Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
Prashant Agrawal, President of Narayan Seva Sansthan, was honoured with the prestigious National Award for ‘Best Personality- Empowerment of Differently-abled’ by President Draupadi Murmu at a ceremony organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.
Prashant Agrawal has led initiatives in establishing residential schools, and vocational rehabilitation centres, and providing assistive devices for differently-abled individuals. Rajasthan government’s acknowledgement, honouring him with the Best Social Worker Award in 2017.

Notes:
Hanukkah is Judaism’s “festival of lights.” On eight consecutive nightfalls, Jews gather with family and friends to light one additional candle in the menorah — a multibranched candelabra.
The holiday marks the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century BC, after a small group of Jewish fighters liberated it from occupying foreign forces.

Notes:
The Union government has approved setting up a breeding centre for cheetahs at the Banni grasslands in Gujarat’s Kutch district.
The Gujarat government sent a proposal to the National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management Authority under National CAMPA. Wildlife experts said that there were records of cheetah hunting in Saurashtra and Dahod until 1921, adding that several reference journals have mentioned cheetah presence in Gujarat until the early 1940s. The Gujarat government will have to set up breeding centres and introduce a prey base in this area before cheetahs are brought.

Notes:
Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment Dr. Virendra Kumar presented the one croreth Unique Disability Identity (UDID) card. During the event, an indigenized IQ assessment test kit was dedicated to the nation by the Union Minister.
Launched in 2017, the UDID project by the Government of India aims to provide a Unique Identity to each person with disabilities in the country, creating a comprehensive database for welfare planning.

Notes:
The Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme (ITEC) is a prominent capacity-building initiative by the Ministry Of External Affairs of the Government of India. Established in 1964, ITEC is one of the longest-standing international capacity-building programs, having trained over 200,000 officials from more than 160 countries in both civilian and defense sectors. Under this programme, recently India and Taiwan have been focussing on collaboration in cutting edge tech areas like 5G, AI, information security, semiconductors etc. ITEC is administered by the Development Partnership Administration-II Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

Notes:
Vishnu Deo Sai is the second tribal leader from Chhattisgarh after Ajit Jogi to be appointed as the state’s Chief Minister. He is a five-time MLA from the Kunkuri constituency in Jashpur district, which has a large tribal population. Known for keeping a low profile, Sai has risen from the grassroots, starting as a panchayat member. His administrative experience, clean image and deep connections with local communities seemed to have tilted the scales in his favour for the CM post. His elevation is significant for tribal politics in the state. It fulfils BJP’s promise of rotating the CM post between tribal and non-tribal leaders, made after the death of BJP’s influential tribal face Dr. Raman Singh.

Notes:
The Defence Cyber Agency is the Indian military’s dedicated three-service cyber command. Headquartered in New Delhi and headed by a two-star military officer, the DCyA is tasked with handling cybersecurity threats to India. It brings together cyber expertise from the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force through their respective Cyber Emergency Response Teams that were set up in 2021. The DCyA aims to unify cyber capabilities across India’s military branches to strengthen national security, especially to defend against cyber attacks from adversaries like China.

Notes:
Indian wrestler Antim Panghal has been named the Rising Star of the Year among women by the United World Wrestling (UWW). Competing in the 53 kg category, the 19-year-old has had an exceptional season, overshadowing senior wrestler Vinesh Phogat in the same weight class. Panghal began her season by winning a silver medal in the Asian Championships, defeating the undefeated Japanese wrestler Akari Fujimani. She then defended her U20 world champion title in Jordan and made a memorable debut in the senior world wrestling championships in Serbia, where she won a bronze medal and secured the Paris 2024 Olympic quota for India in the women’s 53 kg category. The UWW’s recognition of Panghal as the Rising Star of the Year highlights her emergence as a dominant force in women’s wrestling on the global stage. Panghal’s achievements serve as an inspiration for aspiring wrestlers and showcase the growing prowess of Indian women in the sport.

Notes:
Austropallene halanychi is the name bestowed to a newly discovered pale yellow species of sea spider found in the Ross Sea near Antarctica. It has distinct black eyes and large boxing glove-shaped claws used likely for grabbing soft prey. Over 1,000 sea spider species inhabit oceans globally but seldom before has one been spotted with such unique features. Further analysis of sea creatures can reveal evolutionary trends and biodiversity insights in relatively unexplored icy polar waters.

Notes:
Exercise VINBAX-2023 is a joint military exercise between India and Vietnam. The exercise aims to strengthen collaboration, promote interoperability, and share best practices between the two countries. It also aims to reinforce military capabilities and collaboration for peacekeeping and defense initiatives.
The fourth edition of the exercise is being held in Hanoi, Vietnam, from December 11–21, 2023. A contingent of 45 Indian Armed Forces personnel is participating in the exercise.