Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on reports published by the World Bank, axis of resistance and more (Week 107)
With reference to the Global Geoparks, consider the following statements:
1. They are single, unified geographical areas where sites and landscapes of international geological significance are managed with a holistic concept of protection, education and sustainable development.
2. They are managed by UNICEF.
3. Recently, North Korea recorded its historic first with the inclusion of its site in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network.
4. India has six Global Geoparks sites.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) Only three
(d) All four
Explanation
— UNESCO has added 16 additional sites from 11 nations to its Global Geoparks Network, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. The new geoparks are in China, North Korea, Ecuador, Indonesia, Italy, Norway, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Spain, the United Kingdom, and Vietnam. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
— North Korea achieved a historic first by including its site in the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, while Saudi Arabia made its debut on the list with two newly recognised geoparks. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
— With the new additions, the Network now has 229 locations in 50 nations, covering almost 855,000 square kilometres – an area roughly the size of Namibia.
— UNESCO Global Geoparks are single, undivided geographical areas in which sites and landscapes of international geological significance are administered using a comprehensive approach to protection, education, and sustainable development. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— As of July 2024, India does not have any UNESCO Global Geoparks. While India has identified several geological heritage sites and is exploring the idea of developing geoparks, none have yet been recognised by UNESCO. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.
Consider the following reports:
1. World Development Report
2. Global Financial Stability Report
3. Poverty and Shared Prosperity
4. World Economic Outlook
Which of the reports given above are published by the World Bank?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1 and 3 only
— The World Bank's latest India Country Economic Memorandum states that India must expedite reforms in order to achieve high income status by 2047, which would necessitate an average annual growth rate of 7.8 percent. The research advocated for a move from 'business as usual' to 'accelerated reforms' that would focus on productivity growth, revitalising and sustaining investment, creating quality jobs, and enhancing growth fundamentals in low-income states.
— Some of the reports published by the World Bank are:
(i) World Development Report: An annual flagship magazine with a special theme relating to global development.
(ii) Global Economic Prospects (GEP): A semiannual report that examines worldwide economic trends, particularly in emerging and developing economies.
(iv) Doing Business: A report that evaluates the regulatory environment for businesses in multiple nations.
(v) Poverty and shared prosperity: Poverty reduction and inclusive growth are the primary objectives.
— Global Financial Stability Report and World Economic Outlook are published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
QUESTION 3
Which of the following countries has tested a hydrogen-based explosive that generates a white-hot firestorm lasting more than two seconds, 15 times longer than a standard TNT blast, without the use of nuclear material?
(a) Russia
(b) Japan
(c) Ukraine
— According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese researchers have tested a hydrogen-based explosive that produces a white-hot blaze lasting more than two seconds—15 times longer than a standard TNT blast— without the use of nuclear material.
— According to a report published in the Journal of Projectiles, Rockets, Missiles, and Guidance, the 2-kilogram weapon detonated during a controlled field test and achieved temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees Celsius. The device was created by the 705 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), a major developer in underwater weapons technology.
— The bomb's persistent heat effect is due to its usage of magnesium hydride, a silvery powder that serves as a solid-state hydrogen storage material. Magnesium hydride, originally developed to power fuel cells in off-grid areas, emits hydrogen gas when heated, allowing for an extended exothermic reaction when ignited.
With reference to the Catholic population, consider the following statements:
1. In 1910, Europe was home to 65% of Catholics.
2. Presently, the maximum population of Catholics live in South and Central America.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Explanation
— The College of Cardinals, which will assemble to elect a new head of the Catholic Church, may well choose someone from outside Europe, reflecting the shift in the worldwide basis of Catholicism (and Christianity in general) from Europe to the worldwide South.
— According to the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae 2023, published by the Vatican's Central Office of Church Statistics in March, the world's Catholic population will reach 1.4 billion in 2023.
— More than 72% of the world's Catholics lived in South and Central America (41.2%), Africa (20%), and Asia (11%), combined. According to Vatican News, the Holy See 's official news source, 20.4% of the Catholic population lived in Europe, with 6.6% in North America. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
— The situation was drastically different in the early twentieth century. According to Pew Research Centre data from 1910, Europe had 65% of Catholics and Latin America had about 24%. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
The term 'axis of resistance' is often mentioned in the news. It is related to:
(a) Canada
(b) Russia
(c) Myanmar
— Saudi Arabia's Defence Minister, Prince Khalid bin Salman, met with Iran's Prime Minister and Chief of the Armed Forces, delivering a message from King Salman to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
— Iran continues to pursue a regional order that is shaped without the United States. Tehran's 'Axis of Resistance' has typically been a modular weapon that has turned on US forces in the region to inflict (usually limited) harm. This gives Tehran a powerful negotiation piece to inflict human and material expenses on the US military, which is scattered across bases in Arab states (with the largest in Qatar).
— The ' axis of resistance ' has its roots in the Iranian Revolution of 1979, which allowed extreme Shia Muslim clergy to rise to power.
— Former US President George W Bush is reported to have inspired the coalition's name by using the words 'axis of evil' in his 2002 State of the Union speech, referring to Iran, Iraq, and North Korea.
— The Axis includes not just Hamas, the Palestinian group, but also the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon, the Houthi movement in Yemen, several Shi'ite armed factions in Iraq, and Syria.
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