[Mission 2024] Current Affairs Quiz , 15 December 2023

Solution: b)

Option 1, 2 and 3 is correct.

The Nordic countries are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland; and the autonomous region of Åland.

Solution: a)

Only Statement 2 is correct.

Talks about TEPA (Trade and Economic Partnership Agreement) and a Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) between India, and four European countries who make up the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), outside the European Union (EU): Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, began 15 years ago, and despite 20 rounds of negotiations, they have not yet been closed.

European Free Trade Association (EFTA) operates in parallel with the European Union (EU), and all four member states participate in the European Single Market and are part of the Schengen Area. They are not, however, party to the European Union Customs Union.

Source

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

The PM Vishwakarma Scheme, launched by the Centre on September 17, has received over 21 lakh applications in two and a half months, data from the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) show. The scheme, aimed at supporting and providing skill-upgradation training to artisans and craftspeople.

The Vishwakarma Scheme provides formal training for upgradation and modernisation of traditional skills amid a changing economic landscape. It also offers financial assistance and creates avenues of “market linkage” for persons working in 18 trades and crafts. These include carpenter, boat-maker, armourer, blacksmith, hammer and tool kit maker, locksmith, goldsmith, potter, sculptor, cobbler, mason, basket-maker, doll and toy-maker, barber, garland maker, washerman, tailor, and fishing net-maker.

Source

Solution: c)

Remote Sensing: It is the science of obtaining information about objects or areas from a distance, typically from aircraft or satellites. It collects data by detecting the reflected energy from the Earth. Hyperspectral imaging, sonar, and seismograms are common application of the remote sensing.

Solution: b)

Statement 3 is incorrect.

The SCO is an intergovernmental organisation founded on June 15, 2001 in Shanghai, China. It was established as a multilateral association to ensure security and maintain stability across the vast Eurasian region, join forces to counteract emerging challenges and threats, and enhance trade, as well as cultural and humanitarian cooperation.

The SCO was founded with the primary aim to address security-related concerns, with addressing regional terrorism, ethnic separatism and religious extremism top in its list of priorities. In 2004, at the SCO Summit held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) was established. Through RATS, SCO members share crucial intelligence, know-how, legal expertise as well as allow for extradition of terrorists.

The SCO promotes cooperation in the fields of economics and culture, with the aim of promoting regional development as a part of a holistic approach towards tackling security issues. To that end, it has signed various treaties to promote trade and cultural exchanges within members.