2018

Sri Lanka has recently handed over its southern strategic port Hambantota on a 99-year lease to which one of the following countries ?

[amp_mcq option1=”India” option2=”China” option3=”Pakistan” option4=”USA” correct=”option2″]

Sri Lanka handed over its southern strategic port of Hambantota on a 99-year lease to China.

– The deal was finalized in 2017. Under the agreement, a Chinese state-owned company, China Merchants Port Holdings, took an 85% stake in the port.
– The lease was for a period of 99 years.
– The deal also included handing over 15,000 acres of land around the port for an investment zone.

The deal sparked considerable debate and concern internationally, particularly regarding debt diplomacy and China’s growing strategic influence in the Indian Ocean region. The port is considered strategically important due to its location along key shipping routes.

Who among the following is the winner of Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2017 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Juan Manuel Santos” option2=”International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)” option3=”Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons” option4=”Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet” correct=”option2″]

The Nobel Peace Prize for the year 2017 was awarded to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).

– ICAN was awarded the prize for its work to draw attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for its groundbreaking efforts to achieve a treaty-based prohibition of such weapons.
– Juan Manuel Santos received the prize in 2016.
– The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons received the prize in 2013.
– The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet received the prize in 2015.

The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel. It is awarded annually to the person who “shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses”.

Who among the following was chosen for the literary award Vyas Samman for the year 2017 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”Surinder Verma” option2=”Mamta Kalia” option3=”Sunita Jain” option4=”Kamal Kishore Goenka” correct=”option2″]

Mamta Kalia was chosen for the prestigious Vyas Samman literary award for the year 2017.

– Vyas Samman is an annual literary award presented by the K.K. Birla Foundation.
– It is given for outstanding literary work in Hindi authored by an Indian citizen published in the last 10 years.
– Mamta Kalia received the 27th Vyas Samman in 2017 for her novel “Dukkham Sukkham”.

The Vyas Samman is one of the most prominent literary awards in India for Hindi literature, along with the Sahitya Akademi Award and the Jnanpith Award (which is for literature in any of the languages of India).

Which one of the following is the theme of International Anti-Corruption Day, 2017 ?

[amp_mcq option1=”United against corruption for development, peace and security” option2=”Break the corruption chain” option3=”Zero corruption – 100% development” option4=”Corruption – your NO counts” correct=”option1″]

The theme of International Anti-Corruption Day, observed annually on December 9th, for the year 2017 was “United against corruption for development, peace and security”.

– International Anti-Corruption Day is observed every year on 9 December since the United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention against Corruption on 31 October 2003.
– The day aims to raise public awareness of corruption and how to combat it.
– The specific theme for 2017 highlighted the interconnectedness of fighting corruption with achieving broader goals of development, peace, and security.

Each year, a theme is designated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to guide the observances and campaigns associated with the day.

In December 2017, India was admitted as a member of Wassenaar Arrangement, an elite arms export control regime, similar to NSG and MTCR. Which one of the following is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement ?

[amp_mcq option1=”USA” option2=”Australia” option3=”China” option4=”Italy” correct=”option3″]

China is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement as of December 2017 (or currently). India was admitted as a member in December 2017. The USA, Australia, and Italy are all member states of the Wassenaar Arrangement.

– The Wassenaar Arrangement is a multilateral export control regime established in 1996 to prevent the accumulation of destabilizing military capabilities by coordinating national export control policies for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.
– India became the 42nd participating state in December 2017.
– China is not a member country of the Wassenaar Arrangement.

The Wassenaar Arrangement is one of the key international export control regimes, alongside the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), and the Australia Group. Membership in these regimes is considered significant for a country’s stature in international security and trade.

Which of the following is/are listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO ?

• 1. Yoga
• 2. Nawrouz
• 3. Kumbh Mela

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

[amp_mcq option1=”1, 2 and 3″ option2=”1 and 2 only” option3=”2 and 3 only” option4=”1 only” correct=”option1″]

All three items – Yoga, Nawrouz, and Kumbh Mela – are listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

– Yoga was inscribed on the list in 2016.
– Nawrouz is a multinational inscription (celebrated by several countries, including India) and was inscribed in 2009 and extended in 2016.
– Kumbh Mela was inscribed on the list in 2017.

UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage aims to protect important cultural practices and traditions around the world. India currently has several elements inscribed on this list, representing diverse cultural expressions.