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 :
- 1. Australia
- 2. Canada
- 3. China
- 4. India
- 5. Japan
- 6. USA
Which of the above are among the ‘free-trade partners’ of ASEAN ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Australia, China, India and Japan are ASEAN's free-trade partners (c). ASEAN has free trade agreements with China (ACFTA, 2010), Japan (AJCEP), South Korea, India (AITIGA, 2010, for goods), and Australia and New Zealand (AANZFTA, one shared deal). These were the six partners in the RCEP talks, which India left in 2019. ASEAN has no FTA with the USA or Canada, though ASEAN–Canada talks began in 2021. So options with 2 or 6 are wrong.
ASEAN also signed an FTA with Hong Kong (2019). Notice India's demand: it is pushing to review AITIGA because of its widening trade deficit and rules-of-origin abuse, with the review due by 2025–26.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is “Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)”, sometimes seen in the news ?
Answer (c) & explanation
THAAD is an American anti-missile system (c). The Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system, made by Lockheed Martin, destroys short- and medium-range ballistic missiles in their final (terminal) phase, by hitting them directly rather than exploding near them. It was deployed in South Korea in 2017 to counter North Korea, which angered China. It is not Israeli (a), it is not Indian (b), and it is not a Japan–South Korea project (d). Israel's systems are the Iron Dome and Arrow.
The US also deployed THAAD in Israel in 2024. Notice India's air defence: its own two-tier BMD programme (PAD and AAD), the Russian S-400 "Sudarshan Chakra", which was used in Operation Sindoor (May 2025), and the new Mission Sudarshan Chakra (2025).
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following gives ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world ?
Answer (a) & explanation
The World Economic Forum ranks countries on the gender gap (a). Its Global Gender Gap Report, published every year since 2006, scores countries on four areas: economic participation and opportunity, educational attainment, health and survival, and political empowerment. Iceland has topped it for over a decade, and India usually ranks in the bottom third, at 131st in 2025. The UN Human Rights Council (b), UN Women (c) and the WHO (d) do not publish this index.
The UNDP publishes the separate Gender Inequality Index and the Gender Development Index in its Human Development Report. Notice the WEF's other reports to keep apart: the Global Risks Report, the Energy Transition Index and, until 2019, the Global Competitiveness Report.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding Smart India Hackathon 2017?
- 1. It is a centrally sponsored scheme for developing every city of our country into Smart Cities in a decade.
- 2. It is an initiative to identify new digital technology innovations for solving the many problems faced by our country.
- 3. It is a programme aimed at making all the financial transactions in our country completely digital in a decade.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Smart India Hackathon, first held in 2017 by the Ministry of Education (then MHRD), AICTE and partners, is a nationwide contest where students build digital and hardware solutions to real problems set by ministries, states and industry (2). Statement 1 is wrong because it is not the Smart Cities Mission (2015), which develops 100 chosen cities. Statement 3 is wrong because it is not a plan to make all financial transactions digital; that was the push behind Digital India, UPI and BHIM.
It is now one of the world's largest open innovation events. Notice how it links with Atal Innovation Mission (Atal Tinkering Labs) and Startup India, as part of building an innovation culture.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The term ‘Digital Single Market Strategy’ seen in the news refers to
Answer (c) & explanation
The Digital Single Market Strategy belongs to the EU (c). The European Commission launched it in 2015 to remove online barriers between member states and extend the single market into the digital economy. Its results include ending mobile roaming charges in 2017, banning unfair geo-blocking, updating copyright rules, and the GDPR (2018) for data protection. It has no link to ASEAN (a), BRICS (b) or the G20 (d).
The EU has since passed the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act to curb Big Tech, as well as the AI Act (2024), the world's first broad AI law. Notice India's version of such rules: the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following are the objectives of ‘National Nutrition Mission’ ?
- 1. To create awareness relating to malnutrition among pregnant women and lactating mothers.
- 2. To reduce the incidence of anaemia among young children, adolescent girls and women.
- 3. To promote the consumption of millets, coarse cereals and unpolished rice.
- 4. To promote the consumption of poultry eggs.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (a). The National Nutrition Mission, or POSHAN Abhiyaan, launched in March 2018 at Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan, aims to reduce stunting, undernutrition, low birth weight and anaemia among children, adolescent girls and women (2). It works through convergence of schemes, technology such as the Poshan Tracker, and Jan Andolan campaigns that raise awareness among pregnant women and nursing mothers (1). Statements 3 and 4 are wrong because promoting millets, coarse grains or eggs was not among its stated objectives.
It has since merged into Mission Poshan 2.0 (Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0), which does push millets. Notice the yearly Poshan Maah in September and Poshan Pakhwada in March.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. The Nuclear Security Summits are periodically held under the aegis of the United Nations.
- 2. The International Panel on Fissile Materials is an organ of International Atomic Energy Agency.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). Statement 1 is wrong because the four Nuclear Security Summits (Washington 2010, Seoul 2012, The Hague 2014, Washington 2016) were a US initiative under President Obama. They aimed to secure nuclear material against terrorists and were not UN meetings. Statement 2 is wrong because the International Panel on Fissile Materials (2006) is an independent group of experts based at Princeton University. It is not part of the IAEA. It publishes the Global Fissile Material Report.
India attended all four summits. Notice the real UN-linked bodies: the IAEA (Vienna, 1957) reports to the UN General Assembly and Security Council, and UNSC Resolution 1540 (2004) deals with weapons of mass destruction falling into the hands of non-state actors.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to ‘Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)’, consider the following statements :
- 1. The first APMCHUD was held in India in 2006 on the theme ‘Emerging Urban Forms — Policy Responses and Governance Structure’.
- 2. India hosts all the Annual Ministerial Conferences in partnership with ADB, APEC and ASEAN.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct, according to UPSC (d). The Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development first met in New Delhi in 2006. However, the theme quoted in statement 1 does not match UPSC's record of that meeting. Statement 2 is clearly wrong because the conference is held every two years, not every year, and it rotates among members: Iran in 2008, Indonesia in 2010, Jordan in 2012, and so on. India does not host them all, and it does not run them with ADB, APEC and ASEAN. UN-Habitat backs it.
India hosted again in 2016 (New Delhi). Notice the trick in such questions: "all", "only" and "annual" are often the error. Linked bodies include UN-Habitat and its World Urban Forum.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the role of UN-Habitat in the United Nations programme working towards a better urban future, which of the statements is/are correct ?
- 1. UN-Habitat has been mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities to provide adequate shelter for all.
- 2. Its partners are either governments or local urban authorities only.
- 3. UN-Habitat contributes to the overall objective of the United Nations system to reduce poverty and to promote access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). UN-Habitat, based in Nairobi (1978), has a UN General Assembly mandate to promote socially and environmentally sustainable towns and cities and adequate shelter for all (1). It also supports the UN's wider aims of cutting poverty and improving access to safe water and sanitation (3), and it leads on SDG 11 (sustainable cities). Statement 2 is wrong because its partners are not only governments and local authorities. They also include NGOs, academia, the private sector and community groups.
It holds the World Urban Forum and produces the World Cities Report. Notice India's urban missions: PMAY-Urban 2.0, AMRUT 2.0 and Swachh Bharat (Urban) 2.0.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) :
- 1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy.
- 2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region.
Which of the above statements is/are correct ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). Statement 1 is wrong because the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium was started by the Indian Navy in 2008 in New Delhi, not in 2015. Statement 2 is right because IONS is a voluntary forum where the navies of the Indian Ocean coastal states share information and cooperate on maritime security, disaster relief (HADR), piracy and information sharing. Its chair rotates among members, and it has about 25 members and 9 observers.
India took the chair again in 2025. Notice India's wider Indian Ocean policies: SAGAR (2015), now MAHASAGAR (2025), the IFC-IOR information centre in Gurugram, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), which is a separate economic body.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India ?
Answer (c) & explanation
Chabahar gives India a route to Afghanistan and Central Asia that avoids Pakistan (c). Chabahar, on Iran's Gulf of Oman coast, connects India by sea and land to Afghanistan and Central Asia through the INSTC, without passing through Pakistan, which denies India transit. India sent wheat to Afghanistan this way and signed a ten-year contract in May 2024 to run the Shahid Beheshti terminal. African trade (a), ties with Arab oil producers (b), and an Iraq–India gas pipeline protected by Pakistan (d) are unrelated or unrealistic.
The US cancelled its sanctions waiver in 2025, and the extension ran out in April 2026, putting India's role at risk. Notice the rival port: Chabahar is about 170 km from China-backed Gwadar in Pakistan.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is the purpose of ‘Vidyanjali Yojana’ ?
- 1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India.
- 2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community.
- 3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (a). Vidyanjali, launched in 2016 by the Ministry of Education (then MHRD), links volunteers such as retired teachers, professionals, NRIs and community members with government schools. They help with teaching, reading and co-curricular activities, improving quality with the support of the community and private sector (2). Statement 1 is wrong because foreign campuses are governed by separate UGC regulations (2023). Statement 3 is wrong because, when the question was set, Vidyanjali was about volunteering, not money.
The later Vidyanjali 2.0 portal (2021) added donations of assets, equipment and materials. Notice how this fits NEP 2020's focus on community involvement and on school complexes.
Answer for 2017. The later portal's donation feature does not change this key.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
‘Recognition of Prior Learning Scheme’ is sometimes mentioned in the news with reference to
Answer (a) & explanation
RPL certifies skills learnt through traditional channels, such as by construction workers (a). Recognition of Prior Learning is a part of PMKVY under the Skill India Mission. It assesses and certifies skills people picked up informally on the job, such as masons, carpenters, plumbers and electricians, using NSQF standards. The certificate improves their pay and job mobility. It is not about university distance learning (b). It does not reserve jobs in PSUs (c). It does not certify trainees from formal courses (d), whose certification is the main short-term training track.
The Ministry of Skill Development runs it through the NSDC and Sector Skill Councils. Notice how it fits PM Vishwakarma (2023), which also helps traditional artisans with training and credit.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is the aim of the programme ‘Unnat Bharat Abhiyan’ ?
Answer (b) & explanation
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan connects higher education institutions with local communities (b). Launched in 2014 and coordinated by IIT Delhi, it asks higher education institutions to adopt nearby villages (at least five each). Students and teachers then use suitable technologies to solve local problems in water, energy, farming, sanitation and livelihoods. It is not a literacy mission (a), a science research upgrade (c), or a skill and welfare fund (d).
Unnat Bharat Abhiyan 2.0 (2018) opened it to all higher education institutions, and thousands have joined. Notice how it links with NEP 2020's call for community engagement and with the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana, where MPs adopt villages.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
The India-Africa Summit
- 1. held in 2015 was the third such Summit
- 2. was actually initiated by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1951
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Only statement 1 is correct (a). The India–Africa Forum Summit held in New Delhi in October 2015 was the third one, after 2008 in New Delhi and 2011 in Addis Ababa. Statement 2 is wrong: the summit process began in 2008, not under Nehru in 1951.
The 2015 summit was the largest, with all 54 African countries taking part, and India pledged concessional credit and scholarships. Nehru's link with Africa came through anti-colonial solidarity, the Bandung Conference (1955) and the Non-Aligned Movement. Notice how India's push later helped the African Union win permanent membership of the G20 in 2023.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following is the best description of ‘INS Astradharini’, that was in the news recently?
Answer (c) & explanation
INS Astradharini is a torpedo launch and recovery vessel (c). Commissioned in 2015, it was indigenously designed with IIT Kharagpur and the DRDO's Naval Science and Technological Laboratory, and built in Visakhapatnam. It is used to test underwater weapons such as torpedoes. It is not an amphibious ship (a), a nuclear submarine (b) or an aircraft carrier (d).
Its twin-hull (catamaran) design gives stability at sea. For contrast, INS Arihant is India's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, and INS Vikrant is its indigenous aircraft carrier. Notice how such ships show the push for self-reliance in naval technology.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
‘Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)’, often in the news, is
Answer (b) & explanation
MSF is an independent international NGO (b). Médecins Sans Frontières was founded in France in 1971 by doctors and journalists. It gives emergency medical care in wars, epidemics and disasters, and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. It is not a division of the WHO (a), it is not run by the European Union (c), and it is not a UN specialised agency (d). In fact, it guards its independence by taking most of its money from private donors.
It was in the news in 2015 after a US airstrike hit its hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. Notice the trap: famous humanitarian names tempt you towards "UN" options, but bodies like MSF, Amnesty and the ICRC (a private Swiss association with a special mandate) are not UN agencies.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What is/are the purpose/purposes of ‘District Mineral Foundations’ in India?
- 1. Promoting mineral exploration activities in mineral-rich districts
- 2. Protecting the interests of the persons affected by mining operations
- 3. Authorizing State Governments to issue licences for mineral exploration
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (b) & explanation
Only statement 2 is correct (b). District Mineral Foundations (DMFs) were created by the MMDR Amendment Act, 2015 as non-profit trusts in mining districts. Miners pay into them: 10% of royalty for leases after 2015 and 30% for older ones. The money is spent for the benefit of people and areas affected by mining (2) through the PMKKKY, on drinking water, health, education and the environment. Statement 1 is wrong because exploration is funded by the separate National Mineral Exploration Trust (NMET). Statement 3 is wrong because licences are issued under the MMDR Act and auction rules, not by DMFs.
PMKKKY was revised in 2024. Notice the idea behind it: people who bear the cost of mining should share in its gains.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
‘SWAYAM’, an initiative of the Government of India, aims at
Answer (d) & explanation
SWAYAM gives free, quality education to all (d). SWAYAM (Study Webs of Active-Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) was launched in 2017 by the Ministry of Education (then MHRD). It is a free MOOC platform with courses from Class 9 to postgraduate level. National coordinators include NPTEL, IGNOU, UGC-CEC, NCERT and NIOS, and universities can count up to 40% of a programme's credits from it. It is not about Self Help Groups (a), start-up finance (b), or adolescent girls (c), which come under schemes like DAY-NRLM, Startup India and SABLA.
Its sister tool SWAYAM Prabha runs free DTH education channels. Notice how this fits the NEP 2020 push for blended learning and the Academic Bank of Credits.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
‘Rashtriya Garima Abhiyaan’ is a national campaign to
Answer (c) & explanation
Rashtriya Garima Abhiyan (2001) is a national campaign to eradicate manual scavenging and rehabilitate those freed from it (c). It is led by civil-society groups, with Jan Sahas at its core. It is not about the homeless (a), sex workers (b) or bonded labour (d), which have their own laws and schemes.
The Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 bans the practice. The NAMASTE scheme (2023) focuses on the safety of sanitation workers. Notice how this links to dignity under Article 21 and the abolition of untouchability under Article 17.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.