UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations (Week 35)

(a) Russia

(b) Romania

(c) Israel

(d) Ukraine

QUESTION 2

Consider the following countries:

1. Israel

2. Egypt

3. Syria

4. Turkey

How many of the above countries are involved in the Yom Kippur War?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 3

Consider the following places:

(1) Pasamlung

(2) Jakarlung valleys

(3) Doklam

What is the correct arrangement of their locations from east to west?

(a) 1-2-3

(b) 3-1-2

(c) 3-2-1

(d) 1-3-2

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Global Biofuels Alliance, consider the following statements:

1. India and Germany will work together towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance.

2. The alliance is aimed at facilitating cooperation and intensifying the use of sustainable biofuels, including in the transportation sector.

3. The United States (US) and Brazil are global leaders in biofuels.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

Which of the following nations is not a part of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation?

(a) Nepal

(b) Sri Lanka

(c) China

(d) Bangladesh

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (d)

FYI:

— Sievierodonetsk is one of the largest cities of the Donbas region located in Ukraine nearly 140 km south of the Russian border.

— It is located near the left bank of the Siverskyi Donets river and has a population of over a lakh.

— Administratively, Sievierodonetsk falls under Ukraine’s Luhansk oblast (province).

— It is a big industrial hub known for chemical works and machine-building factories.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

2. (c)

FYI:

— The Yom Kippur war, or the October war, or the Ramadan war, was fought between Israel on one side and Egypt and Syria on the other, from October 6 to 25, 1973.

— It is also called the Fourth Arab-Israeli war, coming after three wars in 1949, 1956, and 1967.

— After its decisive victory in the Six-Day War of 1967, Israel had acquired an aura of invincibility, and also captured territories from its neighbours, including the Golan Heights from Syria and the Sinai Peninsula from Egypt.

— The first ceasefire, brokered by the UN on October 22, did not hold. However, by October 25, a lasting ceasefire had been arrived at, with Israel’s reputation of invincibility dented.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

3. (a)

FYI:

— During the three-day visit of Bhutan’s King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck to New Delhi. The two sides sought to put a lid on the controversy in India over the remarks of the Bhutanese Prime Minister Lotay Tshering about border talks between his country and China.

— According to reports, the Kunming talks focussed on Doklam and areas near the India-Bhutan-China trijunction in the west, and the Jakarlung and Pasamlung pasturelands in the north.

— The east to west location of these places: Pasamlung – Jakarlung – Doklam.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

4. (b)

FYI:

— Brazil, India and the United States are the leading producers of biofuels. They will work together towards the development of a Global Biofuels Alliance along with other interested countries. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— This Alliance will promote collaboration and the increased use of sustainable biofuels, notably in the transportation sector. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— It will focus on market growth, enabling global biofuels trade, developing meaningful policy lessons, and providing technical assistance to national biofuels programs throughout the world.

— The Alliance will collaborate with and supplement existing regional and international agencies, as well as initiatives in the bioenergy, bio-economy, and energy transition fields more broadly, such as the Clean Energy Ministerial Bio-future Platform, Mission Innovation Bioenergy initiatives, and the Global Bioenergy Partnership (GBEP).

— The Global Biofuel Alliance is one of the priorities under India’s G20 Presidency.

— The US and Brazil are seen as global leaders in biofuels and account for 52 per cent and 30 per cent of global ethanol production, respectively. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

5. (c)

FYI:

— The first-ever Foreign Ministers’ meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) began in Bangkok, Thailand.

— BIMSTEC is a regional organisation that was established in 1997 with the signing of the Bangkok Declaration. Initially known as BIST-EC (Bangladesh-India-Sri Lanka-Thailand Economic Cooperation), the organisation is now known as BIMSTEC and comprises seven members, with Myanmar joining towards the end of 1997, and Bhutan and Nepal in 2004.

— Around 22 per cent of the world’s population live in the seven countries around the Bay of Bengal, with a combined GDP close to $2.7 trillion.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 35)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 35)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 35)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 35)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 34)

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