[Mission 2023] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 24 May 2023

Solution: d)

The US government is perilously close to being unable to make payments on the country’s debt.

the “debt ceiling” or “debt limit” is the maximum amount of debt the federal government is allowed to accumulate in order to fulfil its financial obligations.

The government typically spends more than it earns. This means that it needs to borrow in order to pay for things like social security, Medicare, military and other salaries, interest on the national debt, tax refunds, etc.

The debt limit was introduced in 1917 – when the US entered World War I – and according to the US Treasury Department, the Congress has increased or suspended the debt limit 78 times since 1960. As of 2023, the debt ceiling stands at $ 31.4 trillion.

Constitutionally, the Congress controls the government’s purse strings. The debt ceiling was introduced in order to make it easier for the executive to operate without having to turn to the Congress every time it wants to spend – it allowed the government to borrow as required as long as it kept under the debt limit, which has to be approved by the Congress.

If the debt ceiling is breached, the Treasury Department would be unable to make payments when they are due – meaning that the US would enter into a default for the first time in its history.

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Solution: c)

Jallikattu, also known as eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull-taming sport traditionally played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival. The festival is a celebration of nature, and thanksgiving for a bountiful harvest, of which cattle-worship is part.

The Animal Welfare Board of India is a statutory advisory body on Animal Welfare Laws and promotes animal welfare in the country. Established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

Entry 17 of List III of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution which relates to the prevention of cruelty to animals. 

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Solution: c)

The Group of Seven is an informal group of leading industrialised nations. It consists of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States.

This year is Japan’s turn to host, but the presidency of G-7 summits revolves among the seven members. Two representatives of the European Union also join.

As is customary in recent years, leaders from some non-G-7 countries and international organizations will also participate in some sessions. The leaders discuss a wide range of issues, including economic policy, security, climate change, energy and gender.

The first summit was in 1975, when France hosted what was then a Group of Six meeting to discuss tackling a recession that followed an Arab oil embargo. Canada became the seventh member a year later. Russia joined to form the G-8 in 1998 but was expelled after Moscow’s 2014 annexation of Crimea.

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Solution: d)

UNEP’s scientific publications such as the flagship Global Environment Outlook, the Global Chemicals Outlook and the Emissions Gap Report provide detailed analysis and key findings that support enhanced environmental policymaking and governance. These reports help bridge the gap between science and policy by turning the best available scientific knowledge into information relevant for decision makers, who then can turn policy into action.

Solution: d)

The Orange River is a river in Southern Africa. The river forms part of the international borders between South Africa and Lesotho and between South Africa and Namibia, as well as several provincial borders within South Africa.