[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2021: Insights Current Affairs Quiz , 07 April 2022 – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: a)

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) has announced an annual change of 10.76% in the Wholesale Price Index (WPI), which could translate into the steepest price increases in years for over 800 scheduled drugs and medical devices in the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM).

Every year, the authority announces the WPI change in accordance with The Drugs (Price Control) Order, 2013, or DPCO, 2013.

As per the price control order, the NPPA is empowered to fix the ceiling price of essential medicines and medical devices — 886 in number currently.

The order also provides for a WPI-based price change every year that pharmaceutical companies are allowed to implement.

As per this provision, the NPPA declares the WPI change every year.

Source

Solution: c)

Supercomputers are used for a wide range of computationally intensive tasks in various fields, including quantum mechanics, weather forecasting, flood prediction, climate research, oil and gas exploration, genomics and drug discovery.

Solution: b)

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natural resources. It is involved in data gathering and analysis, research, field projects, advocacy, and education. IUCN’s mission is to “influence, encourage and assist societies throughout the world to conserve nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable”.

Over the past decades, IUCN has widened its focus beyond conservation ecology and now incorporates issues related to sustainable development in its projects. IUCN does not itself aim to mobilize the public in support of nature conservation. It tries to influence the actions of governments, business and other stakeholders by providing information and advice, and through building partnerships.

The organization is best known to the wider public for compiling and publishing the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which assesses the conservation status of species worldwide.

IUCN has observer and consultative status at the United Nations and plays a role in the implementation of several international conventions on nature conservation and biodiversity. It was involved in establishing the World Wide Fund for Nature and the World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Solution: d)

Which medicines and devices are included in the NLEM?

Some of the most common drugs and medical devices, including paracetamol tablets, azithromycin tablets, oral rehydration salts, glucose injections, contraceptives like copper IUDs, condoms, insulin injections, Vitamin C tablets, and multivitamin tablets, are in the NLEM.

Source

Solution: b)

The procurement policy of Government of India (GOI) is open ended, under which paddy and wheat offered by farmers all over the country within the stipulated period (conforming to specifications prescribed in advance by GOI) are purchased for Central Pool at Minimum Support Price (MSP) by Food Corporation of India (FCI)/State Governments/State Government Agencies to help farmers get remunerative price and prevent distress sell.  

However, if any producer/farmer gets better price in comparison to MSP, he/she is free to sell his/her produce in open market. Coarse grains are procured at MSP by State Government as per the procurement plan prepared in consultation with FCI and approved by the Central Government.