UPSC Essentials daily subject quiz : International Relations MCQs (Week 176) — Check out answers with explanations

3. India is a member of the UNCCD.

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 question is relevant for understanding India’s engagement with multilateral environmental institutions and international conventions. It helps assess awareness of India’s participation in global environmental diplomacy, including cooperation with international organisations on issues such as desertification, land degradation and sustainable development.

Explanation

— The seventeenth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP17) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will take place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, from 17 to 28 August 2026, under the theme “Restoring Land. Restoring Hope.” Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— COP17 takes place during the United Nations International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP 2026), championed by Mongolia.

— The United Nations Environment Programme will lead and co-lead on a range of events and discussions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— India is a member of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD). Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.unep.org)

QUESTION 2

With reference to the elections to the UNSC, consider the following statements:

1. Three elected members retire every year, which makes way for a rotation among the non-permanent members.

2. India has served on the UNSC only three times as a non-permanent member.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Relevance: The topic is relevant for understanding the composition, elections and functioning of the UN Security Council, particularly the system of rotation among non-permanent members. It also connects with India’s role and participation in the UN system and its engagement with the UNSC.

Explanation

— Five elected members retire every year, making way for a rotation among the non-permanent members. Pakistan is presently a member of the UNSC from Asia, having joined in 2025-26, while Bahrain’s tenure expires in 2027. Kyrgyzstan will replace Pakistan in 2027 and serve through 2028. Hence statement 1 is not correct.

— From an outsider’s perspective, India’s contest against Tajikistan should be a no-brainer given our global standing and G-20 membership, among other things. However, elections at the UN can unfold in strange ways if what happened this June is any indication: In a three-way contest for two seats among the Western countries, Portugal and Austria pipped major economies, Germany. As a large financial contributor to the UN and aspirant for permanent membership of the UNSC, the Germans have sought UNSC membership every seventh or eighth year, having last served the 2019-20 term.

— Since the election was a secret ballot, it is unclear what unfolded. However, there appears to be a growing discontent among the Global South over Germany’s views on Israel’s war in Gaza. It also signaled a certain solidarity among the smaller UN member countries against global heavyweights.

— India has served on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) 8 times as a non-permanent member. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Chagos Archipelago, consider the following statements:

1. It lies roughly 500 km to the north of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

2. In 1814, France ceded the islands to the British.

3. Eagle Island is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Relevance: The question is important for the International Relations syllabus — India and its neighbourhood; important geographical and strategic locations in the Indian Ocean Region. The topic is relevant for understanding the geopolitical and strategic significance of island territories in the Indian Ocean.

Explanation

— The Chagos archipelago, comprising 58 islands, lies roughly 500 km to the south of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean and around 2,000 km north-east of Mauritius. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— These islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century, when the French brought in slave labour from Africa and India to work in newly established coconut plantations. In 1814, France ceded the islands to the British. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The British then attached Chagos to Mauritius, another one of its colonies in the Indian Ocean, for administrative purposes. This continued up to 1965, when Britain “detached” Chagos from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT).

Diego Garcia and Chagos.

— Three years later, when Mauritius gained independence, Chagos remained with Britain in return for a £3-million grant. Mauritius has argued that it was illegally forced to give the islands away as part of the independence deal.

— Around this time, Britain invited the US to build a military base on Diego Garcia, one of the islands in the Chagos archipelago, forcibly removing thousands of people from their homes in the process. Diego Garcia is likely named after a Portuguese explorer.

— Diego Garcia is the largest island in the Chagos Archipelago. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements:

1. Indian seafarers are a dominant group in the global seafarer community.

2. India has a large pool of trained maritime professionals and a well-established maritime training and certification ecosystem that supplies seafarers to international shipping companies.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(b) Both Statement 1 and Statement 2 are correct and Statement 2 is not the correct explanation for Statement 1.

(c) Statement 1 is correct but Statement 2 is incorrect.

(d) Statement 1 is incorrect but Statement 2 is correct.

Relevance: The topic is relevant for understanding India’s contribution to the global maritime sector and its importance in international shipping and seaborne trade. It also connects with India’s maritime diplomacy, blue economy, global workforce mobility and the strategic importance of the maritime sector.

Explanation

— A total of 22 Indian seafarers are on board two ships that were hijacked by armed pirates off the coast of Somalia and Yemen, according to sources aware of the developments.

— The two vessels are Eritrea-flagged oil products tanker Sibu 1, which was hijacked in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Yemen Thursday, and Cameroon-flagged general cargo carrier Lutuf, which was hijacked on Monday (August 17) off Somalia’s coast.

— Indian seafarers are a dominant group in the global seafarer community. India is the world’s second-largest supplier of seafarers, contributing 311,936 maritime professionals to the global shipping industry, according to the BIMCO-ICS Seafarer Workforce Report 2026. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— India has a huge pool of qualified marine professionals, who are backed by a well-established maritime education, training, and certification program. Indian seafarers are thus well-positioned to meet the labour needs of multinational maritime corporations.

— The report estimates that India now accounts for 12.2% of the global seafaring workforce, ranking behind only the Philippines and ahead of China, Russia, and Indonesia. Given their widespread presence, the growing number of maritime security incidents have left Indian seafarers particularly vulnerable. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

With reference to Svalbard, consider the following statements:

1. It is a Russian archipelago.

2. It is located between mainland Russia and the North Pole.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Relevance: The topic is relevant for understanding Arctic geopolitics, territorial sovereignty, and the strategic interests of major powers in the region. It also connects with India’s Arctic engagement, polar research, emerging maritime routes and the changing geopolitical significance of the Arctic.

Explanation

— The recently released report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, titled “India’s Role and Presence in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions”, comes close on the heels of India’s Arctic Policy issued in 2022. It is seminal for more than one reason: while it covers both polar regions, its most significant implications concern India’s future engagement with the Arctic, a region whose strategic importance is growing at a far faster pace than India’s capacity to engage with it.

— India has stronger credentials in the Arctic than is often acknowledged. Few realise that India, as part of the British Dominion, was among the original 14 signatories of the 1920 Svalbard Treaty. The treaty entitles an Indian to visit Svalbard — a Norwegian archipelago located between mainland Norway and the North Pole — without a visa and to engage in commercial ventures. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are not correct.

— India remains one of only two developing countries with a permanent scientific presence in the region, through the Himadri research station in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. The report, however, highlights a concerning gap between India’s ambitions and its capabilities.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 159)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 176)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 176)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 176)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 175)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 175)

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