10 PM Current Affairs Quiz #22 September 26, 2019

Explanation: The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons through the implementation of two sets of Guidelines for nuclear exports and nuclear-related exports. There are currently 48 Participating Governments (PGs) of the NSG. The year of participation is in brackets.
Argentina (1994) Cyprus (2000) Ireland (1984) New Zealand (1994) South Africa (1995)
Australia (1978)Czech Republic (1978*) Italy (1978)Norway (1989)Spain (1988)
Austria (1991)Denmark (1984)Japan (1974)Poland (1978)Sweden (1978)
Belarus (2000)Estonia (2004)Kazakhstan (2002)Portugal (1986)Switzerland (1978)
Belgium (1978)Finland (1980)Latvia (1997)Romania (1990)Turkey (2000)
Brazil (1996)France (1974)Lithuania (2004)Rep. of Korea (1995)Ukraine (1996)
Bulgaria (1984)Germany (1974)Luxembourg (1984)Russia (1974)U.K. (1974)
Canada (1974)Greece (1984)Malta (2004)Serbia (2013)U.S. (1974)
China (2004)Hungary (1985)Mexico (2012)Slovakia (1978*)
Croatia (2005)Iceland (2009)Netherlands (1978)Slovenia (2000)
(* Czechoslovakia separated into the Czech Republic and Slovakia – participation date 5 Mar 1993)

Explanation: Bulk drugs or APIs are the active raw materials used in medicines to give them their therapeutic effect. Currently, over 60% of APIs are sourced from other nations; for some specific APIs, the dependence is over 80-90%, according to the department of pharmaceuticals. In a bid to reduce India’s dependence on China for active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), the chemicals and fertilizers ministry has joined hands with other ministries to draw up a road map for increasing their production in the country. A high-level task force has been constituted to study global practices and draw up a plan aimed at boosting domestic production of APIs. The task force, headed by minister of state Mansukh L. Mandaviya, will include secretaries from the departments of pharmaceuticals and industrial policy and promotion, the ministry of health and family welfare, and the ministries of environment, commerce and biotechnology.

Explanation: Created in 1988 by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the objective of the IPCC is to provide governments at all levels with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies. IPCC reports are also a key input into international climate change negotiations. The IPCC is an organization of governments that are members of the United Nations or WMO. The IPCC currently has 195 members. Thousands of people from all over the world contribute to the work of the IPCC. For the assessment reports, IPCC scientists volunteer their time to assess the thousands of scientific papers published each year to provide a comprehensive summary of what is known about the drivers of climate change, its impacts and future risks, and how adaptation and mitigation can reduce those risks. An open and transparent review by experts and governments around the world is an essential part of the IPCC process, to ensure an objective and complete assessment and to reflect a diverse range of views and expertise. Through its assessments, the IPCC identifies the strength of scientific agreement in different areas and indicates where further research is needed. The IPCC does not conduct its own research.

Explanation: MiG-21 BISON: Single engine, single seater multirole fighter/ground attack aircraft of Russian origin which forms the back-bone of the IAF. It has a max speed of 2230 km/hr (Mach 2.1) and carries one 23mm twin barrel cannon with four R-60 close combat missiles.

Explanation: The ICGS Varaha, the fourth in the series of seven 98-m Offshore Patrol Vessels (OPV) of the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), was commissioned on Wednesday by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. The ship, which was commissioned at the Chennai port, would be based at New Mangalore under the administrative and operational control of Commander Coast Guard region (west). The ship will have on board 14 officers and 89 men, says a press release from ICG.
The ship has been designed and built indigenously by Larsen & Toubro (L&T) at its Katupalli ship building yard in North Chennai.