Chapter 8 Environment and Natural Resources

1. When and where did the Earth summit take place?
Ans. It was held in the year  1992 at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. This summit was attended by 170 states, thousands of NGOs and many multinational corporations.
2.What is Agenda 21?
Ans. The Rio Summit produced conventions dealing with climate change, biodiversity, forestry and recommended a list of development practices called Agenda 21.
3.What are global Commons?
Ans. Those resources which are not owned by anyone but rather shared by a community. Eg.Earth's atmosphere, Antarctica, the ocean floor and outer space.
4. When was the Energy conservation Act passed in India?
Ans. In the year 2001.It outlines initiatives to improve energy efficiency.
5.Name some of the major environmental movements.
Ans. The forest movements,  movement against mining corporations and the Anti dam movement.
6.What is the main objective of Kyoto protocol?
Ans. It is an international agreement setting targets for industrialized countries to cut their greenhouse emissions.
7. What is Common Property Resources?
Ans. It represents common property for the group. The members of the group have both rights and duties with respect to the nature,levels of use and the maintenance of a given resource.
8.What is Resource geopolitics?
Ans. It is all about who gets what, when, where and how.
9 When was the World council of Indigenous Peoples formed.
Ans. In 1975.
10. What is the main objective of UNFCCC  of 1992?
Ans. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change provides that the parties should act to protect the climate system on the basis of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Chapter 7 Security in the contemporary world.

1. what do you mean by the term security?
Ans. Security implies freedom from threats.
2. Name the four traditional security threats according to traditional notion of security threat.
Ans. Military threat, Threat of war, balance of power and alliance building.
3. What is human security?
Ans. It refers to security of human beings more than the protection of states.It also includes protection against hunger, disease and natural disasters.
4. The idea of global security emerged in the 1990s in response to global security threats. Name these global threats.
Ans. These threats are global warming, International terrorism and health epidemics like AIDS and bird flu and so on.
5. How do you define terrorism?
Ans. It refers to political violence that targets civilians deliberately and indiscriminately.
6. What are the three types of Human rights?
Ans. They are political rights, economic and social rights and the rights of colonised people or ethnic and indigenous minorities.
7. Differentiate between migrants and refugees.
Ans. Migrants are those who voluntarily leave their home countries. Wheras refugees are those who flee from war, natural disaster or political persecution.
8. How do health epidemics spread?
Ans. The health epidemics rapidly spread across countries through migration, business, tourism and military operations.
9.What is arms control?
Ans. Arms control regulates the acquisition or development of weapons.
10 Did NPT ie the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty of 1968 abolish nuclear weapons.?
Ans. The NPT did not abolish nuclear weapons, rather it limited the number of countries that could have them.

Chapter 6 International Organisations

1,When and why was United Nations founded?
Ans. It was founded on 24th October, 1945. It was founded to maintain international peace and security. Its objective is to prevent international conflict and to facilitate cooperation among states.
2 How many states are members of United Nations?
Ans. 193
3. Why are international organizations important?
Ans. International organizations help the member states to resolve their problems peacefully. They help the nations to cooperate with each other.They can help to produce information and ideas about how to cooperate.
4. When and why was League of Nations formed?
Ans. It was formed in 1919 immediately after the end of first world War. But despite its initial success in maintaining peace, it could not prevent the second world War.
5. How was United Nations set up?
Ans. It was set up through the signing of the United Nations charter by 51 states.
6. Who is the UN's most visible public figure?
Ans. It is the representative head, the Secretary General. The present Secretary - General is Ban Ki - Moon from Korea.
7. Which is the most important organ of United  Nations. How many members are there in this organ?
Ans. the most important organ of the UN is the Security Council. There are five permanent and ten non- permanent members.
8. Name the five permanent members of the Security Council. What special power do they have?
Ans. The five permanent members are USA,United Kingdom, Russia, France and China. They enjoy the power of Veto.
9. What do you understand by Veto power?
Ans. The decisions in security council is taken through voting. All members have one vote.  However, the permanent members can vote in a negative manner.Any negative vote by any one permanent member can stall the decision. This negative vote is called the veto.
10. Explain Human Rights Watch?
Ans. It is an international NGO involved in research and advocacy of human rights. Its the largest international human rights organization in the US.
11,  What is Amnesty International?
Ans. It is an NGO that campaigns for the protection of human rights all over the world. It promotes respect for all human rights in the Universal Declaration of human rights.
12. Name the principal organs of United Nations.
Ans.The  General Assembly,  Security Council, International Court of Justice, Secretariat,  and Economic and Social Council.The. Trusteeship Council was suspended on 1st November 1994.,with the independence of Palau, the last UN trust territory.
13. Name some important agencies of United Nations.
Ans. World Health Organisation (WHO), United  Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), United Nations Children 's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural organisation (UNESCO)
14. Why are reforms necessary in United Nations?
Ans. The reforms are needed so that the realities of the contemporary world politics are better reflected.
15.When  and why was the World Bank set up?
Ans. The World Bank was created during the Second World War in 1944. Its activities are focused on developing nations. It works for human development, agriculture and rural development, environmental protection, infrastructure and governance. It provides loans and grants to member countries.
16. What is the main function of The international Atomic Energy Agency. (IAEA)
Ans. The IAEA was established in 1957 to implement Dwight Eisenhower 's proposal 'Atoms for Peace '.It seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to prevent its use for military purposes.
17. How many judges are there in International Court of Justice?
Ans. There are fifteen Judges elected for nine years. It is based in Hague.
18. How many countries are members of International Monetary Fund?
Ans.  189 states. The headquarters in Washington D.C.
19. When was World Trade Organization set up?  What is its main objective?
Ans. It was set up in 1995. It is an international organization that regulates international trade.There are 164 members. Afghanistan became the 164th member in 2016.
20. What is GATT?
Ans. The General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs was created after the second world War, it was succeeded by World Trade Organization in 1995.