UPSC Prelims 2025 IR and Current Affairs questions: topic-wise weightage
UPSC Prelims 2025 asked 10 current affairs questions in GS Paper I, spread over 2 topics. See the current affairs weightage for 2025 below, then attempt each question with the official answer and an explanation.
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IR and Current Affairs 2025: questions by topic
- International organisations, groupings and India's relations5
- Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs5
Counted from the 10 questions on this page, tagged by topic in the Battle IAS PYQ bank.
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International organisations, groupings and India's relations 5
Consider the following countries :
- I. Austria
- II. Bulgaria
- III. Croatia
- IV. Serbia
- V. Sweden
- VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
Answer (b) & explanation
Four of the six are NATO members (b). Bulgaria (joined 2004), Croatia (2009), North Macedonia (2020) and Sweden (2024) are members. Item I is wrong: Austria is constitutionally neutral since 1955. Item IV is wrong: Serbia has declared military neutrality, partly due to NATO's 1999 bombing during the Kosovo war. Both work with NATO only through partnership programmes. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice NATO's growth to 32 members: Finland joined in 2023 and Sweden in 2024, both ending long neutrality after Russia invaded Ukraine. Ireland, Switzerland and Malta also stay out. Article 5 says an attack on one is an attack on all.
Sweden joined only in March 2024, after Finland (2023). Older lists leave it out.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC :
- I. It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.
- II. It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.
- III. Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.
- IV. In BIMSTEC, the subsector of ‘tourism’ is being led by India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
Only statement I is correct (d). Statement I is right: BIMSTEC has seven members. Statement II is wrong: it was founded by the Bangkok Declaration of 1997, not Dhaka 1999. Statement III is wrong: the founders were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand; Myanmar joined later that year, and Nepal and Bhutan in 2004. Statement IV is wrong in UPSC's key: since its sectors were regrouped, India leads the security pillar, not tourism.
Notice the milestones: the BIMSTEC Charter came into force in 2024, and the Bangkok summit (2025) adopted the Bangkok Vision 2030. Its secretariat is in Dhaka. India sees it as a bridge between its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements regarding AI Action Summit held in Grand Palais, Paris in February 2025 :
- I. Co-chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit held in 2023 and the Seoul Summit held in 2024.
- II. Along with other countries, US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement I is correct (a). Statement I is right: France and India co-chaired the Paris AI Action Summit in February 2025, which followed Bletchley Park (2023) and Seoul (2024). Statement II is wrong: about sixty countries, India and China included, signed its declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI, but the US and UK did not sign. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice what came next: India hosted the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi in February 2026, the first in the Global South. At home, the IndiaAI Mission (2024) funds shared GPU computing power and Indian foundation models. The EU's AI Act (2024) is the first broad AI law.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
- I. International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026
- II. International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027
- III. International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025
- IV. International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (d) & explanation
All four pairs are correctly matched (d). The UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the Year of Peace and Trust (pair III), 2026 the Year of the Woman Farmer (pair I), 2027 the Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism (pair II), and 2029 the Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence (pair IV). The 2029 date fits the year asteroid Apophis passes very close to Earth. So options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice other years: 2023 was the International Year of Millets, proposed by India, and 2025 was also the Year of Cooperatives and of Quantum Science. 2026 is also the Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS :
- I. 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
- II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
- III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements I and II are correct (a). Statement I is right: Russia hosted the 16th BRICS summit at Kazan in October 2024. Statement II is right: Indonesia became a full member in January 2025. Statement III is wrong: the theme was "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security", not multiculturalism. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the expansion: Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the UAE joined in 2024; Kazan also created a "partner country" tier. Brazil hosted the 17th summit in Rio (2025), and India chairs BRICS in 2026. The BRICS New Development Bank is based in Shanghai.
One word, multiculturalism for multilateralism, is the whole trap in statement III.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Schemes, reports, indices and other current affairs 5
Consider the following countries :
- I. United Arab Emirates
- II. France
- III. Germany
- IV. Singapore
- V. Bangladesh
How many countries amongst the above are there other than India where international merchant payments are accepted under UPI?
Answer (b) & explanation
Three of the listed countries accept UPI merchant payments (b). NPCI International has taken UPI merchant payments to the UAE, France, starting with the Eiffel Tower, and Singapore, among others such as Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Items III and V are wrong: Germany and Bangladesh were not on that list when the question was set. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the Singapore link: UPI was joined to Singapore's PayNow in 2023 for instant cross-border transfers. UPI handles most of India's digital payments, over 20 billion transactions a month. The RuPay card is UPI's partner in the push abroad. Expansion abroad continues, so check the latest list before an exam.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India’s defence, consider the following pairs :
| Aircraft type | Description
| I. Dornier-228 | Maritime patrol aircraft
| II. IL-76 | Supersonic combat aircraft
| III. C-17 Globemaster III | Military transport aircraft
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only two pairs are correctly matched (b). Pair I is right: the HAL-built Dornier-228 flies maritime patrol for the Navy and Coast Guard. Pair III is right: the C-17 Globemaster III is the IAF's largest strategic airlifter, a military transport aircraft. Pair II is wrong: the IL-76 is a Russian heavy transport aircraft, also used as a tanker and AWACS platform, not a supersonic fighter. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice other transport planes: the C-130J Super Hercules, and the C-295, the first military aircraft to be made in India by a private firm, Tata, at Vadodara. Fighters include the Rafale, Su-30MKI and Tejas. The P-8I is the Navy's long-range patrol plane.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Who amongst the following are members of the Jury to select the recipient of ‘Gandhi Peace Prize’?
- I. The President of India
- II. The Prime Minister of India
- III. The Chief Justice of India
- IV. The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
The PM, CJI and Leader of Opposition are on the jury (c). The Gandhi Peace Prize (from 1995, Ministry of Culture) is chosen by a jury chaired by the Prime Minister (item II). It includes the Chief Justice of India (item III) and the Leader of the largest opposition party in the Lok Sabha (item IV), along with two eminent persons. Item I is wrong: the President is not on it. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the award: ₹1 crore, a citation and a plaque, open to all, regardless of nationality, race or creed. Recent winners include Gita Press (2021), Sheikh Mujibur Rahman (2020) and Sultan Qaboos of Oman (2019). The first went to Julius Nyerere.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements in respect of the first Kho Kho World Cup:
- I. The event was held in Delhi, India.
- II. Indian men beat Nepal with a score of 78-40 in the final to become the World Champion in men category.
- III. Indian women beat Nepal with a score of 54-36 in the final to become the World Champion in women category.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement I is correct (a). Statement I is right: the first Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi in January 2025, and India beat Nepal in both finals. Statements II and III are wrong: the question swaps the two scores. The women won 78-40 and the men won 54-36. So options (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the game's roots: kho kho is an Indian tag game from Maharashtra, played by teams of 12, with nine on the field. It was shown at the 1936 Berlin Olympics as a demonstration sport. Ultimate Kho Kho, a professional league since 2022, has boosted its popularity. Trick: read sports scores carefully, as swaps are common.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- I. In the finals of the 45th Chess Olympiad held in 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju became the world’s youngest winner after defeating the Russian player Ian Nepomniachtchi.
- II. Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, holds the record of becoming world’s youngest ever Grandmaster.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement II is correct (b). Statement II is right: Abhimanyu Mishra of the USA became the youngest-ever grandmaster in 2021, at 12 years and 4 months, beating Sergey Karjakin's record. Statement I is wrong: India won gold at the 45th Chess Olympiad (Budapest, 2024), but the Olympiad is a team event with no final. Gukesh became the youngest World Champion by beating Ding Liren of China in December 2024, not Nepomniachtchi. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice India's golden year: both the open and women's teams won Olympiad gold in 2024. Divya Deshmukh won the Women's World Cup in 2025. Viswanathan Anand was India's first grandmaster (1988).
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.