Ans: A

Exp:

The Prime Minister proposed seven key pillars to strengthen ties between India and ‘CARICOM’ , focusing on areas such as trade, technology, and tourism, among others.

• CARICOM, which stands for Caribbean Community, is an organisation of Caribbean countries and dependencies originally established as the Caribbean Community and Commons Market in 1973 by the Treaty of Chaguaramas.
• Statement 1 is correct: CARICOM is also an official United Nations Observer beneficiary.
• Statement 3 is not correct: It has 15 members; Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago.
• Statement 2 is correct:The Chairmanship of the Community is rotated every six months among the member countries’ Heads.
  • The current Chairmanship lies with Antigua and Barbuda.
• Observer states: Anguilla, Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands have associate member status, and Aruba, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela.
• Secretariat: Georgetown, Guyana

Ans: C

Exp:

The Chennai-Vladivostok eastern maritime corridor has become operational and is carrying oil, food and machines, Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways said at the Sagarmanthan: The Great Oceans Dialogue.

About Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (VCMC): 

• Statement 1 is correct: The Chennai-Vladivostok Maritime Corridor (VCMC) is a proposed sea route that connects the ports of Chennai and Vladivostok, and is part of the Eastern Maritime Corridor.
• Statement 2  is correct: The route will pass through the Sea of Japan, the South China Sea, the Strait of Malacca, the Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago.
  • The Eastern Maritime Corridor connects ports on India’s east coast with ports in the far-east region of Russia

• The VCMC was signed in 2019 by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a visit to Vladivostok, Russia. 

 The VCMC could reduce the time it takes to transport cargo between the two countries by up to 16 days.

Ans: A

Exp:

Tzeporah Berman, Chair and Founder of the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, recently, spelt out the latest threats to the planet at COP29 in Baku.

• Statement 1 is not correct: The FF-NPT proposes to make it legally binding on nations to end fossil fuel extraction, wind down existing production, and manage a just transition to renewable energy.
• FF-NPT has been endorsed by 13 Small Island Developing States of the Pacific, such as Vanuatu, Tuvalu, Tonga, Fiji, and the Solomon Islands, who were least responsible for global warming but are most vulnerable to its impact.
•  Statement 3 is correct: Colombia, one of the largest coal producers and exporters globally, endorsed FF-NPT in December 2023, at COP28.
• It operates on three pillars — non-proliferation, which is a global cooperation model to end the expansion of coal, oil and gas production; a fair phase-out, which comprises an equitable plan to shut down existing fossil fuel production in a way that nations with the capacity and historical responsibility for emissions transition fastest and empowers others.
• Statement 2  is correct: It was conceptualised in 2016 and officially launched in 2019, the FF-NPT has hit the wall of finance.

Ans: C

Exp:

The UAE has unveiled “Global Energy Efficiency Alliance” during COP29, hosted in Azerbaijan which builds on the ‘UAE Consensus’ from COP28.

• • ‘UAE Consensus is a commitment that brought together countries, organizations, and corporations to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable resource management.
  • It is a comprehensive document that calls for a transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, in a just, orderly and equitable manner to achieve net zero by 2050. Option (c ) is correct.
  • It encourages Parties to submit economy-wide Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and sets specific targets, including tripling renewables and doubling energy efficiency by 2030. 

• Commitments:

• • Reducing Non CO2 Emissions: The UAE Consensus for the first time acknowledges methane as a  greenhouse gas that needs to be controlled by 2030. 
  • To address Climate Change, biodiversity loss, and land degradation simultaneously to achieve the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals. 
  • Renewed Focus on Climate Finance: The agreement also paves the way for a new architecture for climate finance and building momentum toward a sustainable future
  • Gender-Responsive Climate Action: The Consensus includes a Global Call to action to drive progress on gender-responsive climate and environment commitments. 

Ans: D

Exp:

PM Modi attended the 19th  G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil.

• • The G20 was founded in 1999 following the financial crisis of 1997-98 that impacted the Asian Tigers (East and Southeast Asian countries).
  •  The G20 includes 19 countries and the European Union, recently joined by the African Union. 
    • Its members are Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

•  Statement 3 is not correct: The G20 operates as a consultative forum, meaning its decisions are not legally binding, and member countries are not obligated to implement them.

•  Statement 1 is correct:The G20 does not have a permanent charter or secretariat.
•  Statement 2 is correct: South Africa is set to host the G20 Summit in 2025.
•  Statement 4 is correct: ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Plane’ is the theme of G20 in 2024.