10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: December 3, 2020

In 2000, the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) agreed to start assigning names for cyclones over the North Indian Ocean using a list of names suggested by the countries surrounding the ocean basin.
There are six regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and five regional Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs) across the globe to monitor cyclogenesis, issue advisories and name cyclones.
IMD’s RSMC in New Delhi is one among them that provide advisories to 13 countries in the north Indian Ocean basin: Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Myanmar, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. RSMC, New Delhi is also responsible for naming cyclones over the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
Cyclone Nivar has been named from Iran’s suggestions, Amphan from Thailand’s and the Burevi Cyclone has been named from the list submitted by Maldives.

The World malaria report, published annually by World Health Organisation (WHO), provides a comprehensive update on global and regional malaria data and trends. The report tracks investments in malaria programmes and research as well as progress across all intervention areas: prevention, diagnosis, treatment and surveillance.
The World Malaria Report (WMR) 2020 indicates that India has made considerable progress in reducing its malaria burden. India is the only high endemic country which has reported a decline of 17.6% in 2019 as compared to 2018.
The Annual Parasitic Incidence (API) reduced by 27.6% in 2018 compared to 2017 and by 18.4% in 2019 as compared to 2018. India has sustained API less than one since year 2012.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Established in 1994, the IAIS headquartered in Switzerlandis a voluntary membership organization of insurance supervisors and regulators from more than 200 jurisdictions, constituting 97% of the world’s insurance premiums.
It is the international standard-setting body responsible for developing and assisting in the implementation of principles, standards and other supporting material for the supervision of the insurance sector.
Statement 2 is correct. The International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) obtained membership of International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS).

The World Trade Report (WTR) is the annual report published since 2003 by the World Trade Organization. Each WTR provides an in-depth analysis of an aspect of trends in international trade, trade policy issues and the multilateral trading system.
The 2020 edition of the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) World Trade Report analyzes the adoption of government policies to foster digital innovation and technological progress for economies, and explains the WTO’s role in this changing context.
It observes that the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the uptake of digital innovation and e-commerce and led countries to strengthen policies aimed at boosting growth through innovation and technological upgrading

Statement 1 is correct. The purchasing managers’ index (PMI) is an economic indicator that surveys purchasing managers at businesses that make up a given sector. The purchasing managers’ index consists of several different surveys that are compiled into a single numerical result depending on one of several possible answers to each question.
It is an index of the prevailing direction of economic trends in the manufacturing and service sectors. It consists of a diffusion index that summarizes whether market conditions, as viewed by purchasing managers, are expanding, staying the same, or contracting.
Statement 2 is incorrect. For India, the PMI Data is published by Japanese firm Nikkei but compiled and constructed by Markit Economics.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council choose one amongst themselves to be the Vice-Chairperson of the Council for such period as they may decide.
Statement 2 is correct. One-half of the total number of Members of the Goods and Services Tax Council shall constitute the quorum at its meetings.
Statement 3 is correct. The Goods and Services Tax Council’s mandate includes that it can make recommendations to the Union and the States on any special rate or rates for a specified period, to raise additional resources during any natural calamity or disaster.

Both statements are incorrect.
Antimicrobials – including antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics – are medicines used to prevent and treat infections in humans, animals and plants.
Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to medicines making infections harder to treat and increasing the risk of disease spread, severe illness and death.
Antibiotic resistance does not mean the body is becoming resistant to antibiotics; it is that bacteria have become resistant to the antibiotics designed to kill them.
Especially alarming is the rapid global spread of multi- and pan-resistant bacteria (also known as “superbugs”) that cause infections that are not treatable with existing antimicrobial medicines such as antibiotics.
The clinical pipeline of new antimicrobials is scarce. In 2019 WHO identified 32 antibiotics in clinical development that address the WHO list of priority pathogens, of which only six were classified as innovative.

Government fixes Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) for 22 mandated agricultural crops on the basis of the recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs & Prices (CACP), after considering the views of State Governments and Central Ministries/Departments concerned and other relevant factors.
The 22 mandated crops, for which MSP is being announced by the government for the last three years, include 14 Kharif crops viz. paddy, jowar, bajra, maize, ragi, arhar, moong, urad, groundnut, soyabean, sunflower, sesamum, nigerseed, cotton and 6 Rabi crops viz. wheat, barley, gram, masur (lentil), rapeseed & mustard, safflower and two commercial crops viz. jute and copra (milling and ball copra).
In addition, MSP for toria and de-husked coconut are also fixed on the basis of MSPs of rapeseed & mustard and copra respectively.

CACP considers A2+FL and C2 costs while recommending MSP. CACP reckons only A2+FL cost for return. However, C2 costs are used by CACP primarily as benchmark reference costs (opportunity costs) to see if the MSPs recommended by them at least cover these costs in some of the major producing States.
‘A2’ covers all paid-out costs directly incurred by the farmer — in cash and kind — on seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, hired labour, leased-in land, fuel, irrigation, etc. ‘A2+FL’ includes A2 plus an imputed value of unpaid family labour. ‘C2’ is a more comprehensive cost that factors in rentals and interest forgone on owned land and fixed capital assets, on top of A2+FL.

Statement 1 is correct. The superior courts (Supreme Court and High Courts) derive their contempt powers from the Constitution. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 additionally allows the High Court to punish for contempt of subordinate courts.
Statement 2 is correct. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, lays down the law on contempt of court. Section 15 of the legislation describes the procedure on how a case for criminal contempt of court can be initiated.
In the case of the Supreme Court, the Attorney General or the Solicitor General, and in the case of High Courts, the Advocate General, may bring in a motion before the court for initiating a case of criminal contempt.
If the motion is brought by any other person, the consent in writing of the Attorney General or the Advocate General is required.
However, when the court itself initiates a contempt of court case the AG’s consent is not required. This is because the court is exercising its inherent powers under the Constitution to punish for contempt.