1. Who is the author of the book “Lincoln in the Bardo”?
[A] Junot Díaz
[B] George Saunders
[C] Marie Claire
[D] Zadie Smith
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [George Saunders]
Notes:
The book “Lincoln in the Bardo” has been authored by George Saunders, the Folio prize-winning author. The novel is a tale of death and beyond that captures the grief of Abraham Lincoln over the death of his 11-year-old son Willie while the Civil War raged on in the United States of America (USA). The book draws a parallel line between the lives of Willie’s ghost and a similar uncertain state of Lincoln, after the boy’s death. In simple words, the novel is a confrontation with the mysterious beyond the inevitable death, a question that has haunted humankind, and the way death can bring even the head of a nation to his knees.
2. Which was the first country in Asia to have large scale industrialization?
[A] Japan
[B] China
[C] India
[D] Iran
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [ Japan ]
Notes:
Japan was the first country in Asia to industrialize on a large scale. Industrialization began in Japan after the fall of the Tokugawa government in 1868. Japan industrialized faster than many European countries.
Japan’s industrialization was prompted by the need to improve the nation’s defenses against foreign threats. Local clans developed industrialization by copying Western examples and using traditional craft skills. Japan’s production included steel, machinery, metal goods, and chemicals, which were produced in quantities large enough for export.
Other Asian countries that have industrialized include: South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong.
3. The Universal Health Coverage Day (UHCD) is observed on which date?
[A] December 10
[B] December 11
[C] December 12
[D] December 13
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [December 12]
Notes:
The Universal Health Coverage Day (UHCD) is observed annually on December 12 to promote the human right to health. The day is the anniversary of the first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for all nations to provide for their citizens affordable, quality health care and is promoted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
4. The “Peninsula Shield Force” is active in which region of the earth?
[A] South East Asia
[B] Africa
[C] Middle East
[D] South America
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Middle East]
Notes:
Peninsula Shield Force is the military side of the Gulf Cooperation Council or GCC, which intends to deter, and respond to, military aggression against any of the GCC member countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
5. Headquarters of United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) is loacated at:
[A] Geneva
[B] Nairobi
[C] New Delhi
[D] New York
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Nairobi]
Notes:
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) was founded as a result of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment in June 1972 and has its headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya. UNEP also has six regional offices and various country offices.
6. Territorial claims and disputes over navigation rights of which of the following territories between Iran and Iraq was the main factor for the Iraq-Iran War?
[A] Abu Musa
[B] Zubarah
[C] Murair
[D] Shatt al-Arab
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Shatt al-Arab]
Notes:
The Shatt al-Arab waterway was the main factor in the Iran-Iraq War. The Shatt al-Arab is formed by the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. The southern end of the river forms the border between Iran and Iraq. The Shatt al-Arab was an important channel for oil exports for both countries. The dispute over the Shatt al-Arab lasted from 1936 until 1975. Iran rejected the demarcation line established in the Anglo-Ottoman Convention of Constantinople of November 1913. Iran wanted the border to run along the thalweg, the deepest point of the navigable channel. The Iran-Iraq War lasted from September 1980 until August 1988. The war was also called the First Persian Gulf War or the Imposed War in Iran.
7. Which among the following was founded in 1974 in response to the Indian nuclear test in Pokharan?
[A] Nuclear Threat Initiative
[B] International Atomic Energy Agency
[C] Nuclear Suppliers Group
[D] Nonproliferation for Global Security Foundation
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Nuclear Suppliers Group]
Notes:
Nuclear Suppliers Group was formed by seven countries viz. Canada, West Germany, France, Japan, the USSR, the United Kingdom, and the United States in response to the ‘Smiling Buddha’ (Pokharan-I) of India in 1974. It was clear from this adventure of India that certain non-weapons specific nuclear technology could be readily turned to weapons development, since it was alleged that India used the Canada sourced material to make bomb. The objective of the NSG was to reduce nuclear proliferation by controlling the export and re-transfer of materials that may be applicable to nuclear weapon development and by improving safeguards and protection on existing materials.
8. Which among the following is also known as “world’s most translated document”?
[A] Kyoto protocol
[B] Universal Declaration of Human Rights
[C] United Nations Millennium Declaration
[D] Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Universal Declaration of Human Rights]
Notes:
The most translated document in the world is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The Declaration is a set of principles that outline the fundamental rights and freedoms that are entitled to all human beings. It has been translated into over 500 languages, making it the most translated document in the world. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is considered to be a milestone in the history of human rights and is widely recognized as a fundamental document of international law.
9. Which among the following major United Nations site is known as UNO city?
[A] New York
[B] Washington
[C] Geneva
[D] Vienna
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Vienna]
Notes:
Along with New York, Geneva and Nairobi, Vienna is a major Un site which holds the offices of Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO, International Atomic Energy Agency, United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, United Nations Industrial Development Organization, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. Please note that The VIC (Vienna International center) is an extraterritorial area and is free from local area jurisdiction.
10. Which global organization is associated with the Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures, which outlines how governments can implement food safety and animal and plant health measures?
[A] World Economic Forum
[B] World Health Organization
[C] World Trade Organization
[D] Food and Agriculture Organization
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [World Trade Organization]
Notes:
The Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement instructs governments on food safety and animal and plant health measures implementation, in addition to offering instructions on most-favoured-nation treatment and the general elimination of quantitative restrictions under the WTO framework. Commonly known as the SPS Agreement, it was established during the Uruguay Round of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and came into force with the creation of the WTO in early 1995.