4 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on Current Affairs (International Relations and Current Affairs). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 1–4 of 4 questions
The "Sixth mass extinction" refers to the ongoing, human-driven loss of biodiversity, characterized by a rapid decline in species across the planet. This extinction event is primarily driven by human activities such as over-exploitation of resources, habitat destruction, pollution, and climate change.
The terms WannaCry, Petya, and EternalBlue are associated with cyber attacks. These are names of malware and exploits that have caused significant global cybersecurity breach-es.
Option (c) is correct: Wanna Cry (2017) and Petya (2016) are types of ransomware attacks that exploited vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, with EternalBlue being the exploit used in these attacks. These cyber attacks caused widespread disruption across businesses and governments globally by encrypting data and demanding ransom. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
Exoplanets refer to planets located outside our solar system and have no relation with WannaCry, Petya, or EternalBlue. Cryptocurrency involves digital currencies like Bitcoin, and while cyber attacks can target cryptocurrency platforms, the mentioned terms are directly associated with malicious software, not digital currencies. Mini satellites are small satellites used in space technology, and are unrelated to these cybersecurity threats.
A cyberattack is a malicious and deliberate attempt by an individual or organization to breach another individual’s information system. Some of the most common cyber attacks are:
Phishing: Phishing is the practice of sending fraudulent communications that appear to come from a reputable source, usually through email. Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks: MitM attacks, also known as eavesdropping attacks, occur when attackers insert themselves into a two-party transaction. Denial-of-service attack: A denial-of-service attack floods systems, servers, or networks with traffic to exhaust resources and bandwidth. SQL injection: A Structured Query Language (SQL) injection occurs when an attacker inserts malicious code into a server that uses SQL and forces the server to reveal information it normally would not. Zero-day exploit: A zero-day exploit hits after a network vulnerability is announced but before a patch or solution is implemented. Attackers target the disclosed vulnerability during this window of time.
Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) is an American anti-missile system developed by the U.S. to intercept and destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight.
Option (a) is incorrect: An Israeli radar system refers to systems like the Iron Dome, which is developed by Israel for intercepting short-range threats, but THAAD is an American system.
Option (b) is incorrect: India’s indigenous anti-missile programme refers to systems like the Aakash missile system, but THAAD is a U.S.-developed system, not an Indian one.
Option (c) is correct: THAAD is designed to counter missile threats and is part of the U.S. missile defense strategy. It works by using powerful radar systems to detect and track incoming missiles and then using interceptors to destroy them mid-flight.
Option (d) is incorrect: A defence collaboration between Japan and South Korea refers to missile defense collaborations, but THAAD is specifically an American-developed system, not a bilateral project between Japan and South Korea.
Option (1) is incorrect: The Digital India plan does not focus on forming India’s own internet companies like China did. Instead, it is more about enhancing infrastructure and accessibility to digital services across India.
Option (2) is incorrect: While data sovereignty is a key issue, the Digital India initiative does not specifically aim to encourage multinational corporations to build large data centers within In-dia’s boundaries. However, it does encourage data protection and localization policies.
Option (3) is correct: Connecting villages to the Internet and bringing Wi-Fi to schools, public places, and tourist centers is a major goal of the Digital India plan. This includes providing broadband connectivity to rural areas and ensuring access to government services through digital platforms.
Option (c) is incorrect: because while option 3 is correct, options 1 and 2 are not part of the Digital India goals.
| Q | UPSC year | Correct answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2018 | (d) Mankind’s over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change. |
| 2 | 2018 | (c) Cyber attacks |
| 3 | 2018 | (c) An American anti-missile system |
| 4 | 2018 | (b) 3 only |
This page covers 4 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Current Affairs (International Relations and Current Affairs), asked from 2011 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Questions on Current Affairs (International Relations and Current Affairs) are available for 10 years, from 2011 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
