07 October 2023

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the funding of World Health Organisation (WHO):

• WHO gets its funding from Member States paying for their membership dues and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners.
• The WHO Foundation, a legal entity of WHO facilitates contributions from the general public, individual major donors and corporate partners to WHO.
• For the 2018/2019 biennium, USA was the top contributor to WHO.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2
2. 1, 3
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

• Solution:

(B)

• WHO gets its funding from two main sources:
• Member States paying their assessed contributions (countries’ membership dues), and voluntary contributions from Member States and other partners.
• Assessed contributions (AC) are a percentage of a country’s Gross Domestic Product (the percentage is agreed by the UN General Assembly).
• Member States approve them every two-years at the World Health Assembly.
• They cover less than 20% of the total budget.
• The remainder of WHO’s financing is in the form of voluntary contributions (VC), largely from Member States as well as from other United Nations organizations, intergovernmental organizations, philanthropic foundations, the private sector, and other sources.
• The WHO Foundation was launched on 27 May 2020. It is legally separate from WHO and it will facilitate contributions from the general public, individual major donors and corporate partners to WHO and trusted partners to deliver on high-impact programmes.

Q2. Consider the following statements:

• The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) is a preferential tariff system wherein differential tariff could be imposed by a nation on various countries depending upon factors such as whether it is a developed country or a developing country.
• Generalized System of Preferences is outside the purview of WTO.
• India has an untapped export potential in the European Union (EU) and is among the least beneficiaries of the EU’s GSP.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

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

• Solution:

(A)

• India has an untapped export potential of $39.9 billion in the EU and Western Europe.
• The top products with export potential include apparel, gems and jewellery, chemicals, machinery, automobile, pharmaceuticals and plastic.
• India benefits from tariff preferences under the EU’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) for several of these products.
• In fact, India is among the major beneficiaries of the EU’s GSP, with exports under the GSP valued at nearly $19.4 billion in 2019, accounting for nearly 37% of India’s merchandise exports to the EU.
• The Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP, is a preferential tariff system which provides tariff reduction on various products.
• The concept of GSP is very different from the concept of “most favored nation” (MFN).
• MFN status provides equal treatment in the case of tariff being imposed by a nation but in case of GSP differential tariff could be imposed by a nation on various countries depending upon factors such as whether it is a developed country or a developing country.
• Both the rules comes under the purview of WTO.

Q3. Which of the following are recognised as “Three Sisters” by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement:

• International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC)
• Codex Alimentarius Commission
• Pacific Plant Protection Organization
• World Organization for Animal Health (OIE)

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2, 3
2. 1, 2, 4
3. 2, 3, 4
4. 2, 4

• Solution:

(B)

• The International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) is one of the “Three Sisters” recognized by the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures (SPS) Agreement, along with the Codex Alimentarius Commission for food safety standards and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for animal health standards.

Q4. Eastern Economic Forum, sometimes seen in news is the initiative of:

1. China
2. Japan
3. Russia
4. South Korea

• Solution:

(C)

• Eastern Economic Forum is an international forum held each year in Vladivostok, Russia, for the purpose of encouraging foreign investment in the Russian Far East.

Q5. Faith for rights (F4R) movement, recently seen in news is associated with:

1. Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR)
2. United Nations
3. World Economic Forum (WEF)
4. Oxfam International

• Solution:

(B)

• Faith for Rights, a UN-led movement which campaigns against incitement to national, racial or religious hatred, and exposes legislative patterns, judicial practices and government policies that undercut peaceful coexistence of different faiths.

Q6. Consider the following statements about International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR):

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
• The covenant commits its parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals including rights to due process and a fair trial.
• The ICCPR is part of Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2
2. 2, 3
3. 1, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

• Solution:

(D)

• The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) is a multilateral treaty adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
• The covenant commits its parties to respect the civil and political rights of individuals, including the right to life, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, electoral rights and rights to due process and a fair trial.
• The ICCPR is part of the International Bill of Human Rights, along with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
• The ICCPR is monitored by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
• China has signed the Covenant but not ratified it.

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI):

• GPAI is a first initiative of its type for evolving better understanding of the challenges and opportunities around Artificial Intelligence.
• The goal is to facilitate international collaboration, reduce duplication between governments, and act as a global reference point on discussions on responsible AI.
• It is supported by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2
2. 1, 3
3. 2, 3
4. 1, 2, 3

• Solution:

(D)

• The Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) is an international and multi-stakeholder initiative that aims to advance the responsible and human-centric development and use of artificial intelligence.
• Specifically, GPAI brings together leading experts from science, industry, civil society, and governments to “bridge the gap between theory and practice” through applied AI projects and activities.
• The goal is to facilitate international collaboration, reduce duplication between governments, and act as a global reference point on discussions on responsible AI.
• The OECD hosts a dedicated secretariat to support GPAI’s governing bodies and activities.

Q8. Which of the following countries are members of both BIMSTEC and SAARC:

• Bangladesh
• Bhutan
• Myanmar
• Sri Lanka

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 2, 4
2. 1, 2
3. 1, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

• Solution:

(A)

• The BIMSTEC member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. SAARC member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Q9. Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF), is related to:

1. Indian military action carried out in 1984 to remove militant religious leaders in Punjab
2. S. government’s Global War on Terrorism
3. Reassure safe passage of Indian flagged vessels transiting through Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman
4. Humanitarian assistance aimed to supply relief packages to Bangladesh for migrant Rohingya Muslims

• Solution:

(B)

• Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) was the official name used by the U.S. government for the Global War on Terrorism. Operation Enduring Freedom primarily refers to the War in
• Afghanistan, but it is also affiliated with counterterrorism operations in other countries.

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO):

• NATO membership is open to any country that is willing to accept the terms of the military alliance.
• All decisions are taken by consensus in NATO.
• The Membership Action Plan (MAP) of NATO is a military code that prohibits attack on member countries by any of the NATO members.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

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

• Solution:

(C)

• NATO membership is open to “any other European state in a position to further the principles of this Treaty and to contribute to the security of the North Atlantic area.”
• A “NATO decision” is the expression of the collective will of all 30 member countries since all decisions are taken by consensus.
• NATO is committed to the peaceful resolution of disputes.
• If diplomatic efforts fail, it has the military capacity needed to undertake crisis-management operations.
• These are carried out under the Washington Treaty – NATO’s founding treaty – or under a UN mandate, alone or in cooperation with other countries and international organizations.
• The Membership Action Plan (MAP) is a NATO programme of advice, assistance and practical support tailored to the individual needs of countries wishing to join the Alliance.