Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs has recently released the draft guidelines for a new ranking system of cities based on their financial performance and beautification.
The ‘City Finance Rankings 2022’ aims to evaluate and reward urban local bodies on the basis of their strength across resource mobilisation, expenditure performance and fiscal governance systems. The ‘City Beauty Competition’ initiative aims to recognise efforts made by the cities and wards towards creating beautiful, innovative and inclusive public spaces.

Notes:
HCL Corporation and World Economic Forum (WEF) launched the ‘Aquapreneur’ Global Fresh Water Innovation Challenge.
HCL Corporation partnered with UpLink, the open innovation platform of the World Economic Forum, to announce the five-year-long Aquapreneur Innovation Initiative. The USD 15 million ‘Aquaprenuer-Global Fresh Water Innovation Challenge’ is attracting interest from startups from regions like India and the rest of the world.

Notes:
Ladakh is celebrating Losar Festival on December 24, to mark the Ladakhi New Year. The Losar festivities continue for nine more days from the new year.
This is the major socio-religious festival of Ladakh celebrated in winter. The New Year is welcomed with dough Models of Ibex Sun and Moon and flour-painted lucky signs on the walls of the kitchen.

Notes:
Lovlina Borgohain (75kg) and Nikhat Zareen (50 kg) have won Gold medals at Women’s National Boxing Championship 2022 in Bhopal.
Haryana’s Manisha and  Saweety Boora,  Railway Sports Promotion Board’s (SSCB) Sakshi (52kg), Madhya Pradesh’s Manju Bamboria also clinched gold medals in their respective categories. The Railways team topped the medals tally with 10 medals including five golds.

Notes:
Cricket Australia has named the men’s Test Player of the Year award after Shane Warne. The legendary cricketer Warne passed away earlier this year.
In 2006, Warne won the Test player of the Year award and finished as the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests by the end of his career. Warne clinched 708 wickets from 145 matches.

Notes:
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has been appointed as the nodal ministry for matters relating to online gaming with monetary risks.
The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYAS) has been tasked with regulating esports (video games not involving money). India’s gaming market is currently estimated at USD 2.6 billion and expected to be worth USD 8.6 billion by 2027.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually laid foundation stone and projects worth more than ₹7,800 crore in West Bengal.
He also virtually inaugurated Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee – National Institute of Water and Sanitation (DSPM – NIWAS). It will serve as an apex body in the country on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the country, serving as a hub of information and knowledge for Central, State and local governments.

Notes:
Delhi government has recently cleared the draft Delhi Solar Policy 2022. It aims to increase the share of the city’s annual electricity demand met by solar energy from 9% at present to 25% by 2025.
The draft targets a total installed solar capacity of 6,000 megawatt by 2025. It includes benefits such as Generation Based Incentives and subsidy for consumers. The draft has been put in public domain for 30 days after which it will be tabled before Cabinet for final approval.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras’ (IIT-M) BS in Data Science and Applications has won a silver prize in the ‘Best Online Program’ category in the Wharton-QS Reimagine Education Awards.
It is also referred to as ‘the Oscars of Education.’ NPTEL (National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning), a joint initiative of IITs and IISc, won the Gold in the ‘Lifelong Learning category.’ NPTEL is led by IIT Madras and is funded by the Ministry of Education.

Notes:
The Election Commission has initiated the delimitation of assembly and parliamentary constituencies in Assam.
It will use the 2001 census figures for the readjustment of seats. The move to redraw the assembly and parliamentary seats of Assam as per Section 8A of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 has been initiated after a request from the Union Law Ministry.