Current Affairs Quiz - December, 2022

Notes:
International Energy Agency (IEA) released a report titled ‘Coal 2022: Analysis and Forecast to 2025’. As per the report, the global coal demand is set to increase to an all-time high in 2022, mainly driven by coal power growth in India, the European Union (EU) and to a smaller extent by China.
The largest increases in coal burn are forecast for China, India and Southeast Asia. The global coal use is set to rise by 1.2% in 2022, surpassing 8 billion tonnes in a single year for the first time.

Notes:
National Test House is to set up EV battery testing facilities in Mumbai and Kolkata and a transformer testing facility at Jaipur.
New initiatives include state-of-art ‘Transformer testing facility’ at Jaipur, fully Digital Laboratory Management Information System (LIMS) for consumers, Quality testing of fertilisers, a state-of-the-art Microbiology lab for testing Drinking Water at Guwahati.

Notes:
Argentina’s Lionel Messi creates record as the professional football player with the most appearances in FIFA World Cup.
Messi has appeared in 26 matches across all FIFA Men’s World Cups since 1930. The record was earlier held by Lothar Matthaus. Miroslav Klose appeared in 24 matches, followed by Paolo Maldini and Cristiano Ronaldo. Earlier, Messi held the record for being the youngest player to score and assist in the same game in the tournament.

Notes:
The government has raised over Rs 4.04 lakh crore through disinvestment and strategic sale of public sector enterprises since 2014, the Finance Ministry said.
The largest amount of over Rs 1.07 lakh crore was raised through offer for sale in 59 cases. This was followed by a stake sale through Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) in 10 tranches, amounting to Rs 98,949 crore. Strategic sales in 10 companies, including Air India, yielded Rs 69,412 crores. 17 CPSEs were listed since 2014-15, which yielded Rs 50,386 crore.

Notes:
Netherlands Prime Minister Mark Rutte apologised for the country’s historical role in slavery and slave trade.
The Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte addressed the invited guests after apologising on behalf of his government for the Netherlands’ historical role in slavery and the slave trade at the National Archives in The Hague.

Notes:
Ten captive-bred Asian Giant Tortoise juveniles were soft-released into the protected Intanki National Park of Nagaland.
It is the first monitored rewilding of the species in India. The Asian Giant Tortoise (Manouria emys phayrei) is the largest tortoise in mainland Asia, listed as ‘critically endangered’ in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Notes:
Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders (MDL) announced the delivery of the fifth Scorpene Submarine ‘Vagir’ of Project P-75 to the Indian Navy.
It is scheduled to be commissioned into service in January. The sixth Scorpene submarine Vaghsheer was launched on 20 April 2022 and is getting readied for trials. Vagir can undertake anti-surface, anti-submarine, intelligence gathering, mine laying, area surveillance missions.

Notes:
Maritime logistics arm of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) and Singapore-based AG&P signed agreement to use Liquefied natural gas (LNG) carrier as a floating storage unit in India.
The LNG carrier is owned by ADNOC Logistics and Services (ADNOC L&S). It will be used at AG&P’s LNG import terminal in India which will be commissioned in the second half of 2024. It is the third agreement is for a floating storage unit lease in India and the Philippines.

Notes:
National Farmer’s Day is being observed on December 23 to commemorate the birth anniversary of the fifth Prime Minister of India, Chaudhary Charan Singh, and his contributions towards the upliftment of farmers in the country.
Various awareness campaigns and drives are organised across the country to educate people about the role of farmers and their contribution to the economy.

Notes:
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. K. Stalin launched the Mananala Nallaadharavu Mandram (Mind Health Support Forum) at government medical colleges to offer counselling and support to school students.
A helpline 14416 was also introduced to reach out to psychiatrists at government medical colleges. In all medical colleges, the forum has been created to offer programmes to improve the mental health of students. The programme will be extended to all colleges and schools.