10 PM Current Affairs Quiz: September 18, 2020

The Human Capital Index is a report prepared by the World Bank; it is an international metric that benchmarks key components of human capital across countries.

Measuring the human capital that a child born today can expect to attain by her 18th birthday, the HCI highlights how current health and education outcomes shape the productivity of the next generation of workers. The HCI was launched in 2018 as part of the Human Capital Project (HCP).

The 2020 Human Capital Index update includes health and education data for 174 countries – covering 98 per cent of the world’s population – up to March 2020, providing a pre-pandemic baseline on the health and education of children, with the biggest strides made in low-income countries.

India has been ranked at the 116th position.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Kosi River drains the northern slopes of the Himalayas in the Tibet Autonomous Region and the southern slopes in Nepal before entering India.

It is also known as Saptakoshi for its seven upper tributaries. These include the Tamur Koshi, Arun River and Sun Koshi. The Sun Koshi’s tributaries from east to west are Dudh Koshi, Bhote Koshi, Tamba Koshi and Indravati Koshi.

Statement 2 is correct. The Saptakoshi crosses into northern Bihar where it branches into distributaries before joining the Ganges near Kursela in Katihar district.

The serial interval of an infectious disease represents the duration between symptom onset of a primary case and symptom onset of its secondary cases, i.e. the time duration between a primary case-patient (infector) having symptom onset and a secondary case-patient (infectee) having symptom onset.

The serial interval helps to gauge the effectiveness of infection control interventions while also indicating rising population immunity and forecast future incidence. The more quickly persons who contracted a disease are identified and isolated; the shorter the serial interval becomes and cuts down opportunities for transmission of the virus.

Both statements are correct.

Brucellosis is a bacterial disease caused by various Brucella species, which mainly infect cattle, swine, goats, sheep and dogs. Humans generally acquire the disease through direct contact with infected animals, by eating or drinking contaminated animal products, or by inhaling airborne agents.

Most cases are caused by ingesting unpasteurized milk or cheese from infected goats or sheep. Person-to-person transmission is rare. The disease causes flu-like symptoms, including fever, weakness, malaise and weight loss.

# Authorities of Lanzhou city, China recently confirmed that several thousand people have tested positive for bacterial disease brucellosis due to a leak caused by a biopharmaceutical company in 2019.

ChAdOx1 has been developed by the Oxford University in collaboration with AstraZeneca. It utilizes a replication-deficient chimpanzee adenovirus to deliver a SARS-CoV-2 protein to induce a protective immune response.

COVAXIN is a COVID-19 vaccine by Bharat Biotech, developed in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) – National Institute of Virology (NIV).

ZyCov-D is also a candidate for COVID-19 vaccination indigenously developed in India. It is the plasmid DNA-vaccine being developed by Zydus Cadilla.

In Phase-2 trials now, both are being tested for their ability to produce a satisfactory immune response.

The UNGA is comprised of all 193 Members of the United Nations. The Assembly meets from September to December each year (main part), and thereafter, from January to September (resumed part).

Statement 1 is correct. According to the Charter of the United Nations, decisions of the General Assembly on important questions shall be made by a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. These questions include:

-recommendations with respect to the maintenance of international peace and security, the election of the non-permanent members of the Security Council, the election of the members of the Economic and Social Council, the election of members of the Trusteeship Council, the admission of new Members to the United Nations, the suspension of the rights and privileges of membership, the expulsion of Members.

Statement 2 is correct. Under the UN Charter, while the Security Council is exercising in respect of any dispute or situation the functions assigned to it in the present Charter, the General Assembly shall not make any recommendation with regard to that dispute or situation unless the Security Council so requests.

# Despite the UN Charter’s provision limiting the General Assembly’s powers with regard to peace and security matters; there may be cases when the Assembly can act.

# In accordance with the General Assembly’s “Uniting for Peace” resolution of November 1950, in the case there appears to be a threat to the peace, breach of the peace or act of aggression and if the Security Council fails to act, owing to the negative vote of a permanent member, then the General Assembly may act.

# This resolution was invoked only once in UN peacekeeping history, when in 1956 the General Assembly established the First UN Emergency Force (UNEF I) in the Middle East.

All of the above are India’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) under Paris Agreement.

India’s national climate action plans, known in UN parlance as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), under the Paris Agreement set three major goals—

-To reduce the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%–35% by 2030 below 2005 levels.

-To increase the share of non-fossil-based energy resources to 40% of installed electric power capacity by 2030, with help of transfer of technology and low-cost international finance including from Green Climate Fund (GCF).

-To create an additional (cumulative) carbon sink of 2.5–3 GtCO2e through additional forest and tree cover by 2030.

Statement 1 is incorrect. Central Sector having an installed capacity of 94,027 MW accounts for about 25.2% of total installed capacity.

Statement 2 is correct. Coal based thermal power plants having 1,99,595 MW installed capacity account for 53.6% of total installed capacity.

Statement 1 is correct. The Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body on Animal Welfare Laws and promotes animal welfare in the country, established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Statement 2 is incorrect. Section 11 of the act lists a series of offences, which vary from abandoning an animal to kicking it, mutilating it or killing it, and prescribes the punishment for all these offences.

Section 28 however states that ―nothing contained in this Act shall render it an offence to kill any animal in a manner required by the religion of any community.

Constitution mandates that there shall be a Council of Ministers with the Prime Minister at the head to aid and advise the President who shall, in the exercise of his functions, act in accordance with such advice. [Article 74(1)]

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Council of Ministers shall be collectively responsible to the House of the People. [Article 75(3)]

Statement 2 is correct. The Prime Minister shall be appointed by the President and the other Ministers shall be appointed by the President on the advice of the Prime Minister. [Article 75(1)]

Statement 3 is correct. The Ministers shall hold office during the pleasure of the President. [Article 75(2)]