International Relations MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Correct answer: B - ASEAN

RCEP is a mega regional free trade agreement negotiated between the ten ASEAN members and their FTA partners, with ASEAN occupying the central, driving role in the talks; negotiations were formally launched at the ASEAN Summit in 2012. The G20 is a forum for global macroeconomic coordination and does not negotiate trade pacts. The SCO is a Eurasian political and security grouping led by China and Russia, and SAARC is the South Asian regional body, neither of which is connected with RCEP.

Correct answer: B - Only two pairs

Argentina was in the news for its worst economic crisis in decades, with runaway inflation and currency collapse, so pair 1 is correct. Sudan descended into open conflict in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, so pair 2 is also correct. Turkey remains a NATO member and in fact ratified Sweden's accession during this period rather than leaving the alliance, so pair 3 is wrong, leaving two correctly matched pairs.

Correct answer: D - Successful coups

All four countries experienced successful military coups in quick succession: Sudan in 2019 and again in 2021, Mali in 2020 and 2021, Chad's military takeover after President Deby's death in 2021, and Guinea in September 2021, prompting talk of a coup belt across Africa. No common discovery of rare earth deposits links these countries, and China's only overseas military base in Africa is in Djibouti, not in any of the four. Desertification affects the Sahel generally but Guinea lies well south of the Sahara, so it cannot be the shared reason.

Correct answer: D - Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

Statement-I is incorrect because India has long imported apples from the United States, particularly Washington apples, and in June 2023 it removed the additional retaliatory duties on them, boosting these imports further. Statement-II is correct since Indian law requires approval of the competent authority, under the Food Safety and Standards Act and the Environment (Protection) Act framework, before genetically modified food can be imported. With Statement-I false and Statement-II true, the last option is the answer.

Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only

The Alma-Ata Declaration of 1978 dealt with primary health care and the goal of health for all, so pair 1 is correct. The Talanoa Dialogue was launched at COP23 under the UNFCCC as an inclusive process to take stock of climate ambition, so pair 3 is also correct. The Hague Conventions primarily concern the laws of war, peaceful settlement of disputes and related matters; biological and chemical weapons are governed mainly by the Geneva Protocol, the BWC and the CWC, so pair 2 is mismatched. The Under2 Coalition is a grouping of subnational governments committed to keeping global warming under 2 degrees Celsius, not a child rights body, so pair 4 is also wrong.

Correct answer: D - None

All three pairs are incorrectly matched. Donbas (pair 1) is a region of eastern Ukraine, not Syria, and has been a flashpoint of the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Kachin (pair 2) is a state in northern Myanmar where the Kachin insurgency takes place, not Ethiopia. Tigray (pair 3) is a region of northern Ethiopia, scene of the Tigray war, not North Yemen. Since none of the pairs is correctly matched, option (d) None is the answer. Options (a), (b) and (c) wrongly credit one or more of these mismatched pairs.