UPSC Prelims 2019 IR and Current Affairs questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2019 asked 5 current affairs questions in GS Paper I, spread over 2 topics. See the current affairs weightage for 2019 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
IR and Current Affairs 2019: questions by topic
- International organisations, groupings and India's relations3
- Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs2
Counted from the 5 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
Seeing 5 IR and Current Affairs questions spread over 2 topics can feel overwhelming. That's exactly why the Battle IAS PYQ Book maps every question topic by topic, so you know what to study first. Download free sample
International organisations, groupings and India's relations 3
Consider the following statements :
- 1. The United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) has a ‘Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air’.
- 2. The UNCAC is the ever-first legally binding global anti-corruption instrument.
- 3. A highlight of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC) is the inclusion of a specific chapter aimed at returning assets to their rightful owners from whom they had been taken illicitly.
- 4. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is mandated by its member States to assist in the implementation of both UNCAC and UNTOC.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statements 2 and 4 are correct (c). Statement 1 is wrong because the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air belongs to UNTOC, the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (Palermo, 2000). UNTOC has three protocols: on trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and firearms. Statement 2 is right because UNCAC (2003, in force 2005) is the first legally binding global anti-corruption treaty. Statement 3 is wrong because the asset-recovery chapter (Chapter V) is in UNCAC, not UNTOC. Statement 4 is right because UNODC, based in Vienna, supports both.
India ratified both in 2011. Notice that 9 December is International Anti-Corruption Day, marking UNCAC's signing at Mérida, Mexico.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following adopted a law on data protection and privacy for its citizens known as ‘General Data Protection Regulation’ in April 2016 and started implementation of it from 25th May, 2018?
Answer (c) & explanation
The European Union adopted the GDPR (c). The EU's General Data Protection Regulation was adopted in April 2016 and came into force on 25 May 2018. It requires clear consent for using personal data, and gives rights such as the right to be forgotten, data portability and the right to know about breaches. Fines can reach 4% of global turnover or €20 million. It applies to any company handling EU residents' data, even outside Europe. Australia (a), Canada (b) and the USA (d) have their own, different laws.
Notice India's law: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, which followed the Puttaswamy privacy ruling and the Justice B.N. Srikrishna Committee. Its Rules were notified in November 2025, with a Data Protection Board.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Recently, India signed a deal known as ‘Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field’ with which of the following countries?
Answer (b) & explanation
The deal was signed with Russia (b). India and Russia signed the Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field in October 2018, at the Modi–Putin summit in New Delhi. It covers more units at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu, a second site for Russian-designed reactors, and joint projects in third countries, such as Bangladesh's Rooppur plant. Japan (a) signed a civil nuclear deal with India in 2016. The UK (c) and USA (d) have other nuclear ties.
Kudankulam will have six VVER reactors of 1,000 MW each. Notice India's new nuclear push: the SHANTI Act (2025) opening the sector to private firms, and the target of 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs 2
Atal Innovation Mission is set up under the
Answer (c) & explanation
The Atal Innovation Mission is under NITI Aayog (c). Set up in 2016, the AIM is housed in NITI Aayog. It runs Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, where students learn by building things with tools such as 3D printers and robotics kits. It also funds Atal Incubation Centres for start-ups, Atal Community Innovation Centres in under-served areas, and challenge grants. It does not belong to the Department of Science and Technology (a), the Labour Ministry (b) or the Skill Development Ministry (d), though it works with them.
The Cabinet extended AIM to 2028 as AIM 2.0 (2024). Notice the plan in Budget 2025 to set up 50,000 Atal Tinkering Labs in government schools within five years.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017?
- 1. Pregnant women are entitled for three months pre-delivery and three months post-delivery paid leave.
- 2. Enterprises with crèches must allow the mother minimum six crèche visits daily.
- 3. Women with two children get reduced entitlements.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Only statement 3 is correct (c). The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act, 2017 raised paid maternity leave from 12 to 26 weeks. Statement 1 is wrong because up to 8 weeks of this can be taken before delivery, not three months. Statement 2 is wrong because establishments with 50 or more employees must provide a crèche, and the mother may visit it four times a day, not six. Statement 3 is right because a woman who already has two children gets only 12 weeks for later births. The Act also gave 12 weeks to adoptive and commissioning mothers, and allowed work from home where possible.
Notice the change since then: the Act is now part of the Code on Social Security, 2020, in force from November 2025. Mission Shakti's PMMVY gives cash support for the first child.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
All years by topic
Every question from 2011 to 2026, grouped by syllabus topic, with year-wise trends.