Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
Indian scientist Professor Thalappil Pradeep, Indian Institute of Technology, Madras received VinFuture special prize on 20th Dec. 2022 in Hanoi.
He was awarded for innovation of a low-cost filtration system to remove arsenic and other heavy metals from groundwater. Thalappil was earlier conferred with the Padma Shri in honour of his work to develop affordable and safe drinking water solutions using nanomaterials.

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 Union Cabinet approved pending One Rank One Pension (OROP) revision for retirees from armed forces and their families.
The scheme has been delayed since July 2019. Arrears will be paid from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2022 which is approximately ₹23,638 crore. As per the Defence Ministry, over 25.13 lakh people, including over 4.52 lakh new beneficiaries, armed forces pensioners and family pensioners will benefit.

Notes:
Tech giant Google has approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), challenging the Competition Commission of India (CCI) order on unfair business practices in Android mobile device.
The CCI in October slapped a penalty of ₹1,337.76 crore on Google for abusing its dominant position in multiple markets in relation to Android mobile devices. It ordered the internet major to cease and desist from various unfair business practices.

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:
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:
Union Ministry of Power and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to set up early warning systems for vulnerable hydro projects or power stations.
Specific tasks will be formulated between DRDO and respective project developer, under this agreement.

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:
The US Census Bureau said the world’s population is projected to be at 7.9 billion on New Year’s Day 2023.
This is an increase of 73.7 million since January 2022 and an increase in global population of 0.9 percent over the previous year. The Census Bureau projected that there will be 4.3 births and two deaths globally every second in January 2023.