Current Affairs - December, 2022

1 .

Who has been named interim CEO of international publishing group, Penguin Random House and will assume the role from January 1, 2023?

A)

Nihar Malaviya

B)

Jayshree Ullal

C)

Leena Nair

D)

Laxman Narasimhan

Correct Answer : Nihar Malaviya

Nihar Malaviya, an Indian-origin publishing executive, has been named interim CEO of New York-based international publishing group "Penguin Random House" after its current chief executive officer Markus Dohle announced he is stepping down from the role.

* Malaviya, who has been President and Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the publisher’s American division Penguin Random House US since 2019, will assume the role of Interim CEO of Penguin Random House starting January 1, 2023, the publisher’s parent company Bertelsmann said in a statement Friday.

* Malaviya, who will report to Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe, will join the Bertelsmann’s Group Management Committee (GMC), as well as continue to be a member of the Penguin Random House Global Executive Committee.

* As interim CEO of Penguin Random House, Malaviya will “lead the creation of new competitive advantages that position the global company for future growth,” the statement said.

* In his capacity as President and COO, Malaviya, 48, was responsible for all publishing operations in the US from supply chain to technology and data and client services.

* Dohle is stepping down as CEO at the end of 2022, and simultaneously resigning his seat on the Bertelsmann Executive Board, “at his own request and on the best of mutual terms,” Bertelsmann said..

Source : Businesstoday

Published On : December 11, 2022

2 .

Central Government has permitted Work From Home up to the _______ to 100% of employees of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) units.

A)

31st March 2023

B)

31st July 2023

C)

31st December 2023

D)

31st March 2024

Correct Answer : 31st December 2023

The Central Government has permitted Work From Home up to the 31st of December, 2023 for 100 per cent of employees of the Special Economic Zones (SEZ) units.

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said that the decision was made after duly noting the genuine needs of the industry and the scope of benefits to economies of Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities.

It has also issued a Standard Operating Procedure to streamline the implementation of amended rules across all SEZs..

Source : AIR

Published On : December 11, 2022

3 .

Who has been unanimously elected as the new Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh and will take the oath on 11th December 2022?

A)

Jairam Thakur

B)

Virbhadra Singh

C)

Manohar Lal Khattar

D)

Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

Correct Answer : Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu

Senior Himachal Pradesh Congress leader "Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu" took oath as the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday(11th Dec 2022).

* Sukhu was the Himachal Pradesh Congress Campaign Committee chairman in the recently concludded assembly elections in which Congress defeated the Jairam Thakur-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government. He is a four-time MLA and a former Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief.

* The other leading contender for the post of Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, Mukesh Agnihotri, was on Sunday(1th Dec 2022) sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

* Agnihotri was the Leader of Opposition in the outgoing state assembly. This is the first time that Himachal has got a deputy chief minister..

Source : Outlook India

Published On : December 11, 2022

4 .

Nobel Prize Day is observed every year on_________.

A)

8th December

B)

9th December

C)

10th December

D)

11th December

Correct Answer : 10th December

Nobel Prize Day falls on December 10 every year. It honors the achievements of Alfred Bernhard Nobel, a Swedish engineer, chemist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist.

We have all heard of the Nobel Prize that recognizes outstanding achievements in various fields in the arts and sciences. Nobel Prize Day is a tribute to the person who instituted the prize.

Nobel Prize Day History : Alfred Nobel was born to impoverished parents in Stockholm, but his father was a descendant of a very highly regarded Swedish scientist and writer, Olaus, or Olof, Rudbeck.

His father was an engineer himself and Alfred Nobel expressed early interest in engineering, and explosives in particular. This of course bore results, with Nobel becoming interested in stabilizing the unpredictable explosive, nitroglycerin, as early as his teenage years.

Despite one of his brothers dying in a tragic accident involving this pursuit, Nobel continued with his work, shifting the factory base to a more isolated area, and ultimately succeeding in inventing dynamite as a superior and more stable version of nitroglycerin.

Alfred Nobel went on to invent an even better alternative to dynamite in the form of gelignite. This became a staple in mining operations and made Nobel financially successful.

Nobel also invented weaponry for military purposes and started companies to sell these. When a French newspaper carried a false obituary of Nobel, criticizing him for his role in warfare, he re-evaluated his life’s goals and decided to use his earnings to set up a prize that recognized the best in humanity.

The prizes in the different categories reflect his own interests in various fields. Apart from being an entrepreneurial engineer, he was also a writer.

While Nobel is still criticized for the role he played in furthering military technology, the Nobel Prizes, including the Prize for economics, which was added later, are considered the most prestigious achievement for practitioners in those fields..

Source : National Today

Published On : December 10, 2022

5 .

Who has been awarded with 1 position in the category for Ayushman Bharat health account ID generation?

A)

Kerala

B)

Jharkhand

C)

Uttarakhand

D)

Jammu and Kashmir

Correct Answer : Jammu and Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir has been awarded 1st prize in the category for Ayushman Bharat health account ID generation and 2nd prize in the category for Teleconsultation conducted during the celebration of Universal Health Coverage Day 2022 which is being celebrated on 10th and 11th December at International Cooperation and Convention Centre, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh.

* Universal Health Coverage Day is celebrated every year to commemorate the significance of Universal health coverage which aims to ensure quality healthcare closer to the people without any financial hardships.

* The event was graced by the Governor of UP, Smt Anandiben Patel virtually, Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare; Health Ministers of various states and UTs, senior officials from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, States, UTs and development partners.

* Dr. Mohammad Shafi Koka, State nodal officer NHM attended the function and received the awards from the Union Health Minister who personally congratulated the UT of J&K for achieving the milestones in the healthcare delivery system.

* Secretary, of Health & Medical Education, "Bhupinder Kumar" said that J&K is set to achieve the best model of Health delivery in the country which is evident from the huge improvement in the Health indicators.

* He appreciated the role of the officers of the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission J&K for such a robust implementation of the mission which was launched recently in J&K..

Source : AIR

Published On : December 10, 2022

6 .

When is "Human Rights Day" is observed on every year?

A)

11th December 2022

B)

10th December 2022

C)

9th December 2022

D)

8th December 2022

Correct Answer : 10th December 2022

Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December — the day the United Nations General Assembly adopted, in 1948, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

The UDHR is a milestone document, which proclaims the inalienable rights that everyone is entitled to as a human being - regardless of race, colour, religion, sex, language, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Available in more than 500 languages, it is the most translated document in the world.

Human Rights Day 2022 Theme : Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All

* Join us for a year-long campaign to promote and recognise the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

* The 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights will be celebrated on 10 December 2023.

Ahead of this milestone, starting on this year's Human Rights Day on 10 December 2022, we will launch a year-long campaign to showcase the UDHR by focusing on its legacy, relevance and activism.

* In the decades since the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights have become more recognised and more guaranteed across the globe. It has since served as the foundation for an expanding system of human rights protection that today focuses also on vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities, indigenous peoples and migrants.

* However, the promise of the UDHR, of dignity and equality in rights, has been under a sustained assault in recent years. As the world faces challenges new and ongoing – pandemics, conflicts, exploding inequalities, morally bankrupt global financial system, racism, climate change – the values, and rights enshrined in the UDHR provide guideposts for our collective actions that do not leave anyone behind.

* The year-long campaign seeks to shift the needle of understanding and action towards greater knowledge of the universality of the UDHR and the activism associated with it..

Source : UN

Published On : December 10, 2022

7 .

Who has been officially elected as the first woman president of Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on 10th Dec 2022?

A)

PT Usha

B)

PV Sindhu

C)

Koneru Humpy

D)

Karnam Malleswari

Correct Answer : PT Usha

The legendary former athlete P T Usha 10th Dec 2022 officially elected as the first woman president of Indian Olympic Association.

* The 58-year-old Usha, a multiple Asian Games gold medallists and a fourth-place finisher in the 1984 Olympics 400m hurdles final.

* In a tweet, P T Usha said, she is looking forward to uphold the olympic values and will ensure that India propels forward in becoming a global sporting powerhouse.

* Ajay H Patel has been elected as senior Vice President, Rajlaxmi Singh Deo and Gagan Narang as Vice Presidents of the Indian Olympic Association..

Source : AIR

Published On : December 10, 2022

8 .

Who has dedicate to the nation the charter gateway for private chartered flights at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on 10th December 2022?

A)

Pinarayi Vijayan

B)

Narendra Modi

C)

Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

D)

Ramesh Chennithala

Correct Answer : Pinarayi Vijayan

CM of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan has dedicate to the nation the charter gateway for private chartered flights at Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) on 10th December 2022.

* This facility would be the country’s largest business jet terminal, helping the growth of tourism in the State and will be comparatively cheap.

* After this, CIAL will also become one of the five airports in the country serving private jets..

Source : The Hindu

Published On : December 10, 2022

9 .

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, inaugurated Bharat Rashtra Samiti on which day?

A)

6th December 2022

B)

7th December 2022

C)

9th December 2022

D)

10th December 2022

Correct Answer : 9th December 2022

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s foray into national politics after the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday(8th Dec 2022) approved the change of name of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) to Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).

The decision is a major boost for the pink party which is aiming to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre.

Party supremo Chandrasekhar Rao will officially launch the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) at 1.20 pm (9th December 2022).

He will organise the formation programme of the freshly renamed party. With this, KCR’s efforts to launch a national outfit, which began in June 2022, will take a definite shape today.

The official communique from ECI senior principal secretary KN Bhar addressed to Rao read: “The Election Commission accepted your request for change in the name of your party from Telangana Rashtra Samithi to Bharat Rashtra Samithi. The necessary notification in this regard will be issued in due course”..

Source : New Indian Express

Published On : December 10, 2022

10 .

What is the India rank in World's Strongest Passport List 2022?

A)

93rd

B)

87th

C)

71st

D)

65th

Correct Answer : 87th

The UAE has got the first position in the rating of passports for 2022, while India was ranked 87 in the list of the strongest passports in the world.

* The Passport Index 2022, published by Arton Capital, ranks the world's strongest and weakest passports. The passport rankings indicate how many countries you can visit without a visa.

* After the UAE, European nations dominated the list's top ten positions.

* While UAE topped the list, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Luxembourg, Spain, and France were next. Pakistan was 94th, while Afghanistan was last.

* Japan is easily accessible from 171 countries and is ranked 24 on Arton's index. This year's list by Henley & Partners ranked the nation's travel document as the best in the world.

* A passport is a travel document that confirms the identity and nationality of the holder for the purpose of international travel. Passports are issued by governments to their citizens.

* Travelers can enter 180 nations without hassle with a UAE passport, which is seven more than European nations like Germany and Sweden and nine more than Japan.

* The Passport Index methodology is based on the 139 United Nations members, with six territories considered for the list. The information is based on official information provided by governments, updated in real-time with crowdsourced intelligence, and strengthened with exclusive research from incredibly reliable sources.

* A three-tier method is used to determine the individual rank of each passport: mobility score (MS) - includes visa-free (VF), visa on arrival (VOA), eTA and eVisa (if issued within 3 days), VF portion of their score vs VOA, and United Nations Development Programme Human Development Index 2018 (UNDP HDI) is used as a tiebreaker. The UNDP HDI is an important indicator of a country's international perception..

Source : Business Today

Published On : December 10, 2022