Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
The United States has announced that it would provide its key Patriot missile defence system to Ukraine.
The Patriot missile system can be used as a shield against short-range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and incoming jets. The package also includes military vehicles, mortars, ammunition for HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems), and small arms.

Notes:
After the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework by 196 parties was agreed at the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, the final text of the framework has been released.
The framework, released Montreal city in Canada, includes four goals and 23 action-oriented global targets for urgent action to be achieved by 2030. It also has four long-term goals for 2050 related to the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity.

Notes:
The Governor of Uttarakhand, Lt. Gen. (Retired) Gurmit Singh, approved the State’s Freedom of Religion (Amendment) Act.
According to the amended bill, forced conversion in the State will come under the category of crime. Apart from a maximum imprisonment of up to ten years, those persons indulging in forceful and unlawful conversion in Uttarakhand will be slapped with a fine of at least Rs 50,000.

Notes:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid respects to Zorawar Singh and Fateh Singh, the sons of Tenth Sikh Guru Guru Gobind Singh’s sons who laid down their lives while defending their faith.
December 26 is observed as Veer Bal Diwas in Idia. Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee as well as Akal Takht, the highest temporal body of the Sikhs, opposed the government’s initiative.

Notes:
The Union government and the Manipur government have signed a cessation of operations agreement with the Zeliangrong United Front (ZUF).
ZUF is a Manipur-based Naga armed group, which has been demanding a separate State for the Zeliangrong Naga tribe. The agreement seeks rehabilitation and re-settlement of the armed cadres.

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:
Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) announced to set up a wholly-owned subsidiary, International Carbon Exchange Private Ltd (ICX).
ICX will enable participants to buy and sell voluntary carbon credits at competitive prices through its platform and facilitate reduction of global green house gases emission by 45% by 2030.

Notes:
Tata Power’s subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) has received the letter of award (LoA) from Tata Power Delhi Distribution to set up 255 megawatt (MW) hybrid (wind and solar) power project in Karnataka.
Tata Power Delhi Distribution (Tata Power-DDL) is a joint venture of Tata Power and the Government of NCT of Delhi.

Notes:
Telangana government has launched the 10th phase of Rythu Bandhu, the investment support scheme for farmers.
Under this phase, 7,676 crores will be deposited in the bank accounts of over 70 lakh farmers towards investment support for the Rabi crop season. The investment support is disbursed at a rate of 5000 rupees per acre.

Notes:
The newly-discovered species named ‘Solanum scalarium’ belongs to Solanum, a large genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae.
Solanum is the most species-rich genus in the family Solanaceae and among the largest in the angiosperms or flowering plants. Solanum includes the potato, the tomato and the eggplant (brinjal or aubergine).