UPSC Special: Six priority areas from International Relations for Prelims 2024

About our Expert: Rohit Pande brings over a decade of experience in strategy and consulting to the world of CSE examinations. His team has helped many students clear the exam using scientific framework-driven mentorship. He keeps a keen eye on the evolving patterns of the UPSC IAS exam and the changing study habits of GenZ UPSC aspirants, enabling them with deep, actionable, and unrivaled insights.

Are questions on International Relations (IR) low-hanging fruit in the UPSC Prelims exam? If yes, what to focus on?

Rohit Pande: The Civil Services Examination also serves as an exam for the coveted Indian Foreign Service. Not long ago, the Indian Foreign Service used to be the first preference among candidates. It is evident that questions on global happenings, and India’s relationship with the world are going to be prominent. 

Truth be told, IR-related questions can take your prelims score higher when approached smartly. If you observe carefully, the themes are limited indicating that assessing candidates on these high-priority themes makes more sense than asking off-beat questions. And our preparation strategy should respond to this.

Let’s have a look on 6 key types/ themes of questions from the IR section on the basis of PYQs that no aspirant should miss.   

Type 1: Conflict Zones — broad-based  

Conflict Zones are an absolute must. Direct questions requiring broader information were being asked, reflecting a generalist view. Over the years, these have gotten slightly tougher as you can observe. From broadly knowing the region of ‘‘Golan Heights” to historically important “Arab Spring”. Consider the following questions: 

[CSP 2023] Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine?

(a) Angola

(b) Costa Rica

(c) Ecuador

(d) Somalia

[CSP 2022] Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?

(a) It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.

(b) China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.

(c) A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.

(d) Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man’s land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.

[CSP 2018] The term “two-state solution” is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of

(a) China

(b) Israel

(c) Iraq

(d) Yemen

[CSP 2015] The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:

(a) Central Asia

(b) Middle East

(c) South-East Asia

(d) Central Africa

[CSP 2014] Recently, a series of uprisings of people referred to as ‘Arab Spring’ originally started from

(a) Egypt

(b) Lebanon

(c) Syria

(d) Tunisia

Type 2: Conflict Zones — Internal Political Geography  

Broad based questions on Conflict Zones will be easy for everyone. But going the extra mile and studying about the specific locations and places involved will help you get an edge. Consider the following questions:

[CSP 2022] Consider the following statements:

1. Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north-western Kenya.

2. Some people who fled from South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi.

3. Some people who fled from civil war in Somalia live in Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2

(b) 2 only

(c) 2 and 3

(d) 3 only

[CSP 2022] Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news  Country

1. Anatolia Turkey

2. Amhara Ethiopia

3. Cabo Delgado Spain

4. Catalonia Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All four pairs

[CSP 2023] Consider the following pairs:

Region often mentioned in the news Country

1. Anatolia Turkey

2. Amhara Ethiopia

3. Cabo Delgado Spain

4. Catalonia Italy

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one pair

(b) Only two pairs

(c) Only three pairs

(d) All four pairs

[CSP 2023] Consider the following pairs: 

Regions often mentioned in news :Reason for being in news

1.North Kivu and ItueiWar between :Armenia and Azerbaijan

2.Nagorno-Karabakh :Insurgency in Mozambique

3.Kherson and Zaporizhzhia :Dispute between Israel and Lebanon

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

[CSP 2023] Consider the following pairs:

Area of conflict mentioned in news       Country where it is located

1.Donbas                                                     Syria

2.Kachin                                                     Ethiopia

3.Tigray                                                      North Yemen

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Type 3: Conflict Zones — Bordering Nations

Maps become important for UPSC preparation in areas like IR. Understanding the borders of conflict areas is a must. Consider the following examples:

[CSP 2023] Consider the following countries

1. Bulgaria

2. Czech Republic

3. Hungary

4. Latvia

5. Lithuania

6. Romania

How many of the above countries share a land border with Ukraine?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(c) Only four

(d) Only five

[CSP 2022] Consider the following countries:

1. Azerbaijan

2. Kyrgyzstan

3. Tajikistan

4. Turkmenistan

5. Uzbekstan

Which of the above have borders with Afghanistan?

(a) 1, 2 and 5 only

(b) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only

(c) 3, 4 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Type 4: Trade-Related International News 

All trade-related news with a focus on impact on India are essential for Prelims. Consider the following examples:

[CSP 2023] Consider the following statements:

Statement-I:  Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the Trade Technology Council’.

Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control.

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

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement- II is the correct explanation for Statement- I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement- II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I. 

(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect 

(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

[CSP 2023] With reference to Trade-Related Investment Measures (TRIMS), which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. Quantitative restrictions on imports by foreign investors are prohibited.

2. They apply to investment measures related to trade in both goods and services.

3. They are not concerned with the regulation of foreign investment.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

[CSP 2018] 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?

a) 1, 2, 4 and 5

b) 3, 4, 5 and 6

c) 1, 3, 4 and 5

d) 2, 3, 4 and 6

[CSP 2017] ‘Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and

a) European Union

b) Gulf Cooperation Council

c) Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development

d) Shanghai Cooperation Organization

Type 5: United Nations 

UN sits at the helm of international governance architecture. Naturally, aspirants need to be well versed in it. The questions being asked can be tricky like United Nations Credentials Committee, ‘Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’ are easy to miss. Consider the following examples:

[CSP 2022] Concerning the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements:

1.The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.

2. Inter-governmental organizations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.

3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

[CSP 2022] With reference to the “United Nations Credentials Committee”, consider the following statements:

1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision.

2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year.

3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 3 only

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 1 and 2 only

[CSP 2022] With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements:

1.A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention.

2.Ships of all states, whether coastal or land-locked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea.

3.The Exclusive Economic Zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea in measure.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2, and 3

[CSP 2015] ‘Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’ often seen in the news, is

(a) a strategy to tackle the regional terrorism, an outcome of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

(b) a plan of action for sustainable economic growth in the Asia-Pacific Region, an outcome of deliberations of the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum

(c) an agenda for women’s empowerment, an outcome of a World Conference convened by the United Nations

(d) a strategy to combat wildlife trafficking, a declaration of the East Asia Summit. 

Type 6: Important groupings that India is a prominent member of  

G20 has certainly been a favourite. Also because India hosted it this time. All the other regional, economic and security groupings become important. Consider the following examples:

[CSP 2023] Consider the following statements about G-20:

1. The G-20 group was originally established as a platform for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss the international economic and financial issues.

2. Digital public infrastructure is one of India’s G-20 priorities.

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

[CSP 2022] With reference to the “G20 Common Framework”, consider the following statements:

1. It is an initiative endorsed by the G20 together with the Paris Club.

2. It is an initiative to support Income Countries with unsustainable debt.

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

[CSP 2020] In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20?

(a)Argentina, Mexico, South Africa, and Turkey

(b)Australia, Canada, Malaysia, and New Zealand

(c)Brazil, Saudi Arabia, and Vietnam

(d)Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, and South Korea

[CSP 2017] The term ‘Digital Single Market Strategy’ seen in the news refers to

(a) ASEAN

(b) BRICS

(c) EU

(d) G20

[CSP 2017] 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?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

[CSP 2015] The ‘Fortaleza Declaration’ recently in the news, is related to the affairs of:

(a) ASEAN

(b) BRICS

(c) OECD

(d) WTO

Expert’s Advise:

As one can observe, there is no need to cover everything under the sun in the IR section. Just sticking with these themes, and understanding the nature of questions can make your preparation very focused. 

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