UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Saipan, European Union, ICC and more (Week 64)

1. Genocide

2. Crimes against humanity

3. War crimes

4. Crime of aggression

How many of the above are under the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC)?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

The place ‘Saipan’ was recently in the news. It is located in:

(a) Pacific Ocean

(b) Atlantic Ocean

(c) South China Sea

(d) Indian Ocean

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.

Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d’etat in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II in correct

QUESTION 4

Statement-I: The European Parliament approved The Net-Zero Industry Act recently.

Statement-II: The European Union intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and therefore aims to develop all of its own clean technology by that time.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements? (UPSC 2024)

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-I Statement-II explains

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

QUESTION 5

Consider the following pairs:

(Place in news)         (Location)

1. Lima                          Bolivia

2. Sumy                        Ukraine

3. Chebaa                     Syria

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (d)

FYI:

— The International Criminal Court (ICC) found a jihadist affiliated to al-Qaeda guilty of war crimes and crimes against humanity during his purported reign of terror in Mali.

— The ICC’s founding instrument, known as the Rome Statute, allows it jurisdiction over four major crimes:

— The crime of genocide is distinguished by the specific intent to destroy in whole or in part a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group by killing its members or inflicting substantial bodily or mental harm on members of the group.

— The International Criminal Court (ICC) can pursue crimes against humanity, which are significant violations committed as part of a large-scale attack on a civilian population.

— War crimes are serious violations of the Geneva Conventions in the context of armed conflict, such as the use of child soldiers, the killing or torture of civilians or prisoners of war, and the intentional targeting of hospitals, historic monuments, or buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science, or charitable purposes.

— Crime of aggression: It is the use of armed force by a State against the sovereignty, integrity or independence of another State.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.icc-cpi.int)

2. (a)

FYI:

— The tropical Pacific island of Saipan will soon host the final act of Julian Assange’s 14-year legal odyssey.

— Assange is en route to a courtroom on the island where he is expected to plead guilty to a single criminal charge in a plea deal that will see him walk free and return home to Australia.

— Saipan is the capital of the Northern Mariana Islands (NMI), a US commonwealth in the western Pacific which begins roughly 70 km (44 miles) north of Guam and stretches across 14 islands.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

3. (a)

FYI:

— At least 185 people have been killed and 1,800 more, including fighters, have been injured in Khartoum, Sudan’s capital, since violent fighting broke out between the country’s army and paramilitary forces.

— Clashes broke out following weeks of increased tensions between the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a paramilitary force led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo — commonly known as Hemedti — and the military, led by Lt Gen Abdel Fattah al-Burhan. The two generals disagree on the intended transition to civilian government in Sudan.

— There is now no regional agreement on how to end the violence, making things more difficult. The Horn of Africa region lacks a working collective security mechanism among bordering countries. Security is frequently organised against one another.

— Sudan sits at the crossroads of several regions, including North Africa, the Sahel, East Africa, the Horn of Africa, and the Arabian Gulf.

Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

4. (c)

FYI:

— The European Union’s governments have formally approved a new rule that would ensure the EU produces 40% of its solar panels, wind turbines, heat pumps, and other clean tech equipment, as well as assist European industry compete with US and Chinese rivals.

— The Net Zero Industry Act (NZIA) will take effect next month or early July after being signed by the presidents of the European Parliament and Council and published in the EU’s official journal. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The legislation is a cornerstone of the EU’s efforts to become not just a global leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, but also in manufacturing the necessary technology.

— The union has set a 2030 aim of generating 40% of the items required to minimise greenhouse gas emissions. The EU also aims to account for 15% of worldwide production of these technologies by 2040.

— The EU intends to be climate-neutral by 2050, which means having no net greenhouse gas emissions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: climate.ec.europa.eu)

5. (a)

FYI:

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 64)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 64)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 64)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 64)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 63)

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