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UPSC Essentials daily subject quiz : International Relations MCQs (Week 173) — Check out answers with explanations

Solve and practice questions from International Relations for UPSC Prelims 2027. Attempt questions on the Nuclear Suppliers Group, observer countries of the Arctic Council, and more.

Check your progress and revise your topics through this quiz on International Relations. Find a question on the Nuclear Suppliers Group in today's quiz. (PTI Photo)

Written by: Nitendra Pal Singh

8 min readNew DelhiAug 2, 2026 09:05 PM IST First published on: Aug 2, 2026 at 09:05 PM IST

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on International Relations to check your progress.

🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), consider the following statements:

1. It is a group of nuclear supplier countries that seeks to contribute to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.

2. It is a treaty-based organisation.

3. India is a member of the NSG.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct?

(a) All three statements are correct.

(b) There are two correct statements, that include statement 1.

(c) There is only one correct statement.

(d) There is no correct statement.

Relevance: UPSC can ask about the multilateral export control regimes (NSG, MTCR, Australia Group, Wassenaar Arrangement), including their objectives, membership, and legal status. The question also assesses conceptual clarity on the distinction between treaty-based organisations and voluntary export control regimes.

Explanation

— India secured a long-term uranium supply deal with Australia, marking a key step towards operationalisation of the pact for its civil nuclear programme. The development comes nearly 12 years after the India-Australia Civil Nuclear Cooperation Agreement was signed.

— The country’s ability to import uranium for its civil nuclear reactors was unlocked in 2008, when the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) granted it a ‘clean’ waiver, making it the only non-signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to enjoy such trading privileges.

— The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) is a group of nuclear supplier countries that aim to contribute to nuclear non-proliferation by implementing two sets of standards for nuclear and nuclear-related exports. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— This word is synonymous with “NSG Participating Government” (PG), which refers to a government that participates in the NSG. Because the NSG is not a treaty-based body, the terms “member” and “Member State” are not used. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— There are currently 48 Participating Governments (PGs) in the NSG. India is not a participating government in the NSG. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.nuclearsuppliersgroup.org)

QUESTION 2

With reference to the observer countries of the Arctic Council, consider the following statements:

1. India is currently one of the observer countries of the Arctic Council.

2. The observer countries have decision making powers.

3. The observer countries can conduct research in the Arctic region.

Which one of the following conclusions based on the above statements is correct ?

(a) All three statements are correct.

(b) There are two correct statements, that include statement 1.

(c) There is only one correct statement.

(d) There is no correct statement.

Relevance: The Arctic is increasingly important due to climate change, emerging sea routes, and geopolitical competition, making the Arctic Council a recurring current affairs topic. UPSC can ask about the membership, observer status, powers, and functions of international organisations through conceptual questions.

Explanation

— The Arctic Council was formally established in 1996 through the Ottawa Declaration.

— According to the Ottawa Declaration, these states are Arctic Council Members. The eight states have territories in the Arctic and consequently serve as stewards of the region. The lands and waters surrounding the Arctic Ocean are governed by their respective jurisdictions as well as international law.

— India is currently one of the 13 observer countries of the Arctic Council. The observer countries do not have decision-making powers. They can undertake research in the Arctic region. Hence, statements 1 and 3 are correct and statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the places in news, consider the following pairs:

1. Ceuta – Portugal

2. Qeshm Island – Iran

3. Volgograd energy facility – Ukraine

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None of the above pairs

Relevance: UPSC can ask map-based questions on places that feature in international conflicts and strategic developments. The question tests candidates’ understanding of geopolitical locations and country-place associations, a recurring UPSC Prelims theme.

Explanation

Places in news	Country	Description
Ceuta	An autonomous city of Spain on the North African coast bordered by Morocco	More than 50,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta from Morocco within a single day, leaving at least 57 people dead and plunging Madrid into a political crisis. Ceuta and Melilla remain the bloc’s only land borders with Africa.
Qeshm Island	Iran	The US military carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island early Thursday as part of a two-hour operation targeting dozens of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) facilities, after Tehran fired ballistic missiles at US forces in Jordan. Qeshm is Iran’s largest island and lies in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important maritime chokepoints.
Volgograd energy facility	Russia	A drone attack sparked a fire at an energy facility and warehouses in Russia’s Volgograd, wounding five people, said the regional governor, Andrei Bocharov.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The ‘123 Agreement’ is related to:

(a) Establishing a free trade agreement between the United States and its strategic partners

(b) Maritime boundary delimitation between India and Sri Lanka

(c) Joint development of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile by India and Russia

(d) Trade and Technology Council between India and the European Union

Relevance: UPSC can ask questions on international agreements and their associated countries or sectors, especially those linked to foreign policy and energy security.

Explanation

— The US and Saudi Arabia have signed a controversial deal that could potentially enable the latter to kickstart a civilian nuclear programme. Heralded as a “peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement”, the 30-year pact effectively seeks to offer “great access for American companies in the Saudi nuclear energy program”, according to the US Department of Energy (DoE).

— Section 123 of the United States Atomic Energy Act mandates the signing of a peaceful nuclear cooperation agreement for large exports of nuclear material or equipment from the United States. Furthermore, such agreements, sometimes known as “123 Agreements,” facilitate collaboration in other areas including as technical exchanges, scientific research, and safeguards debates.

— The key element of this deal is what is called a 123 Agreement that allows the US to share nuclear technology with other countries. India is one such signatory.

— This agreement, named after Section 123 of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954, is a legally binding agreement that Washington DC requires before engaging in significant nuclear cooperation with another country. These agreements facilitate the transfer of nuclear materials, equipment and technology for peaceful purposes, while ensuring compliance with international nonproliferation standards. They also provide a framework for technical exchanges, scientific research, and safeguards discussions.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.energy.gov)

QUESTION 5

Consider the following pairs:

AI Model / Platform Country of Origin

1. Moonshot AI China

2. ChatGPT United States

3. Mistral AI France

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None of the above pairs

Relevance: AI has emerged as a key domain of strategic competition and technological diplomacy, with countries promoting indigenous AI models and platforms. UPSC can ask country–technology and organisation–country matching questions, especially from current international developments.

Explanation

— In January 2025, the release of a Chinese artificial intelligence model called DeepSeek R1 drew global attention and briefly triggered market panic. It was a low-cost, quality product that was compared to ChatGPT and other top models from the United States as discussions about AI-related overspending were gaining ground.

— Chinese company Moonshot AI released its Kimi K3 model earlier this month, said to rival models from US-based companies OpenAI and Anthropic. It boasts features including coding, financial consulting, deep research, and video editing, and as demand surged, Moonshot AI paused sign-ups.

AI Model / Platform Country of Origin

Moonshot AI – China

ChatGPT – United States

Mistral AI – France

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.