Current Affairs Quiz - November, 2021

Notes:
The Mullaperiyar dam is located in the state of Kerala and is in control of Tamil Nadu. There has been a long dispute since it presents a threat to lakhs living downstream in Kerala and it irrigates over 2 lakh hectares in five districts of Tamil Nadu.
Recently, the Supreme Court directed that the maximum water level in Mullaperiyar dam should be 139.50 ft until November 10. The dam is located in the upper region of the river Periyar, which originates in Tamil Nadu and flows into Kerala

Notes:
The social networking giant Facebook is set to change its name and rebrand itself as “Meta”, as announced by its CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
The Company’s CEO has stated that the word “Meta” is derived from the Greek Word “Beyond”. It is stated that the company would not have any change in its corporate structure or functioning of its apps.

Notes:
The Matsya 6000 is the deep-sea vehicle being designed under the Samudrayan initiative. The vehicle will be ready for qualification trials by December 2024
It is designed to carry three people in a titanium alloy personnel sphere of 2.1-metre diameter enclosed space. The vehicle could work at a depth between 1000 and 5500 meters. The technology would help in carrying out deep ocean exploration of non-living resources like poly-metallic manganese nodules, gas hydrates, hydro-thermal sulphides and cobalt crusts.

Notes:
Scientists have discovered a species of human ancestors called ‘Homo bodoensis’ who lived around half a million years ago, in Africa during the Middle Pleistocene which is now known as Chibanian.
The term ‘bodoensis’ has been derived from a skull found in Bodo D’ar, Ethiopia. International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature allows name changes under strictly defined rules. That age saw the rise of our own species, Homo sapiens as well as our closest relatives Neanderthals.

Notes:
The Finance Ministry has initiated reforms in public procurement and project management to execute projects and provide payments to the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) on time.
The new guidelines permit alternative methods for selection of contractors, which can improve speed and efficiency in execution of projects. Whereas, the old system gives weightage to the lowest commercial bid. As many as 563 central sector projects were running behind schedule as on October 1 this year.

Notes:
Famous Kannada Actor Puneeth Rajkumar recently passed away after suffering a heart attack, at the age of 46.
He was the son of legendary actor Rajkumar. He was known to fans as “Appu” and “Power Star”. The actor began his career as a child star, when he was just six-months-old in 1976.

Notes:
Amit Shah, Union Minister Cooporation   launched the “Dairy Sahakar” scheme at Anand, Gujarat, during the celebration of 75th Foundation Year of Amul.
The Dairy Sahakar scheme will be implemented by NCDC, under Ministry of Cooperation, with a total investment of Rs 5000 crore. Under the scheme, financial support will be extended to eligible cooperatives for various activities such as milk procurement, processing, quality assurance, value addition, branding, packaging, marketing, transportation and storage of products and exports.

Notes:
Ganges River Dolphins is the National Aquatic Animal of India and is listed as ‘Endangered’ under IUCN Red List.
The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has released a guide aimed at the safe rescue of stranded Ganges River Dolphins in India. The guide has been developed by Turtle Survival Alliance and Environment, Forest and Climate Change Department of the Government of UP.

Notes:
The Marusudar River is the largest tributary of River Chenab. The river originates from the Nunkun glacier in Jammu and Kashmir.
A 1000 MW Pakal Dul Hydro Electric Project is being constructed across the Marusudar River by Chenab Valley Power Projects Pvt Limited. Recently, the Union Power Minister R K Singh virtually inaugurated the diversion of Marusudar River, which permits quicker construction of the power project

Notes:
Every year, the United Nations observes 2 November as the “International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists”, to highlight the instrumental role played by Journalists in investigating and prosecuting.
As per an UN report, over 1,200 journalists have been killed between 2006 and 2020, for reporting the news and bringing information to the public.