[MISSION 2024] RTM(Revision through MCQs)- 30 December 2023

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is not correct.
• Context: The Indian Navy has unveiled new epaulettes for Admirals, inspired by the naval ensign and Chhatrapati Shivaji’s rajmudra, as part of an initiative to reflect India’s rich maritime heritage and move away from British nomenclature.
• What are the new epaulletes for?
  • The new epaulettes are for the ranks of Admiral, Vice Admiral, Rear Admiral, Surgeon Vice Admiral and Surgeon Rear Admiral.
  • Barring the medical officers, there would be around 100 officers of rank Rear Admiral and onwards, in the Navy. The Navy has a sanctioned strength of around 12,000 officers, of which there is currently a shortage of around 1,777 officers as per official data.
• How are the new epaulettes different from the earlier ones?
  • The new epaulettes have the new golden Navy button carrying the new naval crest which was unveiled last year, a red octagon as the backing to the national emblem, and a sword and a telescope. The ones for the medical officers have a red border as well.
  • The earlier epaulettes for the same ranks did have a red backing for the national emblem, but not an octagonal one. Moreover, the button at the top of the epaulette reflected the old crest of the Navy which had a fouled anchor—a colonial era vestige.
  • The old epaulettes carried a baton and a sword, but new ones carry an Indian sword and a telescope. The stars on the new epaulettes are also designed differently than the older ones.
• What do the new epaulettes signify?
  • The new Navy button reflects the new crest, sans the fouled anchor which was a colonial era vestige. As per the Navy, the red octagon reflects the eight cardinal directions indicative of an all-round long-term vision. It is inspired by the new naval ensign that was unveiled last year and inspired from the Rajmudra of Maratha ruler Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj who had built the massive Maratha Navy which has a rich maritime legacy.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/new-design-of-admirals-epaulettes/

Ans: (a)

Explanation:

• Only statement 1 is correct.
• Context: Argentina has formally rejected the invitation to join the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) group of major emerging economies.
  • The membership of Argentina, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates was due to take effect from January 1, 2024.
• S2: . While cultural exchange and cooperation may occur within BRICS, the primary objectives of BRICS are generally focused on economic cooperation, political influence, and addressing global issues such as development, climate change, and security.
• S3: While BRICS initially emerged as an economic bloc, it has not primarily focused on military cooperation. The main emphasis has been on economic collaboration, policy coordination, and addressing global challenges through diplomatic means. Military cooperation is not a central aspect of the BRICS agenda.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/argentina-rejects-brics-membership/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 3 is not correct.
• Context: An appellate court in Qatar has commuted the death sentence of eight former Indian Navy officers accused of espionage.
• The President can exercise these powers:
  • In all cases where the punishment or sentence is by a court martial;
  • In all cases where the punishment or sentence is for an offence against any law relating to a matter to which the executive power of the Union extends;
  • In all cases where the sentence is a sentence of death.
  • This power of pardon shall be exercised by the President on the advice of Council of Ministers.
• The constitution does not provide for any mechanism to question the legality of decisions of President or governors exercising mercy jurisdiction.
  • But the SC in Epuru Sudhakar case has given a small window for judicial review of the pardon powers of President and governors for the purpose of ruling out any arbitrariness.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/qatar-commutes-death-sentence-for-indian-navy-officers/

Ans: (c )

Explanation:

• Context: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has released its list of domestic systemically important banks (D-SIBs) for 2023, including the State Bank of India (SBI), HDFC Bank, and ICICI Bank.
  • While ICICI Bank maintains its previous categorization, SBI and HDFC Bank have moved to higher buckets.
  • The D-SIB framework aims to enhance the resilience of the financial system by assigning additional common equity requirements based on the systemic importance of banks.
• D-SIBs are banks that, if they were to fail, could pose a risk to the stability of the domestic financial system. These institutions are considered systemically important due to their size and potential impact on the overall economy.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/domestic-systemically-important-banks/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 3 are correct.
• Context: Russian and U.S. space agencies, Roscosmos and NASA, have agreed to extend their collaboration on delivering crews to the International Space Station (ISS) until at least 2025, as announced by Roscosmos.
• A space station is essentially a large spacecraft that remains in low-earth orbit for extended periods of time. It is like a large laboratory in space, and allows astronauts to come aboard and stay for weeks or months to carry out experiments in microgravity.
• The Mir space station of the former Soviet Union, and later operated by Russia, was functional from 1986 to 2001. The ISS has been in space since 1998, and has been known for the exemplary cooperation between the five participating space agencies that have been running it: NASA (United States), Roscosmos (Russia), JAXA (Japan), ESA (Europe), and CSA (Canada).
• The ownership and use of the space station is established by intergovernmental treaties and agreements.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/international-space-station-iss/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: A recent image captured by trap cameras in the Neora Valley National Park in the hills of West Bengal has confirmed the presence of Royal Bengal Tigers at an altitude of 10,509 feet above sea level.
• The survey indicates the presence of more than 10 tigers in the area, with recent camera trap images consistently featuring at least one Royal Bengal Tiger.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/neora-valley-national-park/

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Context:  A recent image captured by trap cameras in the Neora Valley National Park in the hills of West Bengal has confirmed the presence of Royal Bengal Tigers at an altitude of 10,509 feet above sea level.
• Neora Valley National Park in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal was established in 1986, it’s a rich biological zone with diverse flora and fauna.
  • The park is home to the red panda and is known for its rugged, inaccessible terrain.
• Red panda
  • Category: endangered species (IUCN) and comes under Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
  • Red pandas are shy, solitary and arboreal animalsand are considered an indicator species for ecological change.
  • They are also one of the most iconic speciesin terms of their importance to global conservation.
  • The red panda’s survival is crucial for the eastern and north-eastern Himalayan subalpine conifer forestsand the eastern Himalayan broadleaf forests. (2200-4800m under dense bamboo)
  • It is also the state animal of Sikkim.
  • Protection measure: Transboundary law enforcement cooperation through the use of multi-government platforms like SAWEN(South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network).

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/neora-valley-national-park/

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: The National Research Centre on Litchi (NRCL), has successfully expanded litchi cultivation to 19 states in India.
  • Litchi cultivation for commercial production has commenced in states such as Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, and others.
• Litchi (Litchi chinensis) is a small, oval roundish fruit that is native to Southeast Asia. It is a member of the soapberry family (Sapindaceae) and is also known as lychee or lichee.
• Litchi is a sensitive fruit, influenced by temperature, rainfall, humidity, and soil conditions.
• The fruit primarily grows in the foothills of the Himalayas, with Bihar alone contributing nearly 40% of India’s litchi production.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/litchi/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Context: An earthquake of magnitude 6.3 on the Richter Scale jolted Japan’s Kuril Islands.
• S1: This statement is incorrect. The Kuril Islands are situated in the Pacific Ocean, but they are located between Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula of Russia, not the Korean Peninsula.
• S2: This statement is correct. The sovereignty of the Kuril Islands has been a point of contention between Japan and Russia since the end of World War II. The dispute involves the ownership of several islands in the Kuril chain.

Refer: https://www.insightsonindia.com/2023/12/30/japans-kuril-islands/

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 2 is not correct.
• BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. It is the World’s largest partnership of conservation organisations, with over 120 partner organizations 120 partner organizations. Together the BirdLife Partnership forms the leading authority on the status of birds, their habitats and the issues and problems affecting bird life.
• BirdLife’s Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) Programme aims to identify, monitor and protect a global network of IBAs for the conservation of the world’s birds and other wildlife.
• Source: http://www.birdlife.org/worldwide/partnership/about-birdlife

Refer: UPSC CSE 2015