Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have called United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to establish a permanent commission; who can report on human rights violations across Israel, Gaza and West Bank; following the latest violence in Israel-Palestine Conflict. The proposed Permanent Commission is an independent, international commission of inquiry. It will be appointed by president of UNHRC. Commission will investigate violations of humanitarian and human rights law in Israel and Palestine. Commission will authorize “commission of inquiry (COI)” which is the highest level of scrutiny. Proposed commission can also investigate all underlying causes of tensions and instability in the region often.
OCI, comprising of 57 states, is second-largest intergovernmental organization after United Nations. It acts as “collective voice of Muslim countries”. It is involved in protection of interests of Muslims in order to promote international peace and harmony across world. It was established in 1969 following a summit in Rabat, Kingdom of Morocco. It is headquartered in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. UNHCR is an inter-governmental body of United Nations (UN), comprising 47-member states of UN, involved in strengthening promotion and protection of human rights worldwide. It was established by United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in 2006, replacing United Nations Commission on Human Rights. It is headquartered in Geneva Switzerland. In 2019, India was elected to Council for a period of three years.
(Source- GK Today)
(https://www.gktoday.in/current-affairs/permanent-commission-for-israel-and-palestine/)
Q.1) Which of the following is an assumption considered by the author?
a) Human Rights provisions exist in the states of Israel and Palestine.
b) OIC has a separate saying in the UNHRC.
c) UNHRC holds the sole authority over the protection of Human rights in the world.
d) None of the above.
A.1) D
Q.2) Which is the most plausible explanation behind the author’s motive for the passage?
a) Safeguarding the Human rights in the changing scenarios of the world.
b) Promoting the UNHRCs action plan for the protection of Human rights violations.
c) Highlighting the interests of the Muslim community in Israel-Palestine conflict.
d) Explaining the active role of the UNHRC in the world peace.
A.2) A
Q.3) The best sum-up for the passage is conveyed by which of the following? (Conclusion)
a) Israel as a nation doesn’t recognize human rights.
b) Israel-Palestine conflict is majorly affecting the basic human rights of the civilians.
c) UNHCR even does its research and analysis while examining an issue anywhere in the world.
d) States and international organizations can collectively urge the UNHRC to take into consideration an issue.
A.3) B
Q.4) Many people are of the opinion that prostitution should be legalized as it would reduce crime, improve public health, increase tax revenue, help people out of poverty, get prostitutes off the streets, and allow consenting adults to make their own choices. They contend that prostitution is a victimless crime as has been witnessed in places it has already been made legal.
Which of the following statements, if true, strengthens the given argument?
a) Many sex workers are fighting the legal status quo, social mores and also mainstream feminism, which has typically focused on saving women from the sex trade rather than supporting sex workers who demand greater rights.
b) Legalizing prostitution would lead to increases in sexually transmitted diseases such as AIDS, global human trafficking, and violent crime including rape and homicide.
c) Studies show that legalized and regulated flesh trade brings lower rates of rape and sexual assault and also sex workers are better protected against abuse, exploitation and trafficking.
d) Prostitution is inherently immoral, commercially exploitative, empowers the criminal underworld, and promotes the repression of women by men.
A.4) C
Explanation: The argument states that legalizing prostitution will not only help reduce crime rates and improve public health but also will increase tax revenues and allow consenting adults make their own choices. Option C strengthens the argument by showing the study report that says legalized prostitution reduces number of rapes and other sex related crime also. All the other options weaken the argument by pointing out reasons why prostitution should not be legalized.
Q.5) There are plenty of debates on whether a college education is worth it or not. People who argue that college is worth it contend that college graduates have higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more work benefits than high school graduates. They say college graduates also have better interpersonal skills, live longer, have healthier children, and have proven their ability to achieve a major milestone.
Which of the following statements, if true, most strongly supports the view that college education is worth it?
a) Student loan debt is crippling for college graduates.
b) Many successful people never graduated from college and that many jobs, especially trades jobs, do not require college degrees.
c) According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, of the 30 projected fastest growing jobs between 2010 and 2020, five do not require a high school diploma, nine require a high school diploma, four require an associate's degree, six require a bachelor's degree, and six require graduate degrees.
d) The 2017 poverty rate for bachelor's degree holders was 4%, compared to a 12% poverty rate for high school graduates.
A.5) D
Explanation: The given argument states that some people believe college education is worth all the money and time spent on it. People who graduate with a bachelor’s degree get better salaries, have higher employment rates and get more work benefits than high school graduates. Option (d) strengthens the argument by stating the statistics for 2017 whereby the poverty rate for bachelor’s degree holder was much lesser than high school graduates, clearly indicating that it is beneficial to get a college education. The rest of the options state reasons why college education is not worth the time and money spent on it.
