UPSC Quiz – 2021 : IASbaba’s Daily Current Affairs Quiz 23rd October 2021

Solution (d)

Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) or Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) are non-binding national plans highlighting climate actions, including climate related targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions, policies and measures governments aim to implement in response to climate change and as a contribution to achieve the global targets set out in the Paris Agreement.

India submitted its INDC to the UNFCCC in October 2015, committing to cut the emissions intensity of GDP by 33–35% by 2030 from 2005 levels

The Paris Agreement requests each country to outline and communicate their post-2020 climate actions, known as their NDCs. 

NDCs are submitted every five years to the UNFCCC secretariat. In order to enhance the ambition over time the Paris Agreement provides that successive NDCs will represent a progression compared to the previous NDC and reflect its highest possible ambition.

Parties are requested to submit the next round of NDCs (new NDCs or updated NDCs) by 2020 and every five years thereafter (e.g. by 2020, 2025, 2030), regardless of their respective implementation time frames.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pm-to-attend-climate-meet-in-glasgow/article37119035.ece

Solution (c)

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) retained Pakistan in the ‘greylist’ observing that it needed to further demonstrate that investigations and prosecutions were being pursued against the senior leadership of UN-designated terror groups, which include the Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

FATF said Pakistan remained under increased monitoring. The FATF also announced the ‘greylisting’ of Jordan, Mali and Turkey. At the previous Plenary, the FATF had kept Pakistan in the list of “jurisdictions under increased monitoring” owing to its failure in prosecuting the top operatives of terror groups.

When the FATF places a jurisdiction under increased monitoring, it means the country has committed to resolve swiftly the identified strategic deficiencies within agreed timeframes and is subject to increased monitoring. This list is often externally referred to as the “grey list”.

Article Link:

https://www.fatf-gafi.org/publications/high-risk-and-other-monitored-jurisdictions/documents/increased-monitoring-october-2021.html

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/pakistan-retained-on-fatfs-greylist-again/article37119288.ece

Solution (c)

The Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up as a public private partnership model on the model existing in Netherlands at the time

QCI thus, came to be organized as an independent autonomous body that worked towards assuring quality standards across all spheres of economic and social activities.

The Council is independent and works under the directions of its Governing Body (GB) having equal representation of government, industry and industry associations. It does not get funded by the government and is a self-sustaining non-profit organization with its own Memorandum of Association (MOA) and Rules. Chairman of QCI is nominated by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India and is a non-executive post.

Article Link:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_Council_of_India

Solution (a)

Punnapra-Vayalar uprising anniversary observance begins

The communist parties consider the Punnapra-Vayalar uprising against the Maharaja of erstwhile Travancore and his Devan (prime minister) C.P. Ramaswamy Iyer a part of the freedom struggle. Labourers armed with areca nut staves and choppers put up a brave fight but the government forces with guns overpowered them and several people lost their lives.

The revolt led by the undivided CPI then is celebrated as a watershed event in the history of the Communist movement in the State. It is named after two of the places involved.

Article Link:

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/punnapra-vayalar-uprising-anniversary-observance-begins/article37101988.ece

Solution (d)

The Emergency Use Listing (EUL) procedure assesses the suitability of novel health products during public health emergencies. 

The objective is to make medicines, vaccines and diagnostics available as rapidly as possible to address the emergency, while adhering to stringent criteria of safety, efficacy and quality. The assessment weighs the threat posed by the emergency as well as the benefit that would accrue from the use of the product against any potential risks.

The EUL pathway involves a rigorous assessment of late phase II and phase III clinical trial data as well as substantial additional data on safety, efficacy, quality and a risk management plan. These data are reviewed by independent experts and WHO teams who consider the current body of evidence on the vaccine under consideration, the plans for monitoring its use, and plans for further studies.

As part of the EUL process, the company producing the vaccine must commit to continue to generate data to enable full licensure and WHO prequalification of the vaccine. The WHO prequalification process will assess additional clinical data generated from vaccine trials and deployment on a rolling basis to ensure the vaccine meets the necessary standards of quality, safety and efficacy for broader availability.

Article Link:

https://www.who.int/news/item/07-05-2021-who-lists-additional-covid-19-vaccine-for-emergency-use-and-issues-interim-policy-recommendations

https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/who-chief-discusses-covaxin-approval-with-mandaviya/article37101520.ece