Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Drohobych, Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, Caroline test and more (Week 116)

Indian Express

9 hours ago

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. Attempt today's subject quiz on International Relations to check your progress.
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With reference to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), consider the following statements:
1. The group is the world's largest regional organisation by geographical area and population.
2. It is an international organisation with primarily European members that deals with security issues.
3. The roots of the SCO lie in the 'Shanghai Five', of which India was also a part.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Explanation
— Defence Minister Rajnath Singh refused to endorse the draft statement at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference because it lacked the reference to the Pahalgam terror assault on April 22, but did include the Jaffar Express kidnapping in Pakistan in March.
— The SCO consists of ten countries: India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, and Belarus. The SCO's origins may be traced back to the 'Shanghai Five' of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, which formed in 1996. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.
— The collapse of the Soviet Union into 15 independent countries in 1991 raised fears in the region about the rise of radical religious groups and ethnic tensions. To address these challenges, a group was formed to coordinate security efforts.
— The SCO was founded on June 15, 2001, in Shanghai. The organisation is the world's largest regional organisation in terms of geographic area and population. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
— The SCO is one of the few international groups dealing with security matters that is primarily composed of Asian countries. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) meets on a regular basis to exchange information. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
With reference to the Caroline test, consider the following statements:
1. It is a rule of customary international law that says states can use force only when absolutely necessary, to address an imminent, overwhelming threat.
2. It was first used when the Portuguese forces crossed into India.
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 Caroline test — a rule of customary international law that says states can use force only when absolutely necessary, to address an imminent, overwhelming threat — stems from 1837, when British forces crossed into the United States to destroy the American ship Caroline, to prevent rebels from attacking Canada. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 2 is not correct.
— It is still illegal to employ military action to prevent a non-imminent future attack. Some experts believe Israel's present bombing campaign violates that rule.
— 'There is simply no plausible way of arguing that Iran was about to attack Israel with a nuclear weapon, which it doesn't even have,' Marko Milanovic, a law professor at Reading University in England, wrote in a recent blog post.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow are the nuclear facilities in:
(a) Russia
(b) Israel
(c) Iran
(d) Ukraine
Explanation
— The United States and Israel's attacks on Iran's nuclear sites are the first time that any country's operating nuclear facilities have been targeted for destruction. As a result, various worries have arisen in the aftermath of the assaults, including the possibility of radiation leaks.
— While Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the world's nuclear watchdog, have reported no increases in radiation levels thus far, other concerns remain. These include concerns regarding the safety and location of nuclear material kept at the targeted facilities in Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
With reference to the places in news and the region associated, consider the following pairs:
1. Drohobych – Croatia
2. Cherkasy – Russia
3. Bryansk – Ukraine
How many of the pairs given above are correctly marked?
(a) Only one pair
(b) Only two pairs
(c) All three pairs
(d) None of the pairs
Explanation
— Russia launched its most comprehensive aircraft bombardment on Ukraine overnight, undermining hopes for settlement in the nearly three-year-old conflict.
— According to Ukraine's air force, Russia used 537 aerial weapons, including 477 drones, decoys, and 60 missiles. Of these, 249 were intercepted, and 226 were most certainly neutralised by electronic jammers.
— 'This was the most massive airstrike on Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale invasion in February 2022,' stated Yuriy Ihnat, the Ukrainian air force's spokeswoman. The strikes hit several places, including the western city of Drohobych, which was far from the front lines and saw a drone strike start a fire at an industrial site and shut out power.
— At least two civilians were killed—one in Kherson and the other in Kharkiv—and six were injured in Cherkasy, including a kid. Ukraine also claimed the loss of an F-16 warplane supplied by Western partners, which fell after being damaged while targeting enemy targets. The pilot has died.
— Russia claims it downed three Ukrainian drones overnight. Seven Ukrainian drones were intercepted in western Russia's Bryansk area, with two persons reportedly injured in a separate strike, according to regional governor Alexander Bogomaz.
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
The Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA) is a United States military facility is near the border of:
(a) Mexico
(b) Canada
(c) Cuba
(d) Bahamas
Explanation
— The Department of Defence is expanding a militarised zone along the southern US border where troops are authorised to detain people who enter illegally for possible federal prosecution on charges of trespassing in a national defence area.
— The Air Force declared the annexation of a sinuous 250-mile (400-kilometer) section of border in Texas, amid a surge of military forces following President Trump's declaration of a national emergency at the border. According to a defensive Department official, the Navy has also been told to build a new national defensive area along the border.
— The newly declared national defence area on land and water along the Rio Grande comprises two Texas counties and includes the towns of Brownsville and McAllen. It will be treated as an extension of the Joint Base San Antonio. The Air Force stated that it is prepared to immediately erect warning signs prohibiting entry into the area.
The military strategy was pioneered in April along a 170-mile (275-kilometre) stretch of the border in New Mexico and expanded to a swath of western Texas. Hunters, hikers and humanitarian aid groups fear that they will no longer have access.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 115)
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Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 116)
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 115)
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