UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on the International Relations Quiz to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Weekly Current Affairs. 🚨 The Indian Express UPSC Essentials brings to you the August edition of its monthly magazine. Click Here to read. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨 QUESTION 1 St Martin’s Island was recently in the news. Consider the following statements about St Martin’s Island: 1. It is located in the region of the Bay of Bengal. 2. The Island is close to the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar. 3. It is the only coral island in Bangladesh. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 2 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Explanation — Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, said that a recent “resignation” statement, allegedly published by a newspaper, attributed to her mother was “completely false and fabricated”. According to the alleged statement, Hasina said she could have continued to remain in power if she had given Bangladesh’s “St Martin’s Island and Bay of Bengal" to America. — The island is located in the northeastern part of the Bay of Bengal, near the boundary between Bangladesh and Myanmar. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct. — It is nine kilometres from the southernmost point of Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar-Teknaf peninsula. It is Bangladesh's only coral island, with reefs stretching 10-15 km to the west-northwest. It also serves as a breeding site for sea turtles. Hence, statement 3 is correct. — The island was previously part of the Teknaf peninsula (around 5,000 years ago), but it progressively sank into the sea. The southern suburbs of present-day St Martin's Island resurfaced some 450 years ago, with the northern and rest of the island rising above sea level during the next 100 years, according to The Daily Sun. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. QUESTION 2 Which of the following statements are correct about the Panama Canal? 1. It saves approximately 12,600 km in a trip between New York and San Francisco. 2. Lake Superior acts as the artificial reservoir of the Panama Canal system. 3. The Panama Canal system uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other. 4. The canal connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Mediterranean Sea. Select the correct answer using the codes given below: (a) 1 and 3 only (b) 2, 3 and 4 only (c) 1, 3 and 4 only (d) 2 and 3 only Explanation — The 82-km canal, which remains one of the greatest feats of engineering in history, is a shortcut for ships travelling between the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans by cutting through the Isthmus of Panama in Central America. Hence, statement 4 is not correct. — It saves approximately 12,600 km in a trip between New York and San Francisco, and is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct. — In December of last year, the average number of ships passing through the canal each day decreased to as low as 22, with over 160 ships anchored on both sides of the waterway. Previously, an average of 36 to 38 ships passed through the canal daily. This is because of the drought-related decline in Lake Gatun's water levels, an artificial reservoir essential to the functioning of the Panama Canal system. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. — The Panama Canal is not a simple channel of water connecting two larger water bodies — it is a sophisticated, highly-engineered system which uses a system of locks and elevators to take ships from one end to the other. Hence, statement 3 is correct. Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer. QUESTION 3 Stonehenge, a prehistoric megalithic site was in the news. The site is located in: (a) France (b) United States (c) Germany (d) United Kingdom Explanation — Stonehenge has long stood as an enigma in southern England’s undulating countryside. No one knows why it was built, and there is little consensus on how it was built, by whom and exactly when. — The findings of the study published in the journal Nature on Wednesday (August 14) show that the construction of Stonehenge was a far greater collaborative effort than scientists previously realised, and suggests that neolithic Britain might have been far more integrated than previously thought. — The site’s iconic stone slabs are divided into two groups: (i) The first group includes 30 tall, upright sarsens (sandstone blocks impregnated with silica) which make up the outer circle. Most of these are capped by shaped lintel stones (horizontal beam-like stones). (ii) The second group is made of about 80 bluestones, which research suggests came from the Mynydd Preseli mountains in western Wales. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. QUESTION 4 Consider the following countries: 1. Barbados 2. Cuba 3. Jamaica 4. Guatemala 5. Guinea-Bissau Which of the countries given above are Caribbean countries? (a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 4 and 5 only Explanation — Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness proclaimed a state of emergency in the Caribbean nation's southern Clarendon parish on Wednesday, following the deaths of eight people in separate gun attacks on Sunday night, including a seven-year-old boy. — According to Insight Crime research, Jamaica had the second-highest homicide rate in the Latin American and Caribbean area last year, with 60.9 per 100,000 people, trailing only the small island state of Saint Kitts and Nevis. — The Caribbean is home to 13 independent nations: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago. — Guinea-Bissau is situated in the western Africa while Guatemala is a central American nation. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer. QUESTION 5 The Kursk region was in the news. The region lies in: (a) Romania (b) Syria (c) Iraq (d) Russia Explanation — According to the US-based Institute for the Study of War, Ukrainian troops had moved up to 35 kilometres (21 miles) into Russian territory in the Kursk region as of August 9. — There have been reports of intense fighting, deaths, and injuries in the area. However, no impartial regional reports are available. — This would boost Ukraine's position in potential peace talks with Russia. Russian-occupied Ukrainian land might be traded for Ukrainian-conquered Russian territory. — It could also push Russia to send more troops to the troubled border region, weakening the Russian army on the main front line in Ukraine. Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer. Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 71) Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 71) Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 71) Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 71) Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 70) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.
