Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs – July 03-04, 2022 [Mock Test]
July 4, 2022 July 4, 2022
1. Which of the following kinds of malaria parasites can infect humans?
- Plasmodium falciparum
- Plasmodium vivax
- Plasmodium ovale
- Plasmodium malariae
- Plasmodium knowlesi
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1, 2 & 4
[B] Only 2, 3 & 5
[C] Only 1, 3, 4 & 5
[D] 1, 2, 3, 4 & 5
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3, 4 & 5]
Notes:- Malaria is caused by the bite of the female Anopheles mosquito, if the mosquito itself is infected with a malarial parasite.
- Four kinds of malaria parasites infect humans: Plasmodium falciparum, P. vivax, P. ovale, and malariae.In addition, P. knowlesi, a type of malaria that naturally infects macaques in Southeast Asia, also infects humans, causing malaria that is transmitted from animal to human (“zoonotic” malaria). P. falciparum is the type of malaria that is most likely to result in severe infections and if not promptly treated, may lead to death.
2. With respect to the latest data published by SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), consider the following statements:
- World military spending declined in 2021 due to the economic fallout of the pandemic.
- India was the third largest spenders in 2021.
- US and China alone accounted for more than half of the total world military spending in 2021.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 2
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 2
[D] Only 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Only 2 & 3]
Notes:- According to the latest data published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), world military spending continued to grow in 2021, reaching an all-time high of USD 2.1 trillion despite the economic fallout of the pandemic.
- World military expenditure as a share of world Gross Domestic Product (GDP) fell by 0.1 percentage points, from 2.3% in 2020 to 2.2% in 2021.
- The five largest spenders in 2021 were the US, China, India (spending increased by 0.9% from 2020 and by 33% from 2012), the UK and Russia.
- They accounted together for 62% of expenditure and the US and China alone accounted for 52%.
3. Except India, which of the following countries has/have been recommended for ‘country of particular concern’ as per the report released by US Commission on International Religious Freedom?
- Russia
- Iran
- China
- Nigeria
- Afghanistan
- Vietnam
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1, 3 & 6
[B] Only 1, 2, 3 & 6
[C] Only 4, 5 & 6
[D] Only 2, 4, 5 & 6
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 4, 5 & 6]
Notes:- US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) report focus primarily on two group of countries:
- Country of Particular Concern (CPC): It is a designation by the US Secretary of State of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under IRFA (International Religious Freedom Act of 1998). Afghanistan, Nigeria, Syria, Vietnam and India are recommended for this. Countries Myanmar, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan are recommended for redesignation as CPCs.
- Special Watch List: A “Special Watch List” country is one that is deemed not to meet all the CPC criteria but engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom. Algeria, Cuba, and Nicaragua were placed in 2021. Others include Azerbaijan, Central Asian Republic, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
- The Report also includes USCIRF’s recommendations of violent nonstate actors for designation by the US State Department as Entities of Particular Concern (EPCs), under International Review of Financial Analysis (IRFA). Al-Shabaab, Boko Haram, the Houthis, Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP or ISIS-West Africa), and Jamaat Nasr al-Islam Wal Muslimin (JNIM) are recommended as EPCs.
