[Mission 2024] QUED ( Questions from Editorials ) 7 August 2023

Solution: a)

Only statement 3 is correct.

The Election Commission told the Supreme Court that “there is no express provision which bars associations with religious connotations to register as political parties under Section 29A of the Representation of the People Act-1951”.

The EC generally does not have the power to deregister political parties, something which it has proposed as an electoral reform to the government many times.

On the issue of symbols, the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 bars parties from having symbols with religious or communal connotations.

Solution: c)

The disagreements between India and Nepal over the border dispute is over the regions which includes Kalapani, Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura (all three in Uttarakhand) and Susta (Bihar).

Solution: c)

The aorta is the main artery that carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body; it is also the body’s largest blood vessel. An aortic aneurysm is a weakening and bulging in a portion of the aorta.

An aneurysm is a localised weakening of the wall of a blood vessel, which causes the vessel to bulge in that area — as a result of which the vessel may widen to more than 50 per cent of its usual diameter. Aneurysms are more commonly seen in arteries than in veins.

An aneurysm increases in size over time, and the wall of the blood vessel gets progressively weaker in that area. The vessel may ultimately burst or separate, triggering a bleeding rush that can be life-threatening, and potentially lethal.

Possible causes of thoracic aortic aneurysm (i) degenerative disease that causes breakdown of the aortic wall tissue; (ii) genetic disorders; (iii) family history; (iv) vasculitis, or inflammation of the arteries; and (v) atherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque on the walls of the artery. In rare cases, an infection can also trigger an aneurysm.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

UNESCO defines “intangible” as “expressions that have been passed from one generation to another, have evolved in response to their environments and contribute to giving us a sense of identity and continuity…”

It ascribes importance to “the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next,” which necessitates their preservation. The document states that the safeguarding of an ICH means ensuring that it “remains an active part of life for today’s generations that they can hand on to tomorrow.”

The adoption of the Convention for the Safeguarding of the ICH by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2003 was a crucial step towards preserving intangible heritage from across the globe. UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity was established in the year 2008.

The list does not attribute or recognize any standard of excellence or exclusivity. 

Solution: d)

The LAC separates Indian-controlled territory from Chinese-controlled territory. It is divided into the Eastern Sector (Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), Middle Sector (Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh) and Western Sector (Ladakh).

India and China do not agree on the LAC.

In the Eastern Sector, the alignment of the LAC is along the McMahon Line, which takes its name from Sir Henry McMahon, foreign secretary of British India, who drew the 890-km line as the border between British India and Tibet at the 1914 Simla Convention Between Great Britain, China, and Tibet.