Pankaj Advani wins the National Billiards Championship in 2021:

• Pankaj Advani successfully defended his National Billiards Title by winning his 11th tournament in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.

• He won after defeating his PSPB teammate Dhruv Sitwala in a 5-2 game final. 

• He competed in the National Billiards Championship for the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB). 

• After Sitwalas 64 and 42 breaks late on December 20, Advani responded with breaks of 56 and 46 to tie the game at 1-1.

• After that, Advani compiled an unfinished 148 break to win the game, match, and championship.

• Cue Sports India is hosting the 88th National Billiards and Snooker Championships in Bhopal, MP, in 2021.

Himachal Pradesh Beats Tamil Nadu In Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021:

In the Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021, Himachal Pradesh defeats Tamil Nadu.

Highlights:

• Himachal Pradesh won the Vijay Hazare Trophy for the first time by defeating Tamil Nadu in the final by 11 runs (VJD Method) 

• The Vijay Hazare Trophy 2021 Happened at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur.

• The Vijay Hazare Trophy happened from 8 – 26 December 2021.

• Tamil Nadu batted first and put up a challenging total of 314 in 49.4 overs.

• When play was stopped due to bad light, Himachal were 299 for 4 in 47.3 overs, and the chasing side was declared winners using the VJD (V Jayadevan rule).

• Himachal Pradesh captain Rishi Dhawan won the toss and chose to bowl first.

• Himachal Pradesh won their first-ever Indian domestic title, the Vijay Hazare trophy 2021-22 final, thanks to Shubham Arora`s unbeaten century and a 148-run partnership with Amit Kumar (74) for the fourth wicket.

• The Vijay Hazare Trophy (officially known as the Paytm Vijay Hazare Trophy for sponsorship reasons) was established in 2002-03 as a domestic limited-overs cricket competition involving state teams from the Ranji Trophy plates.

• It is named after Vijay Hazare, a legendary Indian cricketer.

• Tamil Nadu is the most successful team in the tournament, having won it five times.

Nitesh Kumar wins two gold medals in the fourth Para-Badminton National Championship.

Nitesh Kumar won double gold at the 4th Para-Badminton National Championship in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Highlights:

• In the Men`s doubles finals, Haryana`s Nitesh and his partner Tarun Dhillon defeated World No. 1 Paralympic Games gold medalist Pramod Bhagat and Manoj Sarkar in straight sets 21-19, 21-11 to win gold.
• Nitesh had previously won gold in the Men`s singles category. 
• Parul Parmar, the world`s best SL3 para-badminton player, won gold as well, while Mandeep Kaur of Uttarakhand took silver and Mansi took bronze.
• The fourth National Para-Badminton Championship began on 24 December in Bhubaneshwar with over 500 players participating in the three-day event.
• The event will take place at two locations: the Railway Indoor Stadium in Bhubaneswar, in collaboration with the K.C. Memorial Trust, and the Udaan Badminton Academy, which is run by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and the Badminton Association of India.
• The organizers are the Odisha Para Sports Association and the Odisha Government`s Department of Sports and Youth Services.

NASA Psyche Mission:

• Psyche, an asteroid, orbits the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. The Psyche mission is one of NASA`s first two missions to explore the Solar System.

• The Lucy mission is another mission that will explore Jupiter`s Trojan asteroids to learn more about the early Solar System.

• The Psyche Mission is NASA`s first mission to investigate Psyche, a unique giant metal asteroid.

• The mission is overseen by Arizona State University. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory at NASA will be in charge of mission management, navigation, and operations.

• The mission was selected as one of two missions to explore the early Solar System in 2017. The mission will launch from Florida`s Kennedy Space Center in August 2022 and land on the Psyche asteroid in 2026.

• The mission will study and map the asteroid Psyche for 21 months.

• Understanding the division of planets and other bodies into layers such as cores, mantles, and crusts.

• To investigate a metal asteroid.

• To investigate the solar system`s early epochs

• X-band Gravity Science Investigation

• Gamma Ray and Neutron Spectrometer

• Multispectral Imager

• Magnetometer

• Annibale de Gasparis, an Italian astronomer, discovered the Psyche as the 16th asteroid in 1852. 

• The asteroid was named after the Goddess of Soul from Greek mythology. It has a diameter of 210 kilometers. 

• The asteroid, like Earth`s core, is mostly made of metallic iron and nickel.

Inmarsat-6 F1 Communications Satellite Launched By Japan:

• It was carried into geostationary orbit by a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) H-IIA204 rocket, about 22,240 miles (35,790 kilometres) above the Earth.

• It is being developed by Inmarsat, a London-based company, as part of its next-generation satellite broadband service.

• The satellite, which weighs 12,060-pounds, is the first of two `I-6` spacecraft (5,470 kilograms).

• The H-IIAF45 launch of the Inmarsat-6 F1 satellite is Japan`s third orbital flight of 2021 and the H-second IIA`s mission of the year, marking the H-IIA vehicle`s 45th flight overall.

• It is a dual-payload satellite capable of L-band (ELERA) and Ka-band communications (Global Xpress).

• It is the world`s largest and most advanced commercial communications satellite.

• The H-IIA has been Japan`s longest-serving liquid-fueled rocket since 2001, and it is now MHI`s largest rocket for the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA).

Rare Pink Handfish:

• In February 2021, Australian marine researchers photographed the seabed in Tasman Fracture Marine Park with an underwater camera. Later, while reviewing the footage, they discovered the pink handfish.

• The Taman Fracture Marine Park is famous for its deep crack in the earth`s crust that allows scientists to study marine life up to 4,000 metres below the surface.

• Pink handfish were previously thought to be restricted to shallow waters. However, this time it was discovered at a depth of 150 metres.

• Handfish are anglerfish from the family Brachionichthyidae. There are five genera and fourteen living species in this family.

• These benthic marine fish are known for propelling themselves by walking on the seafloor rather than swimming.

• Handfish can currently be found in the coastal waters of southern, eastern, and Tasmanian Australia.

• They are scientifically known as Latin brachium. The species was given the name `handfish` because of the small hand-like structure that they use to walk on the seafloor.

• Handfishes have small populations and a restricted range. As a result, they are extremely vulnerable to disruption.

• The endangered species list includes critically endangered species. Handfish can grow to be 15 cm long.

• They have denticles on their skin, which has earned them the moniker "warty anglers." They are a slow-moving fish species.

Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm Deal:

• The Trincomalee oil tank farm deal is a long-desired project that has been a source of contention for a long time.

• This project has been in the works between India and Sri Lanka for 16 months.

• Udaya Gammanpila, Sri Lanka`s Energy Minister, has directed the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) to set up a subsidiary called Trinco Petroleum Terminal Ltd for this purpose.

• President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has approved the formation of a special purpose vehicle.

• During WWII, the British constructed the "Trincomalee Oil Tank Farms" as a refuelling station. It was built next to the Trincomalee port, which has a lovely natural harbour.

• The century-old oil tanks, on the other hand, will need to be refurbished before they can be re-used, which will cost millions of dollars.

• The proposal to renovate the oil farm was included in a 35-year-old Indo-Lanka agreement.

• The Trincomalee Oil Tank Farm is located in `China Bay.` It is made up of 99 storage tanks, each with a capacity of 12,000 kilolitres and spread across the Lower and Upper Tank Farms.

• Lanka IOC currently has 15 tanks in operation. A new agreement is being negotiated for the remaining tanks.

• The Upper Tank Farm will be built in partnership with Indian Oil Corporation and Ceylon Petroleum Corporation.

India: 27 Border Infrastructure Projects Launched

• Border Roads Organisation (BRO) built these across four Indian states and two union territories.

• Despite the difficulties of working at high altitudes and in sub-zero temperatures, the Defence Minister praised BRO for completing these projects.

• The Minister also announced the establishment of `BRO Cafes` in 75 locations as part of the `Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav` celebrations.

• These roads and bridges were constructed to allow troops to move quickly across India`s borders with China and Pakistan.

• These projects will also boost tourism and ensure the region`s socio economic development.

• The most notable of the new bridges was India`s first indigenous Class 70 140-foot Double-Lane Modular Bridge.

• It was built at an elevation of 11,000 feet on Flag Hill Dokala in Sikkim.

• The completion of the Chisumle-Demchok road at Ladakh`s over 19,000-foot Umling La Pass is also significant.

• According to Guinness World Records, the road is the world`s highest motorable road. This road will be used as a shortcut between Leh and Demchock.

• With the completion of the Flag Hill-Doklam Road, Indian troops will have a faster route to the Doklam plateau.

Mother Teresa Memorial Award Won By Anil Prakash Joshi

• Dr. Anil Prakash Joshi, who was awarded the Padma Bhushan this year, has received the Mother Teresa Memorial Award for Social Justice 2021. Vidyut Mohan, the winner of the Earth Shot Prize, and Ridhima Pandey, a young environmental activist from Uttarakhand, received the award.

• The Harmony Foundation selects a theme each year and honours individuals and organisations working to improve environmental sustainability with the Mother Teresa Memorial Awards.
• The honorees were congratulated by Dr. Abraham Mathai, the foundation`s founder and chairman.

• Dr. Joshi was honored for his work as an environmental sustainability changemaker, having impacted over 10,000 villages in the Himalayan region through his Himalayan Environmental Studies & Conservation Organization.

• Vidyut was recognised for his pioneering and ingenious efforts in combating air pollution through his social enterprise Takachar.

• Ridhima was recognised for her extraordinary bravery and unwavering spirit as a young environmental activist who has sparked national climate change action.

Free Smartphone Yojana Launched In UP:

• The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh plans to launch the ambitious "Free Smartphone Yojana" on December 25, the birth anniversary of senior BJP leader and former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• As part of the programme, the state government will provide cellphones and tablets to students in their senior year of high school and above.
• On December 25, the chief minister will distribute 60,000 smartphones and 40,000 tablets to youths.
• More than 38 lakh young people have registered on the Digi Shakti Portal. There is still time to sign up.
• The candidate must be a student and an Uttar Pradesh resident.
• Priority will be given to students in their final year of MA, BA, BSc, ITI, MBBS, MD, BTech, and MTech programmes, among others.
• Students with a grade point average of 60% or higher are encouraged to apply.
• The annual income of the family should not exceed Rs. 2 lakh.

Barn Owl Sighting In Bihar

• Tyto alba, the scientific name for the Barn Owl, is the most common owl species on the planet. With the exception of the arctic and desert regions, Indonesia, the Pacific Islands, and Asia north of the Himalayas, the species can be found almost anywhere.
• The Barn owl is mostly active at night. However, in parts of the United Kingdom and the Pacific Islands, the owl hunts throughout the day.
• They are experts at hunting animals on the ground. Small mammals are their only food source, which they locate through sound.
• They are pale-colored, medium-sized owls with long wings and a short, squarish tail, with a wingspan of 80 to 95 cm.
• Barn owls can breed at any time of year. Nesting, on the other hand, is still seasonal.
• During the dry season, egg-laying is most common in areas with distinct wet and dry seasons.
• Breeding can be irregular and occur during wet periods in desert areas such as Australia.

K.Srikanth Bags Silver In BWF

• In the final, he was defeated 21-15, 22-20 by Singapore`s Loh Kean Yew.
• This was Singapore`s first gold medal at the BWF World Championships.
• Kidambi Srikanth is an Indian badminton player who trains at the Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad. The BWF ranked him first in the world in April 2018.
• He received the Padma Shri, India`s fourth-highest civilian award, in 2018, and the Arjuna award in 2015.
• In 2021, he became the first Indian to reach the finals of the BWF World Championships in Men`s Singles and win a silver medal.

• The 2021 BWF World Championships are officially known as the "Total Energies BWF World Championships 2021" for sponsorship purposes.
• The badminton tournament took place in Huelva, Spain, from December 12 to December 19, 2021. Huelva was chosen to host this event in November 2018, when 18 major badminton tournaments were announced for 2019 to 2025.
• Total Energies SE is a French multinational integrated oil and gas company founded in 1924..

Loh Kean Yew won Mens singles In BWF World Championship 2021:

• The 2021 Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Championships (officially known as the Total Energies BWF World Championships 2021) were held in Huelva, Spain.
• The competition took place between December 12th and December 19th.
• Loh Kean Yew of Singapore won the Men`s Singles title, while Akane Yamaguchi of Japan won the Women`s Singles title at the BWF World Championship 2021.

The Controlled Aerial Delivery System Was Demonstrated By DRDO:

• The Controlled Aerial Delivery System was demonstrated in flight by the Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE).
• The system had a capacity of 500 kg (CADS-500).
• The flight demonstration was one of several activities commemorating the `Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.`
• At Malpura`s Drop Zone, the system`s performance was demonstrated from a height of 5000 metres.
• This system was recovered from an AN32 plane. In autonomous mode, it was then guided to a predetermined landing site.
• Eleven paratroopers from the Indian Army and the Indian Air Force pursued the system in the air and landed at the same time.
• ADRDE is known as the "Aerial Delivery Research and Development Establishment (ADRDE)."
• It is a DRDO laboratory in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. The research conducted by ADRDE includes the development of heavy-lifting devices, towed targets, braking parachutes, aerostats, and aircraft arrester barriers.

• The CADS-500 is intended to deliver payloads weighing up to 500 kg to a predetermined location with pinpoint accuracy.
• It accomplishes these tasks by utilising the Ram Air Parachute`s manoeuvrability (RAP).
• During flight, it also uses the Global Positioning System to obtain coordinates, as well as altitude and direction sensors to determine heading.

Indigenous Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance Vehicle

• These next-generation vehicles were accepted into the Army`s Corps of Engineers at a ceremony in Pune.
• The indigenous Armoured Engineer Reconnaissance vehicle was designed by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• It was created in collaboration with Bharat Electronics Limited, Pune, by the Ordnance Factory Medak.
• The Indian Army has placed an order for 53 AERVs.
• Individual engineering formations, primarily on the Western front, will be deployed with these vehicles.

• In order to carry out engineering operations, the vehicle can conduct reconnaissance of water impediments and marshy patches.
• It can also conduct reconnaissance and provide force commanders with real-time updates. It will supplement the Indian Army`s current "engineer reconnaissance capabilities."
• Vehicles would be a game changer in supporting mechanised operations in any future conflict.

• The AERV was developed by modifying the amphibious infantry fighting vehicle BMP-II.
• The vehicle was designed to meet the tactical and combat requirements of military engineers conducting terrestrial and underwater surveys in difficult terrain.

 Pralay Flight-Tested:

• The Pralay ballistic missile was tested on Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island off the coast of Odisha.
• The missile took the desired quasi-ballistic trajectory and landed with pinpoint accuracy on the target. As a result, the algorithms for control, guidance, and mission were validated.
• Pralay is a short-range surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a canister (SRBM). It was developed for use on the battlefield by the Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO).
• This missile combines technologies developed for the exoatmospheric interceptor missile Prithvi Defence Vehicle (PDV) and the tactical missile Prahaar.
• The Pralay project was approved in March 2015, with a budget of Rs 332.88 crore.
• The Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) began working on this project in 2015. Later, the missile was given the name Pralay.

• Pralay has a range of 150 to 500 kilometres and can hit the target with an accuracy of about 10 metres or less.
• It can be launched using a mobile launcher.
• It has a guidance system with cutting-edge navigation mechanisms and integrated avionics.
• It`s a solid-fuel missile with a flight path that`s similar to that of a ballistic missile.
• The missile can perform mid-air manoeuvres to defeat anti-ballistic missile (ABM) interceptors by using a manoeuvrable reentry vehicle (MaRV).
• It is capable of transporting high explosive preformed fragmentation warheads weighing 350 kg to 700 kg, as well as Runway Denial Penetration Submunition (RDPS) and Penetration-Cum-Blast (PCB) (PCB).

Noises Captured Near Jupiters Moon Ganymede Released By NASA:

• Juno`s flyby across the Solar System`s biggest moon yielded data.
• A spectacular voyage inside Ganymede`s realm is provided by data extracted from noises captured on the moon`s surface.
• NASA published a 50-second audio recording chosen by Juno`s wave instrument.
• The wave device monitors the magnetosphere of Jupiter for electric and magnetic radio waves.
• Scientists altered the gathered frequencies into the audio spectrum for the audio track.
• On its closest approach, Juno approached within 1,038 kilometres of Ganymede`s surface. It was speeding along at 67,000 kilometres per hour.
• Ganymede is a satellite of Jupiter (moon). It is the largest and most massive moon in the Solar System, as well as the ninth-largest object. Ganymede orbits Jupiter in about seven days.
• Jupiter is orbited by Juno, a NASA spacecraft. It was designed and produced by Lockheed Martin.
• NASA`s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is in charge of the spacecraft. It was launched as part of the New Frontiers program from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in August 2011.

Dinosaur Embryo Unearthed In China:

• Baby Yingliang, the embryo, is thought to be a toothless theropod dinosaur or oviraptorosaur.
• Because of the discovery of embryos, scientists now have a better understanding of the relationship between dinosaurs and modern birds.
• According to the fossil, the embryo was in a coiled position known as "tucking." Birds exhibit this behaviour just before hatching. According to the findings, modern birds` tucking behaviour evolved from their dinosaur forefathers.
• Baby Yingliang measures 27cm from head to tail. It is housed inside a 6.7-inch-long egg at the Yingliang Stone Nature History Museum in China.
• This egg was discovered in the year 2000 and stored for ten years.

James Webb Space Telescope:

• The Arianespace Ariane 5 rocket will launch it. JWST has been in the works for decades. It was developed in collaboration with NASA, the Canadian Space Agency (CSA), and the European Space Agency (ESA).
• It will be NASA`s flagship astrophysics mission, succeeding the Hubble Space Telescope. On December 25, 2021, it will be launched aboard Ariane mission VA256.
• The JWST`s Optical Telescope Element, or primary mirror, is made up of 18 hexagonal mirror segments. These components are made of gold-plated beryllium.
• Observing some of space`s most distant events and objects, such as the birth of the first galaxies and the precise atmospheric parameters of potentially habitable exoplanets.

• The Ariane spacecraft is on its 256th mission. During this mission, the James Webb Space Telescope will be launched into space.
• The Ariane 5 rocket is a two-stage heavy-lift vehicle with two solid-fuel boosters. The ECA variant of the rocket, which has the highest payload mass capacity, will be used.
• The total launch mass of the vehicle is estimated to be around 770,000 kg. Its sole cargo is the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This launch is one of the contributions of the European Space Agency.

The Tamil Thaai Vazhthu has been designated as the state song by the Tamil Nadu Government.

Bhutan Confers its Highest Civilian Award Ngadag Pel gi Khorlo on PM Modi on its National Day:

India And Vietnam To Collaborate In Postal Sector

• It was signed in order to acknowledge the two countries` extensive strategic and economic ties.
• Relations between India and Vietnam have been extraordinarily cordial. The relationship was founded 50 years ago by Prime Minister Nehru and President Ho Chi Minh. The two countries` cultural and commercial ties, on the other hand, date back to the second century.
• Bilateral ties in economics, agriculture, and industry have grown significantly since 1992.
• The relationship is not solely based on economic considerations; bilateral military cooperation has grown significantly.

• To facilitate cooperation in the field of post and telecommunications.
• People should be encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences.
• To assist in the execution of HR development and training projects.
• To encourage postal designated operators and service providers to work together more closely.

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