Daily Quiz 18 July 2024

Answer: D

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect: India has announced its decision to sign and ratify the High Seas Treaty which is officially known as the agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdictions (BBNJ). It aims to define and establish marine protected areas in biodiversity-rich zones under stress. It ensures benefits derived from ocean life forms, such as drug development, are considered global commons, free from intellectual property rights, and equitably shared among all.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: Treaty becomes international law 120 days after at least 60 countries submit their ratification documents. Currently, 91 countries have signed the treaty, but only eight have ratified it. Most notable governing law is the UN Convention on the Law of the Seas (UNCLOS), which outlines rights, duties, and principles for ocean conduct. Once ratified, the High Seas Treaty will operate under the UNCLOS framework, becoming one of its implementing instruments.
• Additional Information: The high seas refer to ocean areas outside the national boundaries of countries, making up approximately 64% of the ocean surface. High seas are considered international commons, accessible to all and governed by international and regional laws.

Answer: C

Explanation: The unemployment rate is the percentage of the labor force that is unemployed. The labor force is defined as all individuals who are either employed or actively seeking employment. As of June 2024, India’s unemployment rate stands at 9.2%, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE).

• Statement 1 is incorrect:
• Statement 2 is incorrect: The disparity in unemployment rates between genders is noteworthy. In June 2024, female unemployment reached 18.5%, significantly higher than the national average and an increase from 15.1% in June 2023. Meanwhile, male unemployment was recorded at 7.8%, only slightly up from 7.7% in the same period last year. (RBI data)
• Statement 3 is correct:Goa has the highest unemployment rate at nearly 10%, over three times the national average of 3.17%. Four of the top five states with the highest unemployment rates (Goa, Kerala, Haryana, and Punjab) are among the richer states, whereas Maharashtra and Gujarat, also rich states, have lower unemployment rates below the national average. (RBI data)

Answer: D

Explanation: Hurricane Beryl made history as the earliest Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

Statements 1,2 and 3 are incorrect: Hurricanes, typhoons and tropical cyclones are essentially the same weather phenomenon. They are all large tropical storm systems that revolve around an area of low pressure and produce heavy rain and wind speeds exceeding 74 mph. Conditions required are High sea temperatures of at least 27°C, Converging winds near the ocean surface forcing air to rise and form storm clouds and Winds that do not vary greatly with height – known as low wind shear. In the North Atlantic and Northeast Pacific oceans, the term ‘hurricane’ is used, whereas in the Northwest Pacific Ocean they are called ‘typhoons.’ The name ‘tropical cyclone’ – or sometimes ‘severe tropical cyclone’ or ‘severe cyclonic storm’ – is used in the South Pacific and Indian oceans. A tornado is a totally different weather phenomenon. The only similarity is that tornadoes and hurricanes both contain strong rotating winds that can cause severe damage. A tornado is a violently spiraling funnel cloud that extends from the base of a thunderstorm to the ground. Tornadoes require hot, humid air near the ground with a cool air mass above them. They also need strong wind velocity at higher altitudes, called ‘wind shear,’ to get them spinning. Unlike hurricanes, which can be tracked days ahead of making landfall, tornadoes can appear suddenly, providing little or no advance warning. Tornadoes are short-lived, often lasting less than 15 minutes, whereas a hurricane can be active for many days. Tornadoes are also smaller.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct: The India-U.S. Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) was launched in January 2023. It aims to develop an open, accessible, and secure technology ecosystem. It is crucial for enhancing India’s role as a trusted partner in global supply chains and technology value chains.India and the U.S. have established joint task forces focused on identifying and mitigating vulnerabilities in the semiconductor supply chain. Example: Micron Technology, a U.S. company, announced a $1 billion investment to build a semiconductor assembly and testing plant in Gujarat, India. Both countries are working together on developing joint standards for 5G technology and conducting interoperability testing. The goal is to enable the deployment and adoption of open RAN (Radio Access Network) in India. India and the U.S. have collaborated on joint space missions, Example: NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission.India and the U.S. are co-developing defence equipment, such as drones and advanced fighter jet components.

Statement 3 is incorrect:The Horizon 2047 agreement is an agreement between India and France that outlines a 25-year roadmap for bilateral scientific cooperation. It emphasises collaboration in advanced technologies like supercomputing, AI, and quantum computing, which are critical for India’s future development.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct:It is a statutory body set up by the Indian government in 2009 to enforce the Competition Act of 2002. Its goal is to create a fair and competitive market that benefits both businesses and consumers. The Nodal Ministry is the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. It prohibits anti-competitive agreements and dominant companies from abusing their power. It is a quasi-judicial body with one chairperson and six members and all members are appointed by the central government.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Competition Act, 2002 is the primary legislation concerned for preventing practices that have an adverse effect on competition. It establishes the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as the national competition regulator. As with competition law in all other jurisdictions, the Competition Act, 2002 is based on an ex-post framework. This means that the CCI can use its powers of enforcement only after the anti-competitive conduct has occurred. Ex–anterefers to future events that are based on forecasts or predictions rather than concrete results. In the case of digital markets, the CDCL(Committee on Digital Competition Law) has advocated for an ex-ante competition regulation. This means that they want the CCI’s enforcement powers to be supplemented such that it allows it to pre-empt and prevent digital enterprises from indulging in anti-competitive conduct in the first place.

 Additional Information: Ex-ante competition regulation is unusual. The European Union is the only jurisdiction where a comprehensive ex-ante competition framework, under the Digital Markets Act, is currently in force.