THE ASSAM TRIBUNE ANALYSIS DATE – 11 MARCH 2021 For Preliminary and Mains examination As per new Pattern of APSC (Also useful for UPSC and other State level government examinations) Answers of MCQs of 10-03-2021 1. A. Ease of Doing Business 2020 is a report published by The World Bank to 'Compare Business Regulation in 190 Economies'. 2. B. The Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report was first published in 2007 by the World Economic Forum. 3. B 4. D. The DRDO Nishant is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by India's Aeronautical Development Establishment, a branch of Defence Research and Development Organisation for the Indian Armed Forces. 5. D MCQs of 11-03-2021 Q1. Which of the following is not a part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD) or QUAD Group A. India B. Australia C. Japan D. South Korea Q2. The S-400 air defence missile systems will be delivered to India by which country? A. Israel B. USA C. Russia D. Finland Q3. “Indra 2020” is a bilateral Naval exercise between India and which country? A. China B. SriLanka C. USA D. Russia Q4. India signed ‘Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA)’ with which country? A. Japan B. France C. Germany D. Brazil Q5. Which Indian city is to play host to the Asia’s largest aero show, Aero India-21? A. Gurgaon B. Bengaluru C. Vishakhapatnam D. Kolkata CONTENTS 1. Deepika Padukone, Borosil India head in WEF’s new list ( GS 2 – International Organisation ) 2. Hope first Quad summit is conducive, ‘not the opposite’: China ( GS 2 – International Relations ) 3. Navy’s third Kalavari class submarine commissioned ( GS 3 – Defence ) EDITORIAL 1. Gender budgeting ( GS 2 – Gender ) 2. Saivism through the ages in Assam ( GS 5 – Religion ) 3. A much-needed step ( GS 5 – Infrastructure ) Deepika Padukone, Borosil India head in WEF’s new list Actor Deepika Padukone and several Indian citizens and India-origin persons today joined the list of the Young Global Leaders (YGLs) compiled by the World Economic Forum. Announcing its 2021 class of YGLs, the WEF said these are the world’s most promising 112 of tomorrow’s leaders under the age of 40 and are involved in activities ranging from advocating for public healthcare to campaigning for inclusivity in medical research. They join a group of Nobel Prize recipients, Pulitzer winners, heads of state and chief executive officers committed to improving the state of the world, said the Geneva-based organisation that describes itself as an international organisation for public-private cooperation. The Forum of Young Global Leaders was founded in 2005 by Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman of the WEF, to create a world where leaders take responsibility for a sustainable future while meeting increasingly complex and interrelated challenges. Currently, there are 1,400 members and alumni from over 120 countries, and notable members include Prime Ministers Jacinda Ardern and Sanna Marin, Costa Rica President Carlos Alvarado Quesada, actor Yao Chen, lawyer Amal Clooney and filmmaker Wanuri Kahiu. “YGLs are active in today’s most exciting and dynamic fields and focus on impact. “In the past year, they have worked on more than 30 COVID-19-related initiatives, including expanding the use of free public digital health services, launching data challenges to build an ecosystem that can help tackle the pandemic, creating mobile intensive care shelters, opening mental health support platforms and working on vaccine development,” the WEF said. It further said the class of 2021 is gender-equal and has representatives from 56 countries. These members will take part in a five-year programme, which offers executive education courses, expeditions and opportunities to collaborate and test ideas among a trusted network of peers. “The YGL Class of 2021 is comprised of thoughtful and courageous leaders who will shape a more sustainable and inclusive post-pandemic era,” said Mariah Levin, Head of the Forum of Young Global Leaders. The 2021 YGL class members from the academia and research field include Devi Sridhar (University Lecturer in Global Health Politics, University of Oxford, UK), Adriana Cargill (independent journalist, USA), Mashrafe Bin Mortaza (captain of Bangladesh cricket team) and Rohan Ramakrishnan (Founder and CEO of the ASEAN Post, Malaysia). From the business field, there are Nirvana Chaudhary (MD of Nepal’s Chaudhary Group), Shreevar Kheruka (MD and CEO of Borosil India) and Srikanth Bolla (CEO of Bollant Industries, India). Members from the civil society and social entrepreneurship arena include Amit Paley (CEO of The Trevor Project, USA), Anulika Ajufo (Principal of the UK’s Soros Economic Development Fund) and Deepika Padukone (Founder of the Live Love Laugh Foundation, India). Others on the list include Vasudha Vats (Global Commercial Lead/Senior Director, Pfizer, USA), Vivek Ramaswamy (Founder and CEO of Roivant Sciences, USA), Ameya Prabhu (Managing Partner of UAP Advisors, India) and Maleeka Bokhari (Parliamentary Secretary for Law and Justice, Pakistan). The list also include Aditi Avasthi (Founder and CEO of Indiavidual Learning, India), Gazal Kalra (Co- founder of Rivigo, India), Hitesh Wadhwa (Vice-President for Strategic Initiatives at Tech Mahindra, India), Hriday Ravindranath (Chief Technology and Information Officer, Global Services at BT Group, India) and Suren Aloyan (Founder, Chairman and CEO, Dasaran, Armenia). – PTI Hope first Quad summit is conducive, ‘not the opposite’: China As the US, India, Australia and Japan are set to hold their first Leaders’ Summit of Quad on Friday, a wary China on Wednesday hoped that the four countries will do things that are “conducive” to regional peace and stability instead of the “opposite”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga will attend the virtual summit, which is the first conclave of the top leaders of the Quadrilateral alliance, which was often projected in the official media here as an alliance against China’s rise. Asked for his reaction to the first Leaders’ summit of the Quad, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here that China believes that any regional cooperation architecture should follow the principle of peaceful development and win-win cooperation, which is the prevailing trend of the times. “We hope the relevant countries will keep in mind the common interests of the regional countries, uphold the principles of openness, inclusiveness and win-win cooperation and do things that are conducive to regional peace stability and prosperity rather than the opposite,” Zhao said. In November 2017, India, Japan, the US and Australia gave shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the Quad to develop a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the Indo-Pacific free of any influence. The US has been favouring making Quad a security architecture to check China’s growing assertiveness. A commentary in the state-run Global Times on the reports of Quad summit two days ago said, “The busy schedule of arrangements seems, to Chinese observers, like a “water-testing” move from the US to sound out its Asian partners’ attitude toward forming an “unbreakable alliance” to counter China’s rise. Zhao also reacted cautiously when asked about the reports that Quad leaders will reach an agreement to increase their vaccine assistance to the developing countries to counter China’s vaccines diplomacy. “China is a committed frontrunner in promoting international vaccine cooperation.” but it is opposed to vaccine nationalism and politicisation of vaccine cooperation, he said. – PTI Navy’s third Kalavari class submarine commissioned Indian Navy’s third stealth Scorpene class Submarine INS Karanj, equipped with potent weapons and sensors to neutralise any threat above or below the sea surface, was commissioned here on Wednesday. Former Navy chief Admiral VS Shekhawat, who was part of the commissioning crew of the old Karanj and later the Commanding Officer during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, was the chief guest for the commissioning ceremony at the Naval Dockyard. Six Scorpene class submarines are being built in India by the Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) Mumbai, under collaboration with Naval Group, France, a Navy spokesperson said in a release. INS Karanj is the third Kalavari-class submarine to be commissioned into the Navy. The diesel-electric submarines based on the Scorpene design are also referred as Scorpene class submarines. INS Karanj would form part of the Western Naval Command’s submarine fleet and would be another potent part of the Command’s arsenal. Navy Chief Admiral Karambir Singh and senior Navy and MoD officers were among those present at the commissioning ceremony. The crew of the erstwhile Karanj, a Russian origin Foxtrot class submarine which was decommissioned in 2003, were also special invitees for the ceremony. During his address, the Navy Chief said, “This impetus to indigenisation and Aatmanirbhar Bharat is a fundamental tenet of the Indian Navy’s growth story and future operational capabilities.” This year is being celebrated as the Swarnim Vijay Varsh which marks 50 years of the 1971 Indo-Pak war. The old Karanj, commissioned on September 4, 1969 at Riga in the erstwhile USSR, also took active part in that war. In recognition of the valiant action of her officers and crew, a number of personnel on board were decorated, including the award of Vir Chakra to the then Commanding Officer Cdr Shekhawat. The commissioning Commanding Officer of the old Karanj Cdr MNR Samant later became the first Chief of the Naval Staff of the newly formed Bangladesh Navy in 1971. The Scorpene class submarines are among the most advanced conventional submarines in the world. “They are equipped with the latest global technologies. More deadly and stealthier than their predecessors, these submarines are equipped with potent weapons and sensors to neutralise any threat above or below the sea surface,” a press release stated.