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UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I: With reference to “Look East Policy” of India, consider the following statements :1. India…

International Relations
UPSC Prelims 2011 · GS Paper I

With reference to “Look East Policy” of India, consider the following statements :

  • 1. India wants to establish itself as an important regional player in the East Asian affairs.
  • 2. India wants to plug the vacuum created by the termination of Cold War.
  • 3. India wants to restore the historical and cultural ties with its neighbours in Southeast and East Asia.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Answer (b) & explanation

Statements 1 and 3 are correct (b). The Look East Policy (1991, under P.V. Narasimha Rao) aimed to make India an important regional player in East and Southeast Asia through trade, investment and ties with ASEAN (1), and to revive old historical and cultural links of Buddhism, trade and Indian kingdoms (3). Statement 2 is wrong: the policy was driven by economic reform and the loss of the Soviet partner, not by a wish to 'fill a Cold War vacuum'. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.

Notice the upgrade: it became the Act East Policy in 2014, adding security, connectivity (Kaladan, India–Myanmar–Thailand highway) and the Indo-Pacific. India became an ASEAN dialogue partner in 1995 and a Comprehensive Strategic Partner in 2022.

Trap

Statement 2 sounds right because the policy began in 1991, just as the Cold War ended, but filling a "vacuum" was never its aim.

Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.

Same theme in UPSC Mains

Related questions from other years

UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I

Which of the following countries are members of the European Union ?

  • 1. Belarus
  • 2. Poland
  • 3. Germany
  • 4. Switzerland

Select the answer using the code given below :

Answer (c) & explanation

Poland and Germany are EU members (c). Item 2 is right: Poland joined in the big 2004 enlargement. Item 3 is right: Germany is a founder member from the 1957 Treaty of Rome. Item 1 is wrong: Belarus is close to Russia and not in the EU. Item 4 is wrong: Switzerland stays outside, linked through bilateral deals and the Schengen area. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.

Notice the numbers: the EU has 27 members since the UK left (Brexit, 2020). Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are in the European Economic Area but not the EU. India and the EU concluded talks on their Free Trade Agreement in January 2026.

Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.

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UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I

Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists :

| List I (INTERPOL Notice) | List II (Description)

| A. Silver Notice | 1. To seek information on unidentified bodies

| B. Blue Notice | 2. To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation

| C. Black Notice | 3. To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety

| D. Green Notice | 4. To identify and trace criminal assets

Code :

Answer (c) & explanation

The correct match is A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3 (c). The Silver Notice, first issued in January 2025 as a pilot, helps trace criminal assets (A-4). A Blue Notice collects more information about a person's identity, location or activities (B-2). A Black Notice seeks information on unidentified bodies (C-1). A Green Notice warns about a person's criminal activities when they may threaten public safety (D-3). Options (a), (b) and (d) mix these up.

Notice the best-known one: a Red Notice asks police worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition. A Yellow Notice helps find missing persons, and an Orange Notice warns of an imminent threat. In India, the CBI is the National Central Bureau for INTERPOL, which is headquartered in Lyon.

Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.

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UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I

The Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany visited India in January, 2026. Which of the following is/are not correct in terms of outcomes of this visit ?

  • 1. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the University of Hamburg
  • 2. Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on Youth Hockey Development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation
  • 3. Establishment of a bilateral dialogue mechanism on the Indo-Pacific
  • 4. Opening of an Honorary Consul of Germany in Lucknow

Select the answer using the code given below :

Answer (b) & explanation

Outcomes 1 and 4 are not correct (b). Chancellor Friedrich Merz visited India on 12–13 January 2026. Item 1 is wrong: the Ayurveda MoU was between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and Charité University, Berlin, not Hamburg. Item 4 is wrong: Germany's new Honorary Consul was opened in Ahmedabad, not Lucknow. Item 2 is a real outcome: an MoU on youth hockey development between Hockey India and the German Hockey Federation. Item 3 is a real outcome: a new bilateral dialogue on the Indo-Pacific. So options (a), (c) and (d) fail.

Notice the method: for visit questions, UPSC copies the MEA's "List of Outcomes" and changes one word, here a city name. India and Germany have been strategic partners since 2000.

Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.

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UPSC Prelims 2026 · GS Paper I

Which of the following is/are the most significant implication(s) of obtaining Oeko-Tex certification for Eri Silk in the global textile industry ?

  • 1. It allows Indian exporters to compete in high-end markets that prioritise chemical-free products.
  • 2. It confirms that Eri Silk meets international safety, environmental, and quality standards, enabling its entry into premium eco-conscious markets.

Select the answer using the code given below :

Answer (c) & explanation

Both statements describe the significance (c). Oeko-Tex Standard 100 is an international label showing that a textile has been tested for harmful substances. Statement 1 is right: it lets Indian exporters compete in high-end markets that want chemical-free products. Statement 2 is right: it confirms Eri silk meets international safety, environmental and quality standards, opening premium, eco-conscious markets in Europe and elsewhere. So options (a), (b) and (d) fail.

Notice Eri silk's story: called "peace silk" or ahimsa silk, because the moth is allowed to leave the cocoon before the silk is spun. It is made mainly in Assam and the North-East. India's other silks are mulberry, tasar and muga, the golden silk found only in Assam.

Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.

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