General Awareness: World: UPSC Previous Year Questions (General Knowledge)
110 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on world general awareness are listed here, from 1996 to 2010. UPSC asked about international organisations and their headquarters, country groupings such as BRIC, books and authors, Nobel laureates and capitals. The explanations give the fact as it stood in the year the question was set.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 11–20 of 110 questions
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UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q11. Consider the following countries: 1. Switzerland 2. Malta 3. Bulgaria Which of the above are members of European Union?
Explanation
Option 1 is incorrect: Switzerland is not a member of the EU. It has signed various agreements with the EU and is part of the Schengen Area, but it has chosen to stay out of the EU through multiple referendums.
Option 2 is correct: Malta is an EU Member - Malta officially joined the European Union on 1st May 2004 as part of the largest expansion of the EU.
Option 3 is correct: Bulgaria is a EU Member - Bulgaria became a member of the European Union on 1st January 2007, along with Romania.
Additional insight:
The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 countries, established by the Maastricht Treaty (1993). It has a single market, common policies, and the Euro () as its currency in 20 nations. The EU promotes free trade, movement, and regional cooperation, but faces challenges like Brexit, economic disparities, and geopolitical tensions.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q12. Consider the following pairs:
Organization
Location of Headquarters
1. Asian Development Bank
Tokyo
2. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
Singapore
3. Association of South East Asian Nations
Bangkok
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Asian Development Bank (ADB) - Headquarters in Mandaluyong, Manila, Philippines (Not Tokyo). Established in 1966, ADB aims to promote economic and social development in Asia.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) - Headquarters in Singapore. APEC is a regional economic forum established in 1989 to promote trade and economic cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) - Headquarters in Jakarta, Indonesia (Not Bangkok). ASEAN was established in 1967 to promote political, economic, and security cooperation in Southeast Asia.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q13. With reference to the United Nations, consider the following statements: 1. The Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the UN consists of 24 member States. 2. It is elected by a 2/3rd majority of the General Assembly for a 3-year term. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: ECOSOC consists of 54 member states, not 24. These members are elected by the General Assembly, and the body works to advance sustainable development, economic growth, and social issues globally.
Statement 2 is correct: ECOSOC members are elected by the UN General Assembly with a two-thirds majority vote with a duration of 3 years, with staggered elections to ensure continuity.
Additional insight:
The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) was established in 1945 as one of the six principal UN organs. It coordinates economic, social, and development policies of the UN system. ECOSOC has 54 member states, elected by the UN General Assembly for three-year terms. It oversees specialized agencies like WHO, UNESCO, and IMF.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q14. Which one of the following pairs of countries fought wars over a region called Ogaden?
Explanation
The Ogaden War (1977-1978) was fought between Ethiopia and Somalia over control of the Ogaden region. Somalia, under President Siad Barre, attempted to annex the region, which was home to ethnic Somalis but controlled by Ethiopia. Ethiopia, with support from the Soviet Union and Cuba, successfully repelled the Somali forces.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q15. Consider the following countries: 1. Brunei Darussalam 2.East Timor3.Laos Which of the above is/are member/members of ASEAN?
Explanation
Option 1 is correct: Brunei Darussalam - Member of ASEAN: Brunei joined ASEAN in 1984, shortly after gaining independence from British rule. It is one of the wealthiest ASEAN nations due to its oil and gas reserves.
Option 2 is incorrect: East Timor - Not a Member of ASEAN:
East Timor (Timor-Leste) is not a full member of ASEAN but has applied for membership. It gained independence from Indonesia in 2002, making it one of the newest sovereign nations in the world. Option 3 is correct: Laos - Member of ASEAN: Laos joined ASEAN in 1997 as part of ASEAN’s expansion in the 1990s. It is the only landlocked country in ASEAN.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q16. Other than Venezuela, which one among the following from South America is a member of OPEC?
Explanation
Ecuador was a member of OPEC from 1973 to 1992 and rejoined in 2007 before leaving again in 2020 due to economic reasons.
Additional insight:
The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates oil production to ensure stable prices and supply. Founded in 1960, it has 12 member nations, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and UAE. OPEC+ includes non-OPEC producers like Russia to coordinate global oil policies. It faces challenges from geopolitical tensions, renewable energy shifts, and competition from non-OPEC oil producers.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q17. Consider the following pairs:
Large Bank
Country of Origin
1. ABN Amro Bank
USA
2. Barclays Bank
UK
3. Kookmin Bank
Japan
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: ABN Amro Bank is not from the USA; it is a Dutch bank headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Pair 2 is correctly matched: Barclays Bank is a British multinational bank headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: Kookmin Bank is one of the largest banks in South Korea, not Japan.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q18. Consider the following pairs:
Automobile Manufacturer
Headquarters
1. BMW AG
USA
2. Daimler AG
Sweden
3. Renault S.A.
France
4. Volkswagen AG
Germany
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Explanation
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: BMW (Bayerische Motoren Werke AG) is not based in the USA. It is a German automobile company headquartered in Munich, Germany.
Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Daimler AG is not based in Sweden. It is a German automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. It is the parent company of Mercedes-Benz.
Pair 3 is correctly matched: Renault S.A. is a French multinational automobile manufacturer. It is headquartered in Boulogne-Billancourt, France.
Pair 4 is correctly matched: Volkswagen AG is a German automotive company headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. It is one of the largest car manufacturers in the world.
UPSC 2009General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q19. Who among the following is the founder of World Economic Forum?
Explanation
Klaus Schwab- a German economist, founded the World Economic Forum (WEF) in 1971. Originally called the European Management Forum, it was later renamed WEF in 1987 to reflect its global focus.
Additional insight:
The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization founded in 1971. Headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, it hosts the annual meeting in Davos, bringing together global leaders to discuss economic and policy issues. WEF operates as a public-private partnership and publishes reports like the Global Competitiveness Report and Global Risks Report.
UPSC 2008General Knowledge · General Awareness: World
Q20. Yom Kippur War was fought between which sides/ countries?
Explanation
The Yom Kippur War, also known as the October War or Ramadan War, was fought between Israel and a coalition of Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
11
2009
(b) 2 and 3 only
12
2009
(b) 2 only
13
2009
(b) 2 only
14
2009
(b) Ethiopia and Somalia
15
2009
(c) 1 and 3 only
16
2009
(c) Ecuador
17
2009
(b) 2 only
18
2009
(b) 3 and 4
19
2009
(a) Klaus Schwab
20
2008
(c) Israel, and Arab countries led by Egypt and Syria
What UPSC has tested in General Awareness: World
Klaus Schwab is the founder of the World Economic Forum.
The headquarters of the Organization of the Islamic Conference are at Jeddah.
The first Pugwash Conference on Science and World Affairs was held at Nova Scotia, Canada.
William Henry Bragg shared the Nobel Prize in Physics with his son.
Barack Obama is the author of The Audacity of Hope.
BRIC stands for Brazil, Russia, India and China.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on General Awareness: World?
This page covers 110 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on General Awareness: World (General Knowledge), asked from 1996 to 2010. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Who founded the World Economic Forum?
Klaus Schwab, a German economist, founded it in 1971 as the European Management Forum. It is best known for its annual meeting at Davos, Switzerland, and for reports such as the Global Competitiveness Report.
Where was the first Pugwash Conference held?
In Pugwash, Nova Scotia, Canada, in 1957. It brought together scientists to discuss the dangers of nuclear weapons, and the movement later shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1995.
Which scientist shared a Nobel Prize in Physics with his son?
William Henry Bragg, who shared the 1915 prize with his son William Lawrence Bragg for their work on analysing crystal structure using X-rays. William Lawrence Bragg remains the youngest Nobel laureate in physics, at 25 years of age.
