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Q1Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2024
Consider the following statements:
Statement I: Sumed pipeline is a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil and natural gas shipments to Europe.
Statement II: Sumed pipeline connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement ICorrect
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II does not explain Statement I
- CStatement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect
- DStatement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct
Explanation
Correct. The SUMED pipeline runs from Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea to Sidi Kerir on the Mediterranean, enabling Gulf energy exports to bypass the Suez Canal bottleneck en route to Europe.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
The geographic connection (Red Sea to Mediterranean) is precisely why the pipeline is strategically important for Europe-bound Gulf shipments.
- Option C
Statement II is factually correct; the pipeline does link the Red Sea and the Mediterranean.
- Option D
Statement I is correct; the pipeline is indeed a strategic energy route for Gulf-to-Europe shipments.
Q2Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2024
Consider the following statements:
Statement I: There is instability and worsening security situation in Sahel region.
Statement II: There have been military takeovers/coups d'etat in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
- ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct and Statement II explains Statement ICorrect
- BBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct, but Statement II does not explain Statement I
- CStatement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect
- DStatement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct
Explanation
Correct. The Sahel has experienced a chain of military coups in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are part of the broader destabilisation driving worsening security.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Statement II directly explains Statement I; the coups are a major cause of the security deterioration.
- Option C
Statement II is factually correct; multiple Sahel countries have seen recent military takeovers.
- Option D
Statement I is correct; the Sahel's security situation has indeed worsened significantly.
Q3Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2022
Consider the following statements:
1. Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north-western Kenya.
2. Some people who fled from the South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi.
3. Some people who fled from the civil war in Somalia live in the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 and 2
- B2 only
- C2 and 3Correct
- D3 only
Explanation
Correct. Bidibidi is in Uganda (not Kenya) and hosts South Sudanese refugees, while Dadaab in Kenya hosts Somali refugees.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Statement 1 is incorrect; Bidibidi refugee settlement is in Uganda, not Kenya.
- Option B
Statement 3 is also correct; the Dadaab complex in Kenya has long hosted Somali refugees.
- Option D
Statement 2 is also correct; South Sudanese refugees do live in Bidibidi.
Q4Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2022
The term 'Levant' often heard in the news roughly corresponds to which of the following regions?
- ARegion along the eastern Mediterranean shoresCorrect
- BRegion along North African shores stretching from Egypt to Morocco
- CRegion along the Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa
- DThe entire coastal areas of the Mediterranean Sea
Explanation
Correct. The Levant refers to the eastern Mediterranean littoral encompassing Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Jordan and nearby areas.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
The North African Mediterranean coast is referred to as the Maghreb, not the Levant.
- Option C
The Persian Gulf and Horn of Africa are geographically distinct from the Levant.
- Option D
The Levant covers only the eastern Mediterranean shores, not the entire Mediterranean coastline.
Q5Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2022
Which one of the following statements best describes the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?
- AThey are generally believed to be artificial islands made by a country around the South China Sea
- BChina and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in the East China SeaCorrect
- CA permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan increase its defence capabilities
- DThough the International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them
Explanation
Correct. The Senkaku Islands are at the centre of a sovereignty and maritime dispute between Japan and China in the East China Sea.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Senkaku Islands are natural islands in the East China Sea, not artificial islands in the South China Sea.
- Option C
There is no permanent US military base on the Senkaku Islands for Taiwan's defence.
- Option D
The ICJ has not declared them no man's land; the dispute is between China and Japan, not South-East Asian countries.
Q6Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2018
Consider the following pairs:
Towns sometimes mentioned in the News — Country
1. Aleppo — Syria
2. Kirkuk — Yemen
3. Mosul — Palestine
4. Mazar-i-Sharif — Afghanistan
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2
- B1 and 4Correct
- C2 and 3
- D3 and 4
Explanation
Correct. Aleppo is in Syria and Mazar-i-Sharif is in Afghanistan. Kirkuk and Mosul are both in Iraq.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Kirkuk is in Iraq, not Yemen, so pair 2 is incorrectly matched.
- Option C
Kirkuk is in Iraq and Mosul is also in Iraq, not Palestine.
- Option D
Mosul is in Iraq, not Palestine, so pair 3 is incorrect.
Q7Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2016
Recently, which of the following States has explored the possibility of constructing an artificial inland port to be connected to the sea by a long navigational channel?
- AAndhra Pradesh
- BChhattisgarh
- CKarnataka
- DRajasthanCorrect
Explanation
Correct. Rajasthan, a landlocked state, explored the idea of an artificial inland port connected to the sea by a long navigational channel.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
Andhra Pradesh has a coastline and does not need an artificial inland-to-sea navigational channel.
- Option B
Chhattisgarh is landlocked but was not the state that proposed this unusual project.
- Option C
Karnataka has its own coastline and was not the state in the news for this proposal.
Q8Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2016
Consider the following pairs:
Community sometimes mentioned in the news — In the affairs of
1. Kurd — Bangladesh
2. Madhesi — Nepal
3. Rohingya — Myanmar
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
- A1 and 2
- B2 only
- C2 and 3Correct
- D3 only
Explanation
Correct. Madhesi issues relate to Nepal and the Rohingya crisis is associated with Myanmar. Kurds are not linked with Bangladesh.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Kurds are associated with Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran — not Bangladesh.
- Option B
Pair 3 is also correct; the Rohingya are associated with Myanmar.
- Option D
Pair 2 is also correct; the Madhesi are associated with Nepal's Terai politics.
Q9Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2016
Recently, linking of which of the following rivers was undertaken?
- ACauvery and Tungabhadra
- BGodavari and KrishnaCorrect
- CMahanadi and Sone
- DNarmada and Tapti
Explanation
Correct. The Godavari-Krishna link was the river-linking project that was undertaken and highlighted in the news.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Cauvery-Tungabhadra link was not the river-linking project in the news at the time.
- Option C
The Mahanadi-Sone link was not the one that was undertaken in this context.
- Option D
The Narmada-Tapti link was not the specific project referenced in the news.
Q10Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2015
The area known as 'Golan Heights' sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:
- ACentral Asia
- BMiddle EastCorrect
- CSouth-East Asia
- DCentral Africa
Explanation
Correct. The Golan Heights is a strategically sensitive plateau on the Israel-Syria border, firmly in the Middle East conflict zone.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option A
The Golan Heights is not located in Central Asia.
- Option C
The Golan Heights has no connection to South-East Asia.
- Option D
The Golan Heights is not in Central Africa.
Q11Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2015
In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. As the time passes these bridges become stronger. These unique 'Living Root Bridges' are found in:
- AMeghalayaCorrect
- BHimachal Pradesh
- CJharkhand
- DTamil Nadu
Explanation
Correct. The living root bridges are a distinctive eco-cultural feature of Meghalaya, built by the Khasi and Jaintia communities using Ficus elastica roots.
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Himachal Pradesh does not have the tradition of living root bridges.
- Option C
Jharkhand is not known for living root bridges.
- Option D
Tamil Nadu does not have the tradition of training tree roots into bridges.
Q12Current Affairs·Geography and Places in NewsPYQ 2014
Consider the following pairs:
Region often in news — Country
1. Chechnya — Russian Federation
2. Darfur — Mali
3. Swat Valley — Iraq
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
- A1 onlyCorrect
- B2 and 3 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Correct. Chechnya is a republic within the Russian Federation. Darfur is in Sudan (not Mali) and the Swat Valley is in Pakistan (not Iraq).
Why the other options are incorrect
- Option B
Darfur is in Sudan and Swat Valley is in Pakistan; neither pair is correctly matched.
- Option C
The Swat Valley is in Pakistan, not Iraq, so pair 3 is incorrect.
- Option D
Only pair 1 is correct; pairs 2 and 3 have the wrong country associations.