UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations (Week 38)

(a) Labrador Sea

(b) Coral Sea

(c) South China Sea

(d) Mediterranean Sea

QUESTION 2

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

1. India and Russia have signed agreements related to the construction of the future power-generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

2. Russia is India’s biggest source of crude oil.

3. India does not have 2+2 dialogues meetings with Russia.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

1. The administration of this country rejected to renew contracts for more than 5,000 employees hired this year.

2. It is situated in the southern part of the South America.

3. Inflation is expected to reach about 200% by the end of the year in this country.

The above-mentioned statements refer to which country?

(a) Argentina

(b) Peru

(c) Chili

(d) Bolivia

QUESTION 4

Consider the following pairs:

(Volcano in News)       (Location)

1. Dukono                      New Zealand

2. Santa Maria               Brazil

3. Kilauea                         Italy

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 5

The Teesta water-sharing agreement has been signed between:

(a) India-China

(b) India-Bangladesh

(c) India-Bhutan

(d) India-Myanmar

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (c)

FYI:

— A flotilla of 40 boats set off from the Philippine coastal town of El Nido in Palawan province to a group of islets and shoals in the South China Sea called the Spratly Islands, parts of which are claimed by several countries.

— The incident is just the most recent in a year-long standoff between the Philippines and China over disputed islets and shoals in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway claimed almost entirely by China.

— One of these, located at Mischief Reef in the Spratlys, is only 37 kilometres away from the shipwreck outpost at Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines.

— To the north of the Spratlys is another disputed hot spot at Scarborough Shoal, a turquoise lagoon ringed by shallow reefs and rocks located about 120 nautical miles (222 kilometers) west of the Philippine island of Luzon.

— China has bristled at the Philippines attempting to challenge Beijing’s self-declared “indisputable sovereignty” over the shallow reef and rocks it calls “Huangyan Dao” and has occupied since 2012.

— Scarborough Shoal is more than 460 nautical miles (851 kilometers) from the nearest Chinese shore at Hainan Island, and is well within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— Russian President Vladimir Putin has credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s policy as the “main guarantor” of the two countries’ progressively developing ties, praising him for defending India’s national interests without being “intimidated.”

— India and Russia signed agreements related to the construction of the future power-generating units of the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. The Kudankulam nuclear power plant is being built in Tamil Nadu with the technical assistance of Russia. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— Russia is currently India’s biggest source of crude oil. In July, 2023 alone, India’s Russian oil imports were valued at $3.37 billion, as per data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— India has 2+2 dialogues with the US, Australia, Japan, and Russia. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

3. (a)

FYI:

— The administration of Argentina’s new President Javier Milei said that his government won’t renew contracts for more than 5,000 employees hired this year before he took office.

— The move was part of a sweeping plan of budget cuts and currency depreciation announced by the right-wing libertarian since taking office on December 10 to transform Argentina’s struggling economy.

— Contracts for other government employees hired prior to 2023 will be reviewed, according to officials. The 2023 deadline appears to be intended to target the practice of outgoing presidents padding payrolls in their final year.

— The goal is to start on the road to rebuilding our country, return freedom and autonomy to individuals and start to transform the enormous amount of regulations that have blocked, stalled and stopped economic growth.

The steps include:

— 50% devaluation of the Argentine peso;

— Cuts to energy and transportation subsidies, and

— Closure of some government ministries.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

4. (d)

FYI:

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (b)

FYI:

— Bangladesh said it would take into account the “geopolitical issues” over a Chinese proposal to build reservoirs on the Teesta River that enters into the country from India.

— The Teesta water-sharing agreement has been in the works since Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League government took office in 2009, and the two neighbours were set to sign an agreement during then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Bangladesh in 2011.

— The 414-kilometre Teesta River originates in the Himalayas in Sikkim state and passes through West Bengal before entering Bangladesh, where it meets the Brahmaputra, another major river.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 38)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 38)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 38)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 38)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 37)

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