The 2016 Codex
Questions 51 to 60 (Set A)
'Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)', often in the news, is
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) a non-governmental international organization
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), commonly translated as Doctors Without Borders, is an independent, global non-governmental organization (NGO) of French origin. It is globally renowned for its projects in conflict zones and in countries affected by endemic diseases. It is not affiliated with the UN, WHO, or any inter-governmental political body, ensuring its strict neutrality. It was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.
Route: [REALM 191: Global NGOs & Humanitarian Orgs]The Independent Healers
The Invisible Wealth
With reference to an initiative called 'The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity (TEEB)', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is an initiative hosted by UNEP, IMF and World Economic Forum.
2. It is a global initiative that focuses on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity.
3. It presents an approach that can help decision-makers recognize, demonstrate and capture the value of ecosystems and biodiversity.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 2 and 3 only
Statement 1 is False: TEEB is a major international initiative hosted by the UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) and supported by the European Commission and Germany. The IMF and the World Economic Forum are NOT the hosts of this specific environmental initiative.
Statements 2 and 3 are True: Led by Indian economist Pavan Sukhdev, TEEB's entire philosophy is "making nature's values visible." It provides a structured approach to help governments and businesses recognize, demonstrate, and capture the massive, but often invisible, economic benefits and monetary value of natural ecosystems and biodiversity.
Route: [REALM 183: Environmental Conventions & Initiatives]With reference to 'Red Sanders', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India.
2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a highly valued, endemic tree species found exclusively in the Seshachalam hills and surrounding regions of Andhra Pradesh in South India.
Statement 2 is False: The trap is the forest type. Red Sanders absolutely does not grow in "tropical rain forests" (which are found in the Western Ghats/Kerala). It requires a harsh, rocky, dry deciduous forest environment typical of the Eastern Ghats. It thrives in dry, hot conditions, not the wet, humid conditions of a rainforest.
Route: [REALM 14: Biomes of India] & [REALM 67: Endemic Flora]The Blood Wood
The Plus Factor
Which of the following statements is/are correct? Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to
1. protection of biodiversity
2. resilience of forest ecosystems
3. poverty reduction
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
REDD stands for "Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation." However, the program evolved into REDD+ (Plus). The "+" is crucial—it goes beyond just stopping deforestation to actively include the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks.
By incentivizing developing countries to keep their forests standing, UN-REDD+ directly protects biodiversity (1) and maintains forest ecosystem resilience (2).
Crucially, it also channels financial incentives to indigenous communities and forest dwellers, integrating socio-economic safeguards that directly contribute to local poverty reduction (3).
Route: [REALM 183: REDD and REDD+]What is 'Greenhouse Gas Protocol'?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a)
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is not a UN treaty or a financial fund. It is a comprehensive global standardized framework (an accounting tool) developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD). It provides the exact mathematical and procedural standards for private sector companies, NGOs, and governments to accurately measure, track, quantify, and report their GHG emissions (Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions).
Route: [REALM 183: Environmental Standards & Accounting]The Carbon Ledger
The Apex Table
With reference to 'Financial Stability and Development Council', consider the following statements:
1. It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2. It is headed by the Union Finance Minister.
3. It monitors macroprudential supervision of the economy.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) 2 and 3 only
The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) was set up in 2010 based on the Raghuram Rajan Committee's recommendations to create a super-regulatory body in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis.
Statement 1 is False: It is an apex-level body constituted directly by the Government of India under the Ministry of Finance. It is completely independent and not an organ of NITI Aayog.
Statement 2 is True: The Council is chaired by the Union Finance Minister (and includes the heads of the RBI, SEBI, PFRDA, IRDAI, etc.).
Statement 3 is True: Its primary mandate is to strengthen and institutionalize the mechanism for maintaining financial stability, enhancing inter-regulatory coordination, and conducting macroprudential supervision of the economy to prevent systemic collapses.
Route: [REALM 120: Regulatory Bodies in Finance]With reference to 'Agenda 21', sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements:
1. It is a global action plan for sustainable development.
2. It originated in the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: "Agenda 21" is a comprehensive, non-binding global action plan drawn up by the United Nations to achieve global sustainable development in the 21st century (hence the "21").
Statement 2 is False: This is a timeline and location trap. Agenda 21 originated much earlier, during the historic Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development) held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, not in Johannesburg in 2002 (which was Rio+10).
Route: [REALM 182: UN Earth Summits (Rio)]The 21st Century Blueprint
The Truth Seekers
Satya Shodhak Samaj organized
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) an anti-caste movement in Maharashtra
The Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers' Society) was founded by the pioneering social reformer Jyotirao Phule in Pune, Maharashtra, in 1873. Its explicit and primary purpose was to organize a powerful anti-caste movement to liberate the Shudras, Ati-Shudras, and women from the exploitation, oppression, and intellectual dominance of the orthodox Brahmanical system.
Route: [REALM 21: Anti-Caste Movements in Modern India]Which of the following statements is/are correct? Viruses can infect
1. bacteria
2. fungi
3. plants
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that require a living host cell to replicate. They are the ultimate biological hijackers, and no domain of life is immune to them.
- Bacteria: Viruses that specifically infect bacteria are extremely common and are called Bacteriophages.
- Fungi: Viruses that infect fungi are known as Mycoviruses.
- Plants: There are thousands of plant viruses, the most famous historical example being the Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), which was the first virus ever discovered.
The Universal Hijacker
The Tax Haven Escape
The term 'Base Erosion and Profit Shifting' is sometimes seen in the news in the context of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) curbing of the tax evasion by multinational companies
BEPS (Base Erosion and Profit Shifting) refers to the highly aggressive corporate tax planning strategies used by massive Multinational Enterprises (MNEs) like Google or Apple. They "erode" the tax base of the country where they actually make their money by artificially "shifting" those profits (using accounting loopholes and shell companies) to no-tax or low-tax locations (tax havens like Ireland or the Cayman Islands).
To combat this massive loss of global tax revenue, the OECD and G20 spearheaded the Inclusive Framework on BEPS to create international rules to curb this tax evasion/avoidance.
Route: [REALM 101: Tax Evasion, Avoidance & BEPS]