UPSC 2022: Weekly GK and Current Affairs Quiz Jan 01 - Jan 07

Interconnection Usage Charges (IUC) is a charge paid by the Telecommunication service provider (TSP), whose subscriber makes a call, to the Telecommunication Service Provider, whose subscriber receives the call.

COVID Vaccine Intelligence Network (CoWIN) system is a digitalised platform to be used to effectively roll out and scale up the mechanism for COVID Vaccine Distribution System, nationally. It is a repurposed version of the Electronic Vaccine Intelligence Network (eVIN).

The world heritage site described in the above statements is Konark Sun Temple in Odisha.

• National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is a statutory body established on 12th October 1993 under the Protection of Human Rights Act (PHRA), 1993.
• The chairperson is a retired chief justice of India or a judge of the Supreme Court.
• Chairpersons of National Commission for Minorities, National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Scheduled Tribes and National Commission for Women are the ex-officio members of NHRC.

• The Reserve Bank of India releases the Financial Stability Report (FSR).
• The FSR reflects the collective assessment of the Sub-Committee of the Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) on risks to financial stability, as also the resilience of the financial system.
• The Report also discusses issues relating to the development and regulation of the financial sector.

Rangathittu Bird Sanctuary is in the state of Karnataka. Velavadar Bird Sanctuary is in the state of Gujarat.

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted Resolution 1373 on 28 September 2001 in response to the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11 September 2001.

River Tirekhtyakh flows through Russia, it is a tributary of River Indigirka.

• Hypoglycaemia is a medical condition in which the body has abnormally low levels of blood sugar (glucose).
• Glucagon is a peptide hormone, and plays an important role in maintaining normal blood glucose levels. Glucagon acts mainly on the liver cells (hepatocytes) and stimulates glycogenolysis resulting in increased blood sugar (hyperglycemia).
• Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is a commonly seen sign among Acute encephalitis syndrome (AES patients), and the link has been the subject of research for long.
• The combination of AES with hypoglycaemia is unique to Muzaffarpur, Vietnam and Bangladesh.
• A 2014 study in Muzaffarpur suggested that hypoglycaemia was the trigger that led to the diagnosis of encephalitis.
• So, hypoglycaemia is not a symptom but a sign of AES.

1. Nanjangud banana – Karnataka
2. Virupakshi Hill banana – Tamil Nadu
3. Chengalikodan Nendran banana – Kerala
4. Jalgaon banana – Maharashtra

• Trans fats (TFAs) are a form of unsaturated fat associated with a number of negative health effects.
• Artificial trans fat is created during hydrogenation, which converts liquid vegetable oils into semi-solid partially hydrogenated oil.
• Trans fat can also be found naturally in meat and dairy.
• While saturated fats raise total cholesterol levels; TFAs not only raise total cholesterol levels but also reduce the good cholesterol (HDL).

• The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) was created via executive resolution (based on the recommendations of the Santhanam Committee) in 1964 but was conferred with statutory status in 2003.
• The CVC is not controlled by any Ministry/Department.
• It is an independent body which is only responsible to the Parliament. It submits its report to the President of India.

• Pong Dam Sanctuary is also known as Pong Dam Reservoir or Pong Dam Lake.
• Pong Dam Sanctuary is also a national wetland.
• In 1975, it was created as a result of a dam built across Beas River.
• It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1983.
• It is also a Ramsar site.
• It is located in the Kangra district of the state of Himachal Pradesh.

• The Nandankanan zoo hosts India’s only pangolin conservation breeding centre.
• It is located in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

• Regulation S provides a way for non-US companies to raise capital and for US companies to raise capital outside the U.S.
• A Regulation S offering can issue equity or debt securities.
• These bonds are denominated in U.S. dollars.
• Resident American citizens cannot subscribe to them.

• Known as the “Jewel in the crown of Kashmir” or “Srinagar’s Jewel”, Dal lake is located in the Zabarwan mountain valley.
• It is surrounded by Shankaracharya hills on three sides.
• The lake has four main interconnected basins namely, Hazratbal, Bod dal, Gagribal and Nagin.
• In November 2019, the Jammu and Kashmir government had set up a 10-member committee that would declare Dal Lake an Eco-sensitive Zone, following the concerns over its shrinking size. However, the lake has still not been declared an Eco-Sensitive Zone.

• Global Economic Prospects (GEP) is a World Bank Group flagship report.
• It examines global economic developments and prospects, with a special focus on emerging markets and developing economies.
• It is issued twice a year, in the months of January and June.
  • The January edition includes in-depth analyses of topical policy challenges.
  • The June edition contains shorter analytical pieces.

• Channapatna toys – Karnataka
• Etikoppa Toys and Kondapalli Bommalu (Toys) – Andhra Pradesh
• Sawantwadi toys refer to handmade works of art made of wood in Sawantwadi, a town in the Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra.

• The GCC is a regional grouping of six countries surrounding the Persian Gulf i.e, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
• Its headquarters is located at Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• It is a political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except for Iraq.

• In mid-2020, the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Red List had declared the Indian Skimmer as ‘Endangered’, citing the continuing declining trend in the global matured population of the species, which was estimated to be between 2,450 and 2,900 as per its assessment (July 2020).
• In India, Chambal and Mahanadi river basins are the prime breeding grounds of the bird.
• In December 2020, Indian Skimmer was sighted at the creek on Kakinada coast, which falls in the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds.

The Supreme Court has held that there is no fundamental right to conversion. In the case of Stanislaus vs State of Madhya Pradesh (1977), the court made a clear distinction between the right to propagate one’s religion or faith and the right to convert. The former is guaranteed by Article 25 of the Constitution. Conversion enjoys no such protection.

• Parliamentary committees are mentioned in the Constitution of India.
• The consultative committees which consist of Member of Parliaments are not a part of parliamentary committees, they are distinct in nature.

Know more about the Indian Ocean Commission in the link.

The “Special 301” Report is an annual review of the global state of intellectual property (IP) rights protection and enforcement.

Real GDP (i.e. GDP at constant market prices) and Nominal GDP (i.e. GDP at current market prices) both have steadily increased in the last decade but the growth rate of Real GDP and Nominal GDP has fluctuated and has not increased steadily in the last decade.

• Project ECHO is a revolutionary guided-practice model that reduces health disparities in under-served and remote areas of the state, nation, and world.
• Through innovative tele-mentoring, the ECHO model uses a hub-and-spoke knowledge-sharing approach where expert teams lead virtual clinics, amplifying the capacity for providers to deliver best-in-practice care to the underserved in their own communities.

Please refer to the page on the national aquatic animal of India.

• The DGCA is the regulatory body for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
• The DGCA is responsible for implementing, controlling, and supervising airworthiness standards, safety operations, crew training in India.
• This directorate investigates aviation accidents and incidents.
• Construction, Modification and Management of passenger terminals is the function of the Airports Authority of India (AAI).

• It is a variety of wild silk geographically tagged to the state of Assam.
• The silk is known for its extreme durability and has a natural yellowish-golden tint with a shimmering, glossy texture.