
UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations (Week 49)
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. Each day, we cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on International Relations to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Weekly Current Affairs. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations at the end of the quiz.
With reference to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), consider the following statements:
1. It is an inter-governmental body responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
2. It was created by the United Nations General Assembly.
3. The Council meets at the UN Office in Geneva.
4. The members are eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Which of the following countries is not a part of the Danube River Basin?
(a) Turkey
(b) Germany
(c) Slovakia
(d) Romania
The Gulf of Tonkin was recently in the news. It is located in:
(a) Indian Ocean
(b) Atlantic Ocean
(c) South China Sea
(d) Red Sea
A boat capsizing in the Port of Benteng made headlines. The port is located in:
(a) Philippines
(b) Vietnam
(c) Laos
(d) Indonesia
Kinmen Islands was in the news. The island is located in:
(a) Indonesia
(b) Malaysia
(c) Australia
(d) Taiwan
FYI:
— The Human Rights Council is an inter-governmental body within the United Nations system, which is responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— It also addresses and makes recommendations on situations of human rights violations, and can discuss all thematic human rights issues and situations.
— It was created by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The former UN Commission on Human Rights was replaced by the Human Rights Council. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The Council also collaborates with the United Nations Special Procedures established by the former Commission on Human Rights, which include special rapporteurs, special representatives, independent experts, and working groups that monitor, examine, advise, and report on specific thematic issues or human rights situations.
— The Council, which meets at the UN Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— According to the Council’s website, the UNGA takes into account the candidate States’ contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.
— The membership of the Council is based on equitable geographical distribution. African and Asia-Pacific states have 13 seats each, Latin American and Caribbean states have 8 seats, Western European and other states 7 seats, and Eastern European states 6 seats.
— The members serve for three years and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two consecutive terms. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— The Danube Delta has provided Ukraine with an alternative passage for its grain after Russia withdrew from the Black Sea grain deal.
— The Danube, Europe’s second-longest river, has historically been crucial for the movement of freight.
— The Danube River Basin can be divided into three sub-regions:
Upper Basin: It extends from the source of the Danube in Germany to Bratislava in Slovakia.
Middle Basin: It is the largest of the three sub-regions, extending from Bratislava to the dams of the Iron Gate Gorge on the border between Serbia and Romania.
Lower Basin: The lowlands, plateaus and mountains of Romania and Bulgaria form the Lower Basin of the River Danube.
— Near Tulcea, Romania, some 80 km from the sea, the river begins to spread out into its delta which has three major channels – Chilia, Sulina and St George.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Vietnam’s foreign ministry said international law and the rights and interests of other countries must be respected, responding to a question about China’s demarcation earlier this month of a baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin.
— China’s government delineated the baseline in the Gulf of Tonkin, known in Chinese as Beibu Gulf, using straight lines far from the coast.
— Baselines are used to determine limits to territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZs), and are a sensitive subject in the South China Sea, where China, Vietnam and other states in the region have some conflicting claims.
— The two neighbours have overlapping claims in the broader South China Sea, but in the Gulf of Tonkin have maintained friendlier relations, and agreed to conduct joint patrols there during a visit to Hanoi by China’s President Xi Jinping in December.
— Gulf of Tonkin, which is located off the coast of Northern Vietnam and Southern China, as the two countries have agreed a demarcation line in that area.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— A fishing boat carrying 37 people capsized in rough seas off Indonesia‘s Sulawesi island, killing at least two people and leaving 24 others missing.
— The Dewi Jaya 2 was on its way from a port in Jakarta to Lombok Island near Bali carrying tons of fish when it was overwhelmed by high waves during stormy weather.
— The vessel capsized in the Gulf of Bone about 52 nautical miles from the port of Benteng in the Selayar island chain off South Sulawesi province.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
FYI:
— Taiwan dispatched coast guard boats to join a rescue mission at China’s request after a fishing vessel capsized near the Taiwan-controlled Kinmen islands, amid heightened tension in the sensitive Taiwan Strait.
— China claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, over the island’s strong objections, and has stepped up military activities near it in recent years, with almost daily incursions into air defence identification zones.
— The waters are narrow around the Kinmen-Xiamen (area) and co-operation between Taiwan and China is very important. Taiwan sent four coast guard vessels and its Chinese counterpart six to participate in the rescue effort.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 49)
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 49)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 49)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 49)
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 48)
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