Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
Flipkart and PhonePe announced the full ownership separation of PhonePe, India’s largest digital payments platform.
The PhonePe Group was acquired by the Flipkart Group in 2016 and is one among India’s largest digital payments platform. PhonePe has over 400 million registered users, as it builds products and offerings tailored to the Indian market.

Notes:
China’s National Health Commission will no longer be publishing daily data on COVID-19 case figures for the country.
The health agency has been publishing the numbers for the past three years. It is also not known how frequently China will now update Covid information. Relevant COVID information will be published by the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention for reference and research.

Notes:
Former Central Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Lahoti has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Railway Board.
He will be taking over the chairmanship from Vinay Kumar Tripathi on January 1. The Railway board has been transitioning to a new integrated service named Indian Railway Management Service.

Notes:
The bar-headed goose, considered one the world’s highest flying birds, recently visited the Muttukadu backwaters in Tamil Nadu.
As many as seven bar-headed geese made a temporary stop at Muttukadu. Bar-headed geese, native to Central Asia, are capable of flying through the passes of the highest mountains with speedy winds freezing temperatures.

Notes:
The President of India Droupadi Murmu, laid the foundation stone for the project ‘Development of Pilgrimage Facilities at Bhadrachalam Group of Temples’ at Bhadrachalam in the state of Telangana.
She also laid the foundation stone for another project called ‘Development of Pilgrimage and Heritage Infrastructure of UNESCO World Heritage Site at Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple’ in the state.  Both these projects have been approved under the PRASHAD (National Mission on Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive) Scheme of the Ministry of Tourism.

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:
Tamil Nadu government has issued orders to conserve the Nilgiri tahr, the state animal, at a cost of Rs 25.14 crore.
This is regarded as the first Nilgiri Tahr conservation project in the country. The project would be implemented during a 5-year period from 2022-2027, and follow a strategy including synchronised surveys to estimate numbers of the tahrs. The tahr is an endangered species and is protected under Schedule-I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act of India, 1972.

Notes:
Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully test-fired the extended-range version of BrahMos Air-Launched missile.
It was test fired against a ship target from a frontline SU-30MKI aircraft. The maiden test of the extended range of the Brahmos Air Launched missile was conducted on May 12. BrahMos missiles are designed, developed and produced by BrahMos Aerospace, a joint venture company set up by India’s DRDO and Russia’s Mashinostroyenia.

Notes:
Union Home Minister Amit Shah recently launched the Mobile App ‘Prahari’ and Manual of Border Security Force in New Delhi.
Through the Prahari app, BSF personnels can get information related to accommodation, Ayushman-CAPF and leaves on their mobiles.

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.