Daily MCQs 29 August

Q 1. With reference to Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), consider the following statements:

1. It is a kind of free trade pact that covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership.
2. India has allowed 1% duty concession on gold imports from the UAE for up to 200 tonnes of shipments under CEPA.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a,  only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (c)

India’s gold jewellery exports to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) rose by a sharp 42% in two months of a Free Trade Pact coming into effect in May 2022.

Statement 1 is correct: Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) is a kind of free trade pact that covers negotiation on the trade in services and investment, and other areas of economic partnership. It may even consider negotiation in areas such as trade facilitation and customs cooperation, competition, and IPR. Partnership agreements or cooperation agreements are more comprehensive than Free Trade Agreements. CEPA also looks into the regulatory aspect of trade and encompasses an agreement covering the regulatory issues.

Statement 2 is correct: India-UAE CEPA was signed on 18th February 2022, during the India-UAE Virtual Summit. The free trade pact came into effect in May 2022 with its offer of duty-free access on jewellery to the Gulf nation. This removal of duties has benefited exports.

• • India got zero duty access to the UAE market for jewellery exports, which attracted 5% duty earlier, potentially facilitating entry of Indian products in the North Africa, West Asia and Central Asia markets.
• India in turn allowed 1% duty concession on gold imports from the UAE for up to 200 tonnes of shipments under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA).

Q 2. Consider the following pairs:

Hot springs : Location

1. Jalgaon : Madhya Pradesh
2. Puga : Uttarakhand
3. Bakreshwar : West Bengal
4. Tuwa : Gujarat

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

a. Only one pair

b. Only two pairs

c. Only three pairs

d. All four pairs

Answer: (b)

Geological Survey of India has identified about 340 geothermal hot springs in the country. Most of them are in the low surface temperature range from 370C to 900C, which is suitable for direct heat applications. The hot springs in the country are grouped into seven geothermal provinces:

• Himalayan, Sahara Valley, Cambay Basin, San-Narmada –Topi lineament belt, West Coast, Godavari Basin and Mahanadi Basin.

Option (c) is correct: Some of the prominent places where a power plant can be established based on geothermal energy are:

• • Manikaran in Himachal Pradesh
  • Jalgaon in Maharashtra
  • Tapovan in Uttarakhand
  • Bakreshwar in West Bengal
  • Tuwa in Gujarat
• Puga in Ladakh

Q 3. Consider the following countries: 

1. Azerbaijan
2. Kyrgyzstan
3. Tajikistan
4. Turkmenistan
5. Uzbekistan

Which of the countries given above do not share their borders with Afghanistan?

a. 1 and 2 only

b. 3 and 4 only

c. 3, 4 and 5 only

d. 1, 2 and 5 only

Answer: (a)

It has been a year since American Troops withdrew and Taliban took over the regime in Afghanistan in August 2021.

Option (a) is correct:  Afghanistan is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordered by Pakistan to the east and south, Iran to the west, Turkmenistan to the northwest, Uzbekistan to the north, Tajikistan to the northeast, and China to the northeast and east. 

• Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan do not share its border with Afghanistan.

Q 4. With reference to Smart India Hackathon (SIH), consider the following statements:

1. It has been conducted in two formats, SIH Software and SIH Hardware editions for higher education students.
2. It is an initiative of NITI aayog and All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only

b. 2 only

c. Both 1 and 2

d. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (a)

The Prime Minister of India addressed the Grand Finale of Smart India Hackathon 2022 via video conferencing.

Smart India Hackathon (SIH) was started in the year 2017. This year, Smart India Hackathon – Junior has also been introduced as a pilot for school students to build a culture of innovation and develop problem-solving attitude at the school level.

Statement 1 is correct: Smart India Hackathon is a nationwide initiative to provide students with a platform to solve some of the pressing problems we face in our daily lives. SIH has been conducted every year since 2017 in two formats, SIH Software and SIH Hardware Editions for higher education students.

Statement 2 is not correct: Smart India Hackathon is an initiative by the Ministry of Education, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), Persistent Systems and Inter Institutional Inclusive Innovation Centre (i4C). It aims to inculcate the culture of product innovation, problem-solving and out-of-the-box thinking among students.

Q 5. Which of the following statement is not correct about the Kushiyara River?

1. The Kushiyara River is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam.
2. It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Brahmaputra River.
3. The waters of the Kushiyara pick up tributaries from Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam.
4. The Kushiyara rejoins with the Surma at Markuli in Ajmiriganj upazila (Bangladesh) and flows south upto Bhairab Bazar (Bangladesh) receiving the name Kalni.

Answer: (b)

Recently, India and Bangladesh have finalised the text of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on interim water sharing of the Kushiyara river.

Option (b) is correct: About Kushiyara River

• • The Kushiyara River is a distributary river in Bangladesh and Assam.

• It forms on the India-Bangladesh border as a branch of the Barak River when the Barak separates into the Kushiyara and Surma.

• The waters of the Kushiyara pick up tributaries from Manipur, Mizoram, and Assam.
• The Kushiyara rejoins with the Surma at Markuli in Ajmiriganj upazila (Bangladesh) and flows south upto Bhairab Bazar (Bangladesh) receiving the name Kalni.
• The Kalni meets with the Dhanu (Bangladesh), a branch of the Surma and renamed as the Meghna.