International MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for International - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is BBB.

In News

• Morningstar DBRS upgraded India’s Long-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Ratings from BBB (low) to BBB with a stable trend.
• India’s Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Ratings were also upgraded to R-2 (high) from R-2 (middle).

Key Points

• India’s credit rating was upgraded to BBB, reflecting the country’s structural reforms, fiscal consolidation, high growth, macroeconomic stability, and a robust banking system.
• The upgrade is a recognition of India’s improving economic fundamentals and its ability to manage fiscal and monetary policies effectively.
• The Short-Term Foreign and Local Currency Issuer Ratings were also upgraded to R-2 (high) from R-2 (middle), reflecting improved short-term creditworthiness.

Additional Information

• DBRS Ratings
  • Morningstar DBRS is a global credit rating agency that evaluates the creditworthiness of governments and corporations based on financial health and stability.
• Credit Rating Upgrades
  • Upgrades in credit ratings reflect improved economic performance and the successful implementation of policies that enhance a country’s fiscal position and overall growth potential.

The correct answer is United Nations Development Programme.

Key Points

• The Human Development Report (HDR) is published annually by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• The first HDR was launched in 1990 under the guidance of Pakistani economist Mahbub ul Haq and Indian economist Amartya Sen.
• The report provides an in-depth analysis of global human development indicators, including health, education, and income.
• It introduces and ranks countries based on the Human Development Index (HDI), which measures a nation's achievements in health, education, and standard of living.
• The HDR serves as a critical resource for policymakers and researchers to address challenges in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Additional Information

• Human Development Index (HDI):
  • The HDI is a composite index that measures a country’s average achievements in three basic aspects of human development: health (life expectancy), education (mean years of schooling and expected years of schooling), and income (gross national income per capita).
  • It ranks countries into four tiers: very high, high, medium, and low human development.
  • The HDI helps compare development levels among nations and regions.
• United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):
  • The UNDP was established in 1965 and is headquartered in New York City, USA.
  • It works in around 170 countries and territories to eradicate poverty, reduce inequalities, and build resilience.
  • UNDP is a key agency for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Human Development Report Themes:
  • Each HDR focuses on a specific theme, such as inequality, climate change, or gender equity, providing insights into global challenges.
  • The 2021/2022 HDR was titled "Uncertain Times, Unsettled Lives" and explored the intersection of human development with crises like the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change.
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
  • The SDGs are a set of 17 interconnected global goals adopted by UN member states in 2015.
  • The UNDP plays a vital role in supporting countries to implement these goals, which aim to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity for all by 2030.

Key Points

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948.
• It was a milestone document that set out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected.
• The declaration was adopted on December 10, 1948, a date now celebrated annually as Human Rights Day.
• Eleanor Roosevelt, the widow of American President Franklin D. Roosevelt, played a crucial role in drafting the declaration.
• The document consists of 30 articles detailing an individual's "basic rights and fundamental freedoms" and affirming their universal character as inherent, inalienable, and applicable to all human beings.

Additional Information

• The Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been translated into over 500 languages, making it the most translated document in the world.
• The declaration has inspired a number of international human rights treaties and instruments that continue to be developed and adopted.
• Many countries have incorporated its principles into their constitutions and legal frameworks, reinforcing their commitment to human rights.

The correct answer is 140.

Key Points

• India’s Rank: 140th out of 180 countries.
• Previous Rank: India ranked 138th in 2018 (drop by 2 places).
• Violence Against Journalists: Attacks on journalists reporting on sensitive topics.
• Censorship & Self-censorship: Media outlets face governmental and political pressure.
• Legal & Economic Pressures: Defamation laws, sedition charges, and other tactics used to silence critical reporting.

     4. Norway ranked 1st for press freedom globally.

Additional Information

• India is categorized under the "Difficult Situation" for press freedom.
• The Press Freedom Index is prepared annually by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
• The Press Freedom Index criteria include media independence, legal frameworks, safety of journalists, and freedom of information
• Political Environment: Media coverage of sensitive issues such as Kashmir, elections, and communal tensions often leads to suppression.
• Economic Pressures: Corporate ownership of media houses, leading to biased coverage.
• Online Harassment: Journalists, particularly women, face trolling and threats online.

Important Points

India's Press Freedom Ranking and Global Comparison (2019)

The correct answer is UNDP.

• The Human Development Index (HDI) is an index that is published by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
• It measures key dimensions of human development. The three key dimensions are - 
  • A long and healthy life
  • Access to education
  • A decent standard of living  

About UNDP

• Headquarters - New York, United States
• Administrator - Achim Steiner
• Member Countries - 170 (Oct-2020)

The correct answer is 101st.

Key Points

• India has slipped to the 101st position out of 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021.
• In 2020, India was ranked 94th out of 107 countries.
• India's GHI score has also decelerated from 38.8 in 2000 to the range of 28.8 - 27.5 between 2012 and 2021.
• The GHI report is prepared jointly by Irish aid agency Concern Worldwide and German organization Welt Hunger Hilfe.

Important Points

• A total of 18 countries, including China, Kuwait, and Brazil, shared the top rank with a GHI score of less than five.
• According to the report, the share of wasting among children in India rose from 17.1 percent between 1998-2002 to 17.3 percent between 2016-2020
• India has shown improvement in indicators like the under-5 mortality rate, the prevalence of stunting among children, and the prevalence of undernourishment owing to inadequate food.
• The GHI score is calculated on four indicators:
  • Undernourishment
  • Child wasting (the share of children under the age of five who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition) 
  • Child stunting (children under the age of five who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition)
  • Child mortality (the mortality rate of children under the age of five)

The correct answer is Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe.

• The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger at global, regional, and national levels.
• GHI scores are calculated each year to assess progress and setbacks in combating hunger.

Key Points

• Four indicators to determine GHI score : (Asked in UPSC Prelims 2016)
  • UNDERNOURISHMENT: the share of the population that is undernourished (that is, whose caloric intake is insufficient);
  • CHILD WASTING: the share of children under the age of five who are wasted (that is, who have low weight for their height, reflecting acute undernutrition);
  • CHILD STUNTING: the share of children under the age of five who are stunted (that is, who have low height for their age, reflecting chronic undernutrition); 
  • CHILD MORTALITY: the mortality rate of children under the age of five (in part, a reflection of the fatal mix of inadequate nutrition and unhealthy environments).
• GHI scores on a 100-point GHI Severity Scale,
  • 0 - no hunger (Best score)
  • 100 - worst.

Important Points

• India's performance in GHI 2024
  • The 2024 Global Hunger Index (GHI) shows India at a "serious" level of hunger, with a score of 27.3, placing it 105th out of 127 countries.

• According to the report published by the World Steel Association (WSA), India has overtaken the US to become the world’s Third largest steel producer in 2017.
• India also became the third largest steel consumer in the world according to this report.
• India in 2018 replaced Japan to become the second largest steel producer in the world.
• China is the largest steel producing country in the world.

The correct answer is World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

• Living Planet Report is published every 2 years by WWF.
• It is a comprehensive study of trends in global biodiversity and the health of the planet.
• The report presents a comprehensive overview of the state of the natural world through the Living Planet Index (LPI).

Important Points

• What is the Living Planet Index (LPI)?
  • It is a measure of the state of the world’s biological diversity based on population trends of vertebrate species in terrestrial, freshwater and marine habitats.
  • This year’s Living Planet Report, a collaboration between WWF International and the Zoological Society of London, is the 13th edition of the biennial publication tracking wildlife populations around the world.

Additional Information

• Key findings of the released report -
  • Vertebrate species population has registered a decline of 68 per cent between 1970 to 2016.
  • There was a decline of 84 per cent wildlife population in the freshwater habitats.
  • On average, two-thirds of the global mammal, bird, amphibian, fish and reptile population witnessed a decline in less than 5 decades.
  • This has been one of the major reasons for the rise in zoonotic diseases like COVID-19.
  • There has been an alteration of 75 per cent of earth's ice-free land.
  • Most of the oceans has become polluted.
  • Around 85 per cent of the wetland area has been lost to anthropogenic activity.
  • Every one in five plants is threatened with extinction.

The correct answer is Europe.

Key Points

• According to the Global Peace Index, 2021, Europe remains the most peaceful region.
• The continent is home to eight of the 10 most peaceful nations.
• Global Peace Index 2021 is the 15th edition of the Global Peace Index (GPI).
• It ranks 163 independent states and territories according to their level of peacefulness.
• It is produced by the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
• The GPI covers 99.7% of the world’s population, using 23 qualitative and quantitative indicators from highly respected sources, and measures the state of peace across three domains:
  • the level of Societal Safety and Security
  • the extent of Ongoing Domestic and International Conflict
  • the degree of Militarisation
• Top 10 peaceful countries as per the report-
  1. Iceland
  2. New Zealand
  3. Denmark
  4. Portugal
  5. Slovenia
  6. Austria
  7. Switzerland
  8. Ireland
  9. Czech Republic
  10. Canada
• India is ranked at 135th position in GPI among 163 independent states and territories.

The correct answer is Elon Musk.

Key Points

• The Forbes Billionaires 2022 list has been released.
• Elon Musk is leading with a net worth of $219 bn, followed by Amazon Chief Jeff Bezos at $171 bn.
• Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani has been ranked 10th richest on the list and is the only Indian to make it to the top 10.
• Mukesh Ambani, with a net worth of $100.1 billion, is followed by Gautam Adani with a net worth of $90 billion.

Additional Information

• Adani group, founded in 1988, has a current market capitalization of $151 billion, comprising seven publicly listed companies.
• Forbes said it has found more than 1,000 billionaires who are richer than they were a year ago.
• At least 236 newcomers have become billionaires over the past year—including the first ever from Barbados, Bulgaria, Estonia and Uruguay.
• America has the most number of billionaires at 735 worth a collective net worth of $4.7 trillion, including Elon Musk, who tops the World’s Billionaires list for the first time.
• China (including Macau and Hong Kong) remains number two, with 607 billionaires worth a collective $2.3 trillion.

The correct answer is 50.

Key Points

• As per an estimate by the ‘Food Waste Index Report 2021’, released by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in March 2021.
  • India wastes approximately 50 kg of food per person per year.
  • The household food waste estimate in the US is 59 kg per capita per year, or 19,359,951 tonnes a year.
  • In China, these estimates are 64 kg per capita per year or 91,646,213 tonnes a year.
• The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and WRAP released the Food Waste Index Report 2021.
• According to this report, 931 million tonnes of food were wasted globally in 2019.​

Additional Information

• UNEP Headquarters: Nairobi, Kenya.
• UNEP Head: Inger Andersen.
• UNEP Founder: Maurice Strong.
• UNEP Founded: 5 June 1972, Nairobi, Kenya.

The correct answer is 1982.

• The Convention entered into force in India on 1 February 1982.
• The Convention on Wetlands is an intergovernmental treaty that provides the framework for the conservation and wise use of wetlands and their resources. 
• The Convention was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar in 1971 and came into force in 1975.
• Since then, almost 90% of UN member states, from all the world’s geographic regions, have acceded to become Contracting Parties. 
• The Ramsar Convention's broad aims are to halt the worldwide loss of wetlands and to conserve, through wise use and management, those that remain. This requires international cooperation, policymaking, capacity building, and technology transfer.
• India currently has 41 sites designated as Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Sites), with a surface area of 1,071,861 hectares.
• The Lonar Lake in Maharashtra and Sur Sarovar, also known as Keetham Lake, in Agra, have been added to the list of recognized Ramsar sites in November 2020.

The correct answer is 68th.

Key Points

• India slipped to the 68th position in the Global Competitiveness Index 2019.
• It was released by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
• India scored poorly in eight of the twelve categories.
• India is ranked below 100 in five categories and just in the top 50 in four.
• In this year's(2019) survey, Colombia, Azerbaijan, South Africa, and Turkey outperformed India.
• Singapore has surpassed the United States to claim the top spot.
• India's neighbour country China remained unchanged from last year’s survey at 28.
• The Global Competitiveness Report series was first launched in 1979.
• The Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) uses 103 indicators organised into 12 pillars to depict the competitiveness landscape of 141 economies.