Test: Weekly Current Affairs: June 15th to 21st - UPSC MCQ

• Statement 1 is correct: The Silk Road did connect Europe’s Atlantic coast with Asia’s Pacific coast.
• Statement 2 is correct: Recent studies have shown that the route shifted northward due to climate change.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Silk Road was used for transporting various valuable goods, including silk, spices, gold, and precious stones.

• Statement 1 is correct: Emperor Wu sent Zhang Qian to explore the Western Regions.
• Statement 2 is correct: Zhang Qian is known as the Father of the Silk Road and established the Tarim Basin route.
• Statement 3 is correct: The new northern route was established between 420-850 CE.

• Statement 1 is correct: China launched the "One Belt, One Road" initiative in 2013 to revive the Silk Route.
• Statement 2 is correct: The original Silk Route vanished in 1453.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Silk Road was named for the profitable silk trade, not gold trade.

• Statement 1 is correct: The G7 consists of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, Japan, the USA, and Canada.
• Statement 2 is correct: The G7 was formed in response to the 1973 oil crisis.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: India is not a permanent member of the G7.

• Statement 1 is correct: Severe child food poverty affects children from both poor and non-poor households.
• Statement 2 is correct: In India, 40% of children under 5 face severe child food poverty.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: Severe child food poverty leads to a lack of nutrient-rich foods and an unhealthy diet.

• Statement-I is correct: The primary route of the Silk Road did shift northward due to climate change.
• Statement-II is correct: Cooling and drying in the Tarim Basin caused water scarcity, which led to the shift.

• Statement-I is correct: The G7 was indeed formed in response to the 1973 oil crisis.
• Statement-II is correct: The G7 initially comprised six nations and later included Canada in 1976.

Statement-I is correct: Severe child food poverty leads to malnutrition, affecting both physical and cognitive development.
Statement-II is correct: Poor feeding practices and household income poverty are indeed key drivers.

Statement-I is correct: India’s participation in the G7 is crucial for addressing global challenges.
Statement-II is incorrect: India is not a permanent member of the G7.

• Statement-I is correct: The "One Belt, One Road" initiative aims to enhance connectivity across multiple regions.
• Statement-II is incorrect: The initiative does not focus solely on reviving the original Silk Route for trade; it includes various infrastructure projects.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Greening Education Partnership aims to support countries in addressing the climate crisis through education.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Project Cheetah aims to reintroduce cheetahs into India's wildlife sanctuaries.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The National Monetisation Pipeline aims to generate revenue by leasing core assets of the Central government.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary is prepared to be the second home for cheetahs in India.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: Kuno National Park was the initial site for reintroducing cheetahs in India.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: Sunderbans National Park is known for its Bengal tiger population.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: The UAPA allows detention for up to 6 months without charges.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: The National Food Security Act provides subsidized food grains to the poor.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Environmental Performance Index measures countries' environmental performance.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Great Green Wall Initiative is an African project.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor involves India, the Middle East, and Europe.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The One Belt, One Road Initiative is a Chinese initiative.

• Pair 1 is correctly matched: UNESCO's Greening Curriculum Guidance is part of the Greening Education Partnership.
• Pair 2 is correctly matched: The "Path to Peace" Summit is related to Russia-Ukraine conflict resolution.
• Pair 3 is correctly matched: The 50th G7 Summit was held in Italy.

Assertion is correct: The Greening Education Partnership aims to transform 50% of educational institutions into Green Schools by 2030.
Reason is correct: The partnership involves 80 member states and is structured around four pillars, explaining the aim.

Assertion is correct: The UAPA allows for detention without charges for up to 6 months.
Reason is correct: The UAPA aims to prevent unlawful activities and deal with terrorist activities, explaining the provision.

The correct answer is:

4. Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation for A.

Here's why:

• Assertion (A): The "One Belt, One Road" initiative, also known as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), indeed focuses on reviving the historical Silk Road to enhance trade routes between Asia, Europe, and Africa.

• Reason (R): The BRI involves numerous infrastructure projects, including roads, railways, ports, and pipelines, aimed at improving connectivity across various regions, which supports and enhances trade along the Silk Road.

Since the infrastructure projects described in Reason (R) are fundamental to achieving the goals of the Silk Road revival mentioned in Assertion (A), R is indeed the correct explanation for A.

• Assertion is correct: The Environmental Performance Index ranks countries based on their environmental performance.
• Reason is correct: India ranks 176th out of 180 countries in the EPI 2024, but this does not explain the ranking method.

• Assertion is correct: Severe child food poverty leads to a lack of nutrient-rich foods and an unhealthy diet.
• Reason is correct: UNICEF defines child food poverty as children's inability to access nutritious diets under 5, explaining the cause of severe child food poverty.

PM Awas Yojana:

• It was initiated in 2015 by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs.
• Scheme type PMAY is a centrally sponsored scheme (Both the Union and the State governments financially contribute to it)
• The scheme has two components: PMAY-Urban and PMAY-Rural, which cater to the urban and rural areas respectively
• Objective
  • Rehabilitation of slum dwellers with private developers’ participation
  • Promotion of affordable housing for the weaker sections through Credit Linked Subsidy Schemes (CLSS)

Providing subsidy for Beneficiary-led Construction (BLC).

In mediation, a neutral third party (the mediator) helps the disputing parties communicate and negotiate to reach a voluntary agreement. The mediator does not impose a decision on the parties.

Grey-zone warfare refers to a strategy employed by states and non-state actors to achieve their strategic objectives through ambiguous, unconventional methods that fall below the threshold of open warfare. This includes a combination of military, political, economic, and cyber tools to destabilize and influence adversaries while avoiding direct military confrontation. These activities are often designed to be deniable or difficult to attribute, thereby complicating the targeted nation’s response and maintaining the aggressor’s strategic ambiguity. Unlike traditional warfare, grey-zone tactics exploit the space between war and peace, creating challenges for conventional defense and deterrence strategies.

Sustainable Development Report 2024

• By UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN)
• Key Highlights of the report:
  • Globally, only 16% of SDG targets are on track for achievement by 2030. Progress varies widely among countries, with Nordic nations leading, BRICS making strides, and Poor & Vulnerable nations falling behind.
  • India is ranked 109th out of 166 countries, with on-track performance in Poverty reduction and Quality Education targets while decreasing progress in Sustainable Cities and Climate Action targets.

• Context: The Post Office Act 2023, effective today, replaces the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. It simplifies the legislative framework for citizen-centric services, banking, and government scheme benefits.
• S1: India Post has the most extensive postal network globally with over 150,000 post offices across the country.
• S2: Speed Post, a high-speed postal service for time-sensitive materials, was launched by India Post in 1986.
• S3 is incorrect. India Post provides international postal services, allowing customers to send and receive mail and parcels globally.