June 22-2024 Current Affairs MCQs

Explanation

Row 1 is correctly matched

• Delos, one of the most important sanctuaries of the ancient Greek and Roman world, is in danger of being sunk into the Aegean Sea due to climate change.
• Increasing temperatures combined with high levels of humidity can significantly affect the chemical composition of certain materials used in cultural heritage monuments.

• Delos is a rocky island in the centre of the Aegean Sea.
• It is part of the Cyclades archipelago.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Row 2 is not correctly matched

• It is a French overseas island territory in the Pacific Ocean located near Australia.
• A recent French bill aims to give voting rights to French residents who have lived in New Caledonia for more than ten years but it was opposed by older residents.
• Socialist Kanak National Liberation Front (FLNKS) of the South Pacific French territory of New Caledonia called to abandon the plan to modify the electoral reform.
• Protests and riots erupted in response to the French parliament’s decision to amend the voters’ list.

Row 3 is correctly matched

• Japan and China have been in a long-running dispute over the Senkaku islands that Beijing calls the Diaoyu.
• The Senkaku Islands are an uninhabited group of islands situated in the East China Sea.

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only; Difficulty Level: Hard

Explanation

Statement 1 is not correct

• Currently, there are 12 categories of disasters which are notified under this Act.
• These are cyclones, drought, earthquake, fire, flood, tsunami, hailstorm, landslide, avalanche, cloudburst, pest attack, and frost and cold waves.
• Disaster Management Act defines disaster as a “catastrophe, mishap, calamity or grave occurrence” arising from “natural or man-made causes” that results in substantial loss of life, destruction of property, or damage to the environment.
• It must also be of such nature which is “beyond the coping capacity” of the community.

Statement 2 is correct

• Heatwaves, though not a new phenomenon in India, are not viewed as a disaster under the Disaster Management Act 2005.
• It was because heatwaves are a common occurrence during summer and not really an unusual weather event.

Answer: (d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct

• Currently, eleven states have the Special Category Status in the country including Assam, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttarakhand, and Telangana.

Statement 2 is correct and is correct explanation of statement 1

• The special category status was introduced in 1969 on the recommendations of the Fifth Finance Commission to benefit certain backward states having hilly terrains, strategic international borders, and economic and infrastructural backwardness.
• Statement II provides the rationale behind granting Special Category Status, which explains why the north-eastern states were included.

Answer: (a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I; Difficulty Level: Medium

Explanation

• The World Investment Report 2024 was released recently by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
• Key findings
  • Global foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 2% to $1.3 trillion in 2023 amid an economic slowdown and rising geopolitical tensions.
  • FDI flows in Europe jumped from negative $106 billion in 2022 to positive $16 billion because of volatility in conduit economies.
  • In contrast, in Africa, it declined by 3%, in Asia by 8% and in Latin America and the Caribbean by 1%.
  • FDI in critical minerals nearly doubled.
  • The sustainable finance market continues to grow, but there are clear signs of a slowdown. Greenwashing poses the most significant challenge to the sustainable fund market.

Answer: (c) United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD); Difficulty Level: Easy

Explanation

• Tamil Nadu government formed a High-Level Committee, led by Justice A.K. Rajan, to investigate the impact of the NEET-based admission procedure.
• The Committee’s report, based on comprehensive data analysis and input from students, parents, and the general public, was published and sent to various state governments to highlight NEET’s anti-poor and anti-social justice tendencies.
• NEET is an all-India competitive examination for admission to medical, dentistry, and AYUSH programs in government and private universities throughout India.

Answer: (c) to study the impact of NEET on admissions; Difficulty Level: Easy