Political Science Test - 34

The correct answer is North-East Frontier Agency.

Key Points

• On 15th August 1947 when India became an independent nation, North East Frontier Agency commonly known as NEFA became an integral part of the Union of India.
• NEFA was renamed Arunachal Pradesh on January 20, 1972
• Arunachal Pradesh means 'Land of the dawn-lit mountains.
• Arunachal Pradesh is the largest state in the Northeast, among the seven sisters
• The state shares a total of 1630 km of international boundary with neighboring countries; 1030 km with China, 160 km with Bhutan, and 440 km with Myanmar.
• Arunachal Pradesh is known for its rich linguistic diversity, with numerous regional languages and dialects spoken.
• Earlier the state was divided into 17 districts, but in the year 2013, 4 new districts were created taking the total to 21.

The correct answer is Sri Lanka.

• The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam was a Tamil militant organization that was based in Sri Lanka.

Key Points

• Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE):
  • It was a Tamil militant organization that was based in northeastern Sri Lanka.
  • Its aim was to secure an independent state of Tamil Eelam in the north and east of Sri Lanka.
  • It was founded by Velupillai Prabhakaran in 1976.
  • The group assassinated various high profile people like Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India in May 1991 and Ranasinghe Premadasa, the President of Sri Lanka in May 1993.
  • Indian peacekeeping forces launched Operation Pawan on 9 October 1987.

The Correct Answer Article 352

Key Points

• Article 352 of the Indian Constitution allows the President to proclaim a state of emergency in the entire country or a part thereof, due to war, external aggression, or armed rebellion.
• This provision is aimed at ensuring the security of India or any part thereof.
• The terminology was amended from "internal disturbance" to "armed rebellion" to make the conditions for declaring an emergency more specific and to avoid misuse.

The Correct Answer is Laldenga

Key Points

• Laldenga was a prominent leader who played a significant role in the formation of the Mizo National Front (MNF) in 1961.
• The MNF was initially formed as a secessionist movement aiming for the independence of the Mizo territory from India.
• Laldenga led the MNF through periods of insurgency and later, political negotiations, which eventually led to the signing of the Mizo Accord in 1986, bringing peace to the region and establishing Mizoram as the 23rd state of India.

The correct answer is The shah commission was appointed in 1977

Key Points

• The Shah Commission, officially known as the Commission of Inquiry into the Excesses Committed During the Emergency, was appointed in May 1977 by the Government of India.
• It was led by Justice J.C. Shah, a former Chief Justice of India, to inquire into the excesses and misuse of power during the Emergency period (1975-1977) declared by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The correct answer is 'E.V. Ramasami 'Periyar''

Key Points

• E.V. Ramasami 'Periyar was a prominent social reformer and the founder of the Self-Respect Movement in Tamil Nadu.
• He advocated for the rights of the Dravidian people and was against the caste system.
• Under his leadership, the Dravidar Kazhagam (DK) was formed which aimed at achieving social equality and fought against the Brahminical dominance.
• His ideas and reforms have had a lasting impact on Tamil society and politics.

The Correct Answer is 'Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa'.

Key Points

• Kazi Lhendup Dorji Khangsarpa was instrumental in founding the Sikkim Praja Mandal in 1947.
• This organization aimed at achieving democratic reforms and greater representation for the local population in Sikkim, which was then a princely state under the rule of the Chogyal (monarchs of Sikkim).
• Kazi Lhendup Dorji played a pivotal role in the political evolution of Sikkim, advocating for the merger of Sikkim with India, which eventually happened in 1975.

The South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) is a free trade agreement reached between the members of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation (SAARC)- Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It was signed in 2004 and came into effect on January 1st 2006. The agreement was signed in order to promote and sustain mutual trade and economic cooperation within the region. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.

Under the SAARC mechanism, SAFTA the developing countries in South Asia (India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) are required to bring their duties down to 20 per cent in the first phase of the two-year period ending in 2007. In contrast, the least developing countries (LDC) consisting of Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan and the Maldives had an additional three years to reduce tariffs. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

Key Points

World Trade Organisation (WTO):

• In 1948, to liberalise the world from high customs tariffs and various other types of restrictions, the General Agreement for Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was formed by some countries.
• In 1994, it was decided by the member countries to set up a permanent institution for looking after the promotion of free and fair trade among nations and the GATT was transformed into the World Trade Organisation on 1st January 1995.
• Although the WTO is not an UN-specialized agency, it has maintained strong relations with the UN and its agencies since its establishment. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• WTO is the only international organisation dealing with the global rules of trade between nations. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• It sets the rules for the global trading system and resolves disputes between its member nations.
• WTO also covers trade in services, such as telecommunication and banking, and others issues such as intellectual rights.
• The topmost decision-making body of the WTO is the Ministerial Conference, which usually meets every two years. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• It brings together all members of the WTO, all of which are countries or customs unions.
• The WTO has however been criticised and opposed by those who are worried about the effects of free trade and economic globalisation.
• It is argued that free trade does not make ordinary people’s lives more prosperous.
• It is actually widening the gulf between rich and poor by making rich countries more rich.
• This is because the influential nations in the WTO focus on their own commercial interests.
• Moreover, many developed countries have not fully opened their markets to products from developing countries.
• It is also argued that issues of health, worker’s rights, child labour and the environment are ignored.