QUIZ – 2016: Insights Current Affairs Quiz, 26 December 2016

Solution: c.

• The vaccine, known as rVSV-ZEBOV, was developed over a decade ago by the Public Health Agency of Canada and the United States Army and is now licensed to Merck.
• The vaccine has not yet been approved by any regulatory authority, but it is considered so effective that an emergency stockpile of 300,000 doses has already been ordered by Gavi for future outbreaks.
• Created in 2000, Gavi is an international organisation – a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries.
• Gavi is an alliance – it brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organization, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other private philanthropists.

Improvisation: ‘A shot in the arm for fight against killer Ebola Virus’, Explained Page, The Indian Express;

NYT; About GAVI; Wikipedia: Gavi;

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Solution: c.

• On November 30, 2006, the 403-page report of the Sachar Committee, on the social, economic and educational condition of Muslims in India, was tabled in Parliament. The Committee, headed by former Chief Justice of Delhi High Court Rajinder Sachar, was set up soon after the UPA 1 government took over.
• The Report highlighted a range of disabilities faced by the community, and made a slew of recommendations to address the situation. It placed Indian Muslims below Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in backwardness. Among the many issues it highlighted were the huge mismatch between the percentage of Muslims in the population and in decision-making positions such as the IAS and IPS, and the general poor representation of the community in the police.

IE: Ten years after Sachar Report;

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Solution: d.

• The campaign was launched almost a year back on the 15th of December. A flagship programme of the government, it is aimed at achieving universal accessibility of persons with disabilities and to create an enabling and barrier free environment.
• It is focussed on three objectives, accessibility of built up environment, transport system accessibility and accessibility of knowledge and ICT ecosystem.

PIB Features: Rights based empowerment;

Solution: b.

Improvisation: IE: Mohenjodaro ‘dancing girl’ is Parvati, claims ICHR journal ;

Chapter 2, Arts of Indus Valley, Fine Arts: An Introduction to Indian Art, Class 11, NCERT;

Chapter 10, Themes in Indian History Part 1, Class 12, NCERT;

Solution: a.

“But it will be difficult for the Trump administration to have this resolution overturned, passed as it was without a veto. That said, the resolution, by way of its adoption under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter, is not binding and comes only with recommendations. It therefore does not affect the status quo in the occupied territories.”

TH: Indictment by abstention;

Solution: a.

The same question was posted here a few months ago.

• The Corporation produces 355 different types of quality aids and appliances required by orthopedically, visually & hearing handicapped persons. ALIMCO has been in the forefront in providing innovative and appropriate solutions to the problems facing the disabled.

About ALIMCO;

PIB;

Solution: b.

“The Government announced on 15th December, 2016 two schemes Lucky Grahak Yojana and Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana to give cash awards to consumers and merchants (respectively) who utilize digital payment instruments..”

• The Lucky Grahak Yojana for Consumers provides a daily and weekly prizes…. for Consumers who use the alternate modes of digital Payments. This will include all forms of transactions viz. UPI (Unified Payment Interface), USSD, AEPS and RuPay Cards, but will for the time being exclude transactions through Private Credit Cards and Digital Wallets.
• The Digi-Dhan Vyapar Yojana for Merchants provides Prizes for Merchants for all digital transactions conducted at Merchant Establishments.

PIB Features: Digital and Cashless Economy;

Solution: a.

“The National Payment Corporation of India (NPCI), a not for profit company, which has the mandate to guide India towards a cashless society, is the implementing agency for the schemes.”

PIB Features: Digital and Cashless Economy

Solution: d.

• “Haritha Gramam is not just any story but it is the story of Peroorkada, a residential locality in Thiruvananthapuram city which went green by practicing effective waste management at its source. Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala now has more than 3000 households which adopted this model as a message for waste management after its successful implementation in Peroorkada.”
• “Haritha Gramam is a unique example for successful waste disposal including plastic and e-wastes. Moreover it is an innovative one because of its implementation of adopting new technology. It is a participatory model because people from all spheres … have devoted their time for the proper functioning of this venture without any profit”.
• “The specially prepared Kitchen Bin (plastic bucket) includes a new technology for the decomposition of waste. After implementation of the new system, the period required for decomposition has reduced from 60 days to 6 days.”
• “The specially prepared mixture called bio-clean contains Coco peat and inoculum. It is a microorganism which has the capacity to de-compost the wastes without any bad odour. Coco peat has the capacity to store water. These two things are the key ingredients of the system which makes it more acceptable among the households. Moreover Coco peat is the byproduct of coir industry; hence it is also indirectly boosting the coir industry of Kerala.

Haritha Gramam: Story of a Green transformation;