Political Science Test - 22

The correct answer is Peace, disarmament, and development.

The Indira Gandhi Peace Prize:

• It is awarded for peace, disarmament, and development.
• It was named after the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
• It was started in 1986 by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust.
• The award consisted of a monetary award of Rs 25 lakhs.
• It recognizes efforts and works of organizations and individuals who are working to create international economic order, ensure that scientific discoveries are used to enlarge the scope of freedom.
  • Recently in September 2020, sir David Attenborough was awarded the prestigious Indira Gandhi Peace Prize for the year 2019.

The correct answer is 5.

• The number of permanent member countries of the Security Council of the United Nations is 5.

Key Points

United Nations:

• The UNO was formed on 24 October 1945.
• At present, 193 countries are members of the UN.

• The UN General Assembly has admitted South Sudan as its 193rd member.

• South Sudan is the first country to join the UN body since Montenegro in 2006, and the day was described by assembly president Joseph Deiss as a "historic and joyous moment".

• The UN Charter came into force on October 24, 1945, when the Governments of China, France, the UK, the Soviet Union, and the USA, and a majority of other counties had ratified it.

• The headquarters of the UN is situated in New York (USA).

United Nations Security Council

• The main aim of the Security Council in the maintenance of the international peace and security Security Council comprises five permanent members, namely China, UK, Russia, France, and the USA, and 10 non-permanent members, elected for a term of 2 years by a two-thirds majority of the General Assembly, five non-permanent members retire every year.
• Retiring members cannot be reelected immediately.
• The headquarter of the Security Council is in New York.

Food security means availability, accessibility and affordability of food to all people at all times.

• Poor households are more vulnerable to food insecurity whenever there is a problem with the production or distribution of food crops.
• Food security depends on the Public Distribution System (PDS) and government vigilance and action at times, when this security is threatened.

Important Points

Food is as essential for living as air is for breathing.

• But food security means something more than getting two square meals.
• Food security has the following dimensions
  • availability of food means food production within the country, food imports and the previous years stock stored in government granaries.
  • accessibility means food is within reach of every person.
  • affordability implies that an individual has enough money to buy sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet one's dietary needs.
• Thus, food security is ensured in a country only if
  • enough food is available for all the persons
  • all persons have the capacity to buy food of acceptable quality
  • there is no barrier to access to food. 

From the above, we can conclude that statement 4 is true regarding food security.

The Correct Answer is the United States.

Key Points

• The United States has extended for a duration of five years the "New START" nuclear disarmament deal with Russia.
• The New START, which stands for the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, is a treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation to reduce nuclear weapons.
• The new strategic arms reduction treaty was formally signed on 8 April 2010 and entered into force on 5 February 2011 after ratification.
• The new START treaty was expected to expire on February 5, 2021, but it was further extended by both parties for a further five years, until February 2026.

Important Points 

• President of United States: Joe Biden (46th)
• Capital: Washington, D.C.
• Russia President: Vladimir Putin
• Russia Capital: Moscow
• Russia Currency: Russian Ruble

The Correct Answer is Option 3 i.e Centre for Science and Environment.

• Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace Disarmament and Development:
  • The award has been named after former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
  • It is conferred every year by Indira Gandhi Memorial Trust since 1986.
• Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), the New Delhi (India)-based independent research and advocacy think tank, has been awarded the prestigious Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament, and Development for the year 2018.
• David Attenborough, a renowned naturalist, has been conferred with the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development 2019.
• NITI Aayog: It is a premier think-tank of the Government of India.
  • It was created through an executive resolution.
  • It is neither a constitutional body nor a statutory body.
  • The Prime minister is the chairperson of NITI Aayog.
• Peniel Educational and Charitable Establishment (PEACE) for India is a registered trust that provides social and educational needs to the neglected people in the Northern part of India.

The correct answer is Both I and II.

Key Points

• World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945.
• The principal belligerents were the Axis powers- Germany, Italy and Japan - and the Allies- Great Britain, the United States, France, the Soviet Union and to a lesser extent, China.
• There are many different causes of World War II. Some of them were:
  • Failure of peace efforts
  • Rise of Fascism
  • Failure of Collective Security System
  • Failure of Disarmament
  • The worldwide Great Depression
  • Failure of appeasement

 Thus, we can say that the failure of the collective security system and disarmament are the cause of World War II.

• The UN observes 26 September every year as the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.
• The day provides an occasion for the world community to reaffirm its commitment to global nuclear disarmament as a priority.
• It provides an opportunity to educate the public – and their leaders – about the real benefits of eliminating such weapons.

India is a member of PTBT.

Partial Test Ban Treaty(PTBT): 

• This Treaty requires all the party members to prohibit, prevent, and abstain from carrying out nuclear weapons tests or any other nuclear explosions in the atmosphere, in outer space, underwater, or in any other environment.
• It is primarily prohibited when the explosions cause radioactive debris to cross the territorial limits of the country that is conducting the explosion.
• India signed the PTBT treaty in 1963.

Key Points

Non-Proliferation Treaty(NPT):

• It is an international treaty with the objective to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology.
• It aims to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and to further the goal of achieving nuclear disarmament and general and complete disarmament. 
• India possesses nuclear weapons but it is not a part of NPT. 

Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty(CTBT):

• It is the Treaty banning all nuclear explosions - everywhere, by everyone.
• It was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and was opened for signature on 24 September 1996.
• India is not a part of CTBT.

• The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was established in 1957.
• It came into being to implement US President Dwight Eisenhower’s “Atoms for Peace” proposal.
• It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes.
• IAEA teams regularly inspect nuclear facilities all over the world to ensure that civilian IAEA reactors are not being used for military purposes.

The Correct Answer is Option 2 i.e. Non-Proliferation Treaty.

• The NPT is a multilateral treaty aimed at limiting the spread of nuclear weapons including three elements - non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.
• The NPT defines nuclear weapon states as those that had manufactured and detonated a nuclear explosive device prior to 1 January 1967. All the other states are therefore considered non-nuclear-weapon states.
• The five nuclear-weapon states are - China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. India has not signed the NPT.