UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : International Relations MCQs on Chagos Islands, Genocide Convention and more (Week 146)

3. The Chagos archipelago comprises more than 500 islands that lie in the Indian Ocean.

4. The Chagos Islands were uninhabited until the late 18th century.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Relevance: This question tests geopolitical awareness of the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and strategic military bases like Diego Garcia. It links colonial legacy, decolonisation, international law, and current diplomatic disputes, a key UPSC prelims theme.

Explanation

— In October 2024, the UK government announced it would cede sovereignty of the strategically important Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling it a “historic political agreement”. The UK has long controlled Chagos and the Diego Garcia military base located there, jointly operating it with the United States.

— The Chagos archipelago, comprising 58 islands, lies roughly 500 km to the south of the Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean. 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 3 is not correct and statement 4 is correct.

Diego Garcia and Chagos.

— In 1965, the UK constituted the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT), which included the Chagos Islands. A few other BIOT islands were later ceded to the Seychelles in 1976 after it gained independence from Britain.

— When Mauritius gained independence in 1968, Chagos remained with Britain. The UK government gave the newly independent country a grant of 3 million pounds over the “detachment” of the Chagos archipelago. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— In 1966, Britain signed an agreement with the US, which made the BIOT available for the two countries’ defence needs. Land was acquired in 1967, and four years later, the plantation on Diego Garcia — the largest in the archipelago — was shut down. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Diego Garcia became a fully operational military base in 1986.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Recently, the United States withdrew from over 60 major international organisations and agreements. Which of the following international organisations is the United States still a part of?

1. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)

2. International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA)

3. UN Environment Programme (UNEP)

4. International Energy Agency (IEA)

5. International Solar Alliance (ISA)

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 2, 3, and 5

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(c) 1 and 5 only

(d) 3 and 4 only

Relevance: This question tests awareness of recent shifts in US foreign policy and multilateral engagement, a high-priority area in current affairs for UPSC Prelims. It checks conceptual clarity about global climate, energy, and environmental institutions and their membership patterns.

Explanation

— Earlier this month, the United States withdrew itself from over 60 major international organisations and agreements saying these no longer served American interests. The most high-profile of these exits related to environment and climate-related treaties and groups like the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a few others.

— However, the United States has not exited from all such organisations or agreements. It pulled out of 31 UN entities but not from the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), which has a significant footprint on global climate policy and discussions. It has quit IRENA but not the International Energy Agency (IEA), whose work also influences global energy transitions.

— The US has withdrawn from IPCC, the scientific body that produces periodic assessments of climate science, but not the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), which too produces climate science and happens to be the host of IPCC.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

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

1. Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant – Slavutych, Russia

2. Nuuk city – Near Copenhagen (Denmark)

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

Relevance: This question tests map-based awareness and geopolitical clarity regarding places frequently in international news. It helps avoid common location traps involving Europe, Arctic region, and conflict-related sites, which UPSC often targets.

Explanation

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Genocide Convention, consider the following statements:

1. It was adopted by the United Nations after World War II.

2. The convention enables any state party to bring a case against another even if it doesn’t have any direct link to the conflict in question.

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: This question links current international conflicts with legal accountability frameworks under the Genocide Convention. It helps in linking contemporary geopolitical disputes with international judicial processes and institutions.

Explanation

— The Genocide Convention was adopted by the United Nations after the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II to make genocide a crime under international law and to prevent and punish it. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Convention most importantly imposes positive obligations on states to prevent genocide, making them accountable even if they are not directly affected by it. It also enables any state party to bring a case against another even if it doesn’t have any direct link to the conflict in question — exactly how Gambia could bring Myanmar to the ICJ. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— According to article II of the Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group:

(a) Killing members of the group

(b) Causing serious physical or mental harm to members of the group

(c) Intentionally subjecting the group to living conditions intended to cause its physical destruction, in whole or in part

(d) Imposing measures aimed at preventing the birth of children within the group

(e) Forcibly transferring children from the group to another group.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

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

QUESTION 5

The United Nations declared 2026 as the:

(a) International Year of Sustainable Agriculture

(b) International Year of Millets and Nutri-Cereals

(c) International Year of Desert Ecosystems

(d) International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP)

Relevance: This question highlights UN focus on sustainable management of rangelands, biodiversity conservation, and pastoral livelihoods. It is important for linking environment, climate resilience, food security, and traditional livelihood systems in current affairs.

Explanation

— The United Nations declared 2026 as the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists (IYRP).

— It advocates for policies that protect pastoralists’ access to land and natural resources, facilitate mobility, and promote customary and inclusive governance, all while supporting adequate investment in rangeland management, ecosystem restoration, animal health care, and equitable value chains.

— The Year also intends to promote inclusive policy dialogue and collaborative involvement in order to improve pastoralist livelihoods and long-term rangeland management. Rangelands and pastoralists have enormous potential to contribute and deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer

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

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 141)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 146)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 146)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 146)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 146)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 145)

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