UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Tuvalu, QUAD grouping and more (Week 106)

QUESTION 1

Which of the following countries is/are part of the QUAD grouping?

1. India

2. Canada

3. Japan

4. United Kingdom

5. France

6. Australia

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 2, 3, 4 and 6

(b) 1, 3, 5 and 6

(c) 1, 2, and 4 only

(d) 1, 3 and 5 only

Explanation

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21, 2024. It was hosted by former US President Joseph R. Biden. The leaders of the Quad grouping are India, the United States, Japan, and Australia.

— Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that they “are not against anyone” and that they all “support a rules-based international order, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of all issues”.

— It was India’s turn to host the Quad Summit in 2024.”Following the US request to host the Quad Summit this year, India agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

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

1. Sumy – Iran

2. Tuvalu – Atlantic Ocean

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly marked?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

With reference to the World Trade Organisation, consider the following statements:

1. The WTO’s main decision-making body is the Ministerial Conference.

2. Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the Director-General of the WTO, becoming the first woman and African to serve as Director-General.

3. The WTO is run by its member governments.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— The World Trade Organisation has warned that global trade might contract by much to 1.5% this year if Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff measures spark a bigger wave of trade policy uncertainty, a sharp turnaround from past estimates.

— The WTO has 166 members and accounts for 98% of global trade. All members entered the system as a result of negotiations, therefore membership entails a balance of rights and obligations.

— Unlike other international organisations, such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, power is not transferred to a board of directors or the organisation’s president.

— The Ministerial Conference is the WTO’s principal decision-making body, meeting every two years. The General Council is located below this and meets several times per year in Geneva. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The WTO is managed by its member states. The membership as a whole makes all significant decisions, either through ministers (who meet at least once every two years) or their ambassadors or delegates (who convene on a regular basis at the WTO’s headquarters in Geneva). Decisions are typically made by consensus. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is the WTO’s seventh director-general. She began office on March 1, 2021, becoming the first woman and African to serve as Director-General. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

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

QUESTION 4

Demchok and Depsang, the friction points are on the border of:

(a) India-Pakistan

(b) China-Pakistan

(c) India-China

(d) India-Myanmar

Explanation

— The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has stated that the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has not taken place since 2020, will return this year. This is part of a greater rapprochement between India and China during the last few months.

— While the yatra was initially halted owing to the Covid-19 outbreak, deteriorating tensions between India and China prevented it from resuming even after the virus was no longer a threat. Ties between the two neighbours had deteriorated following a series of border clashes in 2020, most notably on June 15 in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh, which resulted in losses on both sides.

— However, since 2024, both countries have been working to mend relations. Last October, they agreed to disengage at Demchok and Depsang, the border’s two remaining friction areas. The same month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty was launched at:

(a) North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

(b) G20

(c) BRICS

(d) Shanghai Corporation Organisation

Explanation

— The 18th G20 Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro from November 18 to 19, 2024. The Summit gathered leaders from major economies to debate trade, climate change, and security. The summit topic under Brazil’s presidency was ‘Building a Just World and a Sustainable Planet’, with an emphasis on poverty reduction, social inclusion, and global governance system reform.

— Brazil established the Global Alliance for Hunger and Poverty at the G20 Summit in Rio, with 41 founding members. Currently, the alliance has 93 members.

— The members have agreed to raise 500 million people out of poverty via cash transfers and social security programs.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 106)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 106)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 106)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 106)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 106)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 105)

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