UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Cayman Islands, Chabahar port, SCO and more (Week 65)

1. The port is located in the Gulf of Oman.

2. The port will provide Indian goods with a gateway to reach landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia.

3. Mumbai port in Maharashtra is the closest to the Chabahar port.

4. Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti terminals are part of the Chabahar port.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 1, 2 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Explanation

— The Indian Prime Minister said that the progress made by India in developing Iran’s Chabahar Port not only holds “great value” to landlocked Central Asian states but also “de-risks” commerce between India and Eurasia.

— The development of the Chabahar Port will assist India in improving its logistical capacities and expanding its trade connections to Central Asia; nevertheless, the requisite infrastructure and systems to efficiently manage cargo movement at the port must be ensured.

— The Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman, which New Delhi proposed developing in 2003, will provide Indian commodities with a gateway to landlocked Afghanistan and Central Asia via a road and rail project known as the International North-South Transport Corridor, bypassing Pakistan. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— Chabahar Port, which includes the Shahid Kalantari and Shahid Beheshti terminals, is strategically placed around 170 kilometres west of Pakistan’s Gwadar Port. It provides an alternate maritime route to the crowded Strait of Hormuz. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— Kandla port in Gujarat is the closest to the Chabahar port at 550 nautical miles while the distance between Chabahar and Mumbai is 786 nautical miles. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— Chabahar is also part of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a 7,200-kilometre multimodal transportation route that connects India to Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Consider the following countries:

1. India

2. Mongolia

3. Russia

4. Kyrgyzstan

5. Romania

How many of the countries given above are full time member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) All five

Explanation

— The origin of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation lies in the “Shanghai Five”, formed in 1996 and consisting of China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

— The collapse of the Soviet Union into 15 independent countries in 1991 raised fears in the region about the rise of radical religious groups and ethnic tensions. To address these challenges, a group was formed to coordinate security efforts.

— On June 15, 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation institution (SCO) was created as an international institution, with Uzbekistan joining as the sixth member.

— It had ten members: India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan and Belarus.

— Afghanistan and Mongolia hold Observer Status.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

The Cayman Islands was recently in the news due to Hurricane Beryl. It is part of:

(a) United States

(b) Mexico

(c) British Overseas Territories

(d) Barbados

Explanation

— Hurricane Beryl rumbled towards the Cayman Islands and Mexico after pummeling Jamaica with winds and rain that caused flooding and massive power outages, as well as leaving a terrible trail of destruction in numerous smaller Caribbean islands.

— Beryl’s eyewall skirted Jamaica’s southern coast, pummeling villages as a Category 4 storm on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale, as emergency services evacuated residents from flood-prone areas.

— Beryl is the first hurricane of the 2024 Atlantic season, making it the earliest Category 5 storm on record. A Category 5 hurricane has winds of 157 mph (252 kph) or greater, which can cause catastrophic damage, including the destruction of buildings and infrastructure.

— The Cayman Islands, a British overseas territory, consists of three islands in the western Caribbean Sea.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following countries:

1. Italy

2. Japan

3. Nigeria

4. South Korea

5. south Africa

Which of the above countries are frequently mentioned in the media for their low birth rates, or ageing population or declining population? (UPSC 2024)

(a) 1, 2 and 4

(b) 1, 3 and 5

(c) 2 and 4 only

(d) 3 and 5 only

Explanation

— According to the 2023 research, while numbers will continue to grow for several decades, the current predictions show that the rate of global population growth has slowed to less than 1% since 2020.

— This is partly due to declining fertility; around two-thirds of people live in a country or territory with a total fertility rate of 2.1 children per woman (also known as “replacement fertility” or “zero-growth fertility”). In 1950, the world fertility rate was at 5.

— Many countries, including Japan and South Korea, are experiencing demographic declines. A diminishing fertility rate, with fewer women having children, is accompanied by an elderly population that is no longer employed.

— For the past decade, Europe’s fertility rate has been relatively stable around 1.5 births per woman. The shortage of infants is most acute in Italy, where births fell to a historic low in 2023, marking the 15th straight yearly reduction.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Consider the following pairs:

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 65)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 65)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 65)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 65)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 64)

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