1. The term of non-permanent members is 3 years.

2. The elected countries require a two-thirds majority of Member States present and voting in the 193-member General Assembly.

3. The seats of non-permanent members are distributed according to regional groupings.

4. India has been a non-permanent member of UNSC for 12 times till now.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

QUESTION 2

The English Channel was recently in the news. The channel is located between:

(a) Southern England and Northern France

(b) Western England and Eastern Ireland

(c) Northern England and Norway

(d) Eastern England and Denmark

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Palestine at the UN, consider the following statements:

1. Currently, Palestine is a “Permanent Observer State” and not a “Member State” at the UN.

2. Palestine is allowed to participate in all of the Organization’s proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies.

3. Except for Palestine, no other country or region has been granted a Permanent Observer State in the UN.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

The Sahel region was recently in the news. The region is located in:

(a) Russia

(b) Australia

(c) Western Asia

(d) Africa

QUESTION 5

Consider the following countries:

1. Cameroon

2. South Sudan

3. Egypt

4. Democratic Republic of Congo

How many of the above countries border Chad?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (b)

FYI:

— Somalia, Pakistan, Denmark, Greece and Panama were elected as non-permanent members of the UN Security Council for a two-year term beginning in 2025.

— The five members were elected by a secret ballot in the UN General Assembly for a 2-year term starting on January 1, 2025, until December 31, 2026. They will replace Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique and Switzerland, whose terms end on December 31. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— In a secret poll, the chosen countries obtained the required two-thirds majority of Member States present and voting in the 193-member General Assembly. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The new members will join current non-permanent members Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, whose tenure began on January 1.

— According to the UN Charter, the 15-member Security Council is primarily responsible for ensuring international peace and security, and all Member States are required to comply with its decisions.

— The ten non-permanent seats on the Security Council are divided into four regional groups: Africa and Asia; Eastern Europe; Latin America and the Caribbean; and Western European and other States. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— India has been elected as a non-permanent member of the Council for the years 1950-1951, 1967-1968, 1972-1973, 1977-1978, 1984-1985, 1991-1992, 2011-2012, and 2021-2022. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: news.un.org)

2. (a)

FYI:

— Around 80 migrants were rescued at sea by British authorities after a small boat got into difficulty while crossing the English Channel from France.

— The ‘Channel’ is a water body that separates southern England from northern France and links southern part of North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

3. (b)

FYI:

— Norway, Ireland, and Spain said that they would recognize a state of Palestine, marking the first time a Western European country has committed to such recognition.

— Currently, Palestine is a “Permanent Observer State” — and not a “Member State” — at the UN. There is one other Permanent Observer State in the UN — the Holy See, representing Vatican City. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 3 is not correct.

— As a Permanent Observer State, Palestine is allowed to “participate in all of the Organization’s proceedings, except for voting on draft resolutions and decisions in its main organs and bodies, from the Security Council to the General Assembly and its six main committees”. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

4. (d)

FYI:

— Russia’s top diplomat vowed aid and military assistance during a rapid trip of various countries in Africa’s sub-Saharan area of ​​Sahel.

— Russia is becoming the preferred security partner for an increasing number of African nations in the region, displacing traditional friends such as France and the US.

— African nations constitute the largest voting bloc at the United Nations, and they have been more divided than any other group on General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s conduct in Ukraine.

— Russia provides security support without intervening with politics, making it an enticing partner in countries such as Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, all ruled by military juntas that took power in recent years.

— Africa is rich in minerals, oil and other resources, which come with political and legal challenges. Its resources are increasingly central to economic and national security, such as cobalt, which is used in electronics like mobile phones, or lithium, which is used in batteries.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

5. (a)

FYI:

— After conducting elections earlier this month, Chad swore in Mahamat Deby Itno as president, marking the end of a contentious transition to democratic governance after he took power three years ago.

— The long-awaited May 6 election followed three years of military administration.

— Since its independence in 1960, following decades of French colonial domination, the oil-exporting country of roughly 18 million people has not had a democratic transfer of power.

— In his first presidential address, Deby Itno stated that his government’s priorities will be to strengthen Chad’s agricultural and farming sectors, as well as to invest in education, water access, and healthcare.

— Chad is bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, the Central African Republic to the south, Cameroon to the southwest, Nigeria to the southwest (at Lake Chad), and Niger to the west.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 61)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 61)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 61)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 61)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 60)

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