Daily Current Affairs Quiz March 8, 2025

Daily Current Affairs Quiz

1. With reference to ASEAN and its partnership with India, consider the following statements:
   a) ASEAN comprises ten member countries and follows a supranational governance model similar to the European Union.
   b) The ASEAN Charter established a rule-based organization with legal personality while explicitly rejecting the concept of “ASEAN Minus X” formula.
   c) The ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement covers goods, services, and investments, but excludes cooperation in innovation and digital economy.
   d) India became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992 and was elevated to a Strategic Partnership status in 2012.

2. Consider the following statements about the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA):
   a) The IORA was established through the Colombo Declaration and currently has 23 member states along the rim of the Indian Ocean.
   b) One of IORA’s priority areas is disaster risk management, but climate change adaptation falls outside its mandate.
   c) All member states of IORA recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, which causes friction with China.
   d) The IORA operates with a permanent secretariat based in Mauritius and works on a consensus-based decision-making model.

3. Which of the following correctly describes the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)?
   a) A formal military alliance between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India with mutual defense obligations similar to NATO.
   b) An informal strategic forum that conducts semi-regular summits and naval drills while focusing exclusively on containing Chinese maritime expansion.
   c) A strategic dialogue between four democracies with shared interests in maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
   d) A trade bloc established to counterbalance the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) with standardized tariff regulations.

4. In the context of the World Bank Group’s governance structure, which of the following statements is/are correct?
   a) The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) extends loans primarily to low-income countries while the International Development Association (IDA) focuses on middle-income nations.
   b) The World Bank President is traditionally an American citizen nominated by the United States, while the IMF Managing Director is typically a European.
   c) The distribution of voting power in the World Bank is exclusively based on a country’s GDP without considering other economic factors.
   d) Following recent reforms, all World Bank decisions require a simple majority vote rather than the historical consensus-based approach.

5. Regarding the territorial dispute over the Golan Heights, which of the following statements is correct?
   a) The Golan Heights was formally annexed by Israel in 1981, a move that has been universally recognized under international law following UN Resolution 497.
   b) The territory has strategic significance due to its elevation and water resources, particularly Lake Tiberias and the headwaters of the Jordan River.
   c) Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel returned approximately half of the captured Golan territory to Syria under the Camp David Accords.
   d) The indigenous Druze population in the Golan Heights overwhelmingly accepted Israeli citizenship following the formal annexation.

6. With reference to the concept of “Global South,” consider the following statements:
   a) The term “Global South” exclusively refers to countries located in the Southern Hemisphere regardless of their economic development status.
   b) The Global South development model primarily emphasizes economic growth through centralized planning while rejecting market-based approaches.
   c) The term emerged in the post-Cold War era to replace the outdated “Third World” classification and generally encompasses developing nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.
   d) All countries in the Global South are members of the Non-Aligned Movement and maintain strict neutrality in global conflicts.

7. Regarding the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which of the following statements is incorrect?
   a) The ISA was conceived as a joint initiative by India and France during COP-21 in Paris.
   b) Membership in the ISA was initially limited to countries located between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn but was later expanded to all UN member states.
   c) The ISA Treaty entered into force in December 2017 and operates with a secretariat headquartered in Gurugram, India.
   d) The ISA’s primary financing mechanism requires mandatory financial contributions proportional to each member country’s GDP.

8. With reference to the Global Biofuel Alliance launched at the G20 Summit in 2023, consider the following statements:
   a) The Alliance focuses exclusively on first-generation biofuels derived from food crops like corn and sugarcane.
   b) Unlike the International Solar Alliance, the Global Biofuel Alliance operates without a formal treaty framework.
   c) The Alliance aims to develop universal sustainability standards for biofuel production while acknowledging different national circumstances.
   d) Membership in the Alliance is restricted to G20 nations to ensure policy uniformity and implementation effectiveness.

9. The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) primarily works to address which of the following environmental challenges?
   a) Long-lived greenhouse gases including carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
   b) Short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons.
   c) Stratospheric ozone depletion caused by chlorofluorocarbons and related compounds.
   d) Acid rain resulting from sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from industrial sources.

10. In the context of climate change mitigation, which of the following accurately describes “Blue Carbon”?
    a) Carbon credits generated through ocean-based renewable energy projects like offshore wind farms and tidal energy.
    b) Carbon sequestered by marine organisms and stored in deep-sea sediments beyond national jurisdictions.
    c) Carbon captured and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes.
    d) A tradable carbon offset category specifically designed for island nations facing existential threats from rising sea levels.

Answer Key

1. Answer: d) India became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992 and was elevated to a Strategic Partnership status in 2012.
   Explanation: India became a Sectoral Dialogue Partner of ASEAN in 1992, and the relationship was elevated to a Strategic Partnership in 2012. ASEAN follows intergovernmental cooperation rather than supranational governance. The “ASEAN Minus X” formula is actually part of the ASEAN Charter, allowing flexibility in economic agreements. The ASEAN-India FTA does include cooperation in digital economy and innovation.

2. Answer: d) The IORA operates with a permanent secretariat based in Mauritius and works on a consensus-based decision-making model.
   Explanation: IORA’s Secretariat is located in Ebene, Mauritius, and decisions are made by consensus. The organization was established through the Mauritius Declaration (not Colombo), though it does have 23 member states. Climate change adaptation is included in IORA’s mandate, and the IORA does not take a collective position on Taiwan.

3. Answer: c) A strategic dialogue between four democracies with shared interests in maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
   Explanation: The Quad is an informal strategic dialogue between the United States, Japan, Australia, and India focused on ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. It is not a formal military alliance with defense obligations like NATO, does not focus exclusively on containing China, and is not a trade bloc.

4. Answer: b) The World Bank President is traditionally an American citizen nominated by the United States, while the IMF Managing Director is typically a European.
   Explanation: By convention, the World Bank President has been an American nominee and the IMF Managing Director has been European. The IBRD focuses on middle-income countries while IDA serves the poorest countries (not vice versa). Voting power is based on financial contribution, not just GDP. Most decisions still require special majorities for certain key decisions.

5. Answer: b) The territory has strategic significance due to its elevation and water resources, particularly Lake Tiberias and the headwaters of the Jordan River.
   Explanation: The Golan Heights has strategic importance due to its elevation and water resources including Lake Tiberias and Jordan River headwaters. Israel’s 1981 annexation has not been internationally recognized. Israel did not return territory to Syria under the Camp David Accords. Most Druze in the Golan have rejected Israeli citizenship.

6. Answer: c) The term emerged in the post-Cold War era to replace the outdated “Third World” classification and generally encompasses developing nations across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Oceania.
   Explanation: “Global South” emerged as a post-Cold War alternative to “Third World” and refers to developing nations across multiple continents regardless of hemisphere. These countries employ diverse economic models, not just centralized planning. Not all Global South countries are members of the Non-Aligned Movement or maintain strict neutrality.

7. Answer: d) The ISA’s primary financing mechanism requires mandatory financial contributions proportional to each member country’s GDP.
   Explanation: The ISA does not require mandatory financial contributions proportional to GDP; it operates through voluntary contributions. The other statements are correct: it was launched by India and France during COP-21, initially limited to countries between the Tropics but later expanded, and its headquarters is in Gurugram, India.

8. Answer: c) The Alliance aims to develop universal sustainability standards for biofuel production while acknowledging different national circumstances.
   Explanation: The Global Biofuel Alliance aims to develop sustainability standards while respecting national circumstances. It focuses on multiple generations of biofuels, not just first-generation. It operates under a framework arrangement (not a formal treaty), and membership is open to countries beyond the G20.

9. Answer: b) Short-lived climate pollutants such as black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and hydrofluorocarbons.
   Explanation: The Climate and Clean Air Coalition specifically targets short-lived climate pollutants including black carbon, methane, tropospheric ozone, and HFCs. These pollutants have relatively short atmospheric lifetimes but significant warming potential. The CCAC does not primarily focus on long-lived GHGs, stratospheric ozone depletion, or acid rain.

10. Answer: c) Carbon captured and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems including mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes.
    Explanation: Blue Carbon refers to carbon captured and stored in coastal and marine ecosystems, particularly mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, which can sequester carbon at rates much higher than terrestrial forests. It is not specific to carbon credits from ocean-based energy, deep-sea sediment storage, or a specialized offset category for island nations.

Daily Current Affairs Quiz