UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on UN membership, Sulawesi Island and more (Week 54)

1. States are admitted to membership in the United Nations by a decision of the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council.

2. A council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the permanent members.

3. An application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 2

Sulawesi Island was recently in news due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. It is located in:

(a) Iceland

(b) United States

(c) Japan

(d) Indonesia

QUESTION 3

Consider the following countries:

1. UAE

2. France

3. United States

4. Saudi Arabia

How many of the countries given above are part of India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 4

With reference to the India-Israel relations, consider the following statements:

1. India established diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992.

2. The trade between the two countries has been doubled from 2018-19 to 2021-22.

3. India’s export to Israel was less than India’s import from Israel.

4. India is Israel’s largest trading partner in Asia.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 5

Consider the following pairs:

(Place in news)       (Location)

1. Kyiv                        Romania

2. Ehime                 South Korea

3. Karabakh            Azerbaijan

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. (c)

FYI:

— The 15-member council will vote on a draft resolution recommending that “the State of Palestine be admitted to membership in the United Nations” to the 193-member U.N. General Assembly.

— The United Nations is neither a state nor a government, hence it lacks the authority to recognise either. As an association of sovereign states, it may admit a new member state or recognise the credentials of representatives from a new government. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— A council resolution must have at least nine votes in favour and no vetoes from the United States, Britain, France, Russia, or China to pass. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The Palestinians are currently classified as a non-member observer state, which is de facto recognition of statehood conferred by the United Nations General Assembly in 2012. However, an application to become a full member of the United Nations must first be approved by the Security Council, followed by two-thirds of the General Assembly. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.un.org)

2. (d)

FYI:

— Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami.

— Mount Ruang on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions, causing the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation to issue its highest-level alert, indicating an active eruption.

— The crater emitted white-gray smoke continuously during the day, reaching more than 500 metres above the peak.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

3. (d)

FYI:

— The India-Middle East-Europe mega economic corridor project includes India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, the European Union, France, Italy, Germany and the US.

— The corridor will give a new direction to connectivity and sustainable development of entire world.

— The rail and shipping corridor is part of the Partnership for Global Infrastructure Investment (PGII) — a collaborative effort by G7 nations to fund infrastructure projects in developing nations. PGII is considered to be the bloc’s counter to China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

— The project will aim to enable greater trade among the involved countries, including energy products.

— According to a document prepared by European Commission, the corridor will include a rail link as well as an electricity cable, a hydrogen pipeline and a high-speed data cable.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

4. (b)

FYI:

— Iran’s attack on Israel earlier this week heightened tensions in the Middle East and abroad. India, which maintains friendly relations with both countries, has raised “serious concerns” about the rise of hostility.

— India began diplomatic relations with Israel in 1992. Since then, commerce between the two countries has increased dramatically, from approximately $200 million in 1992 (mainly for diamonds) to $10.7 billion (excluding defence) in the fiscal year 2022-23. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Trade has increased over the last four years, doubling from $5.56 billion in 2018-19 to $10.7 billion in 2022-23. Between 2021-22 and 2022-23, trade climbed by 36.90 percent, from $7.87 billion to $10.77 billion. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— In 2022-23, India’s exports to Israel totaled $8.45 billion, while imports from Israel totaled $2.3 billion, resulting in a $6.13 billion trade surplus for India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— According to the Ministry of External Affairs’ (MEA) brief on foreign relations, India is Israel’s second largest trading partner in Asia and the seventh largest globally. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 54)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 54)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 54)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 54)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 53)

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