99 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on contemporary world events appear here, from 1996 to 2010. They concern summits and conferences, treaties and military exercises, countries in the news and awards. Each explanation describes the event as it was reported at the time, so treat the facts as dated.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 91–99 of 99 questions
The film "The Making of the Mahatma" was directed by Shyam Benegal. Released in 1996, the film is based on the book "The Apprenticeship of a Mahatma" by Fatima Meer and focuses on Mahatma Gandhi’s 21 years in South Africa (1893-1914), a crucial period that shaped his philosophy of non-violence (Satyagraha) and resistance against racial discrimination.
In 1996, the Government of India launched the Pulse Polio Immunization (PPI) campaign as part of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative. The program aimed to immunize all children under five years against polio through mass vaccination drives. It involved:
National Immunization Days (NIDs) to administer oral polio vaccine (OPV). Large-scale awareness campaigns and door-to-door vaccination efforts. Collaboration between the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, and Rotary International.
Bishop Carlos Felipe Ximenes Belo and Jos Remos Horta were awarded the 1996 Nobel Peace Prize for their efforts in bringing peace and advocating self-determination for East Timor. They played a crucial role in the non-violent struggle against Indonesian occupation, raising international awareness about human rights violations in East Timor and advocating for its independence, which was eventually achieved in 2002.
In Germany, the constructive vote of no confidence ("Konstruktives Misstrauensvotum") is a unique parliamentary mechanism under Article 67 of the German Basic Law (Grundgesetz). It allows the Bundestag (the federal parliament) to pass a no-confidence motion against the Chancellor only if a successor with majority support is elected simultaneously. This system ensures government stability by preventing leadership vacuums and political deadlocks.
In proportional representation (PR), a candidate needs 50% + 1 vote to win. In a two-party system, this majority is often secured automatically. PR ensures that the number of seats a party or group wins aligns with its share of votes.
In Russia, the electoral system for the State Duma (Lower House of Parliament) in the 1990s followed a mixed electoral system. This mixed electoral system was in place from 1993 to 2003. 75% of the seats were filled using the first-past-the-post (FPTP) system, where candidates with the most votes in single-member constituencies won. 25% of the seats were filled using proportional representation (PR), where parties received seats based on their percentage of the national vote.
Belgium and Luxembourg had a monetary agreement allowing their equal-valued francs (BEF & LUF) to circulate freely. This prefigured the 1999 Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the Euro ().
The 1996 Cricket World Cup was co-hosted by India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. The tournament featured 12 teams, including three non-Test playing nations, which were:
1. United Arab Emirates (UAE)
2. Kenya
3. Netherlands (Holland)
Sri Lanka has historically evolved into a two-party system, dominated by the United National Party (UNP) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP). Although smaller parties exist, these two have been the main contenders for power, forming governments alternately.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 91 | 1997 | (c) Shyam Benegal |
| 92 | 1997 | (c) pulse polio immunization |
| 93 | 1997 | (a) East Timor |
| 94 | 1997 | (b) Germany |
| 95 | 1997 | (b) a two-party system has developed |
| 96 | 1997 | (d) Russia |
| 97 | 1997 | (c) Luxemburg and Belgium |
| 98 | 1996 | (c) UAE, Kenya and Holland |
| 99 | 1996 | (a) Sri Lanka |
This page covers 99 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Contemporary Events: World (General Knowledge), asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
The 1944 United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference at Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, which created the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. It set up the post-war system of fixed exchange rates.
A joint anti-terrorism military training between India and China, held in 2007 in China. It was the first such exercise between the two armies and marked a step in their defence cooperation.
At Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, ten years after the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro. It reviewed progress on sustainable development and is formally called the World Summit on Sustainable Development.
