UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Sagaing township, India and Namibia relations and more (Week 118) | UPSC Current Affairs News – Exam Ki Tayari

QUESTION 1

With reference to India and Namibia relations, consider the following statements:

1. India and Namibia share a colonial past and a post-colonial partnership.

2. India offered material assistance and military training to fighters in Namibia’s liberation struggle against the forces of apartheid South Africa.

3. India’s investments in Namibia are mostly in mineral resources such as zinc and diamond processing.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— On July 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Namibia for the final part of his five-country Global South outreach trip. This will be the first visit of an Indian Prime Minister to the resource-rich southern African country in nearly three decades. Modi’s visit is planned to strengthen bilateral collaboration in technology, health, infrastructure, development, and security.

— India and Namibia have a colonial background and a postcolonial friendship. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— India championed the issue of Namibian independence in the United Nations General Assembly as early as 1946, and in 1986, the South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO), which led Namibia’s liberation war, built its first embassy in New Delhi.

— Aside from full diplomatic status and unwavering support through the Non-aligned Movement (NAM), India provided material help and military training to fighters in Namibia’s liberation struggle against apartheid South Africa. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Namibia attained independence in March 1990, and the Indian Observer Mission was raised to a High Commission. Namibia established its full-fledged permanent mission in New Delhi in March 1994.

— Namibia is the world’s third-largest producer of uranium and is among the top producers of lithium, zinc, and rare earth metals. As a result, there is enormous opportunity for mutually beneficial energy security and essential mineral partnerships. According to India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the country’s investments in Namibia total around $800 million, with the majority of that going towards mineral resources like zinc and diamond processing. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

How many of the Indian States border Myanmar?

1. Nagaland

2. Mizoram

3. Tripura

4. Arunachal Pradesh

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Explanation

— Following a renewed outbreak of fighting in Myanmar’s Chin State, approximately 4,000 additional refugees have arrived in Mizoram in recent days.

— Since July 2, two anti-military junta forces in Myanmar’s Chin State – the Chin National Defence Force (CNDF) and the Chinland Defence Force (CDF) Hualnogram – have been engaged in combat. As a result, many inhabitants have moved to Mizoram’s Champhai region.

— Myanmar shares borders with four Indian states: Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, and Mizoram.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Recently, there was an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing township. It is located in:

(a) Myanmar

(b) Philippines

(c) Taiwan

(d) Cambodia

Explanation

— According to resistance groups and media accounts, an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar killed at least 23 people who had sought refuge there.

— The strike occurred in Lin Ta Lu village, Sagaing township, roughly 35 kilometres northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The island of Ischia was recently in the news. It is part of:

(a) Austria

(b) Italy

(c) Greece

(d) Slovenia

Explanation

— The ruins of a long-forgotten Roman city off the shore of the Italian island of Ischia are being discovered anew. The city of Aenaria, once thought to be lost to legend, is now being rediscovered through archaeological excavations and guided underwater tours.

— The remains are located in the Tyrrhenian Sea, barely below the surface. Visitors can now visit the site in glass-bottomed boats or snorkelling trips, which reveal historic quays, Roman relics, and stone structures preserved on the sea floor.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Which of the following countries has dismantled 300 dams and shut down most small hydropower stations to help restore fish habitats and river health?

(a) India

(b) Russia

(c) China

(d) Japan

Explanation

— China has destroyed 300 dams and shut down the majority of tiny hydropower units on a key Yangtze River tributary in order to restore fish habitats and water quality.

— The change impacts the Chishui He, also known as the Red River, a 400-kilometer waterway that runs through Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan provinces. According to a Xinhua report quoted by SCMP, by the end of December 2024, 300 of 357 dams will have been demolished, and 342 of 373 minor hydropower plants would have ceased operations.

— Ecologists regard the Red River as one of the last remaining safe havens for endangered native fish in the upper Yangtze. Dams and power plants have historically hampered fish movement and limited water flow, causing breeding habitats to suffer.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 116)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 118)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 117)

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