Daily Current Affairs (MCQ's) | 28-01-2023

Q1. Consider the following statements with respect to the Indus Waters Treaty (IWT)

1. The treaty provides India absolute control of all the waters of the western rivers
2. There is a graded mechanism to handle issues related to treaty
3. The disputes are to be resolved by the World Bank appointed neutral expert

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 only
3. 2 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (b)

Explanation:

India sends notice to Pak. to amend 1960 Indus pact

• India announced that it wants to modify the 62-year-old Indus Waters Treaty (IWT) with Pakistan, citing what it called Pakistan’s “intransigence” in resolving disputes over the Kishenganga and Ratle hydropower projects, both in Jammu and Kashmir.
• India also protested Pakistan’s “unilateral” decision to approach a court of arbitration at The Hague. The first hearing of the Pakistani case at the Permanent Court of Arbitrage at The Hague in the Netherlands began with India boycotting the court process.
• The treaty is often seen as a rare example of India-Pakistan consensus, at a time when the two nations have snapped trade and cultural exchanges, and most bilateral talks.
• The sources said Pakistan’s move to push the World Bank for a Court of Arbitration ran counter to the pre-existing channel of dispute resolution through a “neutral expert” appointed by the World Bank.

Q2. The Kuno river is tributary of

1. Chambal
2. Ken
3. Betwa
4. Son

Answer (a)

Explanation:

The Kuno River is one of the main tributaries of the Chambal River. It flows through the Kuno National Park from south to north, draining the other rivulets and Tributaries into Chambal River in Morena at MP-Rajasthan border. It is 180 km long and originates from the Shivpuri Plateau. Passing through districts like: Guna, Shivpuri, Baran, Sheopur and Morena.

Cheetah project to bring in 12 big cats from South Africa:

• India and South Africa have finally signed a long-pending agreement to translocate 12 cheetahs to India. The cheetahs will be transported to India by February-end and reintroduced at the Kuno National Park in Madhya Pradesh, where eight such cats were brought from Namibia last year under a similar agreement.
• The initial batch of cheetahs from South Africa will be followed by transport of batches of 12 annually for the next “eight to 10 years”.

Q3. Famed pashmina shawls, known for centuries for their intricate buta or paisley patterns, got a French touch recently. These shawls belong to

1. Kashmir
2. Nagaland
3. Madhya Pradesh
4. Uttarakhand

Answer (a)

Explanation:

Kashmir’s pashmina shawls get new-age French touch:

• Kashmir’s famed pashmina shawls, known for centuries for their intricate buta or paisley patterns, got a French touch. Pashmina — or cashmere as it’s called in the West — is a fabric loved and respected the world over.
• The transformation, where the shawls were adorned with abstract paintings rather than embroidery, has re-introduced the fabric with new-age aesthetics.

• Artist Maximilien Pellet turned the fabric into a canvas for contemporary art forms at a Parisian exhibition, in a rare bid to cater to Western sensibilities.

Q4. Golan heights and Gaza strip are disputed regions linked to

1. Israel
2. Iraq
3. Yemen
4. South Sudan

Answer (a)

Explanation:

West Bank on the edge after Israeli raids, rocket attacks:

• Israel’s Defence Minister signalled that the military would stop its air strikes if Palestinian militant groups halted rocket attacks, a day after the deadliest Israeli raid in decades raised the prospect of a major flare- up in fighting.

• The limited exchange of fire between Gaza militants and the Israeli armed forces has so far followed a familiar pattern that allows both sides to respond without leading to a major escalation.

Q5. Which of the following are the possible benefits of elephant corridors?

1. Better management of human-animal conflict
2. Improvements in genetic diversity

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

Govt looks to update elephant corridors:

• The Union environment ministry is in the process of updating and reviewing elephant corridors across India to better manage human- animal conflict.
• The government has decided to redraw elephant corridors – narrow strips of land that connect two or more wildlife habitat areas – in order to see whether old corridors identified over a decade ago were still functional.
• In 2005, Wildlife Trust of India and Asian Nature Conservation Foundation in collaboration with state forest departments, Project Elephant and researchers identified 88 elephant corridors.

The Gajah (elephant) Task Force:

• In 2010, the Gajah (elephant) Task Force, set up to review the existing policy of elephant conservation in India and formulate future interventions, tagged 26 of these corridors for immediate action to secure and protect the 26 corridors as they were of highest ecological importance.

• According to the Gajah report of 2010, elephants can only have a secure future if landscapes containing viable populations are managed in a holistic and ecologically sound manner.
• Experts said redrawing of the corridors could help provide better protection to elephants and improve genetic diversity.

Q6. From where did the speakers of the Indo-Aryan language, Sanskrit, enter North-West India?

1. Indo-Gangetic plains
2. The valleys of the North-West
3. The Indo-Iranian region
4. The northwestern mountains

Answer (c) The Indo-Iranian region

Explanation:

The cities of the Harappan Culture had declined by 1500 B.C. Consequently, their economic and administrative system had slowly declined. Around this period, the speakers of Indo-Aryan language, Sanskrit, entered the north-west India from the Indo-Iranian region. Initially they would have come in small numbers through the passes in the northwestern mountains. Their initial settlements were in the valleys of the north-west and the plains of the Punjab. Later, they moved into Indo-Gangetic plains. As they were mainly a cattlekeeping people, they were mainly in search of pastures. By 6th century B.C., they occupied the whole of North India, which was referred to as Aryavarta. This period between 1500 B.C and 600 B.C may be divided into the Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 B.C -1000 B.C) and the Later Vedic Period (1000B.C - 600 B.C).

Q7. What was the main occupation of the Indo-Aryans when they entered North-West India?

1. Farming
2. Cattle Keeping
3. Blessing
4. Trade

Answer (b) Cattle Keeping

Explanation:

The cities of the Harappan Culture had declined by 1500 B.C. Consequently, their economic and administrative system had slowly declined. Around this period, the speakers of Indo-Aryan language, Sanskrit, entered the north-west India from the Indo-Iranian region. Initially they would have come in small numbers through the passes in the northwestern mountains. Their initial settlements were in the valleys of the north-west and the plains of the Punjab. Later, they moved into Indo-Gangetic plains. As they were mainly a cattlekeeping people, they were mainly in search of pastures. By 6th century B.C., they occupied the whole of North India, which was referred to as Aryavarta. This period between 1500 B.C and 600 B.C may be divided into the Early Vedic Period or Rig Vedic Period (1500 B.C -1000 B.C) and the Later Vedic Period (1000B.C - 600 B.C).