10 PM Current Affairs Quiz #3 September 4, 2019

Explanation: IAF has inducted a batch of 8 new Apache attack helicopters. The eight fresh US-made Apache AH-64E attack helicopters will give a major boost to the Air Force’s combat powers. India is the 14th nation in the world to be operating the Apache attack helicopters. The AH-64E Apache is one of the world’s most advanced multi-role combat helicopters and is flown by the US Army.

Explanation: National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) was constituted vide Government of India Resolution dated 29th August, 1997 as an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals (DoP), Ministry of Chemicals & Fertilizers as an independent Regulator for pricing of drugs and to ensure availability and accessibility of medicines at affordable prices.
Functions of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority:
(1) To implement and enforce the provisions of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order in accordance with the powers delegated to it.
(2) To deal with all legal matters arising out of the decisions of the Authority.
(3) To monitor the availability of drugs, identify shortages, if any, and to take remedial steps;
(4) To collect/maintain data on production, exports and imports, market share of individual companies, profitability of companies etc. for bulk drugs and formulations;
(5) To undertake and/or sponsor relevant studies in respect of pricing of drugs/pharmaceuticals;
(6) To recruit/appoint the officers and other staff members of the Authority, as per rules and procedures laid down by the Government;
(7) To render advice to the Central Government on changes/revisions in the drug policy;
(8) To render assistance to the Central Government in the parliamentary matters relating to the drug pricing.

Explanation: Household air pollution has emerged as one of the key causes of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), and 12% of all CVDs in low-income countries are attributable to it, a new report has said. Hypertension is the largest risk factor for CVD in low-income countries (which include India), followed by high non-HDL cholesterol and household air pollution.
Household air pollution is a greater risk factor for CVD in India than diabetes, tobacco use, low physical activity and poor diet. An earlier report from a Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiologic (PURE) study (Lancet Respiratory Medicine 2014) showed that Indians had the lowest lung function among the 21 countries studied.
At least 65% of homes in India use biomass fuel for cooking and heating. In urban areas, the use of mosquito coils, dhoop sticks and agarbattis contribute to high household air pollution.

Explanation: The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will launch in 2022 on a seven-year journey to the Jupiter system. Before its launch, the mission’s navigation camera (NavCam) has given the first glimpse of its destination while still on Earth.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will be launching its Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) in 2022 and though we are around three years away from its official launch, JUICE has captured an image of Jupiter and its four largest moons. The photograph was taken by a team of engineers on the roof of the Airbus Defence and Space site in Toulouse.
The exercise was a part of a test of JUICE’s navigation camera (NavCam). Its purpose was to validate the hardware and software interfaces and for the preparation of the image processing and onboard navigation software which will be used in-flight for acquiring the images. According to ESA, the NavCam has been specifically designed to be resistant to the harsh radiations environment around Jupiter and to acquire images of the planet, moon and background stars.

Explanation: The National Register of Citizens (NRC) is a register containing names of all genuine Indian citizens. At present, only Assam has such a register. The exercise may be extended to other states as well. Nagaland is already creating a similar database known as the Register of Indigenous Inhabitants. The Centre is planning to create a National Population Register (NPR), which will contain demographic and biometric details of citizens. The NRC will be updated as per the provisions of The Citizenship Act, 1955 and The Citizenship (Registration of Citizens and Issue of National Identity Cards) Rules, 2003.
The only time that a National Register of Citizens (NRC) was prepared was in 1951 when after conduct of the Census of 1951, the NRC was prepared by recording particulars of all the persons enumerated during that Census. The NRC will be now updated to include the names of those persons (or their descendants) who appear in the NRC, 1951, or in any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24th March, 1971 or in any one of the other admissible documents issued upto mid-night of 24th March, 1971, which would prove their presence in Assam or in any part of India on or before 24th March, 1971. All the names appearing in the NRC, 1951, or any of the Electoral Rolls up to the midnight of 24th March, 1971 together are called Legacy Data. Thus, there will be two requirements for inclusion in updated NRC – 1.) existence of a person’s name in the pre-1971 period & 2.) proving linkage with that person. For getting their names included in the updated NRC, citizens shall have to submit Applications Forms (family-wise). Application Forms received by Govt shall be verified and based on the results of verification of particulars submitted by the citizens in their Application Forms, the updated NRC shall be prepared. However, to afford another opportunity to the applicants before publication of the final NRC, a draft NRC shall be published after verification of the Application Forms and the citizens given chance to submit claims, objections, corrections etc. After verification of all such claims and objections, the final NRC would be published.