UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Amazon rainfaorests, Sabina Shoal and more (Week 70)

1. India kept its options open on the question of refugees and the government can declare any set of refugees as illegal immigrants.

2. India is a signatory to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees.

3. Cox’s Bazaar is the biggest refugee camp in the world.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, is expected to stay in India for some time after her ambitions to visit the United Kingdom were thwarted by a “technical roadblock.”

— Despite the lack of an official refugee policy, India has opted to allow her to stay.

— According to the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees and the subsequent 1967 Protocol, a refugee is anyone who is outside their country of origin and is unable or unwilling to return due to a well-founded fear of persecution because of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion.

— According to the UN, the Rohingya fled following Myanmar’s military crackdown in Rakhine state in 2017, resulting in the world’s worst refugee crisis. Cox’s Bazaar, in Bangladesh, is the world’s largest refugee camp today. Myanmar asserts that the Rohingya, who are mostly Muslims, are illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— India has already welcomed refugees, with approximately 300,000 persons identified as such. This comprises Tibetans, Chakmas from Bangladesh, and refugees from Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, among others. However, India is not a signatory to either the 1951 UN Convention or the 1967 Protocol. India does not have a refugee policy or a refugee statute. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The government can declare any group of refugees as illegal immigrants, as it did with the Rohingya despite UNHCR verification, and treat them as trespassers under the Foreigners Act or the Indian Passport Act. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Which of the following countries are covered under the Amazon rainforests?

1. Brazil

2. Venezuela

3. Peru

4. Argentina

5. French Guiana

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 5 only

Explanation

— According to government data, deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest increased in July for the first time in 15 months, reversing a trend of decreasing devastation under President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

— According to preliminary data released by the Environment and Science Ministries, around 666 square kilometres (257 square miles) of jungle were cleared in July, which is 33% more than the 500 square kilometres (193 square miles) cleared in July 2023.

— Deforestation in the Amazon, which encompasses approximately 40% of South America, is typically associated with agricultural growth and illegal mining.

— Other causes include an Amazon drought, this year’s municipal elections, and the environmental workers’ strike, which began in June, according to Brazilian Vice Minister for Environment Joao Capobianco.

— The Amazon rainforest spans nine countries: Brazil, Suriname, Peru, Venezuela, Colombia, French Guiana, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Guyana.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The region ‘Carolina’ was in news due to the landfall of tropical storm Debby. It is located in:

(a) Yemen

(b) United States

(c) Canada

(d) Philippines

Explanation

— Tropical Storm Debby made its second landfall early Thursday, northeast of Charleston, South Carolina. The storm has raised concerns about flash floods in South and North Carolina.

— On Monday, Debby made landfall as a Category 1 storm in Florida’s Gulf Coast. It then travelled through northern Florida and Georgia before reaching the Atlantic Coast.

— The National Hurricane Centre warned that Debby could dump another 3 inches of rain on sections of eastern South Carolina.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

In which of the following countries, children are at risk of dying due to famine?

(a) Sudan

(b) Ghana

(c) Côte d’Ivoire

(d) Burkina Faso

Explanation

— Malnourished children in a famine-stricken camp for war-displaced people in Sudan’s western Darfur region are at risk of death, according to one charity organisation, which was obliged to restrict malnutrition treatment due to a blockade enforced by a renowned paramilitary group.

— According to Doctors Without Borders, the Rapid Support Forces, which have besieged al-Fasher city as part of their war against the Sudanese military, have stopped three trucks carrying lifesaving medical supplies, including therapeutic food, for the city and the nearby Zamzam camp, where famine was declared last week.

— The violence has killed thousands of people and driven millions to hunger. It caused the world’s worst displacement catastrophe, with over 10 million people having to evacuate their homes since April 2023, according to the UN migration agency.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Sabina Shoal was recently in news. It is located in:

(a) Bay of Bengal

(b) Indian Ocean

(c) Black Sea

(d) South China Sea

Explanation

— China’s coast guard said it was watching Philippine patrol and fishing vessels that had congregated near the disputed Sabina Shoal, claiming China’s “indisputable sovereignty” over the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.

— The Chinese coast guard reaffirmed that the stranded ship “violates” China’s territorial sovereignty, maritime rights, and interests, as well as “undermines” peace and stability in the South China Sea.

— Sabina Shoal is also known as Xianbin Reef in China, and Escoda Shoal in the Philippines.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 70)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 70)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 69)

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