Daily Current Affairs Quiz 28 April 2022

b) Japan and Russia

Ever since the Soviet Union conquered the Kuril Islands in 1945, the ownership has been challenged by Japan.
In the latest version of the 2022 Diplomatic Bluebook, which was published by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Northern Territories are “islands over which Japan has sovereignty, but now are illegally occupied by Russia.”

a) 1 only

The Sea of Japan is a marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula and Russia.

The Yellow Sea is a marginal sea of the Western Pacific Ocean located between mainland China and the Korean Peninsula.

b) 2 only

The River Cities Alliance (RCA) has been launched by Ministry of Jal Shakti along with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs with the objective to provide the member cities with a platform to discuss and exchange information on aspects that are vital for sustainable management of urban rivers, sharing best practices and supporting innovation. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
The Alliance is open to all river cities of India. Any river city can join the Alliance at any time. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

b) India

Union Ministry of External Affairs of India has recently launched a platform called the Trilateral Development Corporation (TDC).
The fund would involve private sectors with state support for investments in the Indo-Pacific region and other regions. It aims to provide an alternative to China’s Belt-Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development strategy. UK offers 5G, nuclear and high-speed rail technologies for BRI.

d) Neither 1 nor 2

Recently, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has recommended for the second year in the row to put India on a list (Countries of Particular Concern or CPCs) for the worst violations of religious freedoms in 2021. Hence, both statements 1 and 2 are not correct.
Earlier, the US State Department released a strong and critical report on human rights in India in 2021.
The Report’s primary focus is on two groups of countries:
Country of Particular Concern (CPC): It is a designation by the US Secretary of State of a nation engaged in severe violations of religious freedom under IRFA (International Religious Freedom Act of 1998).
Special Watch List: A “Special Watch List” country is one that is deemed not to meet all the CPC criteria but engages in or tolerates severe violations of religious freedom.