Ans: C

Exp:

Recently, the longest-lived American President Jimmy Carter died, playing a significant role for Camp David Accords, where he brokered peace between Israel and Egypt.

• The Camp David Accords, signed by President Jimmy Carter, Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin in September 1978, established a framework for a historic peace treaty concluded between Israel and Egypt in March 1979.
• Statement-1 is correct: As a result of the Camp David Accords signed in 1978, Egypt became the first Arab country to officially recognize Israel. 
  • The Accords ensured that both Egypt and Israel achieved their primary goals: Egypt regained the Sinai Peninsula that Israel had captured during the Six-Day War in 1967, while Israel received its first formal recognition from an Arab state.

• Statement-2 is incorrect: The Camp David Accords were a bilateral agreement between Israel and Egypt mediated by the U.S. President Jimmy Carter. Several Arab nations were not involved directly in the accords.

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the Srisailam Devasthanam is publishing a book about the recently discovered copper plate charters found in Ghanta Mandapam at the Srisailam temple in Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh, with the help of the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). 

• • The ASI discovered 78 leaves from 21 sets of copper plate charters in Ghanta Mandapam during 2022-23. These charters date back to the 12th to 16th centuries CE and were issued by various dynasties, including the Reddys, Ganapathis, and others. 
  • They are written in multiple languages, including Telugu, Kannada, Oriya, Nagari (Sanskrit), and others.
  • Pair 1 is correct: Srisailam, known for the famous Srisailam temple, is situated in the Nallamala Hills of Andhra Pradesh.
    • Srisailam is the shrine of Lord Mallikarjuna. Sri Bhramaramba Mallikarjuna Temple or Srisailam Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the deities Shiva and Parvati. This temple is one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva and one of the eighteen Shakti Peethas of goddess Parvati. 
  • Pair 2 is incorrect: Omkareshwar is located in Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh, but it is associated with the Vindhya Range, not the Satmala Hills.

• Omkareshwar is situated on the Mandhata hills in Madhya Pradesh. River Narmada flows here around the Mandhata hill in the form of an Om which gives it the name, “Omkareshwar”. Omkareshwar is a Hindu temple dedicated to God Shiva. It is one of the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva.

• Pair 3 is incorrect: Pushkar, a famous pilgrimage site for Hindus, is located in Rajasthan near the Aravalli Range, not in the Mahadeo Hills.
  • Pushkar is famous for the red spired Brahma Temple. Pushkar is located on the shore of Pushkar Lake.
• Pair 4 is correct: The Amarnath Temple, a famous Hindu pilgrimage site, is located in the Pir Panjal Range of Jammu and Kashmir. The cave is a holy place for Hindu pilgrims, because of its ice content. The ice pillar present inside the cave is also called ice lingham, the phallic symbol of Lord Shiva. 

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, Russia warned of severe environmental damage from a huge oil spill in the Black Sea caused when two tankers collided in a storm near Crimea, which declared a state of emergency.

• Statement 1 is correct: The Black Sea is bordered by six countries: Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia, and Georgia.

• Statement 2 is correct: The Bosporus Strait connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, specifically through the Sea of Marmara.
• Statement 3 is incorrect: The Black Sea is saline, though less so than the Mediterranean Sea, due to limited water exchange with other seas and rivers flowing into it.
• Statement 4 is correct: The Black Sea has anoxic (oxygen-depleted) water at depths greater than 150 meters, making it unique in terms of its ecological system.

Ans: C

Exp:

Recently, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a response from the Centre on implementing recommendations by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for controlling ozone levels in Delhi.

• Elevated ozone levels were reported to exceed permissible limits in some areas of the national capital.

About Ground-level ozone:

• It forms when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) react in the presence of sunlight.
  • Vehicles emit nitrogen oxides (NOx) and VOCs, both of which contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone.
  • Industrial activities and power plants also emit pollutants like NOx and VOCs that contribute to ground-level ozone formation. Hence, option C is correct.
• Ground-level ozone is harmful to human health and contributes to respiratory problems, unlike the ozone layer in the stratosphere, which protects from UV radiation.

Ground-level ozone is a key component of photochemical smog, particularly in urban areas, contributing to air pollution and health hazards.

Ans: D

Exp:

A recent study examining the plight of Rohingya refugees detained in India, conducted jointly by the Azadi Project and Refugees International has highlighted “gross violations of constitutional and human rights” and criticised India’s “failure to uphold its obligations under international human rights treaties”.

• • Statement 1 is incorrect: India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol.
    • 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol → Enshrine the principle of non-refoulement → Which prohibits States from expelling individuals under their jurisdiction when substantial evidence suggests they would face persecution, torture, or other severe human rights violations upon return.
    • Definition of Refugee → According to the 1951 convention → Refugees are defined as people who have been deprived of their civil and political rights, but not their economic rights.
    • Its status as customary international law imposes binding obligations on states
    • In a 2007 advisory opinion UNHCR affirmed → Non-refoulement constitutes customary law and is binding on all states → Including those not parties to the Refugee Convention or the 1967 Protocol.
  • Statement 2 is incorrect: India is not a party to key international instruments like the Convention against Torture or the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.
    • India’s signed the treat but not has not ratified it → Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance
    • It bears no legal obligation to provide asylum or adhere to the principle of non-refoulement.

• Statement 3 is incorrect: India does not have any binding legal obligations under international law to adhere to the principle of non-refoulement, as it is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention.

• Non-refoulement is a fundamental principle of international law that prohibits the deportation of people to countries where they could face: 

• • Torture
  • Cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment

India’s international & Constitutional obligations:

• International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights → India is a party
• Obligates member states under Article 7 → To refrain from refouling individuals to places where they may face torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment. 
• International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Rights of the Child → India has ratified
• Principle of non-refoulement is enshrined in both the international instruments
• Article 51(c) of the Constitution → Mandates that the state must strive to promote respect for international law and treaty obligations
• Several judicial pronouncements in India → Interpreted the principle of non-refoulement as integral to Article 21 of the Constitution (Fundamental Rights) → which guarantees the right to life and personal liberty.