17 JUNE CURRENT AFFAIRS (MCQ)
Q1. Consider the following statements with reference to UNCLOS:
- It is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for state
jurisdiction in maritime spaces. - India is a party to this U.N. Convention.
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
Solution: c)
Explanation:
Both statements are correct.
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is an international
treaty which was adopted and signed in 1982.
It replaced the four Geneva Conventions of April, 1958, which respectively
concerned the territorial sea and the contiguous zone, the continental shelf, the
high seas, fishing and conservation of living resources on the high seas.
The Convention has created three new institutions on the international scene:
o – the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea,
o – the International Seabed Authority,
o – the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf.
UNCLOS is the only international convention which stipulates a framework for
state jurisdiction in maritime spaces. It provides a different legal status to
different maritime zones.
India is a party to the U.N. Convention
Q2. Consider the following statements:
- The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an intergovernmental
organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on the
Law of the Sea. - The Convention also established the International Seabed Authority, with
responsibility for the regulation of seabed mining within the limits of national
jurisdiction.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: b)
Explanation:
Statement 2 is incorrect
The Convention established the International Seabed Authority, with
responsibility for the regulation of seabed mining beyond the limits of national
jurisdiction, that is beyond the limits of the territorial sea, the contiguous zone and
the continental shelf.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is an intergovernmental
organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on
the Law of the Sea.
It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the
Sea, signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982.
Q3. Which of the following is correctly matched?
Asteroids Country Associated
- Bennu USA
- Hayabusa 2 Russia
- 16 Psyche USA
Select the correct answer using the code below:
a) 1 and 2 only
b) 3 only
c) 2 and 3 only
d) 1 only
Solution: d)
Explanation:
About Asteroid 16 Psyche: (NASA) – USA
Asteroid 16 Psyche is located 370 million kilometers away from earth between Mars
and Jupiter and has a diameter of 140 miles.
It was discovered in the year 1853 by the Italian astronomer Annibale de Gaspard
and was named after the ancient Greek goddess of the soul, Psyche.
Unlike most asteroids that are made up of rocks or ice, scientists believe that Psyche
is a dense and largely metallic object thought to be the core of an earlier planet that
failed formation.
Psyche’s shape is like a potato which takes about five earth years to complete one
orbit of the sun but only a bit over 4 hours to rotate once on its axis.
About OSIRIS-REx Mission: (NASA) – USA
It is the United States’ first asteroid sample return mission, aiming to collect and
carry a pristine, unaltered sample from an asteroid back to earth for scientific study.
The OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security,
Regolith Explorer) spacecraft was launched in 2016 for the journey to Bennu.
The mission is essentially a seven-year-long voyage and will conclude when at least
60 grams of samples are delivered back to the Earth (in 2023).
As per the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the mission
promises to bring the largest amount of extraterrestrial material back to the Earth
since the Apollo era.
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has decided to make a crater on asteroid 1999
JU3 (Ryugu) to collect underground samples.
This is part of the Hayabusa 2 mission, launched in December 2014, to explore
asteroid 1999 JU3 (Ryugu).
The purpose of drilling is to collect samples for possible clues to the origin of the
solar system.
Q4. Consider the following statements with reference to Exclusive economic zone (EEZ):
- Each coastal State may claim an EEZ beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea that
extends seaward up to 200 nm from its baselines. - EEZ does not give a coastal state the right to prohibit or limit freedom of navigation
or overflight.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: d)
Explanation:
Both statements are correct.
Each coastal State may claim an EEZ beyond and adjacent to its territorial sea that
extends seaward up to 200 nm from its baselines.
In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has:
sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and
managing the natural resources, whether living or nonliving, the production of
energy from the water, currents and winds;.
It does not give a coastal state the right to prohibit or limit freedom of navigation or
overflight, subject to very limited exceptions.
Q5. Consider the following statements regarding Non-Banking Financial Companies
(NBFCs):
- NBFCs are a part of the payment and settlement system
- NBFCs can accept demand deposits.
- The deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee
Corporation (DICGC) is available to depositors of NBFCs.
Which of the statements given above is/are incorrect?
a) 1 only
b) 2 and 3 only
c) 1 and 2 only
d) 1, 2 and 3
Solution: d)
Explanation:
All statements are incorrect.
NBFCs do not form part of the payment and settlement system and cannot issue cheques
drawn on itself, like a bank.
NBFC cannot accept demand deposits like banks. A demand deposit is money deposited
into a bank account with funds that can be withdrawn on-demand at any time.
Deposit insurance facility of Deposit Insurance and Credit Guarantee Corporation (DICGS)
is not available to depositors of NBFCs, unlike in case of banks.
Q6. Consider the following statements-
- It is located in Aravali hills and forms a part of the Alwar District of Rajasthan.
- The Royal Bengal Tiger is found in this reserve.
- It was declared as the tiger reserve in 1978, making it a part of India’s Project Tiger.
Which of the following tiger reserves is described most appropriately in above statements?
a) Meghamalai Tiger Reserve
b) Bandipur Tiger Reserve
c) Tadoba Tiger Reserve
d) Sariska Tiger Reserve
Solution: d)
Explanation:
Sariska Tiger Reserve is located in Aravali hills and forms a part of the Alwar District of
Rajasthan.
The Reserve is immensely rich in flora and fauna, and is famous for Royal Bengal Tiger.
The park has populations of leopards, Nilgai, Sambar, chital etc. It also shelters a large
population of Indian peafowl, crested serpent eagles, sand grouse, golden backed
woodpeckers, great Indian horned owls, tree pies, vultures,etc.
Sariska was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1955 and was declared the tiger reserve later
in 1978, making it a part of India’s Project Tiger.
Q7. Consider the following statements regarding Electronic Way (E-Way) Bill Under GST
(Goods and Service Tax) –
- It is mandatory for intra-state transportation of goods valued over 50,000 Rupees.
- It is a mechanism to ensure that goods transported comply with GST Law and a tool
to check movement of goods and evasion of taxes.
Which of the statements above is/are correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: b)
Explanation:
The Union Government has integrated the E-Way Bill (EWB) system with FasTag and RFID.
Electronic Way (E-Way) Bill:
E-Way Bill is usually a unique bill number generated for the specific consignment involving
the movement of goods.
Under the Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, EWBs are mandatory for inter-state (
not intra-state) transportation of goods valued over Rs. 50,000 from April 2018, with the
exemption to precious items such as gold. Statement 1 is not correct.
It is a mechanism to ensure that goods being transported comply with the GST Law and is
a tool to track movement of goods and check tax evasion. Statement 2 is correct.
Q8. Tianwen-1” has been recently seen in the news, is-
a) Japan’s Mercury Mission
b) South Korea’s Anti-Missile Defence System
c) China’s Mars Mission
d) North Korea’s Ballistic Missile Program
Solution: c)
Explanation:
Recently, China’s spacecraft Tianwen-1 landed on Mars carrying its first Mars rover named
Zhurong.
It became the third country to land on Mars after the US and Soviet Union.
China’s previous ‘Yinghuo-1’ Mars mission, which was supported by a Russian spacecraft,
had failed after it did not leave the earth’s orbit and disintegrated over the Pacific Ocean
in 2012.
Key Points
About the Tianwen-1 Mission:
Launch:
The Tianwen-1 Spacecraft was lifted off on a Long March 5 rocket, from the Wenchang
launch center in July 2020.
Three Parts:
The Spacecraft consists of three parts – the orbiter, the lander and the rover – which
separated in Mars orbit.
The orbiter will remain in the orbit for scientific operations and to relay signals while
the lander-rover combination has made an autonomous descent and landing.
The lander from Tianwen-1 has touched down on Utopia Planitia, a large plain in
the northern hemisphere of Mars.
Objectives:
To conduct scientific investigations into the planet’s soil, geological structure,
environment, atmosphere, and water.
The mission will be the first to place a ground-penetrating radar on the Martian surface,
which will be able to study local geology, as well as rock, ice, and dirt distribution.
China’s Other Space Programmes:
Chang’e-5 (Moon)
Tianhe (Permanent Space Station)
Other Mars Missions:
NASA’s Perseverance Rover
UAE’s Hope Mars Mission (UAE’s first-ever interplanetary mission)
India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM) or Mangalyaan
Q9. Which of the following turtle(s) is/are found in India?
- Olive Ridley Turtle
- Green Sea Turtle
- Leathery Turtle
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 2 only
b) 1 and 3 only
c) 3 only
d) 1,2 and 3
Solution: d)
Explanation:
All are found in India.
Sea turtles of India:
Turtles are found in India, in the coastal states of Odisha, Chennai, and Maharashtra.
The country is home to five exquisite varieties of turtles, namely:
Olive Ridley Turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea)
Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
Leathery Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)
Eastern Mud turtle (Kinosternun subrubrum subrubrum)
India’s famous Green Sea turtles are the largest hard-shelled sea turtles and are about
120 cm in length and 136-159 kgs in weight.
Q10. With reference to the Tulu language, consider the following statements:
- Tulu is an official language in the country.
- Tulu has a rich oral literature tradition with folk-song forms like paddana, and
traditional folk theatre yakshagana.
Which of the statements given above is/are not correct?
a) 1 only
b) 2 only
c) Both 1 and 2
d) Neither 1 nor 2
Solution: a)
Explanation:
Tulu is a Dravidian language spoken mainly in two coastal districts Dakshina Kannada
and Udupi of Karnataka and Kasaragod district of Kerala. The native speakers of Tulu are
referred to as Tuluva or Tulu people and the geographical area is unofficially called Tulu
Nadu.
The Indian census report of 2011 reported a total of 1,846,427 native Tulu speakers in
India. The 2001 census had reported a total of 1,722,768 native speakers.
Features: Separated early from Proto-South Dravidian, Tulu has several features not found
in Tamil–Kannada. For example, it has the past perfect and the future perfect, like French
or Spanish, but formed without an auxiliary verb.
Status: At present, Tulu is not an official language in the country. Efforts are being made
to include Tulu in the eighth schedule of the Constitution. Statement 1 is not correct.
Tulu art, culture and cinema: Tulu has a rich oral literature tradition with folk-song forms
like paddana, and traditional folk theatre yakshagana. Tulu also has an active tradition of
cinema with around 5 to 7 Tulu language movies produced a year. Statement 2 is correct.