[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 10 October 2023

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• The Gaza Strip is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/current-conflict-in-israel-and-the-yom-kippur-war/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Context: The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, fought in 1973 between Israel Egypt and Syria, is being compared to the current conflict involving Hamas and Israel.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/current-conflict-in-israel-and-the-yom-kippur-war/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• two-state solution, proposed framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by establishing two states for two peoples: Israel for the Jewish people and Palestine for the Palestinian people

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/current-conflict-in-israel-and-the-yom-kippur-war/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Context: The 52nd GST Council Meeting made several important recommendations:
• Amendments in Appointment of GST Appellate Tribunals – in the conditions for appointing the President and Members of the proposed GST Appellate Tribunals.
• GST Rates for Millet Flour: GST rates for food preparation of millet flour in powder form, containing at least 70% millets by weight, were specified as follows:
  • 0% when sold in non-pre-packaged and unlabelled form.
  • 5% when sold in pre-packaged and labelled form.
• Exclusion of Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) from GST
• Reduced GST on Molasses: The GST rate on molasses was reduced from 28% to 5%.
• IGST Exemption for Foreign Going Vessels
• Changes in GST Rates for Services

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/recommendations-of-the-52nd-gst-council-meeting/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• The Union and State governments concurrently levy GST on commodities with 50% as Central GST (CGST) and 50% as State GST (SGST). There is an Integrated GST (IGST) on inter-State trade, so that 50% of it goes to the final destination State. The GST is a harmonised tax on commodities across the country. Individual States have little power to unilaterally change this tax. Though conceptually, the Union government could not do so either, the GST Council gives the Union government a veto to thrust its preferences on the States.
• The Union government has exclusive power to levy excise duty on petroleum products, and the States have exclusive power to levy excise duty and sales tax on liquor.

Refer:https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/recommendations-of-the-52nd-gst-council-meeting/

Ans: (c )

Explanation

• Context: Russia has recently suggested the possibility of withdrawing its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), not to resume nuclear testing but to align with the United States.
• The CTBT is a global treaty, adopted by the United Nations in 1996, aimed at prohibiting all nuclear explosions for military or peaceful purposes. However, it has not yet entered into force due to the incomplete ratification process by several countries.
• About the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT):
  • The origins of the CTBT can be traced back to the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union, which conducted numerous nuclear tests from 1945 to 1996, causing concerns about the environmental and health impacts of radioactive fallout.
  • Various attempts to limit nuclear testing were made, including the Limited Nuclear Test-Ban Treaty in 1963, which prohibited tests in the atmosphere, outer space, and underwater but allowed underground testing.
  • The CTBT, established in 1996, sought to impose a complete ban on explosive nuclear testing, taking advantage of reduced geopolitical tensions after the end of the Cold War. Despite its adoption, some countries have conducted nuclear tests since then, including India, Pakistan, and North Korea.
  • The treaty requires ratification by 44 specific countries with nuclear technology, and eight of them, including China, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, and the United States, have yet to do so.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-ctbt-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation

• The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), or the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty, is the
• first legally binding international agreement to comprehensively prohibit nuclear weapons, with the
• goal of leading towards their total elimination. It was adopted on 7 July 2017, opened for signature on 20 September 2017, and entered into force on 22 January 2021.
• For those nations that are party to it, the treaty prohibits the development, testing, production, stockpiling, stationing, transfer, use and threat of use of nuclear weapons, as well as assistance and encouragement to the prohibited activities. For nuclear armed states joining the treaty, it provides for a time-bound framework for negotiations leading to the verified and irreversible elimination of its nuclear weapons programme.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-ctbt-2/

Ans: (b)

Explanation

• Statement 3 is wrong.
• As the preeminent nuclear watchdog under the UN, the IAEA is entrusted with the task of upholding the principles of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1970. Established as an autonomous organisation on July 29, 1957, at the height of the Cold War between the U.S. and the Soviet Union, the IAEA claims that it “works with its member states and multiple partners worldwide to promote the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies”. Though established independently of the UN through its own international treaty, the agency reports to both the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/comprehensive-nuclear-test-ban-treaty-ctbt-2/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Watermeal, known for its tiny size and floating habit on water bodies, offers a unique subject for this research due to its simplicity and rapid growth rate. It lacks roots, stems, or leaves, making it an ideal candidate for studying the effects of altered gravity on plant development.
• Watermeal is not only scientifically intriguing but also has practical benefits. It is a prolific producer of oxygen through photosynthesis and a rich source of protein. In Thailand, it has been part of the local diet for generations.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/watermeal/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context: A recent study conducted in Assam’s Manas National Park has revealed that the coexistence and potential cooperation between Asiatic wild dogs (dholes) and tigers are influenced by factors such as prey availability and habitat suitability.
• Dholes are an endangered species and the only pack-living canid in India’s tropical forests.
• The study revealed a positive relationship between the two species in terms of habitat use. This unexpected finding suggests that factors like overlapping prey availability and habitat suitability could facilitate coexistence or even cooperative behaviours between dholes and tigers.
• Manas National Park is a biosphere reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
• Dholes are wild dogs native to Asia.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists dholes as endangered. There are only 1000–2000 adults.

Refer:: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/10/10/asiatic-wild-dog-tiger-coexistence/