December 12 2023 Prelims Practice Questions (PPQs)

Questions

• The questions below are based on PMF IAS Daily Current Affairs – December 2023

Q1. {IR – UN} Consider the following statements:

1. United Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris in 1948.
2. The declaration is a treaty and is legally binding in itself and the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws.
3. The theme chosen for the 2023 celebrations is “Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All”.
4. The National Human Rights Commission in India is a Quasi-Judicial Body.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Q2. {MoEFCC – Initiatives} Consider the following statements:

1. The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme offers mandatory third-party certification to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country.
2. It provides market incentives to entities that adhere to responsible forest management and agroforestry practices.
3. MoEFCC will be responsible for overall management of the scheme.
4. Certification is a third-party attestation related to conformity assessment bodies conveying a formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only three
4. All

Q3. {Envi – Climate Change} Consider the Following Statements:

1. Taiga Flycatchers is a migratory bird that is mostly spotted in the northern parts of India.
2. Taiga Flycatchers hail from the region between eastern Russia and eastern Siberia.
3. ‘Climate change and migratory species: a review of impacts, conservation actions, indicators and ecosystem services’ report has been released by UNEP at COP 28.
4. Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is the only global, & UN-based, intergovernmental convention established exclusively for the conservation and management of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All

Q4. {Envi – Air Pollution} Consider the following statements:

1. Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe that occurs freely in Nature.
2. Green Hydrogen is produced using Natural Gas with carbon sequestration.
3. Green Hydrogen is suitable for Long Distance Mobilisation.
4. Recently, LandSpace became the world’s first company to launch a Hydrogen Fuelled Rocket named Zhuque2 Y-3 to send Satellites into Orbit.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Q5. {IC – Federalism} Consider the Following Statements:

1. The Proclamation of President’s Rule should be approved with a Special Majority in both the houses of Parliament within two months of its issue.
2. The President’s Rule can not go beyond 1 year at a single stretch.
3. Article 370 exempted the state of J&K from the application of the Indian Constitution entirely.
4. Union Territory could be changed to a State in future, for better administrative control.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Q6. {Envi – Species} Pinna Nobilis, recently seen in news is a,

1. Large Migratory Herbivore Species
2. Sub Species of Otter, endemic to Western Ghats only.
3. Type of Avifauna found in Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
4. Large species of Mediterranean Clam.

Questions with their Answers and Explanation.

Q1. {IR – UN} Consider the following statements:

1. United Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the UN General Assembly in Paris in 1948.
2. The declaration is a treaty and is legally binding in itself and the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws.
3. The theme chosen for the 2023 celebrations is “Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All”.
4. The National Human Rights Commission in India is a Quasi-Judicial Body.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Human Rights Day is observed annually on December 10 to commemorate the adoption and proclamation of the UDHR by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948 in Paris.
• 2023 marks the 75th anniversary of the UDHR.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The UDHR isn’t a treaty and isn’t legally binding in itself, but the principles it sets out have been incorporated into many countries’ laws.
• UDHR consists of the declaration consists of a preamble and 30 articles setting out fundamental rights and freedom.

Statement 3 is correct

• The theme chosen for the 2023 celebrations is “Freedom, Equality, and Justice for All”.

Statement 4 is correct

• To preserve and protect human rights in India, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) was established in 1993.
• The NHRC is a human rights institution, which is a Quasi Judicial body as per the Protection of Human Rights Act.

Answer: (c) Only three | Difficulty Level: Easy

Q2. {MoEFCC – Initiatives} Consider the following statements:

1. The Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme offers mandatory third-party certification to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country.
2. It provides market incentives to entities that adhere to responsible forest management and agroforestry practices.
3. MoEFCC will be responsible for overall management of the scheme.
4. Certification is a third-party attestation related to conformity assessment bodies conveying a formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only three
4. All

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Indian Forest & Wood Certification scheme offers voluntary third-party certification designed to promote sustainable forest management and agroforestry in the country.
• The scheme includes forest management certification, tree outside forest management certification and chain of custody certification.

Statement 2 is correct

• It provides market incentives to various entities that adhere to responsible forest management and agroforestry practices in their operations.
• This includes state forest departments, individual farmers, or Farmer Producer Organizations engaged in agroforestry and farm forestry, as well as other wood-based industries in the value chain.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• It is an initiative of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change.
• It will be overseen by the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Council, which will act as a multi-stakeholder advisory body.
• The Council is represented by members from eminent institutions that includes
  • Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education,
  • Forest Survey of India and Quality Council of India,
  • Indian Institute of Forest Management,
  • State Forest Departments and Forest Development Corporations and
  • Representatives from wood-based industries.
• Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal will act as the scheme operating agency and will be responsible for overall management of the Indian Forest and Wood Certification Scheme.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Accreditation is a third-party attestation related to conformity assessment bodies conveying a formal demonstration of its competence to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks i.e., certification, inspection, testing, etc.
• Certification is the procedure by which a third party gives written assurance that a product, process, system, or person conforms to specified requirements

Answer: (a) Only One | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q3. {Envi – Climate Change} Consider the Following Statements:

1. Taiga Flycatchers is a migratory bird that is mostly spotted in the northern parts of India.
2. Taiga Flycatchers hail from the region between eastern Russia and eastern Siberia.
3. ‘Climate change and migratory species: a review of impacts, conservation actions, indicators and ecosystem services’ report has been released by UNEP at COP 28.
4. Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals is the only global, & UN-based, intergovernmental convention established exclusively for the conservation and management of migratory species, their habitats and migration routes.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are correct?

1. Only One
2. Only Two
3. Only Three
4. All

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• The taiga flycatcher or red-throated flycatcher (Ficedula albicilla ) is a migratory bird in the family Muscicapidae.
• They are migratory birds which cannot be found in large numbers unlike other migratory birds.
• They are rarely spotted in northern parts of India.
• It was recently for the first time spotted at Ernakulam, Kerala.

Statement 2 is correct

• Taiga Flycatchers hail from the region between eastern Russia (Eastern Europe) and eastern Siberia (Kamchatka province).
• Its natural habitat is taiga forest and it is a rare vagrant to Western Europe.
• They are also found in southern Nepal, northeast India, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia and southeast China during the winter.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• ‘Climate change and migratory species: a review of impacts, conservation actions, indicators and ecosystem services’ report has been released by Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) at COP 28.
• It was commissioned by the Government of the UK & Northern Ireland through the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and prepared by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Statement 4 is correct

• Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS)
  • It is an environmental treaty under the aegis of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
  • Signed in 1979, in Bonn, Germany, it is also known as the Bonn Convention.
  • It is the only global, & UN-based, intergovernmental convention established exclusively for the conservation and management of migratory species (terrestrial, aquatic, & avian), their habitats and migration routes.
• The convention has legally binding agreements and non–legally binding Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) tailored to conservation needs.

Answer: (b) Only Two | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q4. {Envi – Air Pollution} Consider the following statements:

1. Hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe that occurs freely in Nature.
2. Green Hydrogen is produced using Natural Gas with carbon sequestration.
3. Green Hydrogen is suitable for Long Distance Mobilisation.
4. Recently, LandSpace became the world’s first company to launch a Hydrogen Fuelled Rocket named Zhuque2 Y-3 to send Satellites into Orbit.

Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• Hydrogen is a colourless, odourless, highly flammable, non-toxic gas.
• It is the lightest and most abundant element in the universe.
• On earth, it never occurs freely. It exists combined with other elements, e.g., water (H2O).

Statement 2 is incorrect

• Hydrogen is classified into different types based on the energy source used in its production:
  • Brown Hydrogen: Produced using coal without carbon sequestration (high carbon emission).
  • Grey Hydrogen: Produced using Natural Gas without carbon sequestration (carbon emission).
  • Blue Hydrogen: Produced using Natural Gas with carbon sequestration (low carbon emission).
  • Green Hydrogen: Produced using Renewable Energy (Zero carbon emission; carbon sequestration is not needed).

Statement 3 is correct

• It is challenging to use renewable energy as a steady source of energy supply. So, green hydrogen helps in the utilisation of renewable energy while meeting energy needs steadily.
• It is light, storable for a long time and energy-dense (storing a large amount of energy in relation to its volume). So, it is suitable for long-distance mobilisation.

Statement 4 is incorrect

• Chinese company became the first in the world to launch satellites with rockets fuelled by methane and liquid oxygen on Saturday, beating SpaceX to the technology and raising hopes for its commercial applications.
• The Zhuque2 Y-3, developed by Beijing-based private aerospace company LandSpace, blasted off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Centre in northwest China at 7.39am, according to state news agency Xinhua. The rocket sent three satellites – Honghu, Honghu 2, and TY-33 – into Sun Synchronous Orbit.

Answer: (c) Only three | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q5. {IC – Federalism} Consider the Following Statements:

1. The Proclamation of President’s Rule should be approved with a Special Majority in both the houses of Parliament within two months of its issue.
2. The President’s Rule can not go beyond 1 year at a single stretch.
3. Article 370 exempted the state of J&K from the application of the Indian Constitution entirely.
4. Union Territory could be changed to a State in future, for better administrative control.

How many of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?

1. Only one
2. Only two
3. Only three
4. All

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect

• A proclamation imposing president’s rule must be approved by both the houses of parliament within two months from the date of its issue with a Simple Majority.
• However, if the proclamation of President’s rule is issued at a time when the Lok Sabha has been dissolved or the dissolution of the Lok Sabha takes place during the period of two months without approving the proclamation, then the proclamation survives until 30 days from the first sitting of the Lok Sabha after its reconstitution, provided that the Rajya Sabha approves it in the meantime.

Statement 2 is incorrect

• The President’s Rule is initially for a period of six months. Later, it can be extended for a period of three years with parliamentary approval, every six months.

Statement 3 is incorrect

• Article 370 is the first article of Part XXI of the IC (Temporary, Transitional & Special Provisions).
• It exempted the state from the application of the Indian Constitution, except for Article 1 (which defines India as a union of states) and Article 370 itself.
• By the 1954 Presidential order, almost the entire Constitution was extended to J&K including most Constitutional amendments (with some exceptions).
• Key provisions of the 1954 Order
  • Indian citizenship was extended to the permanent residents of J&K.
  • The fundamental rights of the IC were extended to the state.
  • The jurisdiction of SC was extended to the State.
  • The power to declare a national emergency in the event of external aggression was given to the Central Government.

Statement 4 is correct

• The status of “union territory” may be assigned to an Indian sub-jurisdiction for reasons such as safeguarding the rights of indigenous cultures, averting political turmoil related to matters of governance, and so on.
• These union territories could be changed to states in the future for more efficient administrative control.

Answer: (c) Only three | Difficulty Level: Medium

Q6. {Envi – Species} Pinna Nobilis, recently seen in news is a,

1. Large Migratory Herbivore Species
2. Sub Species of Otter, endemic to Western Ghats only.
3. Type of Avifauna found in Kambalakonda Wildlife Sanctuary.
4. Large species of Mediterranean Clam.

Explanation

• It is a large species of Mediterranean clam, a marine bivalve mollusc in the family Pinnidae.
• The clams, whose shells can grow as much as 1.2 m across, play an important ecological role by filtering sea water and allowing other organisms to flourish.
• It attaches itself to rocks using a strong byssus composed of many silk-like threads which used to be made into cloth.
• Distribution: This species is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea.
• Threats: It is relatively fragile to pollution and shell damage.
• The clam, known as the noble pen shell or pinna nobilis, started dying out as a deadly pathogen spread in parts of the Mediterranean around 2016.
• Conservation status
  • IUCN: Critically endangered

Answer: (d) Large Species of Mediterranean Clam | Difficulty Level: Medium