Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 18.05.22

Q1. Which of the following are part of COVID-19 vaccination implementation network/system in India?

1. Universal Immunization Program (UIP) cold chain infrastructure
2. Co-WIN Application
3. eVIN Application

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (d)

Explanation:

Improving cold chain systems

• Robust cold chain systems are an investment in India’s future pandemic preparedness
• The pandemic reminded us that vaccines alone do not save lives, vaccination While we have, over the years, set up a strong service delivery network, the pandemic showed us that there were weak links in the chain, especially in the cold chain, which needs to be robust and seamless.

Cold chain management

1. The success of any sustainable vaccination programme relies on many A key factor is cold chain management because when this fails, the potency or effectiveness of the vaccine is wasted.
2. Nearly half the vaccines distributed around the world go to waste, in large part due to a failure to properly control storage temperatures.
3. In India, close to 20% of temperature-sensitive healthcare products arrive damaged or degraded because of broken or insufficient cold chains, including a quarter of Wastage has cost implications and can delay the achievement of immunisation targets.

Universal Immunization Program

1. Here, India has strong foundations to build upon. India’s UIP comprises upwards of 27,000 functional cold chain points of which 750 (3%) are located at the district level and above; the remaining 95% are located below the district level.
2. The COVID-19 vaccination efforts relied on the cold chain infrastructure established under the UIP to cover 87 crore people with two doses of the vaccine and over 100 crore with at least a single dose.

Co-WIN and eVIN:

1. This effort was supported by the government’s cloud-based digital platform Co-WIN, which helps to facilitate registration, immunisations and appointments, and issues digital vaccine certificates, highlighting the benefits of digitisation.
2. The Health Ministry has been digitising the vaccine supply chain network in recent years through the use of cloud technology, such as with the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN).
3. Developed with support from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and implemented by the UN Development Programme through a smartphone-based app, the platform digitises information on vaccine stocks and temperatures across the This supports healthcare workers in the last mile in supervising and maintaining the efficiency of the vaccine cold chain.

Q2. Which of the following statements are correct?

1. WPI include all indirect taxes
2. CPI covers housing and services as well
3. CPI-Industrial workers is used for inflation indexation of wages and salaries

Select the correct answer from the codes given below

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (b)

Explanation:

1. Inflation in wholesale prices quickened to 15.1% in April 2022, the fastest pace in the current data series, driven largely by a spike in fuel and food prices, especially of perishables such as fruits, vegetables and The rate was 14.5% in March.
2. The previous inflation record in the current series of the Wholesale Price Index using 2011-12 as base year was 9% in November 2021. There was negligible base effect at work as wholesale price inflation stood at 10.7% last April.

Q3. Consider the following statements about 5Gi

1. 5Gi is basically a Made in India 5G standard created through a joint collaboration between IIT Hyderabad and Madras
2. The 5Gi networks work on lower bands on the spectrum, the idea being to offer a wider coverage area with every 5G transmitter
3. Experts say that using the 5Gi standard will allow telcos in the country to widen the 5G connectivity net to villages

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 1 and 3 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (d)

Explanation

1. India plans to launch 6G (or sixth generation) telecom services by the end of this decade and a task force has started working in that direction, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, underscoring the importance of faster and efficient technology in accelerating development and employment generation.
2. PM was inaugurating the self-made 5G Test Bed at the silver jubilee celebrations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).
3. The Test Bed is an important step toward self-reliance in critical and modern technology in the telecom The country’s own 5G standard has been made in the form of 5Gi. It is a matter of great pride for the country.

What really is 5Gi?

1. The basic difference between 5Gi and the global 5G standards is that the former is designed to work on bands lower than the range of 5G bands otherwise.
2. The global range standards for 5G networks are between 700MHz and 52,000MHz, there may be some sacrifice of range of connectivity at higher bands.
3. These are further divided into low frequency brackets (less than 1GHz bands), medium frequency (1GHz to 6GHz bands) and high frequency (greater than 6GHz bands). India, like most 5G ready countries and mobile networks, is most active with tests in the medium frequency range.
4. Mobile service providers in India have regularly referred to the 8GHz and 2.1GHz bands for coverage here. The 5Gi networks work on lower bands on the spectrum, the idea being to offer a wider coverage area with every 5G transmitter.

Made in India:

1. 5Gi is basically a Made in India 5G standard created through a joint collaboration between IIT Hyderabad and Madras (Chennai). The network standard has already got the nod from the International Communication Union (ITU).
2. Reports say that 5Gi will operate on the same bands and spectrum as the regular 5G In fact, many say that 5Gi uses millimeter wave technology to provide high-speed internet connectivity.
3. 5Gi offers more range at a lower frequency, which is the opposite of 5G. The latter works between the 700 MHz to 52,000 MHz bands and sacrifices on range. Theoretically, 5Gi can work with lower-end spectrum bands, which would make it more cost-effective.

Benefits of 5Gi

1. Experts say that using the 5Gi standard will allow telcos in the country to widen the 5G connectivity net to villages. It is also said to be cost-effective as a technology, which can be beneficial if implemented at a large scale by the operators in the country.
2. The rural network has always lagged behind the urban setup, but 5Gi can make sure there is no lag between the advancement of 5Gi in cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and rural parts of the Not only does 5Gi promise fast internet connectivity but also helps in improving mobile coverage.

Q4. As per Biological Diversity Act, 2002, the People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR) is to be made by

1. The National Biodiversity Authority
2. State Biodiversity Boards
3. The Biodiversity Management Committees (BMC)
4. National Board for Wildlife (NBWL)

Answer (c)

Explanation

People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR)

As per Biological Diversity Act, 2002, one of the main functions of the Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) is to prepare People’s Biodiversity Register in which the biological diversity including preservation of habitats, conservation of land races, folk varieties & cultivars, domesticated stocks and breeds of animals and micro-organisms and chronicling of knowledge relating to biological diversity of the area is documented.