World Accreditation Day 2025

Context: The Quality Council of India (QCI) celebrated World Accreditation Day 2025 at the India Habitat Centre, New Delhi.

Key Highlights of the Day

• Launch of the NABL Portal: A new digital platform was introduced to simplify accreditation processes, especially for laboratories and MSMEs.

• Gunvatta Samarpan Initiative:. 

• It encourages organizations to publicly pledge their commitment to accredited quality standards, fostering a culture of excellence across industries.

About World Accreditation Day 2025

• It is a global level initiative by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) and the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC). 

• Background: First observed in 2008, promoting global recognition of test, inspection, and certification results from accredited bodies.

• 2025 theme: “Accreditation: Empowering Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs)

• • • The day focused on how accreditation helps MSMEs in increasing competitiveness, building credibility through certification, testing, inspection, and validation services. 

• Objective: Raise awareness about the accreditation in ensuing quality, safety, and reliability in various industries. 

• Accreditation is an official approval  that an organization is Competent and follows best practices. 

• It builds trust and credibility across sectors and borders by confirming quality.

The Quality Council of India (QCI)

• It is an autonomous body to promote quality standards across various sectors in India. 
• Establishment: set up in 1997 as a public-private partnership.  

Operates under: Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

India’s 1st E-Waste Eco Park

Context:

India’s first e-waste Eco Park will be established at Holambi Kalan, Delhi.

About the E-Waste Facility:

• • The e-waste Eco Park will be a cutting-edge facility capable of processing up to 51,000 metric tonnes of e-waste each year.
  • The park will cover all 106 categories of E waste outlined in the E-Waste Management Rules, 2022.
  • Implementing Agency: The Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC)
  • Model: It will be developed using a DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate, Transfer) model under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.

• Significance:

• • The park will manage nearly 25 per cent of Delhi’s e-waste. (Delhi contributes nearly 9.5 per cent of India’s total e waste).
  • Green Revenue: The park will foster an ecosystem for recycling, recovery, and responsible waste management.
  • Formalise Waste Sector: The Park will create green jobs and empower local dismantlers, recyclers, and refurbishers.
  • Recovery: Scientific waste management will enable recovery of valuable resources like copper, lithium, and rare earth metals.

About Eco Park: 

An eco park is a green space, either urban or natural, designed with sustainability and responsible tourism in mind, often including environmental education, community interaction, and recreational areas.

Real-World Effectiveness of Weight-Loss Drugs

Context: A recent study published  in ‘Obesity’ found that Semaglutide (marketed as Ozempic/Wegovy) and Tirzepatide (marketed as Mounjaro/Zepbound) led to less weight loss in real-world use than in clinical trials.

• These drugs are FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes and chronic weight management and are now available in India.

About Weight Loss Drugs:

• Weight loss drugs are pharmacological agents used to aid in obesity management by reducing appetite, increasing satiety, slowing gastric emptying, or modifying metabolism. Example: Ozempic, Munjaro etc.
• Clinical studies show up to 18% body weight reduction in obese or overweight individuals.

Key Findings Of The Study Published In ‘Obesity’:

• Cause of Less Effectiveness In Real World: Many patients discontinue treatment early (within 3 months) or take lower maintenance doses because of cost, side effects, or lack of medical follow-up.

• These Drugs are expected to cost around Rs 15,000 a month. Long-term use would be a drain on the resources.

• Effective Only When Used: Drugs are effective only while being taken, similar to statins, BP or diabetes meds.

Factors for Higher Weight Loss (≥10%): Continued treatment (or late discontinuation of 3–12 months), Higher maintenance dosage, Use of tirzepatide over semaglutide, Female gender over male.

NTPC Ties Up with SEforALL for Energy Transition Roadmap

Context: NTPC Ltd has signed an agreement with Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) to develop a comprehensive energy transition roadmap.

About Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL):

• Sustainable Energy for All is an independent organization, hosted by UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services), with a global mandate to accelerate progress on the energy transition in emerging and developing countries. 

• For achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 7, which calls for universal access to sustainable energy by 2030.

About NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation) : NTPC is a public sector enterprise that generates and distributes electricity across India.

The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC)

Context:

The FSDC in its 29th meeting examined various ways to enhance the cyber resilience framework of the Indian financial sector through a financial sector-specific cybersecurity strategy

About The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC):

• • Established: The FSDC was constituted through a GOI notification in 2010.

• Proposed By: The Raghuram Rajan committee (2008) on financial sector reforms first proposed the creation of FSDC.

• Nodal  Ministry: Ministry of Finance

• Chairman:  The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister
• Members: Its members include,
  • RBI Governor; Finance Secretary or Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs; Secretary, Department of Financial Services; Chief Economic Adviser; SEBI Chairman; IRDA Chairman and PFRDA Chairman.
• Agenda: The Council deals with issues relating to,
  • Financial stability, financial sector development, inter–regulatory coordination, financial literacy, financial inclusion and the functioning of large financial conglomerates.

About The FSDC Sub-committee: 

• • Chairman: It has been set up under the chairmanship of Governor, RBI. 

• Secretariat for the Sub-committee: Financial Stability Unit (FSU) of RBI 

• Members: All the members of the FSDC are also the members of the Sub-committee plus,

All four Deputy Governors of the RBI and Additional Secretary, DEA, in charge of FSDC, are also members of the Sub Committee.

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