Daily Current Affairs – September

With reference to sovereign credit ratings and the assessment by the Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR), consider the following statements: 1 Sovereign credit ratings evaluate a government's creditworthiness and its likelihood of defaulting on sovereign domestic and foreign debt obligations. 2 An upgrade to an 'A' grade sovereign rating typically reduces external commercial borrowing (ECB) costs and bond yields for domestic corporations tapping overseas markets. 3 Sovereign credit ratings assigned by private and foreign credit rating agencies are legally binding treaties enforceable through the International Court of Justice. How many of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to regional aviation dynamics and the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik) scheme, consider the following statements: 1 UDAN is a market-driven Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS) designed to facilitate regional air connectivity by making flying affordable for ordinary citizens. 2 Under UDAN, participating airlines receive Viability Gap Funding (VGF) to bridge the gap between operational costs and subsidized ticket fare caps. 3 The Regional Connectivity Fund (RCF) used to finance viability subsidies is generated exclusively by banning all international air carriers from landing in metropolitan airports. How many of the statements given above are correct?

With reference to the geoeconomics of landlocked developing nations and India-Afghanistan transit trade, consider the following statements: 1 Landlocked countries depend heavily on transit infrastructure and customs arrangements through neighboring transit coastal states to access overseas markets. 2 The Chabahar Port, situated in the Sistan-Baluchestan province of Iran along the Gulf of Oman, provides an oceanic transit gateway connecting India, Iran, and Central Asian states. 3 Under Article 125 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), landlocked states have the right of access to and from the sea and freedom of transit. How many of the statements given above are correct?

Regarding civil aviation logistics and the "Hub-and-Spoke" transport network model, consider the following statements: 1 In a hub-and-spoke airline system, passengers from smaller peripheral locations ("spokes") are aggregated at a central transit airport ("hub") to connect to higher-capacity long-distance flights. 2 Hub-and-spoke networks generally improve airline passenger load factors and aircraft utilization rates compared to operating thin, direct point-to-point routes between small towns. 3 The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) operates as a private commercial airline joint venture funded entirely by foreign aviation conglomerates. How many of the statements given above are correct?

Regarding the constitutional distribution of legislative subjects under the Seventh Schedule, consider the following statements: 1 "Airways; aircraft and air navigation; provision of aerodromes" is placed under the exclusive domain of the Union List (List I). 2 "Ancient and historical monuments and records declared by or under law made by Parliament to be of national importance" is an exclusive subject in the Union List (List I). 3 "Banking" and "Regulation of maritime shipping and navigation" are subjects placed in the State List (List II). How many of the statements given above are correct?