Current Affairs - December, 2022

1 .

Which country has announced the historic Nuclear Fusion Breakthrough?

A)

India

B)

Russia

C)

China

D)

United States

Correct Answer : United States

United States has announced a nuclear fusion breakthrough, a historic step towards the promise of 'near-limitless' clean energy and may help the fight to curb climate change.

US Department of Energy said, researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California for the first time produced more energy in a fusion reaction than was used to ignite it, something called net energy gain.

The achievement will pave the way for advancements in national defense and the future of clean power, officials said.

Speaking at a news conference in Washington, US Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm appearing alongside scientists from the LLNL, said, this is a landmark achievement for the researchers and staff at the National Ignition Facility who have dedicated their careers to seeing fusion ignition become a reality, and this milestone will undoubtedly spark even more discovery.

White House science adviser Arati Prabhakar, appearing with Granholm, called the fusion ignition a tremendous example of what perseverance really can achieve and an engineering marvel beyond belief.

LLNL director Dr Kim Budil said, this is a historic achievement, over the past 60 years thousands of people have contributed to this endeavour and it took real vision to get us here.

Nuclear fusion is described as the 'holy grail' of energy production. It is the process that powers the Sun and other stars. It works by taking pairs of light atoms and forcing them together - this 'fusion' releases a lot of energy.

Proponents of fusion hope that it could one day produce nearly limitless, carbon-free energy, displacing fossil fuels and other traditional energy sources.

The electricity industry cautiously welcomed the step, though emphasized that in order to carry out the energy transition, fusion should not slow down efforts on building out other alternatives like solar and wind power, battery storage and nuclear fission..

Source : AIR

Published On : December 15, 2022

2 .

Which country has been ousted from U.N. women's group after the U.S. campaign?

A)

Japan

B)

Iran

C)

Russia

D)

Ukraine

Correct Answer : Iran

Iran was ousted from a United Nations women's group on Wednesday(14th Dec 2022) for policies contrary to the rights of women and girls, a move proposed by the United States after Tehran's crackdown on protests over the death of a young woman in custody.

* JapanThe 54-member U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution to "remove with immediate effect the Islamic Republic of Iran from the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) for the remainder of its 2022-2026 term."

* There were 29 votes in favor, eight against - including Russia and China - and there were 16 abstentions.

* "This is a victory for Iranian revolutionaries who have been facing guns & bullets as they fight this gender apartheid state," U.S.-based Iranian journalist and women's rights activist Masih Alinejad posted on Twitter.

* Iran's clerical rulers have faced the biggest protests in years since September when 22-year-old Kurdish Iranian woman "Mahsa Amini" died in the custody of the morality police who enforce strict dress codes..

Source : Reuters

Published On : December 15, 2022

3 .

Who inaugurated the statue of 'Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar' at the renovated house of Bharathiyar at Varanasi via video conference on 11th December 2022?

A)

Narendra Modi

B)

M.K.Stalin

C)

Pinarayi Vijayan

D)

Yogi Adityanath

Correct Answer : M.K.Stalin

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin inaugurated the statue of Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar at the renovated house of Bharathiyar at Varanasi via video conference 11th Dec 2022.

Mr.Stalin also released a souvenir on his centenary. Bharathiyar's 141st birth anniversary on behalf of the State Government in various places in the State.

About Subramanian Bharathiyar :

* Mahakavi Subramanian Bharathiyar was a Tamil writer, poet, journalist, Indian independence activist, social reformer and polyglot.

* He was bestowed the title "Bharathi" for his excellence in poetry.

* Bharathiyar fought for the emancipation of women, against child marriage, vehemently opposed the caste system.

* Sister Nivedita inspired Bharathi to recognise the privileges of women and the emancipation of women exercised Bharathi's mind.

Literary works :

* Bharathi joined as Assistant Editor of the Swadesamitran a Tamil daily in 1904.

* In1907, he started editing the Tamil weekly India and the English newspaper Bala Bharatham with M.P.T. Acharya.

* He assisted Aurobindo in the Arya journal and later Karma Yogi in Pondicherry.

* Three of his greatest works namely, Kuyil Pattu, Panchali Sapatham and Kannan Pattu were composed during 1912

* He also translated Vedic hymns, Patanjali's Yoga Sutra and Bhagavat Gita to Tamil..

Source : AIR

Published On : December 15, 2022

4 .

Poland's only cosmonaut 'Gen Miroslaw Hermaszewski' when did passed away?

A)

12th Dec 2022

B)

13th Dec 2022

C)

14th Dec 2022

D)

15th Dec 2022

Correct Answer : 12th Dec 2022

Poland’s only cosmonaut, Gen. Miroslaw Hermaszewski, who circled the Earth in a Soviet spacecraft in 1978, has died. He was 81.

* The retired air force pilot’s death on 12th Dec 2022 was announced via Twitter by his son-in-law, European Parliament member Ryszard Czarnecki. He later told Polish media outlets that Hermaszewski died at a hospital in Warsaw of complications from a surgery.

* "On behalf of the family, I'm confirming the very sad news about the death of Gen. Miroslaw Hermaszewski," Czarnecki tweeted on Monday evening, describing him as a "great pilot, good husband and father, and much-beloved grandfather."

* Hermaszewski’s trip to space made him a national hero in Poland. The late cosmonaut went around the globe 126 times for nine days in June and July 1978, travelling alongside his Soviet colleague, Pyotr Klimuk, in the Soyuz 30 spaceship that docked at the Salyut 6 orbital space station.

* In a 2018 interview with the Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita, Hermaszewski said his biggest fear during the journey was that their spacecraft would be struck by a meteor. He reported how his and Klimuk's senses were sharpened, to the point of catching even the smallest sound.

* Hermaszewski travelled into space as part of the Soviet Union's Intercosmos programme, which offered an opportunity to explore space for Eastern Bloc states and other countries allied to Moscow. The Polish cosmonaut followed Vladimir Remek of the then-Czechoslovakia, who was the first person to blast off as part of the programme in March 1978.

Born : 15 September 1941, Lipniki, WoÅ‚yÅ„ Voivodeship

Died : 12 December 2022

Source : UK News

Published On : December 15, 2022

5 .

Which country to host International Conference "Standing with the Ukrainian People"?

A)

Japan

B)

Italy

C)

France

D)

India

Correct Answer : France

According to the French embassy, France will host an International conference “Standing with the Ukrainian People” in Paris with an aim to coordinate international support for civilian resilience in Ukraine and address the Ukrainian people’s urgent humanitarian needs.

The conference is organised at the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron and is co-organised with Ukraine. During the conference, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will address virtually.

Why France will host this International conference?

* The Ukrainian people are facing dire difficulties in all sectors essential to life: electricity supply, food security, water supply, and access to medical care.

* This situation is aggravated by the onset of winter and by the increased Russian bombardments against civilian infrastructures in Ukraine, particularly energy infrastructure, resulting in severe blackouts.

* The goal of the conference is therefore to muster international humanitarian aid to bolster the Ukrainian people’s resilience through the harsh winter, and establish a coordination mechanism to ensure effective and needs-based delivery of aid.

* This international conference gather representatives from 47 countries as well as 22 international organizations and financial institutions. The conferences was attended by several heads of State or government and will feature a virtual address by the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

* Some 70 countries and institutions worldwide pledged more than 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion) in immediate aid to help Ukraine get through a harsh winter as Russian forces batter its energy grid and other critical civilian infrastructure.

Published On : December 15, 2022

6 .

India's electric vehicle (EV) value chain revenue pool is expected to reach a size of ______ billion by 2030.

A)

$120-180 Billion

B)

$105-150 Billion

C)

$90-120 Billion

D)

$76-100 Billion

Correct Answer : $76-100 Billion

India’s electric vehicle (EV) value chain revenue pool is expected to reach a size of $76-100 billion by 2030, potentially translating to $8-11 billion profit pool, according to a report by Bain & Company.

“The Indian automotive market is poised for rapid EV growth, due to the convergence of factors including government incentives, improving cost-competitiveness and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) investment, along with increased customer readiness and awareness,” the report noted.

A Chain Of Industries : While 40-50% of revenue pool will come from auto OEMs, it will be significantly altered in the nature and composition,” he said. “New business opportunities such as battery (13%), charging (8%) and mobility (6%) will emerge. Unified platforms will become the next big play as many EV ecosystem players are looking for forward or backward integration to create a broader e-mobility ecosystem.

The Growth Trajectory of This Industry:

* Indian EV sector has already seen $3.7 billion private equity and venture capital (PE/VC) investments over the past three years, and this number looks set to increase significantly as the industry transforms.

* Findings from the report indicate that 35-40% of all vehicles sold in India by 2030 will be EVs, up from 2% in 2022. “Two-wheelers and three-wheelers will be vanguards for EV adoption, achieving 40-45% penetration by 2030,” Jain said.

* “This is driven by several factors, including highly competitive total cost of ownership (TCO), limited need for public charging infrastructure given the adequacy of home charging for daily use, investments in building compelling product offerings with comparable performance to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, and early adoption by delivery and logistics fleets.”

* The four-wheeler electric passenger vehicle (PV) segment (broadly electric cars) is expected to fall behind the adoption curve. Higher requirements for product performance and build-out of public charging infrastructure, plus higher capital cost and TCO gaps, serve as barriers to adoption. This segment is still expected to account for 15-20% of total PV sales by the end of this decade.

* But despite lower penetration and volumes, electric PVs will constitute the largest segment of the revenue pool of about 41% by value, followed by electric two-wheelers (33%).

* The report added that electric buses will see a penetration curve similar to that of electric PVs by 2030, driven in large part by state transport undertakings focused on fleet electrification for intracity transport..

Source : Financial Express

Published On : December 15, 2022

7 .

How many New 'Nuclear Power Plants' to be Commissioned in India by 2031?

A)

40 Plants

B)

32 Plants

C)

25 Plants

D)

20 Plants

Correct Answer : 20 Plants

India plans to commission 20 nuclear power plants by 2031, adding nearly 15,000 MW in power generating capacity, the government told the Lok Sabha on Wednesday(14th Dec 2022).

* The first of these 20 nuclear power plants, a 700 MW unit, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat, which already has three atomic power generating units operational.

* According to a written reply by Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh, the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is likely to be operational in 2024, followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025.

* Two 700 MW units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan are likely to be completed by 2026, while another two 1,000 MW units are likely to be completed at Kudankulam by 2027, he said.

* Two 700 MW units are expected to be completed at Gorakhpur in Haryana by 2029, the minister said listing out details of projects under consideration.

* In addition, government had accorded administrative approvals and financial sanctions for building 10 atomic power units of 700 MW each at Gorakhpur, Haryana (units 3&4), Kaiga, Karnataka (units 5&6), Chutka, Madhya Pradesh (units 1&2) and four units at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

* These 10 nuclear power units are likely to be completed progressively by 2031, Singh said.

* In a written reply to a separate question, Singh said the Kundankulam Nuclear Power Project (units 1&2) had contributed 48,382 Million Units of electricity to the national grid between 2017-18 and 2021-22.

* The minister said the total number of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited employees at present at Kudankulam site (KKNPP Units 1 to 6) was 1,257.

* Singh said of these, 810 employees are domiciles of Tamil Nadu..

Source : Business Standard

Published On : December 15, 2022

8 .

How many crores has the Central government allocated for the "New India Literacy Programme (NILP)" for the next 5 years?

A)

Rs 1004.32 Crore

B)

Rs 1037.90 Crore

C)

Rs 1158.25 Crore

D)

Rs 1250.50 Crore

Correct Answer : Rs 1037.90 Crore

The central government has allocated a total financial outlay of the New India Literacy Programme (NILP) for five years to be Rs.1037.90 crore, MoS for Education "Annpurna Devi" in a written reply informed in the Lok Sabha on 12th December 2022.

The minister said that the government has announced a Centrally Sponsored Scheme NILP for implementation during five years from 2022-23 to 2026-27.

The Ministry of Education (MoE) approved the NILP this year to include all aspects of adult education in line with the new National Education Policy, for the following five years. The ministry has also opted to use the phrase “Education for All” in place of “Adult Education” because the latter did not accurately describe all non-literates in the age bracket of 15 and older.

Objectives of New India Literacy Programme :

The program’s Foundational Literacy and Numeracy component intend to reach 5.00 crore learners during a five-year period.

The programme has five objectives :

(i) Foundational Literacy and Numeracy,
(ii) Critical Life Skills,
(iii) Vocational Skills Development,
(iv) Basic Education,
(v) Continuing Education.

* The total financial outlay of NILP for five years (FYs 2022-23 to 2026-27) is Rs.1037.90 crore, out of which Rs.700 crore is Central share and Rs.337.90 crore is State share.

* The Central and State shares are in the ratio of 60:40 for all States other than North Eastern Region (NER) and the Himalayan States where the sharing pattern between the Centre and the State is in the ratio of 90:10.

* For UTs with legislature the ratio is 60:40, except in the UT of Jammu & Kashmir where the ratio is 90:10, and for all other UTs without legislature the Central share is 100%..

Source : News On Air

Published On : December 15, 2022

9 .

8th India International Science Festival (IISF) 2022 to be held in which city in January 2023?

A)

Bhopal

B)

Mumbai

C)

Bengaluru

D)

Bhubaneswar

Correct Answer : Bhopal

The India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held in Bhopal in January 2023 and incidentally, it is one of the major events to be organized after India assumes the G-20 Presidency.

* India International Science Festival (IISF)-2022 will be held at the capital city of India’s Heart-Bhopal from 21st to 24th January 2023.

* IISF 2022 is the eighth(8th) edition since its inception in 2015.

* IISF is an initiative of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India in collaboration with Vigyan Bharati which is a science movement with indigenous spirit led by eminent scientists of the country..

Published On : December 15, 2022

10 .

Who signed the MoU for setting up a Center of Excellence for Defense Studies and Applied Research under the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) of the Indian Army?

A)

IIT Jammu

B)

IIT Varanasi

C)

IIT Ropar

D)

IIT Hyderabad

Correct Answer : IIT Ropar

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar and the Army Training Command (ARTRAC) of the Indian Army has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for setting up a centre of excellence for studies and applied research in defence and security at the premier institute.

* According to an official statement, the CoE will be set up with an aim to leverage IIT Ropar’s technical expertise and ARTRAC’s operational expertise in advanced materials and manufacturing, design and development of deep learning algorithms, multipath and wireless networks, data transmission tools, remote sensing and forecasting, cyber security and some other areas.

* The MoU was signed by Rajeev Ahuja, director, IIT Ropar and Lt Gen SS Mahal, General Officer Commanding –in-Chief of the ARTRAC.

* IIT Ropar will also curate training programmes as exchange of information on educational programmes for security practitioners of the armed forces, Central Armed Police Forces, intelligence agencies and state police forces run by it as part of its on-campus and off-campus programmes on research and innovation..

Source : Financial Express

Published On : December 15, 2022