UPSC Prelims 2023 IR and Current Affairs questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2023 asked 13 current affairs questions in GS Paper I, spread over 2 topics. See the current affairs weightage for 2023 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
IR and Current Affairs 2023: questions by topic
- International organisations, groupings and India's relations5
- Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs8
Counted from the 13 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
Seeing 13 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 5
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)’.
- 2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries.
- 3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the statements is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong: the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was adopted at Marrakech in December 2018 and then endorsed by the General Assembly by vote. The USA and several other countries, such as Hungary, stayed out, so not all countries adopted it. Statement 2 is wrong: the GCM is non-binding; it sets 23 objectives but respects national sovereignty. Statement 3 is wrong: it covers international migration only, not internal migration or internally displaced people.
Notice its twin, the Global Compact on Refugees (2018). India supported the GCM. India is the world's largest source of migrants and receives the most remittances, over $125 billion a year.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Regions often mentioned in news | Reason for being in news
| 1. North Kivu and Ituri | War between Armenia and Azerbaijan
| 2. Nagorno-Karabakh | Insurgency in Mozambique
| 3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia | Dispute between Israel and Lebanon
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the pairs is correctly matched (d). Pair 1 is wrong: North Kivu and Ituri are conflict provinces of the DR Congo, where the M23 rebels and other militias fight. Pair 2 is wrong: Nagorno-Karabakh was the Armenia–Azerbaijan dispute, which Azerbaijan settled by force in 2023. Pair 3 is wrong: Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are Ukrainian regions in the Russia–Ukraine war, which Russia claims to have annexed in 2022; Zaporizhzhia has Europe's largest nuclear plant. The decoys are mixed up: Mozambique's insurgency is in Cabo Delgado, and the Israel–Lebanon dispute is along the Blue Line.
Notice that in 2025, M23 seized Goma and Bukavu in eastern Congo, before US- and Qatar-brokered peace efforts.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.
Statement-II : The ‘Arab Peace Initiative’ mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement I is correct but Statement II is wrong (c). Statement I is right: Israel has diplomatic ties with Egypt (1979) and Jordan (1994), and with the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan under the Abraham Accords (2020), brokered by the USA. Statement II is wrong: the Arab Peace Initiative (2002) was a Saudi proposal endorsed by the Arab League. It offered full ties with Israel in return for withdrawal to the 1967 borders and a Palestinian state. Israel never signed it.
Notice how the Gaza war from October 2023 froze talks on Saudi–Israel normalisation. India's link: the I2U2 group (India, Israel, UAE, USA) and the IMEC corridor depend on such ties.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Area of conflict mentioned in news | Country where it is located
| 1. Donbas | Syria
| 2. Kachin | Ethiopia
| 3. Tigray | North Yemen
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of the pairs is correctly matched (d). Pair 1 is wrong: Donbas, covering Donetsk and Luhansk, is in eastern Ukraine, at the heart of the war with Russia, not in Syria. Pair 2 is wrong: Kachin is a northern state of Myanmar, where the Kachin Independence Army fights the military junta, not in Ethiopia. Pair 3 is wrong: Tigray is a region of northern Ethiopia, which saw a brutal war in 2020–22, not in Yemen. Syria and Yemen are the decoy countries.
Notice that North Yemen no longer exists as a state; it merged with South Yemen in 1990. Kachin's rare earth mines, near China, have become a strategic prize in Myanmar's civil war.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the recent years Chad, Guinea, Mali and Sudan caught the international attention for which one of the following reasons common to all of them?
Answer (d) & explanation
All four saw successful coups (d). Mali had coups in 2020 and 2021. Chad saw a military takeover in 2021 after President Idriss Déby was killed. Guinea's army ousted President Condé in 2021. Sudan's army seized power in October 2021, and the army's later split with the RSF led to civil war in 2023. Option (a) is wrong: no shared rare earth find. Option (b) is wrong: China's only acknowledged overseas base is in Djibouti. Option (c) is wrong: desertification affects the Sahel, but it is not what links these four.
Notice the "coup belt" across Africa: Burkina Faso (2022), Niger and Gabon (2023) followed. Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger left ECOWAS and formed the Alliance of Sahel States.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs 8
Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana :
- 1. It is a safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
- 2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
- 3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
- 4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two statements are correct (b). Statement 2 is right: Janani Suraksha Yojana (2005) aims to cut maternal and newborn deaths among poor pregnant women. Statement 3 is right: it does this by giving them cash to deliver in a hospital or health centre, with ASHA workers guiding them. Statement 1 is wrong: it is a safe-motherhood intervention under the National Health Mission of the Union Health Ministry, not a scheme of the State health departments, though States run it. Statement 4 is wrong: free care for sick infants up to one year comes under the separate Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK, 2011).
Notice the result: institutional deliveries rose to about 89% by NFHS-5, and India's maternal mortality ratio has fallen below 100 per lakh live births.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements in the context of interventions being undertaken under Anaemia Mukt Bharat Strategy :
- 1. It provides prophylactic calcium supplementation for pre-school children, adolescents and pregnant women.
- 2. It runs a campaign for delayed cord clamping at the time of child-birth.
- 3. It provides for periodic deworming to children and adolescents.
- 4. It addresses non-nutritional causes of anaemia in endemic pockets with special focus on malaria, hemoglobinopathies and fluorosis.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Three statements are correct (c). Anaemia Mukt Bharat (2018) uses a 6×6×6 strategy: six groups, six interventions, six institutional systems. Statement 2 is right: it promotes delayed cord clamping at birth, which gives the baby more iron-rich blood. Statement 3 is right: it gives periodic deworming, as worms cause blood loss. Statement 4 is right: it tackles non-nutritional causes in endemic pockets, such as malaria, haemoglobinopathies like sickle cell, and fluorosis. Statement 1 is wrong: it gives prophylactic iron and folic acid, not calcium.
Notice why it matters: NFHS-5 found about 57% of women and 67% of children aged 6–59 months anaemic. Fortified rice in public food schemes and the Sickle Cell Mission (2023) support the campaign.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. Ballistic missiles are jet-propelled at subsonic speeds throughout their flights, while cruise missiles are rocket-powered only in the initial phase of flight.
- 2. Agni-V is a medium-range supersonic cruise missile, while BrahMos is a solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missile.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Statement 1 swaps the two types. A ballistic missile is rocket-powered only in its initial boost phase, then follows a high free-fall arc to its target. A cruise missile is jet-propelled throughout its flight, flying low like an aircraft. Statement 2 is also swapped: Agni-V is a solid-fuelled ballistic missile with a range above 5,000 km, while BrahMos, made with Russia, is a supersonic cruise missile flying at about Mach 2.8.
Notice that in 2024, under Mission Divyastra, India tested Agni-V with MIRV technology, letting one missile carry several warheads at different targets. BrahMos has been exported to the Philippines, India's first big missile export.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : India’s public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II : Under India’s decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Answer (b) & explanation
Both statements are correct but II does not explain I (b). Statement I is right: the National Health Policy 2017 itself notes that public health care is mostly curative, treating illness after it strikes, with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care. Statement II is right: public health and hospitals are on the State List, so States are mainly responsible for running health services. But II does not explain I: the curative focus comes from priorities and funding, not from decentralisation.
Notice the shift under Ayushman Bharat (2018): its Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, the former Health and Wellness Centres, push primary and preventive care, while PM-JAY pays for hospital treatment. Public health spending is still below the target of 2.5% of GDP.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Home Guards, consider the following statements :
- 1. Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Act and Rules of the Central Government.
- 2. The role of the Home Guards is to serve as an auxiliary force to the police in maintenance of internal security.
- 3. To prevent infiltration on the international border/coastal areas, the Border Wing Home Guards Battalions have been raised in some States.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two statements are correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong: Home Guards are raised under the Home Guards Acts and Rules of the States and Union Territories, not a central Act. Statement 2 is right: they are a voluntary force that works as an auxiliary to the police in keeping internal security, and helps in emergencies like floods, fires and disasters. Statement 3 is right: Border Wing Home Guards battalions have been raised in border States such as Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat and others to help the BSF stop infiltration.
Notice that the Home Guards were first raised in Bombay in 1946, during communal riots. Their policy is guided by the Directorate General of Fire Services, Civil Defence and Home Guards under the Union Home Ministry.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India, consider the following pairs :
| Action | The Act under which it is covered
| 1. Unauthorized wearing of police or military uniforms | The Official Secrets Act, 1923
| 2. Knowingly misleading or otherwise interfering with a police officer or military officer when engaged in their duties | The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
| 3. Celebratory gunfire which can endanger the personal safety of others | The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two pairs are correctly matched (b). Pair 1 is right: the Official Secrets Act, 1923 punishes unauthorised use of uniforms (section 6), which spies could use to enter restricted places. Pair 2 is wrong: interfering with police or military officers near a prohibited place is also an offence under the Official Secrets Act (section 7), not the Indian Evidence Act, which deals only with proof in court. Pair 3 is right: the Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 made celebratory gunfire that endangers others an offence, punishable with jail up to two years, a fine, or both.
Notice the 2019 amendment also cut the number of guns a person may hold from three to two and raised punishments for illegal arms manufacture.
Pairs 1 and 2 both belong to the Official Secrets Act. The Evidence Act defines no crimes.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards :
- 1. Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award : For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years
- 2. Arjuna Award : For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson
- 3. Dronacharya Award : To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams
- 4. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar : To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two pairs are correctly matched (b). Pair 1 is right: the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna honours the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over the last four years. Pair 3 is right: the Dronacharya Award honours eminent coaches who have trained winning sportspersons or teams. Pair 2 is wrong: the Arjuna Award is for consistent good performance over four years; lifetime achievement is honoured by the Dhyan Chand Award, now the Arjuna Award (Lifetime). Pair 4 is wrong: the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar goes to organisations and corporates that promote sport, not retired players.
Notice that the Khel Ratna was renamed from Rajiv Gandhi to Major Dhyan Chand in 2021. The MAKA Trophy goes to the best university in sport.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022:
- 1. It was the first time that Chess Olympiad was held in India.
- 2. The official mascot was named ‘Thambi’.
- 3. The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
- 4. The trophy for the winning team in the women’s section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Two statements are correct (b). Statement 1 is right: the 44th Chess Olympiad, held at Mamallapuram near Chennai in 2022, was the first held in India. It moved there after Russia lost hosting rights. Statement 2 is right: its official mascot was a knight named "Thambi", meaning younger brother in Tamil. Statements 3 and 4 swap the trophies: the open section's trophy is the Hamilton-Russell Cup, and the women's section's is the Vera Menchik Cup.
Notice the torch relay, started for the first time at this Olympiad, beginning in India. At the 45th Olympiad in Budapest (2024), India won gold in both the open and women's sections, its best ever. D. Gukesh became world champion in 2024.
When two statements carry paired names, check whether they have simply been swapped.
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.