Major Treaties & Agreements — Set 11
International Relations · प्रमुख संधियां और समझौते · Questions 101–110 of 120
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at COP3 held in which city?
Correct Answer: C. Kyoto
The Kyoto Protocol was adopted at the Third Conference of Parties (COP3) to the UNFCCC held in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. It entered into force on February 16, 2005, after Russia's ratification provided the required threshold of 55 countries representing 55% of global emissions. The protocol has been named after the city where it was adopted.
India's Model BIT 2016 was developed in response to adverse arbitral awards including the Vodafone case, which related to India's:
Correct Answer: B. Retrospective tax on capital gains
The Vodafone case arose from India's retrospective amendment to the Income Tax Act in 2012, which sought to tax Vodafone's 2007 acquisition of Hutch's Indian operations through a Cayman Islands structure. The Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in Vodafone's favor in 2020, finding India's retrospective taxation violated the India-Netherlands BIT. This case, along with others, prompted India to renegotiate or terminate many BITs and adopt the more investor-restricting 2016 Model BIT.
COP26, where India announced its Net Zero 2070 target, was held in which city?
Correct Answer: B. Glasgow
COP26, the 26th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC, was held in Glasgow, Scotland, UK, in November 2021. At COP26, PM Modi announced India's 'Panchamrit' (five pledges), including reaching net zero by 2070. COP26 also resulted in the Glasgow Climate Pact and breakthrough agreements on phasing down coal and methane emissions.
The Wassenaar Arrangement, Australia Group, and MTCR are all classified as:
Correct Answer: B. Export control regimes
The Wassenaar Arrangement (conventional arms and dual-use technologies), Australia Group (chemical and biological weapons precursors), and MTCR (Missile Technology Control Regime) are all export control regimes that regulate the export of sensitive technologies. India has been admitted to all three: MTCR (2016), Australia Group (2018), and Wassenaar Arrangement (2017). India's admission to these regimes was facilitated by the NSG waiver and growing US-India strategic cooperation.
India joined the Australia Group, which controls exports related to chemical and biological weapons, in which year?
Correct Answer: C. 2018
India joined the Australia Group on January 19, 2018, as part of its integration into major export control regimes following the NSG waiver. The Australia Group is an informal forum of countries that seeks to ensure exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons through harmonizing export controls on dual-use materials and equipment. India's membership was seen as recognition of its strong non-proliferation record and growing strategic partnership with the West.
The UNFCCC (UN Framework Convention on Climate Change), the parent treaty of the Paris Agreement, was signed at the Earth Summit in:
Correct Answer: B. Rio de Janeiro 1992
The UNFCCC was signed at the Earth Summit (United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992 and entered into force in 1994. India is a party to the UNFCCC. The UNFCCC established the annual Conference of Parties (COP) that has produced major climate agreements including the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement.
Under UNCLOS, innocent passage through the territorial sea becomes non-innocent if the ship:
Correct Answer: C. Threatens the peace, security or good order of the coastal state
Article 19 of UNCLOS defines innocent passage as passage that is not prejudicial to the peace, good order, or security of the coastal state. Passage becomes non-innocent when a foreign ship engages in activities like weapons practice, intelligence collection, propaganda, launching aircraft or military devices, loading/unloading persons contrary to immigration laws, or any act of willful and serious pollution. India has occasionally disputed the nature of passage by naval vessels of other countries through its territorial sea.
Under which international legal framework does India manage maritime boundary disputes with neighboring countries?
Correct Answer: B. UNCLOS and bilateral agreements
India manages maritime boundary disputes with neighboring countries primarily through UNCLOS provisions and bilateral agreements. India has maritime boundary agreements with Maldives, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Thailand, most negotiated in the 1970s-80s. The Bangladesh-India maritime boundary dispute in the Bay of Bengal was resolved through ITLOS arbitration in 2014, with UNCLOS providing the applicable law.
India hosted the G20 Summit in 2023 in which city?
Correct Answer: B. New Delhi
India hosted the G20 Summit on September 9-10, 2023, in New Delhi under its G20 Presidency under the theme 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' (One Earth, One Family, One Future). Climate finance, particularly mobilizing $100 billion per year for developing nations, was a major agenda item. The New Delhi G20 Declaration included significant outcomes on climate finance, Sustainable Development Goals, and reforming multilateral development banks.
Under UNCLOS, an 'archipelagic state' has special rights to draw straight baselines. Which Indian neighbor qualifies as an archipelagic state?
Correct Answer: C. Maldives
The Maldives qualifies as an archipelagic state under UNCLOS Part IV, as it consists entirely of islands dispersed across a large ocean area. Archipelagic states can draw straight baselines connecting their outermost islands to define the baselines from which their maritime zones are measured. India has a maritime boundary agreement with the Maldives regarding their overlapping EEZ claims in the Arabian Sea.