Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2023

Notes:
Vishnu Deo Sai, a prominent tribal face of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), sworn in as the next Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.
Raman Singh, who has run the state government for 15 years, has been made the Speaker of the state assembly.

Notes:
India, the US and South Korea will set up an informal “trilateral technology dialogue” in the first quarter of 2024. The announcement came as US and Seoul launched their Next Generation Critical and Emerging Technologies Dialogue, in Seoul.
The dialogue is in response to China’s rapid progress in critical technologies within the Indo-Pacific region.

Notes:
The children of imprisoned Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi have accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf, having not seen her for seven years.
The renowned advocate for women’s rights and democracy in her home country of Iran, is currently being held in the Evin prison in Tehran, the capital, serving an eight-year sentence for “spreading propaganda”.

Notes:
Researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology-Guwahati (IIT-G) formulated four novel fluorescent organic co-crystal systems with diverse functional applications. Their findings got published in the esteemed Nature Communications journal. Co-crystals are multi-component structures allowing enhanced material properties. The IIT-G team engineered co-crystals that can emit light efficiently, imagable cells, guide light signals, and advance optoelectronics. This demonstrates India’s rising expertise in co-crystal engineering to build innovative solutions.

Notes:
AMRIT Technology is a technology developed by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras to remove arsenic and metal ions from water. The technology uses nano-scale iron oxy-hydroxide. AMRIT stands for Arsenic and Metal Removal by Indian Technology. It addresses water quality issues.

Notes:
Javed Akhtar, a renowned lyricist-screenwriter, will be honored with the Padmapani Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming Ajanta-Ellora Film Festival. Acknowledged for his substantial contributions to the Indian film industry, Akhtar is known for his work in iconic Hindi films like “Zanjeer,” “Deewaar,” “Sholay,” “Don,” “Kaala Patthar,” and “Mr India.” The award will be presented to him at the festival’s ninth edition, during the opening day ceremony at the Rukmini Auditorium in MGM University, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, on January 3, 2024.

Notes:
NAMO Drone Didi, was launched by the Prime Minister recently during interaction with beneficiaries of central government’s schemes. NAMO Drone Didi Initiative aims to supply drones to 15,000 women Self Help Groups (SHGs) to rent to farmers for agriculture purposes.
The NAMO Drone Didi initiative positions rural women at the forefront of the rural economy by integrating cutting-edge drone technology into agriculture.

Notes:
Kabir Bedi, a renowned actor, was awarded the “Order of Merit of the Italian Republic” (Merito della Repubblica Italiana), Italy’s highest civilian honor, in a private ceremony in Mumbai in December 2023. President Mattarella of Italy praised Bedi for his significant role in enhancing India-Italy relations over the past three decades, acknowledging his popularity across generations in Italy.

Notes:
Pompe Disease, also recognized as Glycogen Storage Disease Type II, is marked by the accumulation of glycogen in the lysosomes of cells, arising from a rare genetic disorder. It stems from a deficiency in the enzyme acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA), essential for converting glycogen into glucose within cell lysosomes. Lysosomes, membrane-enclosed organelles containing diverse enzymes, play a vital role in breaking down various biological polymers, including proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids.

Notes:
The inaugural India Strategy Conference brought together experts to discuss opportunities and challenges shaping 21st-century industries. Aimed at fostering interactions between academia and industry to position India as a global center for strategic excellence, the conference was a collaborative initiative by IIM Bangalore, Confederation of Indian Industry CSO Forum, IIM Ahmedabad, and ISB Hyderabad. Speakers emphasized India’s potential to redefine global norms and play a pivotal strategic role. Key themes included sustainability, technology, digital disruption, and capitalizing on global opportunities. Discussions focused on long-term planning, sustainability commitments, waste management initiatives, adapting to new technologies, and navigating digital disruption.