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141. Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (ION

Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS):

  • 1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
  • 2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.

Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option2″]

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Statement 2 is correct, while statement 1 is incorrect.
– Statement 1 is incorrect. The inaugural Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was held in New Delhi, India, in February *2008*, under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy. The statement incorrectly states the year as 2015.
– Statement 2 is correct. IONS is a voluntary initiative among the navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. Its objective is to increase maritime cooperation, provide a forum for discussion of regional maritime issues, and promote friendly relationships among member navies.
IONS provides a platform for heads of navies of the Indian Ocean littoral states to meet and discuss maritime issues of mutual interest. It has 25 member nations and 8 observer nations. The chairmanship rotates among the member states.

142. Consider the following statements: 1. The Nuclear Security Summits a

Consider the following statements:

  • 1. The Nuclear Security Summits are periodically held under the aegis of the United Nations.
  • 2. The International Panel on Fissile Materials is an organ of International Atomic Energy Agency.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option4″]

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UPSC IAS – 2017
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Statement 1 is incorrect. The Nuclear Security Summits (NSS) were a series of global summits initiated by then-US President Barack Obama to strengthen measures to prevent nuclear terrorism. They were held biennially from 2010 to 2016 (Washington D.C. 2010, Seoul 2012, The Hague 2014, Washington D.C. 2016). While participants included heads of state/government from many UN member states, these summits were not held *under the aegis* of the United Nations. They were independent, high-level political gatherings focused specifically on nuclear security.
Statement 2 is incorrect. The International Panel on Fissile Materials (IPFM) is an independent group of arms control and non-proliferation experts from various countries. It is not an organ of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The IAEA is an intergovernmental organization within the UN family, responsible for promoting the safe, secure, and peaceful use of nuclear technologies and providing safeguards against nuclear proliferation. The IPFM conducts research and analysis on fissile materials (highly enriched uranium and plutonium) but operates independently.
– Nuclear Security Summits were independent political summits, not part of the UN system.
– The International Panel on Fissile Materials is an independent expert group, not part of the IAEA.
The IAEA plays a crucial role in international nuclear security by establishing guidelines and standards, providing assistance to states, and verifying that nuclear material is not diverted for weapons purposes. The IPFM contributes to the public understanding and policy debate on nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation issues, particularly concerning fissile materials.

143. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017 ?

  • 1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade.
  • 2. It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country.
  • 3. It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

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

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The correct answer is B, which states that only statement 2 is correct.
Smart India Hackathon 2017 was an initiative by the Indian government to promote innovation and find digital solutions to problems faced by various ministries, government departments, industries, and organizations. It was a platform for students to propose and develop technological solutions.
Statement 1 describes the Smart Cities Mission, which is a different urban development program, not the hackathon. Statement 3 refers to initiatives for digital financial transactions, which is also distinct from the broad problem-solving focus of the hackathon. The hackathon aimed to harness the creativity and technical skills of students to build digital products addressing various challenges across sectors.

144. A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biogra

A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of

[amp_mcq option1=”S. Ramanujan” option2=”S. Chandrasekhar” option3=”S. N. Bose” option4=”C. V. Raman” correct=”option1″]

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The recent movie titled ‘The Man Who Knew Infinity’ is based on the biography of the eminent Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan.
The film, released in 2015 (premiered in 2015, released in 2016), depicts the life and work of Srinivasa Ramanujan and his extraordinary partnership with his professor G.H. Hardy at Trinity College, Cambridge, during World War I.
S. Ramanujan (1887-1920) made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions. The movie is based on the 1991 book of the same name by Robert Kanigel. The other scientists listed are also famous Indian physicists: S. Chandrasekhar (astrophysicist, Nobel laureate), S. N. Bose (physicist, known for Bose-Einstein statistics), and C. V. Raman (physicist, Nobel laureate for the Raman effect).

145. Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility o

Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to sea by a long navigational channel?

[amp_mcq option1=”Andhra Pradesh” option2=”Chhattisgarh” option3=”Karnataka” option4=”Rajasthan” correct=”option4″]

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Rajasthan has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port, potentially connecting to the Arabian Sea via a channel through Gujarat.
The concept involves establishing a port facility in a landlocked region like Rajasthan, connected to a major seaport by a dedicated infrastructure like a canal or pipeline, especially for bulk cargo like petroleum. This is seen as a way to reduce logistics costs for industries in Rajasthan.
Feasibility studies have been conducted for such a project in locations like Jalore or Barmer in Rajasthan, aiming to provide direct access to sea trade routes. While still in the conceptual or exploration phase, Rajasthan is the state associated with this specific type of proposal among the given options.

146. Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following St

Recently, for the first time in our country, which of the following States has declared a particular butterfly as ‘State Butterfly’?

[amp_mcq option1=”Arunachal Pradesh” option2=”Himachal Pradesh” option3=”Karnataka” option4=”Maharashtra” correct=”option4″]

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Maharashtra was the first state in India to declare a state butterfly.
The state butterfly declared by Maharashtra is the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor). This declaration was made in June 2015.
The Blue Mormon is a large, swallowtail butterfly found in South India and Sri Lanka. It is the largest butterfly found in Maharashtra. Declaring a state butterfly is aimed at conserving biodiversity and promoting environmental awareness. Following Maharashtra, other states like Kerala (Malabar Banded Peacock) and Uttarakhand (Common Peacock) have also declared their state butterflies.

147. India is an important member of the ‘International Thermonuclear Exper

India is an important member of the ‘International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor’. If this experiment succeeds, what is the immediate advantage for India?

[amp_mcq option1=”It can use thorium in place of uranium for power generation” option2=”It can attain a global role in satellite navigation” option3=”It can drastically improve the efficiency of its fission reactors in power generation” option4=”It can build fusion reactors for power generation” correct=”option4″]

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The International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) is a project aimed at demonstrating the scientific and technological feasibility of fusion power on an industrial scale. Fusion is the process that powers the sun, where atomic nuclei combine to form heavier nuclei, releasing vast amounts of energy. If ITER succeeds, it would pave the way for building commercial fusion power plants. For India, as a member of ITER, the immediate advantage would be the acquired knowledge and technology enabling it to build its own fusion reactors for power generation.
ITER is a global collaborative project to build the world’s largest tokamak fusion device and prove the potential of fusion as a sustainable energy source.
ITER is being built in Cadarache, France. Its members are the European Union (as a single entity), China, India, Japan, South Korea, Russia, and the United States. Fusion energy is seen as a potential clean and virtually limitless energy source for the future, unlike nuclear fission which produces radioactive waste and uses finite resources like uranium.

148. The term ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ often appears i

The term ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ often appears in the news in the context of the affairs of a group of countries known as

[amp_mcq option1=”G20″ option2=”ASEAN” option3=”SCO” option4=”SAARC” correct=”option2″]

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The term ‘Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership’ (RCEP) refers to a free trade agreement (FTA) negotiated between the ten member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and their five existing FTA partners: Australia, China, Japan, South Korea, and New Zealand. Although India was one of the negotiating partners, it withdrew from the agreement in 2019. The negotiation and context of RCEP are deeply linked to ASEAN and its regional economic integration efforts.
RCEP is a mega-regional free trade agreement centered around ASEAN countries and their major trading partners in the Asia-Pacific region.
RCEP came into force on 1 January 2022. It is the world’s largest trade bloc by GDP. ASEAN played a central role in initiating and guiding the negotiations for RCEP.

149. ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the c

‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of

[amp_mcq option1=”African Union” option2=”Brazil” option3=”European Union” option4=”China” correct=”option4″]

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The ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ (BRI), also known as One Belt, One Road (OBOR), is a global infrastructure development strategy adopted by the Chinese government to invest in more than 150 countries and international organizations. It aims to build a network of land and maritime routes connecting China to Central Asia, Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia. Therefore, it is widely associated with the affairs of China.
The Belt and Road Initiative is a major infrastructure and investment project launched by China to enhance global connectivity.
The initiative comprises two main components: the Silk Road Economic Belt (land-based routes) and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road (sea-based routes). It involves various infrastructure projects like railways, highways, ports, power plants, and telecommunications.

150. Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?

Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?

[amp_mcq option1=”Iran” option2=”Saudi Arabia” option3=”Oman” option4=”Kuwait” correct=”option1″]

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The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf, except Iraq. Its members are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman. Among the options provided, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Kuwait are members of the GCC. Iran is not a member; it is located across the Persian Gulf but is not an Arab state and has historically had complex relations with GCC members.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic alliance of six Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman.
The GCC was established in 1981. Its headquarters are located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The main purpose of the GCC is to enhance cooperation and coordination among its member states in various fields, including politics, economy, defense, security, and social affairs.
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