The 2016 Codex
Questions 11 to 20 (Set A)
In the context of which of the following do you sometimes find the terms 'amber box, blue box and green box' in the news?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) WTO affairs
These terms refer to the domestic support (subsidy) categories under the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Agriculture (AoA). They are categorized much like traffic lights:
- Amber Box: "Slow down" - subsidies that directly distort trade (like MSP linked to production). They are subject to strict limits (de minimis).
- Blue Box: "Amber box with conditions" - subsidies linked to production-limiting programs (like paying farmers to leave land fallow).
- Green Box: "Go" - subsidies that do not distort trade (like research, pest control, infrastructure). They are permitted without limits.
The Traffic Lights of Trade
The Balance Sheet
Which of the following is/are included in the capital budget of the Government of India?
1. Expenditure on acquisition of assets like roads, buildings, machinery, etc.
2. Loans received from foreign governments
3. Loans and advances granted to the States and Union Territories
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
The Government's budget is split into Revenue (daily running costs/receipts) and Capital. The golden rule for the Capital Budget is that it must either create/reduce an Asset or create/reduce a Liability.
- 1. Expenditure on assets: Building roads and machinery directly creates physical assets for the government. (Capital Expenditure).
- 2. Loans received: Borrowing money from foreign governments creates a financial liability (debt) that must be repaid. (Capital Receipt).
- 3. Loans granted: Giving loans to States creates a financial asset for the Central Government, as the States owe them money. (Capital Expenditure).
What is/are the importance/importances of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification?
1. It aims to promote effective action through innovative national programmes and supportive international partnerships.
2. It has a special/particular focus on South Asia and North Africa regions, and its Secretariat facilitates the allocation of major portion of financial resources to these regions.
3. It is committed to bottom-up approach, encouraging the participation of local people in combating the desertification.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 1 and 3 only
The UNCCD is one of the three Rio Conventions (along with UNFCCC and UNCBD).
Statements 1 and 3 are True: It is the only legally binding international agreement linking environment to sustainable land management, heavily emphasizing a bottom-up approach (community participation) and national action programs.
Statement 2 is False: This is a geographic trap. While it addresses global desertification, the convention historically has a special annex and primary focus on Africa as a whole (due to the Sahel region), not a specific, exclusive financial focus geared toward "South Asia and North Africa."
Route: [REALM 183: Desertification & Land Degradation]The Grassroots Shield
The Paper Gold
Recently, which one of the following currencies has been proposed to be added to the basket of IMF's SDR?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Renminbi
The Special Drawing Right (SDR) is an international reserve asset created by the IMF. Its value is based on a basket of the world's most stable and heavily traded currencies.
Historically, the basket contained only four currencies: the US Dollar, the Euro, the Japanese Yen, and the British Pound. In 2015, recognizing China's massive integration into the global financial system, the IMF Executive Board decided to add the Chinese Renminbi (Yuan) as the fifth currency in the SDR basket, which took effect in late 2016.
Route: [REALM 183: International Monetary Fund (IMF)]With reference to the International Monetary and Financial Committee (IMFC), consider the following statements:
1. IMFC discusses matters of concern affecting the global economy, and advises the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the direction of its work.
2. The World Bank participates as observer in IMFC's meetings.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
The IMFC is the principal advisory body to the IMF's Board of Governors.
Statement 1 is True: It meets twice a year (during the Spring and Annual Meetings) and provides strategic direction and advice to the IMF regarding the management of the international monetary system.
Statement 2 is True: Because the IMF and the World Bank are twin sister institutions (Bretton Woods twins) with overlapping global economic interests, a representative of the World Bank officially participates as an observer in the IMFC meetings to coordinate global policy.
Route: [REALM 183: IMF Governance Structure]The Advisory Board
The Dignity Campaign
'Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan' is a national campaign to
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) eradicate the practice of manual scavenging and rehabilitate the manual scavengers
The Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan (National Campaign for Dignity) was launched in 2001 by a grassroots organization called Jan Sahas. Its primary goal is to completely eradicate the inhuman, caste-based practice of manual scavenging. The movement focuses on empowering manual scavengers (mostly Dalit women) to voluntarily leave this practice and helps rehabilitate them into dignified alternative livelihoods.
Route: [REALM 152: Protection of Vulnerable Sections]With reference to the cultural history of medieval India, consider the following statements:
1. Siddhas (Sittars) of Tamil region were monotheistic and condemned idolatry.
2. Lingayats of Kannada region questioned the theory of rebirth and rejected the caste hierarchy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Both 1 and 2
This covers two major radical Bhakti/mystic movements in South India that rebelled against orthodox Brahmanism.
Statement 1 is True: The Sittars (Siddhas) of Tamil Nadu were wandering mystics and alchemists. They were strictly monotheistic (believing in formless Shiva/Siva) and vehemently condemned temple worship, idolatry, and the caste system.
Statement 2 is True: The Lingayat (Virashaiva) movement, founded by Basavanna in the 12th-century Kannada region, was a radical social reform movement. They wore a Shiva linga on their body, completely rejected the caste hierarchy, opposed child marriage, allowed widow remarriage, and crucially, questioned the theory of rebirth (believing that upon death, a devotee unites with Shiva immediately and does not return to this world).
Route: [REALM 36: Bhakti Movement]The Southern Rebels
The Forex Vault
Which of the following best describes the term 'import cover', sometimes seen in the news?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) It is the number of months of imports that could be paid for by a country's international reserves
Import Cover is a vital macroeconomic vulnerability indicator. It measures the adequacy of a country's foreign exchange reserves. Specifically, it tells policymakers: "If all export revenue suddenly dropped to zero tomorrow, how many months could our current Forex reserves continue to pay for our essential imports (like oil, machinery, and defense equipment)?" The RBI generally considers an import cover of 8 to 10 months as safe.
Route: [REALM 130: External Sector & Forex Reserves]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?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 2 and 3
This maps ethnic communities to their geopolitical conflict zones:
- 1. Kurd: False. The Kurds are a massive stateless ethnic group spread across the Middle East (primarily Turkey, Syria, Iraq, and Iran), absolutely not Bangladesh.
- 2. Madhesi: True. The Madhesis are an ethnic group residing in the Terai plains of southern Nepal. In 2015, they launched massive protests against the new Nepalese constitution, leading to an economic blockade.
- 3. Rohingya: True. A stateless Indo-Aryan ethnic group predominantly from the Rakhine state of Myanmar, subjected to a massive military crackdown and exodus.
The Stateless & The Blockaded
The Chemical Watchdog
With reference to 'Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)', consider the following statements:
1. It is an organization of European Union in working relation with NATO and WHO.
2. It monitors chemical industry to prevent new weapons from emerging.
3. It provides assistance and protection to States (Parties) against chemical weapons threats.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 2 and 3 only
The OPCW is the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), which entered into force in 1997. It won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013 for its work in Syria.
Statement 1 is False: It is NOT an agency of the European Union or NATO. It is an independent, global intergovernmental organization (based in The Hague, Netherlands) that has a formal working relationship with the United Nations.
Statement 2 is True: One of its core mandates is inspecting and monitoring global chemical industries to ensure toxic chemicals are not diverted into weaponization.
Statement 3 is True: Under Article X of the CWC, the OPCW is mandated to provide protective equipment and emergency assistance to member states if they are attacked with chemical weapons.
Route: [REALM 191: Global Security Organizations (OPCW)]