the Ranji Trophy. It will be the first for Indian cricket when female umpires are asked to officiate in the men’s cricket matches. One of the umpires Gayathri has served as a fourth umpire in Ranji Trophy in the past.

Notes:
The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) will launch India’s first-ever surety bonds insurance product to boost liquidity in the infrastructure sector, as per Union minister Nitin Gadkari.
The surety bonds will help in boosting the liquidity in the infrastructure sector by providing relief to the contractors’ working capital stuck in bank guarantees.