Marrakesh Treaty

Accessibility for disabled people forms the cornerstone of social-justice in any country. On 30th September,2016 , Marrakesh Treaty came into force in which India has played a very significant role.

India's multi-stakeholder approach to providing texts for the blind/print disabled offers an excellent model for other countries to follow.

Let's attempt few questions on this treaty.

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to Marrakesh Treaty?

i) It is an international treaty designed to help deliver specially adaptive texts for the blind/print disabled.
ii) The treaty is administered by World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).
iii) All the countries of the UN have joined this treaty.

a) i and ii only
b) All of the above
c) i and iii only
d) i only

2) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to the role played by India in ensuring the delivery of benefits of this treaty to the print disabled people?

a) India is the first country to ratify this treaty.
b) India has launched nationwide 'Accessible India Campaign' for universal access for people with disabilities.
c) India has launched the largest collection of online accessible books- "Sugamya Pustakalaya".
d) All of the above

Answers

1) a. So far, only 22 countries have joined the Marrakesh Treaty.
2) d

Reference :

1) World Blind Union
2) WIPO

Asylum Management in India

Recently, the leader of Balochistan, Brahamdagh Bugti has made a request for asylum in India which has initiated a debate on asylum management in the country.

The asylum management in India is considered weak in the background of non uniform and unstructured asylum system. As the request for asylum has a foreign policy implication, numerous legal issues regarding domestic and international asylum law deserves consideration.

Let's attempt few questions on this topic

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to asylum management system in India?

a) India has enacted a domestic asylum law in 2003.
b) India is signatory to the UN Refugee Convention of 1951.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Which of the following provisions of 'International Refugee Law' with respect to asylum seekers is/are correct?

a) An asylum seeker needs to be outside his/her own country.
b) An asylum can also be granted to an individual who is involved in crime against humanity, war crimes or serious nonpolitical crimes.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answers

1) d, India does not have a national asylum law.
2) a

Critically Endangered Apes

1) Which of the following species of apes has not been classified as 'Critically Endangered' by the International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources?

a) Western Gorilla
b) Eastern Gorilla
c) Sumatran Orangutan
d) Bornean  Orangutan
e) Chimpanzee

Answer

1) e , Chimpanzee is 'Endangered' under IUCN classification.

1960 Indus Water Treaty : Significance in India-Pakistan Bilateral Relationship

The Indus Water Treaty defines the water-sharing arrangement for six rivers of the Indus basin that flow through both India and Pakistan. The treaty had been instrumental for building confidence between the two countries for the past 56 years.

However, the recent terror attacks in Uri has initiated a debate on revoking this treaty by India. According to the Article 64 of 'Vienna Convention' a country has the sovereign rights to withdraw from a treaty.

Let us attempt few questions on this topic :

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to 1960 Indus Water Treaty?

a) The treaty was signed in Karachi by Indian Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan.
b) Under this treaty, control over the three "eastern" rivers - the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej was given to India and the three "western" rivers- the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum was given to Pakistan. 
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to the rights conferred under the treaty to both the countries for the usage of river waters of the Indus basin?

a) India has full rights over the waters of the eastern rivers - the Beas, Ravi and Sutlej.
b) Unrestricted rights on the western rivers flow-  the Indus, Chenab and Jhelum, has been given to Pakistan.
c) India can use waters of western rivers for "non-consumptive" purpose - irrigation, storage and hydro power production.
d) None of the above.

3) What is the significance of the 1960 Indus Water Treaty in maintaining bilateral relationship between the two countries?

a) Regular meeting of Indus Commissioner of both the countries facilitate exchange of information and settlement of minor disputes.
b) Honoring water sharing arrangements under the treaty build trust with other countries as well.
c) The treaty help in stabilizing the Jammu and Kashmir issue as far as sharing of river waters is concerned.
d) All of the above

4) Consider the following statements:

i) Right to non-consumptive use.
ii) Rights of drainage issues and river conservation aspects.
iii) Mandatory prevention of pollution of the rivers.

Which of the above statements is/are the 'limits' in using the 1960 Indus Water Treaty - for both the countries?

a) i , ii and ii
b) i and ii only
c) i and iii only
d) i only

Answers

1) b, The treaty was signed in Karachi by Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and President of Pakistan Ayub Khan.
2) d
3) d, A Permanent Indus Commission was established to implement the Treaty.
4) a

Indo-France Rafale Fighters Deal

1) " The signing of the Inter-Governmental Agreement between India and France for 36 Rafale multirole fighter jets will going to augment the capability of Indian Air Force". Which of the following options is/are correct with regard to the above statement?

a) Rafale fighters have beyond visual range Meteor air-to-air missile with a range in excess of 150 km.
b) France will carry out performance based logistics support of all these fighters.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answers

1) c

Merger of Rail and General Budget in India

1) Recently, the government of India has decided to end the 92 year old practice of a Separate Railway budget by merging it with General budget. Which of the following is/are the implications of this move?

a) There will be a single Appropriations Bill, including the estimates of the Railways Ministry.
b) The revenue deficit of the Railways will be handled by the Railway Ministry only.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Which of the following is/are the reported reasons for this merger?

a) To prevent the misuse of budget as populist measure by politicians.
b) To save huge sum of annual dividend payment to the Government of India by the Indian Railways.
c) To overcome the progressive reduction of the Railway's share in the General Budget,over the years.
d) All of the above

Answer

1) a , The revenue deficit of the Railways will be handled by the Finance Ministry after the merger.
2) d, After the merger, Indian Railways need not to pay the annual dividend payment to the Government of India on the budgetary support given each year, saving the financially stressed Railways about Rs 10,000 crore annually.

Reference : The Hindu

'Fidayeen Attacks' on Indian territory

1) In the current year, India has faced 3 fidayeen attacks on its territory, including the September 19 attack on the army base in Uri. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding 'fidayeen attacks'?

a) The mantra of this doctrine is 'shoot to kill'.
b) Such attacks are common in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
c) The current attacks have been led by an anti state outfit, Jaish-e-Mohammmed (JeM).
d) All of the above

2) Which of the following statements is incorrect regarding the anti-state outfit Jaish-e-Mohammmed (JeM)?

a) It is banned by India under the POTA law.
b) It was launched on January 31, 2000 by Maulana Masood Azhar in Karachi.
c) It has largely confined its operations to Balochistan.
d) It has adopted its trademark style of fidayeen attacks.

Answer

1) d
2) c, It has largely confined its operations to Jammu and Kashmir.

India and the G-20

1) Which of the following concerns was not explicitly raised by India in 2016 G-20 Summit?

a) Terrorism, of all forms and manifestations.
b) Corruption and cross-border tax evasion.
c) China's foreign policy in South-China sea.
d) Harsh deadlines on phasing out fuel subsidies on the issue of climate change.

2) The 2016 G-20 Summit was held in Hangzhou, China. The city is the headquarter of which of the following companies?

a) Alibaba
b) Baidu
c) xiaomi
d) Huawei

3) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to G-20?

a) It is a forum of the Heads of Governments of 19 major economies and the European Union.
b) Its meetings and declarations have a legal standing.
c) G-20 member states represents 85% of the world's GDP.
d) India will host G-20 Summit in 2019.

4) India has sought to achieve which of the following goals through the G-20 platform?

a) Effective financial governance.
b) International cooperation against rising terrorism.
c) Climate justice.
d) All of the above

Answers

1) c
2) a , G-20 members talked about the power of internet, its fair play and e-commerce in the summit.
3) b
4) d

India's Regional Outreach : Foreign Policy Initiatives

1) Which of the following is the theme for 2016 BRICS Summit to be held on October 15-16 in India?

a) Faster, Sustainable and More Inclusive Growth.
b) Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions.
c) One World, One Future.
d) None of the above

2) India has chosen to host the leaders of which of the following groups for the upcoming BRICS summit?

a) SAARC
b) ASEAN
c) BIMSTEC
d) Eurasian Economic Union

3) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to BIMSTEC ?

a) It is a Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
b) India and China are its members.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

4) Which of the following initiatives of BRICS has/have been operationalized?

a) New Development Bank
b) BRICS Credit Rating Agency
c) BRICS Free Trade Agreement
d) All of the above

5) Which of the following statements with respect to Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is/are correct?

a) It is a platform for India's exclusive engagement with the countries of Indo-China.
b) It fits in well with the logic of India's Act East Policy.
c) Its members are : Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Myanmar.
d) All of the above

Answer

1) b
2) c
3) a, Its members are : India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and Thailand.
4) a, Other two are at the conceptualization stage.
5) d

Indo-Nepal Ties

1) Which of the following developmental projects have been undertaken by India in Nepal?

a) 5600 MW Pancheshwar multipurpose dam project.
b) Upper Karnali dam project.
c) 600km stretch of Postal Highway or Hulaki Rajmarg
d) All of the above.

2) Lately, India has announced $1 billion in aid to Nepal. The aid has been provided for which of the following purposes?

a) Affordable housing
b) Post earthquake reconstruction
c) Indo-Nepal friendship road
d) None of the above

Answers

1) d
2) b

Non Aligned Movement : 17th Summit, 2016

1) The 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is taking place in which of the following countries?

a) Cuba
b) Egypt
c) Venezuela
d) India

2) NAM was formed in 1961, at the initiative of which of the following countries?

a) Egypt, Cuba and Venezuela.
b) Egypt, India and Yugoslavia
c) U.S. , Britain and France.
d) Japan, Italy and Germany.

3) The guiding principle of NAM can be best summarized through which of the following policies?

a) Multilateralism
b) Isolationism
c) Neutrality
d) All of the above

4) Over the course of past 60 years, the NAM has seen an erosion of its authority. Which of the following factors can be attributed for this erosion?

a) Collapse of Soviet Union and end of cold war.
b) Dilution of economic ambitions of NAM states after the third world debt crisis of 1980s.
c) Emergence of United States as a global power.
d) All of the above

5) The next president of NAM after Venezuela will be :

a) Cuba
b) India
c) Azerbaijan
d) Iran

6) The joint statement issued by members of the NAM, in the current summit, reflects their concerns to which of the following issues?

a) U.S. interventionism around the world.
b) Violence in Syria, Iraq and the Palestinian Territories.
c) Unilateral sanctions on Venezuela and lack of people's right to peace.
d) All of the above

7) In the 17th Summit of NAM, the U.S. foreign policies have been condemned of being interventionist and neocolonialist. Which of the following events led to this perception among the members?

a) Anti terrorist operations by a U.S. led coalition in Syria.
b) Unfavorable economic sanctions on Syria and Venezuela.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answers

1) c , The 17th Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) is taking place in Margarita, Venezuela starting from September 13th till 18th of the month.
2) b, The NAM currently has 120 members.
3) a
4) d
5) c
6) d
7) c

Reference : Ministry of External Affairs (India)

THAAD

1) What is THAAD?

a) Nuclear project of North Korea.
b) China's infrastructure project in Eurasian region.
c) U.S. missile defence system to be deployed in South Korea.
d) India's maritime security project in Indian Ocean Region.

Answers

1) c

The Nuclear Muscle of North Korea

1) Recently, the North Korea conducted its fifth nuclear test which has escalated tensions across the world. Which of the following statements is/are correct in this regard?

a) The test had an estimated yield of 10-20 kt.
b) The test had a magnitude of tremor or the energy yield of 5.3 .
b) The country has also demonstrated the technology of miniaturizing nuclear weapons to the point of attaching them to ballistic missile.
d) All of the above

Answers

1) d

U.S. Russia Agreement on a Ceasefire in Syria

1) Which of the following statements is/are incorrect with respect to U.S.-Russia agreement on a ceasefire in Syria?

a) The agreement leads to a U.S. - Russian counter terrorism alliance to fight against IS and al-Qaeda linked militants in Syria.
b) The agreement is based on mechanism of intelligence sharing and targeting coordination.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Recently, an agreement has been reached between Russia and the United States in Geneva on a ceasefire in Syria. Consider the following statements :

i) Under this agreement, Russia will prevent the regime of President Bashar al-Assad from bombing rebel-held areas.

ii)  Under this agreement, U.S. will join hands with Russia in the fight against jihadist groups, including the Islamic State.

Which of the above statements is/are correct with respect to the agreement?

a) i only
b) Both i and ii
c) ii only
d) Neither i nor ii

3) U.S.-Russia agreement on a ceasefire in Syria is based on the broad framework of 'Putin Plan', made public a year ago. Which of the following was sought by Russia through this plan?

a) Syrian Statehood be restored.
b) International cooperation of major powers in the fight against the jihadists.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answer

1) d
2) b
3) c

Malaria Free

1) Which of the following countries has recently been declared "Malaria Free" by the World Health Organization (WHO)?

a) India
b) Argentina
c) Sri Lanka
d) Bangladesh

2) What steps have been taken by the authorities in Sri Lanka to eradicate malaria completely from their country?

a) Two pronged strategy of targeting both vector and parasite.
b) Early detection and treatment of asymptomatic parasite carrier.
c) Real time monitoring through effective surveillance system, community awareness and mobilization.
d) All of the above

Answers

1) c
2) d

Reference: Sri Lanka conquers malaria

United States Flag Code

1) With respect to the recent controversy over the American footballer Colin Kaepernick, who refused to stand as the American national anthem played before the beginning of the game,  which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the U.S. Flag Code?

When the national anthem is played or sung with flag on display:

a) All non-armed forces personnel and non-veterans "should face the flag and stand at attention with their right hand over the heart".
b) Persons wearing a head dress to take it off with their right hand and hold it at their left shoulder.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to the United States Flag Code?

a) The flag can not be a part of " wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery".
b) It is illegal to burn the flag.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

Answers

1) c
2) b, It is not illegal to burn the flag. In 1990, the Supreme Court overturned a federal law against its desecration, ruling that it violated the First Amendment on freedom of speech.

Sherpa at the International Summits

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to a 'Sherpa' appointed by the member country at international Summits?

a) A Sherpa is a personal representative of the leader of a member country at the international Summit meetings.
b) The Sherpa engages in planning, negotiation and implementation task through the summit.
c) There is only one Sherpa per summit for each member country.
d) All of the above

2) Who of the following was appointed as the India's Sherpa at the G20 Summit,2016 ?

a) Mr. Urjit Patel
b) Mr. Arvind Panagariya
c) Mr. Bibek Debroy
d) Mr. Raghuram Rajan

Answers

1) d
2) b, He is NITI Aayog's Vice Chairman

LEMOA Signed Between India and the United States

LEMOA is a facilitating agreement that establishes basic terms, conditions, and procedures for reciprocal provision of Logistic Support, Supplies, and Services between the armed forces of India and the United States.

1) Which of the following statements is/are correct with respect to recently concluded Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) between India and the United States?

a) The agreement puts an automatic approval process in place for the two militaries to share each other’s bases for various operations.
b) The agreement will enhance the military capability of both the countries.
c) Both a and b
d) Neither a nor b

2) Which of the following statements is not one of the objectives of the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) recently signed between India and the United States?

a) To facilitate setting up of U.S. bases in India and mandatory carrying out joint activities.
b) To promote interoperability between militaries by creating common standards and systems.
c) To speed up humanitarian relief operations and emergency evacuation from conflict prone regions.
d) To smoothen operational logistics between navies of the two countries.

3) Which of the following statements correctly manifests the significance of LEMOA to India?

a) It will enhance the operational capacity of the Indian Armed Forces, including in their response to humanitarian crises or disaster relief. 
b) It will strengthens India’s outreach to areas that were not typically within its reach. 
c) It will strengthen the India-US strategic ties. 
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) c
2) a
3) d

Reference : The Hindu Newspaper, The PIB , The Hindu Newspaper (2)

Saint Teresa

Mother Teresa has been declared a saint on September 4, 2016

1) Along with Saint Teresa, who of the following catholic saints is/are from India?

a) Saint Alphonsa
b) Saint Kuriakose Elias Chavara
c) Saint Euphrasia Eluvathingal
d) All of the above

2) Which of the following statements is incorrect with respect to Saint Teresa?

a) She was awarded Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for public service.
b) She founded the Missionaries of Charity on October 7,1950.
c) She was awarded Bharat Ratna, the highest Indian civilian award in 2003.
d) She was awarded Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award in 1985.

Answers

1) d
2) c

Indian Healthcare Sector

1) In India, affordability of healthcare is a serious problem for the vast majority of the population than the accessibility of that. In the light of above statement consider the following options :

i) Individual's out-of-pocket expenditure is 69% of the total health expenditure in India.
ii) Total healthcare expenditure on private hospitals is 8 times of that spent on government hospitals in India.
iii) According to recent estimates total healthcare expenditure of India is 4% of GDP.
iv) Public expenditure on healthcare has recently increased to 2.5% of GDP in India.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

a) All of the above
b) i, iii and iv
c) i, ii and iii
d) ii, iii and iv

Answers:

1) c, Public expenditure on healthcare is meager 1% of GDP in India.

G20 Summit - 2016

1) The G20 Summit-2016 will be held in which of the following places in China?

a) Beijing
b) Hangzhou
c) Shanghai
d) None of the above

2) The G20 Summit plans to lay out strategy for global growth in form of Hangzhou Action Plan. Which of the following could be the component/components of the plan?

a) Tax transparency.
b) Financial regulation.
c) Sustainable global growth.
d) All of the above.

Answers

1) b
2) d

Brazilian Senate Impeaches the President

1) Recently, the president of Brazil  Ms. Dilma Rouseff has been impeached following a Senate impeachment vote. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect in context of Ms. Dilma Rouseff ?

a) She belongs to the Workers Party (PT).
b) She held the position as Brazil's first woman President.
c) She has been charged with a penal crime of violating budgetary law.
d) The 13 years of Leftist rule in the country ended with her impeachment.

2) Who will assume the presidency of the interim government in Brazil?

Answers

1) c, She has been charged with an administrative crime of violating budgetary law and the constitution.
2) Mr. Michel Tremer