UPSC Weekly Quiz is a current affairs-based quiz on some relevant topics from the past week curated for the benefit of aspirants of UPSC and other competitive examinations. Attempt weekly quiz every Saturday and find answers to the MCQs with explanation at the end of the article. Question 1 Recently seen in news, “Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India” is launched by a) UN Women b) World Bank c) NITI Aayog d) Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, GOI Question 2 With reference to election security deposit, consider the following statements 1. It is an amount that is to be deposited with the Returning Officer when a candidate files their nomination. 2. The amount is same for all elections. 3. It is submitted either in cash, or a receipt must be enclosed with the nomination paper, showing that the said sum has been deposited on the candidate’s behalf in the Reserve Bank of India or in a Government Treasury. a) Only one of the above statements are correct b) Only two of the above statements are correct c) All three above statements are correct d) None of the statement is correct Question 3 With reference to G-7, consider the following countries 1. Canada 2. France 3. Russia 4. Japan 5. Argentina 6. US 7. UK Which of the above countries are a part of G7 ? a) 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 b) 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 c) 1, 2, 4, 6, 7 d) 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Question 4 With reference to Aichi Biodiversity Targets, consider the following statements 1. They were adopted during the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) summit in Montreal. 2. No single country met the all 20 Aichi Targets within its own borders. 3. One of its most notable aim was to protect or conserve 17% of all land and inland waters and 10% of the ocean by the end of the decade. a) Only one of the above statements are correct b) Only two of the above statements are correct c) All three above statements are correct d) None of the statement is correct Question 5 The term 'Sherpa' is often seen in news with respect to which International summit, conference or organisation? a) COP b) SAARC c) NAM d) G20 Question 6 With reference to cyclones, consider the following statements 1. A cyclone is a high pressure system that forms over warm waters. 2. Cyclones that form in every ocean basin across the world are named by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). 3. There are seven RSMCs in the world, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs. Which of the above statements is/are correct? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Only 2 and 3 d) All are correct Question 7 Recently seen in news, “Goblin mode” is a) Oxford’s Word of the Year for 2022 b) A chatbot c) A football technique d) Britain's first space port Question 8 With reference to the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Project, consider the following statements 1. The SKA project is an international effort to build the world’s largest telescope. 2. The construction of the largest radio astronomy facility in the world began recently in Australia and New Zealand. Which of the following statements is/are correct? a) Only 1 b) Only 2 c) Both 1 and 2 d) Neither 1 nor 2 ANSWERS 1 (b) FYI On December 8, the World Bank launched a “Toolkit on Enabling Gender Responsive Urban Mobility and Public Spaces in India” with the aim of suggesting ways to make public transport in Indian cities more inclusive of women’s travelling requirements. The toolkit emphasises on the importance of integrating a gender lens in transport policies and infrastructure, making various recommendations on interventions that can help make urban transport safer, especially for women. It brings together 50 case studies of best practices and efforts from across the world, along with a special inculcation of the Indian context. 2 (b) Statement 2 is incorrect FYI What is an election security deposit? An election security deposit is an amount that is to be deposited with the Returning Officer when a candidate files their nomination. This is to be submitted either in cash, or a receipt must be enclosed with the nomination paper, showing that the said sum has been deposited on the candidate’s behalf in the Reserve Bank of India or in a Government Treasury. The main purpose of this practice is to ensure that only genuinely intending candidates end up filing the nomination to be a part of the electoral process. Is the amount same for all elections? No, it depends on the particular election being conducted, and the Representation of the People Act of 1951 mentions different amounts depending on the level of election: i. in the case of an election from a Parliamentary constituency, meaning a Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha seat, the amount is Rs 25,000 and Rs 12,500 for a Scheduled Caste (SC) or Scheduled Tribe (ST) candidate. ii. in the case of an election from an Assembly or Council constituency, meaning at the level of legislative bodies in the states, it is Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 for an SC/ST candidate. iii. even in the case of Presidential and Vice-Presidential elections, a deposit of Rs 15,000 is to be made. 3 (c) FYI The G7 comprises these countries: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US. he European Union is also represented at all G7 meetings. 4 (b) Statement 1 is incorrect FYI Delegates from 196 countries — Parties to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) — are meeting in Montreal, Canada from December 7-21 with the aim to hammer out a new global agreement on halting environmental loss. Many of the 24 conservation targets under discussion at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) aim to avoid past mistakes and improve on the world’s last set of conservation goals — the Aichi Biodiversity Targets that expired in 2020. No single country met all 20 Aichi Targets within its own borders, according to a September 2020 UN assessment. What were the Aichi Targets? The Aichi Targets, adopted during the 2010 CBD summit in Nagoya, located in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, included goals such as reducing deforestation by at least half during the coming decade and curbing pollution so that it no longer harmed ecosystems. Many of the targets, however, included vague language and did not hold countries to a specific action, experts say. 5 (d) FYI As the first set of discussions under the Sherpa track of the G20 Summit concluded this week, and with the Finance track set to begin next week, India has set the stage for its year-long G20 Presidency with flavour, fervour and a clear-cut agenda that discernibly gravitates towards the focus areas of emerging economies. Coming after the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, the conscious stance has been taken towards the “unheard voices” of the Global South to ensure discussions on inclusive growth amid economic concerns of rising debt, runaway inflation and slowdown. 6 (b) Statements 1 and 3 are incorrect FYI Cyclone Mandous which emerged from the Bay of Bengal, made landfall in Mamallapuram on Friday night. What is a cyclone? A cyclone is a low pressure system that forms over warm waters. Essentially, it is a system of high speed winds rotating around a low-pressure area, with the winds blowing counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere. According to the World Meteorological Organization, “Tropical cyclones are one of the biggest threats to life and property even in the formative stages of their development. They include a number of different hazards that can individually cause significant impacts on life and property, such as storm surge, flooding, extreme winds, tornadoes and lighting. Combined, these hazards interact with one another and substantially increase the potential for loss of life and material damage.” How are cyclones named? Cyclones that form in every ocean basin across the world are named by the regional specialised meteorological centres (RSMCs) and Tropical Cyclone Warning Centres (TCWCs). There are six RSMCs in the world, including the India Meteorological Department (IMD), and five TCWCs. As an RSMC, the IMD names the cyclones developing over the north Indian Ocean, including the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, after following a standard procedure. The IMD is also mandated to issue advisories to 12 other countries in the region on the development of cyclones and storms. 7 (a) FYI Chosen by public vote, the “slang term” means “a type of behaviour which is unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy, typically in a way that rejects social norms or expectations”. 8 (a) FYI On Monday, the construction of the largest radio astronomy facility in the world began in Australia and South Africa. The Square Kilometre Array will consist of 131,072 low-frequency antennae in Australia (SKA-Low), combined with a sister facility (SKA Mid) in South Africa with 133 dish antennae. SKA Project The SKA project is an international effort to build the world’s largest telescope. As the name suggests, the telescope will eventually have a collecting area of over a square kilometre. The pre-construction development for the project initially began in 2013. Even though construction for the project has already begun, it is only expected to begin science observations in the late 2020s.
