International Relations and Current Affairs: previous-year questions
135 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 63 of them came in the last five papers.
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Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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 aircraft :
- 1. Rafael
- 2. MiG-29
- 3. Tejas MK-1
How many of the above are considered fifth generation fighter aircraft ?
Answer (d) & explanation
None of them is a fifth-generation fighter (d). Item 1 is wrong: the Rafale is a 4.5-generation fighter, bought from France. Item 2 is wrong: the MiG-29 is a fourth-generation fighter. Item 3 is wrong: the Tejas Mk-1 is a 4/4.5-generation light combat aircraft, built by HAL. A fifth-generation jet needs stealth, supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburners) and sensor fusion, like the US F-35 and F-22, Russia's Su-57 or China's J-20.
Notice India's own plan, the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation stealth fighter designed by DRDO's Aeronautical Development Agency. In 2025, the government approved a model that lets private firms take part in building it.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following is/are correctly matched in terms of equivalent rank in the three services of Indian Defence forces ?
| Army | Airforce | Navy
| 1. Brigadier | Air Commodore | Commander
| 2. Major General | Air Vice Marshal | Vice Admiral
| 3. Major | Squadron Leader | Lieutenant Commander
| 4. Lieutenant Colonel | Group Captain | Captain
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
Only row 3 is correctly matched (d). Row 3 is right: Major = Squadron Leader = Lieutenant Commander. Row 1 is wrong: Brigadier = Air Commodore = Commodore, not Commander. Row 2 is wrong: Major General = Air Vice Marshal = Rear Admiral; a Vice Admiral matches a Lieutenant General. Row 4 is wrong: Lieutenant Colonel = Wing Commander = Commander. Group Captain and Captain (Navy) go with Colonel.
Notice the top ranks: General = Air Chief Marshal = Admiral. The five-star ranks of Field Marshal, Marshal of the Air Force and Admiral of the Fleet are honorary; India's only holders were Manekshaw, Cariappa and Arjan Singh. The Chief of Defence Staff heads the joint military structure.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What are the duties of the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) as Head of the Department of Military Affairs ?
- 1. Permanent Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee
- 2. Exercise military command over the three Service Chiefs
- 3. Principal Military Advisor to Defence Minister on all tri-service matters
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
Duties 1 and 3 are correct (d). Item 1 is right: the Chief of Defence Staff (post created in 2019) is the permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. Item 3 is right: the CDS is the principal military adviser to the Defence Minister on all tri-service matters, and heads the Department of Military Affairs. Item 2 is wrong: the CDS does not command the three Service Chiefs. Each chief keeps operational command of their own service, so options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice the CDS's main task: jointness, meaning the three services train, buy and fight together, including setting up theatre commands. General Bipin Rawat was India's first CDS. The CDS also advises the Nuclear Command Authority.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Operations undertaken by the Army towards upliftment of the local population in remote areas to include addressing of their basic needs is called :
Answer (c) & explanation
Such Army work is called Operation Sadbhavana (c). Operation Sadbhavana, meaning "goodwill", is the Army's civic-action programme in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and the North-East. It runs Army Goodwill Schools, health camps, water schemes and skill training to win hearts in remote areas. Option (a) is wrong: Sankalp is a Navy mission escorting Indian ships in the Gulf. Option (b) is wrong: Maitri was relief after the Nepal earthquake (2015). Option (d) is wrong: Madad is a Navy flood-relief operation, used in Kerala.
Notice other names UPSC likes: Operation Kaveri (Sudan evacuation, 2023), Operation Ajay (Israel, 2023), Operation Dost (Turkey earthquake, 2023) and Operation Sindoor (strikes on terror camps, 2025).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements about ‘Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023’ are correct ?
- 1. This was a joint military exercise between India and Bangladesh.
- 2. It commenced in Aundh (Pune).
- 3. Joint response during counter-terrorism operations was a goal of this operation.
- 4. Indian Air Force was a part of this exercise.
Select the answer using the code given below :
Answer (d) & explanation
Statements 2, 3 and 4 are correct (d). Statement 2 is right: the 2023 edition was held at Aundh, Pune. Statement 3 is right: it practised counter-terrorism operations under a UN peacekeeping mandate. Statement 4 is right: the Indian Air Force took part, alongside the Army. Statement 1 is wrong: Mitra Shakti is the India–Sri Lanka Army exercise. India and Bangladesh hold Sampriti, so options (a), (b) and (c) fail.
Notice other exercise pairs UPSC asks: Yudh Abhyas (USA), Garuda Shakti (Indonesia), Nomadic Elephant (Mongolia), Surya Kiran (Nepal), Dharma Guardian (Japan) and SLINEX (Sri Lanka, Navy). A trick: match the country, then the service.
Pairs to remember: Sampriti (Bangladesh), Mitra Shakti (Sri Lanka), Surya Kiran (Nepal), Ekuverin (Maldives).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Who of the following is the author of the books “The India Way” and “Why Bharat Matters” ?
Answer (d) & explanation
S. Jaishankar wrote both books (d). External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar wrote The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World (2020) and Why Bharat Matters (2024). Both set out his view of India's foreign policy in a multipolar world, with India dealing with all big powers on its own terms. Option (a) is wrong: Bhupender Yadav is the Environment Minister. Option (b) is wrong: Nalin Mehta writes on politics, such as The New BJP. Option (c) is wrong: Shashi Tharoor wrote An Era of Darkness and Why I Am a Hindu.
Notice Jaishankar's background: a career diplomat, earlier Foreign Secretary, and ambassador to China and the USA. His ideas include "strategic autonomy" and "multi-alignment".
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following pairs :
| Country | Reason for being in the news
| 1. Argentina | Worst economic crisis
| 2. Sudan | War between the country’s regular army and paramilitary forces
| 3. Turkey | Rescinded its membership of NATO
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only two pairs are correctly matched (b). Pair 1 is right: Argentina faced triple-digit inflation and its worst economic crisis in decades, which led to the election of Javier Milei in 2023. Pair 2 is right: Sudan's army, the SAF, has been at war with the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) since April 2023, causing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Pair 3 is wrong: Turkey is still in NATO. It delayed Sweden's entry but approved it in January 2024.
Notice the NATO growth: Finland joined in 2023 and Sweden in 2024, taking members to 32, after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. India ran Operation Kaveri to evacuate its citizens from Sudan.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region.
Statement-II : There have been military takeovers/coups d’état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
Answer (a) & explanation
Both are correct and Statement II explains Statement I (a). Statement II is right: there were coups in Mali (2020, 2021), Burkina Faso (2022) and Niger (2023). Statement I is right because of them: the juntas pushed out French and UN forces, weakening counter-insurgency, and jihadist violence spread across the Sahel. Options (b), (c) and (d) miss this cause and effect.
Notice the later moves: the three juntas formed the Alliance of Sahel States, left ECOWAS in 2025, and turned towards Russia for security help. The Sahel is the semi-arid belt south of the Sahara, from Senegal to Sudan, also hit by desertification and climate stress.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I : The European Parliament approved The Net-Zero Industry Act recently.
Statement-II : The European Union intends to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 and therefore aims to develop all of its own clean technology by that time.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Statement I is correct, Statement II is wrong (c). Statement I is right: the European Parliament approved the Net-Zero Industry Act in April 2024, to boost Europe's own making of clean technologies such as solar panels, batteries, wind turbines and heat pumps. Statement II is wrong on two counts: the EU's climate-neutrality target is 2050, not 2040, and the Act aims for Europe to make 40% of its clean-tech needs by 2030, not all of it. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the related EU tools: the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), which affects Indian steel and aluminium exports, and the Critical Raw Materials Act. India's own net-zero target is 2070.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan’, consider the following statements :
- 1. This scheme guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and six months post-delivery health care service in any government health facility.
- 2. Under this scheme, private sector health care providers of certain specialities can volunteer to provide services at nearby government health facilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 2 is right: under the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA, 2016), private doctors, such as obstetricians, volunteer their services at government facilities, under the "I Pledge for 9" call. Statement 1 is wrong: the scheme offers free, assured antenatal check-ups in the second and third trimesters on a fixed day, the 9th of every month. It does not include six months of post-delivery care.
Notice the aim: to cut maternal and infant deaths by catching high-risk pregnancies early. Related schemes include Janani Suraksha Yojana (cash for institutional delivery), PM Matru Vandana Yojana (₹5,000 for the first child) and LaQshya (labour room quality).
The antenatal part of statement 1 is accurate. The extra "six months post-delivery" clause is what makes it wrong.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.