UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I: Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation :1. The ‘Colombo Process’ is…
Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation :
- 1. The ‘Colombo Process’ is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.
- 2. The ‘Abu Dhabi Dialogue’ is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.
- 3. The ‘Global Forum for Migration and Development’, created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct (c). Statement 2 is right: the Abu Dhabi Dialogue (2008) is a voluntary, non-binding forum of Asian labour-origin and destination countries on contractual labour mobility. Statement 3 is right: the Global Forum on Migration and Development (GFMD) grew from Kofi Annan's proposal in 2006 and its outcomes are non-binding. Statement 1 is wrong: the Colombo Process (2003) is also non-binding; "binding decisions" makes it false. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice India's stake: it is the world's largest receiver of remittances, over $125 billion a year, much of it from the Gulf. India is a member of both the Colombo Process and the Abu Dhabi Dialogue. The eMigrate portal protects Indian workers abroad.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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Related questions from other years
Which of the following countries are members of the European Union ?
- 1. Belarus
- 2. Poland
- 3. Germany
- 4. Switzerland
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Poland and Germany are EU members (c). Item 2 is right: Poland joined in the big 2004 enlargement. Item 3 is right: Germany is a founder member from the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Item 1 is wrong: Belarus is close to Russia and not in the EU. Item 4 is wrong: Switzerland stays outside, linked through bilateral deals and the Schengen area. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the numbers: the EU has 27 members since the UK left (Brexit, 2020). Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are in the European Economic Area but not the EU. India and the EU concluded talks on their Free Trade Agreement in January 2026.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :
| List I (INTERPOL Notice) | List II (Description)
| A. Silver Notice | 1. To seek information on unidentified bodies
| B. Blue Notice | 2. To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation
| C. Black Notice | 3. To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety
| D. Green Notice | 4. To identify and trace criminal assets
Code :
Answer (c) & explanation
The correct match is A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (c). The Silver Notice, first issued in January 2025 as a pilot, helps trace criminal assets (A-4). A Blue Notice collects more information about a person's identity, location or activities (B-2). A Black Notice seeks information on unidentified bodies (C-1). A Green Notice warns about a person's criminal activities when they may threaten public safety (D-3). Options (a), (b) and (d) mix these up.
Notice the best-known one: a Red Notice asks police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. A Yellow Notice helps find missing persons, and an Orange Notice warns of an imminent threat. In India, the CBI is the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, which is headquartered in Lyon.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany visited India in January, 2026. Which of the following is/are not correct in terms of outcomes of this visit ?
- 1. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the University of Hamburg
- 2. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Youth Hockey Development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation
- 3. Establishment of a bilateral dialogue mechanism on the Indo-Pacific
- 4. Opening of an Honorary Consul of Germany in Lucknow
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Outcomes 1 and 4 are not correct (b). Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India on 12–13 January 2026. Item 1 is wrong: the Ayurveda MoU was between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and Charité University, Berlin, not Hamburg. Item 4 is wrong: Germany's new Honorary Consul was opened in Ahmedabad, not Lucknow. Item 2 is a real outcome: an MoU on youth hockey development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation. Item 3 is a real outcome: a new bilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the method: for visit questions, UPSC copies the MEA's "List of Outcomes" and changes one word, here a city name. India and Germany have been strategic partners since 2000.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) recently introduced a national standard to test and assess bomb disposal system. Which of the following statements with regard to this system is/are correct ?
- 1. The new standard is known as IS 19445 : 2025.
- 2. It will improve interoperability of equipment across agencies.
- 3. It was developed by TBRL, DRDO in collaboration with the Central Scientific Research Institute, Russia.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (c). Statement 1 is right: the Bureau of Indian Standards issued IS 19445 : 2025, India's first national standard to test and assess bomb disposal systems. Statement 2 is right: one common test standard improves interoperability of equipment across police, armed forces and security agencies. Statement 3 is wrong: it was developed with DRDO's Terminal Ballistics Research Laboratory (TBRL), Chandigarh, with no Russian partner. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the purpose: earlier, agencies tested equipment like bomb suits, containment vessels and robots against foreign standards. A domestic standard helps indigenous makers under Atmanirbhar Bharat. BIS works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and gained statutory status in 1986.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
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