Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
As many as 38 people recently died in incidents related to powerful Arctic winter storm. The vast storm extends more than 3,200km from Texas to Quebec.
Over 200 million people across the country were left without power and thousands of flights were cancelled. More than eight million people remained under blizzard warnings. As per the US National Weather Service, its recent depicts one of the greatest extents of winter weather advisories ever.

Notes:
Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar mentioned that families with annual incomes up to 1,80,000 are being brought under ‘BPL family category’ and around 29 lakh cards will be made in this regard.
He also announced that the government’s official portal Haryana Shehri Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) will begin its Citizen Facilitation Center. The state government will celebrate 2023 as ‘Antyodaya Arogya Varsh, and under the ‘Chirayu Yojana’ 29 lakh families shall be given health insurance.

Notes:
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has appointed senior bureaucrat Santosh Kumar Yadav as Chairman.
Santosh Kumar Yadav, a 1995-batch IAS officer is currently additional secretary in the Department of School Education and Literacy, Ministry of Education.

Notes:
Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) announced that India will become the third economic superpower by 2037 and a USD 10-trillion economy by 2035.
This growth trajectory will see India rise from fifth place on the World Economic League Table in 2022 to third in the global rankings by 2037.  The annual rate of India’s GDP growth is expected to average 6.4% in the next five years, average 6.5% in the subsequent nine years.

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:
Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of the Sharia system. It is the Islamic law that include public executions, stonings, floggings and the amputation of limbs for thieves among others.
‘Hudud’ refers to offences for which certain types of punishment are mandated under Islamic Law, while ‘Qisas’ is translated as retaliation in kind.

Notes:
As part of India’s G20 presidency, the Minister for Electronics & Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw has launched the ‘G20 Digital Innovation Alliance” (G20-DIA)’.
He also launched the ‘Stay Safe Online’ campaign to increase awareness about the safe practices to be used while being online. MeitY is the Nodal Ministry for the G20 Digital Economy Working Group (DEWG). During India’s G20 presidency, MeitY will focus on three priority areas, namely Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), Cyber Security, and Digital Skill Development.

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 Maharashtra Assembly unanimously passed the Maharashtra Lokayukta Act, 2022, which will give additional powers to the Lokayukta to direct state agencies to probe public servants, including the chief minister and state ministers.
The government has accepted all the recommendations made by the committee led by social activist Anna Hazare. The Act will now be presented in the Legislative Council for approval.

Notes:
The Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA) is an autonomous Research Institute wholly financed by the department of Science and Technology. It has its headquarters in Bengaluru.
Astronomers and scientists at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics (IIA), along with their international collaborators, have recently found that hot stars and white dwarfs emitted less ultraviolet radiation than expected.