International Events (Part-I)

Total Questions: 50

11. Which one of the following is NOT a 'Sustainable Development Goal' (SDG) target to be achieved by 2030? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2022]

(a) Quality Education
(b) Zero Hunger
(c) Space Research
(d) Gender Equality

Correct Answer: (c) Space Research

Solution:The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, were adopted by the United Nations in 2015 as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that by 2030 all people enjoy peace and prosperity. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), are an urgent call for action by all - developed and developing countries in a global partnership. These 17 SDGs are as follows-(1)No Poverty (2) Zero Hunger (3) Good Health and Well-being (4) Quality Education (5) Gender Equality (6) Clean Water and Sanitation (7) Affordable and Clean Energy (8) Decent Work and Economic Growth (9) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure (10) Reduced Inequality (11) Sustainable Cities and Communities (12) Responsible Consumption and Production (13) Climate Action (14) Life Below Water (15) Life on Land (16) Peace and Justice Strong Institutions (17) Partnerships to achieve the Goal. Hence option(a) is not correct.

12. In December, 2022 New Zealand passed the world's first Law to ban smoking for next generation. New Zealand's goal is to be "smoke- free" by ....... [U.P.P.S.C. (Pre) 2023]

(a) 2029
(b) 2030
(c) 2024
(d) 2025

Correct Answer: (d) 2025

Solution:New Zealand launched the Smokefree Aotearoa 2025 Action Plan on 9 December 2021. It aims to make New Zealand smoke free by 2025.

13. Consider the following pairs : [I.A.S. (Pre) 2023]

Area of conflict mentioned in news	Country where it is located
1. Donbas	1. Syria
2. Kachin	2. Ethiopia
3. Tigray	3. North Yemen

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Correct Answer: (d) None

Solution:The Donbas is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. It has two heavily industrialized regions of Donetsk and Luhansk which were occupied by Russian forces in 2022. Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched.

Kachin State is the northernmost state of Myanmar. In 2022, Myanmar military air strikes reportedly killed dozens of people including civilians at a concert in Kachin State. Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched.

Tigray is Ethiopia's northernmost region. The region is at the center of an ongoing civil conflict involving ethno-regional militias, the federal government, and the Eritrean military that has attracted the concern of humanitarian groups and external actors since November 2020. In October 2022, the first formal African Union-led peace talks between an Ethiopian government team and Tigray forces happened in South Africa. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.

14. In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2023]

(a) Discovery of rich deposits of rare earth elements
(b) Establishment of Chinese military bases
(c) Southward expansion of Sahara Desert
(d) Successful coups

Correct Answer: (d) Successful coups

Solution:In recent years, the spate of coups in Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan has sparked a flurry of media attention and concern. In April 2022, the Peace and Security Council (PSC) of the African Union (AU) adopted the political transition processes in Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan.

Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

15. Consider the following pairs: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2023]

Regions often Mentioned in news	Reason for being in news
1. North Kivu and Ituri	A. War between Armenia and Azerbaijan
2. Nagorno-Karabakh	B. Insurgency in Mozambique
3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia	C. Dispute between Israel and Lebanon

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None

Correct Answer: (d) None

Solution:North Kivu and Ituri are provinces in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that have been affected by conflict for decades. Since February 2023, violence and conflict in eastern DRC has increased in these regions.
Hence pair 1 is not correctly matched.

Nagorno-Karabakh, known as Artsakh by Armenians, is a landlocked mountainous area in the South Caucasus. The territory is internationally recognised as part of oil-rich Azerbaijan, but its inhabitants are predominantly ethnic Armenians. The area is disputed between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Hence pair 2 is not correctly matched.

The regions Kherson and Zaporizhzhia were in news because in September 2022 Russia occupied Ukrainian regions of Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kherson. These oblasts make up about 15% of the territory of Ukraine. Hence pair 3 is not correctly matched.

16. Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine? [I.A.S. (Pre) 2023]

(a) Angola
(b) Costa Rica
(c) Ecuador
(d) Somalia

Correct Answer: (d) Somalia

Solution:Somalia faces catastrophic hunger with the country devastated by the extreme drought in the Horn of Africa. A total of 6.5 million people face acute food insecurity amid the driest condition in 40 years, following five consecutive failed rainy seasons. Drought is compounding the impacts of other recurrent climate shocks, persistent insecurity and instability. Hence option (d) is the correct answer.

17. According to the annual "Frontier Report-2022 released by U. N. Environment Programme, which Indian city has become the second most noise polluted city of the World ?? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2022]

(a) Moradabad
(b) Patna
(c) Kota
(d) Indore

Correct Answer: (a) Moradabad

Solution:The report, Frontiers 2022: Noise, Blazes and Mismatches, has a chapter Listening to Cities: From Noisy Environments to Positive Soundscapes, delves into the harm from excessive noise levels and illustrates. The decibel range of noise in 60 cities around the world. The UNEP report draws attention to noise pollution and its long-term physical and mental health impacts. Three cities in South Asia have filled the top three spots in the list - Bangladesh's Dhaka, Moradabad in India's Uttar Pradesh, and Pakistan's Islamabad.

18. Consider the following statements: [I.A.S. (Pre) 2023]

Statement-I : Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.

Statement-II: The 'Arab Peace Initiative' mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Correct Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

Solution:Till 2000s, the only two Arab countries by whom Israel had signed peace treaties are Egypt and Jordan, in 1979 and 1994 respectively. In 2020, United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Bahrain were the latest countries in the Arab region to formally establish diplomatic ties with Israel which is often referred as Abraham accords (Bahrain and Morrocco also normalized their relation with Israel). Hence statement 1 is correct.

The Arab Peace Initiative was presented at an Arab League summit in Beirut in March of 2002 and was revived at an Arab League summit in Riyadh in March 2007. The plan offers Israel full peace and normalization in return for full withdrawal from the occupied Palestinian territories. Israel, on the other hand, was in no position to seriously engage in a comprehensive peace settlement at the time, and found many points of contention with the Initiative and thus did not signed it. In 2022, The Saudi leadership has made clear that it continues to adhere to the API as the mainstay of its approach to formalizing relations with Israel. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

19. Which Indian origin businessman has been elected as Mayor of London Borough of Southwark for the second time? [U.P.P.S.C. (Pre) 2023]

(a) Gautam Adani
(b) Neeraj Patil
(c) Sunil Chopra
(d) Sam Dalton

Correct Answer: (c) Sunil Chopra

Solution:In May, 2022, Sunil Chopra, an Indian-origin businessman, has been elected as the mayor of a London Borough of Southwark in the United Kingdom, for the second time during his career. Hence, option(c) is correct answer.

20. Which of the following statements about Lata Mangeshkar is/are true? [U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2022]

1. She was the first Indian artist ever to perform live at London's Royal Albert Hall.

2. She made her debut on the International stage at London's Royal Albert Hall.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

Code:

(a) Both 1 and 2
(b) Only 1
(c) Neither 1 nor 2
(d) Only 2

Correct Answer: (d) Only 2

Solution:Lata Mangeshkar, known as the Nightingale of India, holds the distinction of being the first Indian artist ever to perform live at London's iconic Royal Albert Hall. She chose the UK venue (London's iconic Royal Albert Hall) for her debut on the international stage in 1974 where she performed some of her most loved melodies to a packed audience.

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