10 PM Current Affairs Quiz #3 November 4, 2019

Explanation: The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy is hosting the 2nd Assembly of International Solar Alliance (ISA) on 31 October 2019 at New Delhi. The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is an Indian initiative that was launched by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France in 2015. The overarching objective of the ISA is to collectively address key common challenges to the scaling up of solar energy in ISA member countries. It also aims to undertake joint efforts required to reduce the cost of finance and the cost of technology needed for massive deployment of solar energy and pave the way for future technologies adapted to the needs. The alliance is of 121 solar resource rich countries lying fully or partially between the tropic of Cancer and tropic of Capricorn as prospective members.

Explanation: A meeting of the National Crisis Management Committee (NCMC), chaired by the Cabinet Secretary was held to review the preparations for the cyclone Maha. The depression over Arabian Sea has intensified into a cyclonic storm. It is named Maha. The name is given by Oman. The cyclone is centered over Lakshadweep and the adjoining southeast Arabian Sea and the Maldives area. The cyclone Maha will be the fourth Cyclone in Arabian Sea to form after Vayu, Hikaa and Kyaar.

Explanation: National Pension System (NPS) is a government-sponsored pension scheme. It was launched in 2004 for government employees. However, in 2009,it was opened to all sections. NPS is being implemented and regulated by Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority in the country. The scheme allows subscribers to contribute regularly in a pension account during their working life. Upon retirement, subscribers can withdraw a part of the corpus in a lump sum and use the remaining corpus to buy an annuity to secure a regular income after retirement.

Explanation: UNICEF has released a report titled “Adolescents, Diets and Nutrition: Growing Well in a Changing World”. The report has been released in association with the NITI Aayog. The report is based on the recently released Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS). The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNSS) is the first ever survey of its kind. The survey has been conducted by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to measure malnutrition. It studied 1.2 lakh children between 2016 and 2018 and measured food consumption, anthropometric data, micronutrients, anemia, iron deficiency and markers of non-communicable diseases.

Explanation: The Index of Industrial Production (IIP) is a composite indicator that measures changes in the volume of production of a basket of industrial products. The index is compiled and published monthly by the Central Statistical Organisation (CSO), Ministry of Statistics and Programme. It is implemented six weeks after the reference month ends, i.e a lag of six weeks. The Base Year of the Index of Eight Core Industries has been revised from the year 2004-05 to 2011-12 from April, 2017.