10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: October 3rd, 2020

The Aichi Biodiversity targets were included in the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity for the 2011-2020 period adopted by the 10th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity.
The Strategic Plan for Biodiversity includes 20 time-bound, measurable targets to be met by the year 2020 (Aichi Biodiversity Targets). These targets are classified into five strategic goals:
Strategic Goal A: Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society
Strategic Goal B: Reduce the direct pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use
Strategic Goal C: To improve the status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems, species and genetic diversity
Strategic Goal D: Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem services
Strategic Goal E: Enhance implementation through participatory planning, knowledge management and capacity building.

The Vaishvik Bhartiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Summit is a global virtual summit of overseas and resident Indian Researchers and Academicians.

It is a collaborative initiative by S&T and Academic Organizations of India to enable deliberations on thought process, practices and R&D culture with a problem-solving approach for well-defined objectives.

The VAIBHAV initiative aims to bring out the comprehensive roadmap to leverage the expertise and knowledge of global Indian researcher for solving emerging challenges. By bringing the Indian Overseas and Resident academicians/scientists together a structure of association will be evolved.

The summit will reflect on the collaboration and cooperation instruments with academia and scientists in India and abroad. The goal is to create an ecosystem of Knowledge and Innovation in the country through global outreach.

Both statements are correct.
The Ministry of AYUSH has initiated steps to set up a nationwide digital platform called “AYUSH GRID” which aims to bring onboard all AYUSH facilities including hospitals and laboratories and to promote traditional systems of healthcare.
The AYUSH Grid project was initiated by the Ministry in 2018 for creating a comprehensive IT backbone for the entire sector.
The most significant among the different initiatives implemented so far in the project is the AYUSH Health Management Information System (AHMIS).
Another success of Ayush Grid is the development and implementation of the Ayush Sanjivani mobile app and the Yoga locator mobile app, to meet the urgent demands of the concerned Divisions of the Ministry.
Further, a customized IT course for Ayush Professionals was developed in collaboration with C-DAC, Pune.
The components of Ayush Grid initiative will cover all the verticals of the Ayush Sector, like Health Services, Education, Ayush Research, Central Sector and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, Training Programmes, Citizen Centric Services, Drug Licencing Portal, and Media Outreach.

Antisera are blood sera that contain antibodies against a specific viral toxin or antigen and are injected to help in the treatment or prevention of the diseases associated with that virus.
Antisera are prepared by injecting antigens or venoms into healthy animals such as horses so as to produce in them antibodies which are normally associated with a globulin fraction serum.
Plasma recovered from Covid-19 patients could serve a similar purpose, but the profile of antibodies, their efficacy and concentration keep varying from patient to patient.
# Hyderabad-based vaccine maker Biological E, in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has developed “highly purified antisera” that can be used in prevention and treatment of Covid-19.

Option 1 is correct. The second edition of Indian Navy (IN) – Bangladesh Navy (BN) Bilateral Exercise Bongosagar is scheduled to commence in Northern Bay of Bengal on 03 October 2020.
Exercise Bongosagar, whose first edition was held in 2019, is aimed at developing inter-operability and joint operational skills through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations.
Option 2 is correct. SAMPRITI series of joint exercise is a very important military engagement between Armies of India and Bangladesh. The 9th edition of the joint Exercise SAMPRITI was held in February 2020.

: In view of the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, the Central Government had in May, 2020 allowed additional borrowing limit of up to 2 percent of Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) to the States for the year 2020-21.
One percent of this is subject to implementation of following four specific State level reforms, where weightage of each reform is 0.25 percent of GSDP:
– Implementation of One Nation One Ration Card System;
– Ease of doing business reform;
– Urban Local body/ utility reforms; and
– Power Sector reforms

Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO) is the flagship publication of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
It is a periodic report that summarizes the latest data on the status and trends of biodiversity and draws conclusions relevant to the further implementation of the Convention.
GBO-5 released recently provides global summary of progress towards the Aichi Biodiversity Targets and is based on a range of indicators, research studies and assessments (in particular the IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services), as well as the national reports provided by countries on their implementation of the CBD.
# The fifth edition of Global Biodiversity Outlook (GBO-5) is the final report card on progress against the 20 global biodiversity targets agreed in 2010 with a 2020 deadline, and offers lessons learned and best practices for getting on track.
# None of the 20 ‘Aichi Biodiversity Targets’ agreed on by national governments through the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) have been fully met.

Both statements are correct.
The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO), NITI Aayog has undertaken Data Governance Quality Index (DGQI) exercise to assess different Ministries /Departments’ performance on the implementation of Central Sector Schemes (CS) and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS). It is a self-assessment-based review of data preparedness levels across Ministries / Departments to produce a DGQI score card.
Accordingly, a survey was initiated with the objective of assessing data preparedness of Ministries / Departments on a standardized framework to drive healthy competition among them and promote cooperative peer learning from best practices.
# The Development Monitoring and Evaluation Office (DMEO) was constituted in September 2015 by merging the erstwhile Program Evaluation Office (PEO) and the Independent Evaluation Office (IEO). It is an attached office under NITI Aayog, aimed at fulfilling the organization’s monitoring and evaluation (M&E) mandate and building the M&E ecosystem in India.

Statement 1 is correct. The recently inaugurated 9.02 Km long Atal tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year owing to heavy snowfall.
Statement 2 is incorrect. It is horse shoe shaped, single tube double lane highway tunnel (not railway). The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 Mtrs (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).

Paharias are one of the primitive tribal groups in Santhal Parganas of Jharkhand. In Jharkhand, there are two types of Paharias:
– Mal Paharia people live in the southern hills of Damin-i-koh and in the south and east of Santhal Parganas. A few of them are also found in Odisha and West Bengal.
– Shauria Paharia (Maler Paharia) people are mostly found in Santhal Parganas.
# Pakur Honey produced by vulnerable Pahariya tribe was launched as a product by Ministry of Tribal Affairs.