Ans: C

Exp:

On 24 December 2024, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the UN Convention against Cybercrime, marking a significant milestone in the global fight against cybercrime.

• • The Convention against Cybercrime will open for signature in Hanoi, Vietnam, in 2025.

• Statement 1 is Correct: The Budapest Convention on Cybercrime is an international treaty that aims to protect society from cybercrime. It was established by the Council of Europe in 2001 and came into effect in 2004. 

• • The Convention on Cybercrime is the first international treaty on crimes committed via the Internet and other computer networks, signed in November 2001.
  • Also known as the Budapest Convention, this treaty deals particularly with infringements of copyright, computer-related fraud, child pornography and violations of network security. 
  • It also contains a series of powers and procedures such as the search of computer networks and interception. 
  • India has chosen not to join the convention despite ongoing calls for its participation.
• Statement 2 is Correct: The UN Convention against Cybercrime is a legally binding treaty that was adopted by the UN General Assembly on December 24, 2024. It’s the first global treaty to address cybercrime. 
  • It establishes a global criminal justice policy to protect society against cybercrime by fostering international cooperation.
• Statement 3 is Correct: Cybercrimes fall under State subjects as per the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India.

Ans: D

Exp: 

Observing that use of loudspeakers is not essential part of any religion, the Bombay High Court recently directed the Maharashtra government to have an in-built mechanism to control decibel levels in loudspeakers, public address system (PAS) or any other sound-emitting gadgets used at places of worship, or institutions, irrespective of religion.

• • Statement 1 is Correct: The doctrine of essentiality is a legal principle used by the Indian Judiciary to decide whether a particular religious practice is considered “essential” to a religion.

• The doctrine of essentiality is a jurisprudence or a legal principle developed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court through various judicial precedents. 

• Essential religious practices are those rituals and customs which are important and necessary for a particular religion and must be adhered to by people practising it.

• • The court held that the term “religion” will cover all rituals and practices “integral” to a religion, and took upon itself the responsibility of determining the essential and non-essential practices of a religion.
• Statement 2 is Correct: The doctrine of “essentiality” was invented by a seven-judge Bench of the Supreme Court in the ‘Shirur Mutt’ case in 1954. 
  • Freedom of religion was meant to guarantee freedom to practice one’s beliefs based on the concept of “inward association” of man with God.
  • The apex court in ‘Ratilal Panachand Gandhi vs The State of Bombay and Ors’ (March 18, 1954) acknowledged that “every person has a fundamental right to entertain such religious beliefs as may be approved by his judgment or conscience”. The framers of the Constitution wanted to give this autonomy to each individual.

Ans: D

Exp:

Recently, US President Donald Trump said his administration was discussing a 10% punitive duty on Chinese imports as fentanyl is being sent from China to the US via Mexico and Canada.

• Statement-I is Incorrect: According to the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), “Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use as an analgesic [for pain relief] and anesthetic. 
  • Opioids are essentially a type of drugs that “derive from, or mimic, natural substances found in the opium poppy plant”.
  • All opioids work similarly. They activate an area of nerve cells in the brain and body called opioid receptors that block pain signals between brain and body.

Statement-II is Correct: Fentanyl is approximately 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin as an analgesic. But overdoses can cause “stupor, changes in pupil size, clammy skin, cyanosis [blue skin], coma, and respiratory failure leading to death”.

Ans: A

Exp:

Recently, the General Assembly adopted the Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing Countries for the Decade 2024-2034, aiming to tackle the unique challenges faced by nations without direct access to open seas.

• Landlocked developing countries (LLDCs) face significant hurdles in trade and development, relying on transit nations, which leads to higher trade costs, delays and reduced competitiveness in global markets.

• The Programme of Action identifies five priorities: promoting sustainable economic growth through innovation and structural transformation, enhancing regional trade integration, improving transport connectivity, building climate resilience, and ensuring effective implementation strategies.

• The new framework builds on the Vienna Programme of Action (2014-2024) and the Almaty Programme of Action (2003), which laid the groundwork for addressing the persistent obstacles plaguing LLDCs.

• Landlocked countries are countries that do not have direct access to the sea. There are 32 LLDCs with a population of about 570 million.

• Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan are the only two doubly landlocked countries in the world. This means that all of their neighboring countries are also landlocked.

• Hence, Option A is correct.

Ans: D

Exp:

Indore and Udaipur have become the first two Indian cities to make it to the global list of accredited wetland cities under Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. 

• • Indore: Sirpur Lake (Ramsar Site) recognised for water bird congregation and is being developed as a bird sanctuary.
  • Udaipur: Surrounded by five major wetlands, namely, Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Rang Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, and Doodh Talai.
  • Statement 1 is Correct: The Wetland City Accreditation program is a voluntary system aimed at providing international recognition for cities that manage wetlands.
    • It was established by the Ramsar Convention during the Conference of the Contracting Parties (COP) 12, 2015 to recognize cities that have taken exceptional steps to safeguard their urban wetlands.
    • The scheme aims to promote the conservation and wise use of urban and peri-urban wetlands, as well as sustainable socio-economic benefits for local populations.
  • Statement 2 is Incorrect: Global list of 74 accredited wetland cities comprises → Highest 22 from China followed by nine from France. 

• Six Criteria for Accreditation:

• • • • Adopting measures for wetland conservation and wise use
      • Promoting ecosystem services provided by wetlands
      • Maintaining sustainable socio-economic practices linked to wetlands
      • Engaging local communities in conservation
      • Addressing concerns related to wetland degradation

• Protecting both natural and human-made wetlands

• Statement 3 is Incorrect: The accreditation is not permanent; it must be renewed after 6 years, if the city continues to meet the criteria.