International Relations: UPSC Previous Year Questions (International Relations and Current Affairs)

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: India has become 14th member of the Mineral Security Partnership (MSP) in June 2023. The other member countries are the United States, Australia, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the European Commission. MSP seeks to bolster critical minerals supply chains to support economic prosperity and climate objectives.

Statement 2 is incorrect: While India has identified a list of 30 critical minerals vital for its economy (including lithium, cobalt, nickel etc.), it is not resource-rich in all of them. On the contrary, India lacks sufficient domestic reserves for many of these minerals and depends heavily on imports. Only a handful of the 30 (such as copper, gallium, graphite, cadmium) have notable domestic availability. For several critical minerals for example, lithium and cobalt India has little to no indigenous supply and largely import dependent. In summary, India cannot be described as "resource-rich" in all of its identified critical minerals; rather, it has significant supply gaps and is actively seeking foreign sources and partnerships to secure many of these materials.

Statement 3 is correct: In 2023, India’s Parliament passed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023, which gave the central government powers to exclusively conduct auctions of mineral concessions for specified critical minerals. This amendment empowers the central government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite licence for certain critical minerals viz. molybdenum, rhenium, tungsten, cadmium, indium, gallium, graphite, vanadium, tellurium, selenium, nickel, cobalt, tin, platinum group of elements, minerals of "rare earth" group (not containing Uranium and Thorium). This amendment also mentions, even though auction would be conducted by the Central Government, the mining lease or composite licence for these minerals to the successful bidders will be granted by the State Government only and the auction premium and other statutory payments shall continue to be received by the State Government.

Explanation

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America. It was established at the signing of the North Atlantic Treaty on 4 April 1949. As of May 2025, NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) has 32 member countries. Here’s the complete list: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States. Hence, only four of the given countries are part of NATO. Austria and Serbia are not NATO members.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional forum of seven member countries. BIMSTEC forum brings together five countries in South Asia (Bhutan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka) and two in South East Asia (Myanmar and Thailand). BIMSTEC includes countries of the Bay of Bengal region and seeks to act as a bridge between South and Southeast Asia.

Statement 2 is incorrect: BIMSTEC was originally formed as BIST-EC in June 1997. It was founded as BIST-EC, in June 1997, with the adoption of the Bangkok Declaration.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand are founding members of this organisation. It was originally formed as BIST-EC (Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand Economic Cooperation) in 1997. It became BIMST-EC after Myanmar joined it in 1997 itself. It became BIMSTEC in 2004 with the joining of Nepal and Bhutan. Nepal joined in 2004.

Statement 4 is incorrect: the Fifth BIMSTEC Summit (Colombo, Sri Lanka (virtual), 30 March 2022) approved the following seven Sectors and Sub-sectors of BIMSTEC Cooperation: (i)Trade, Investment and Development (ii) Environment and Climate Change (iii) Security; Sub-sectors: Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime; Disaster Management; Energy (iv) Agriculture and Food Security; Sub-sectors: Agriculture; Fisheries and Livestock (v) People-to-People Contact; Sub-sectors: Culture; Tourism; People-to-People Contact (vi) Science, Technology, and Innovation; Sub-sectors: Technology; Health; Human Resource Development (vii) Connectivity. Tourism is led by Nepal while India leads Security.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: The UN General Assembly has declared 2026 as the International Year of the Woman Farmer.

Pair 2 is correctly matched: The United Nations has proclaimed 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. The United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on 26 February 2024 to declare 2027 as the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism.

Pair 3 is correctly matched: The UN General Assembly has adopted a resolution to declare 2025 as the International Year of Peace and Trust. It calls on the international community to resolve conflicts through inclusive dialogue and negotiation in order to ensure the strengthening of peace and trust in relations between UN member states as a value that promotes sustainable development, peace and security, and human rights. 2025 has been proclaimed an international year devoted to four different themes: International Year of Glaciers, Peace, Quantum science and Cooperatives.

Pair 4 is correctly matched: In 2024, the UN General Assembly declared 2029 the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence to take advantage of the close approach of 99942 Apophis and raise global awareness about asteroids.

Explanation

The BRICS is a forum for cooperation among a group of leading emerging economies. BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, the original five members. The BRICS now includes 10 countries - Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russian Federation, South Africa, United Arab Emirates.

Statement 1 is correct: The 16th BRICS Summit was held under Russia’s Chairship, in Kazan. At the conclusion of the Summit, the leaders adopted the ‘Kazan Declaration’. The 17th BRICS Summit will be hosted by Brazil.

Statement 2 is correct: Recently, Indonesia has officially joined the BRICS group as the 10th member, effective from January 2025. Indonesia has been admitted as a full member of the BRICS bloc of developing economies.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security."

Explanation

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal network connecting India to Central Asia and Europe via Iran. The route links the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea through Iran, and then extends to Russia and Northern Europe, facilitating trade between India, Iran, Azerbaijan, Russia, Central Asia, and Europe. INSTC (International North-South Transport Corridor) is India’s vision and initiative to reduce the time taken for EXIM shipments to reach Russia, Europe and enter the central Asian markets. Successful activation of the corridor will help connect India to Russia and Central Asian countries. The Chabahar Port, located in Iran, is the commercial transit centre for the region, especially Central Asia.

Explanation

Options 1, 2 and 4 are correct:

Italy has a low birth rate and ageing population. The country has one of the lowest fertility rates in the world at around 1.3 children per woman (well below the replacement rate of 2.1). This has led to a rapidly ageing population, with a significant proportion of the population over 65 years old. Japan is often highlighted for its aging population and declining population. The country has one of the oldest populations in the world with over 28% of its population aged 65 or older. Japan’s birth rate is also very low, at around 1.4 children per woman leading to a shrinking population. South Korea is frequently mentioned for its extremely low birth rate, which is the lowest in the world at around 0.7-0.8 children per woman. This has led to concerns about a rapidly ageing population and a declining workforce. Options 3 and 5 are incorrect:

Nigeria has one of the highest fertility rates in the world at around 4.5-5.3 children per woman and a very young population. The median age in Nigeria is approximately 18 years which makes it one of the youngest countries globally. South Africa is not typically associated with low birth rates or an ageing population. Fertility rate remains at around 2.2-2.4 children per woman which is more than the replacement rate. The country also has a relatively young population with a median age of approximately 28 years.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023 was a joint military exercise between India and Sri Lanka, not Bangladesh.

Statement 2 is correct: The ninth edition of the Joint Military exercise "Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023" was held at the Foreign Training Node in Aundh, Pune.

Statement 3 is correct: The primary objective of the exercise was to rehearse sub-conventional operations under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter focusing on joint responses during counter-terrorism operations. Activities included raids, search-and-destroy missions, and heliborne operations. The Scope of the exercise included synergising joint responses during counter-terrorist operations.

Statement 4 is correct: Indian Air Force was part of this as both sides practiced tactical actions such as raid, search and destroy missions, heliborne operations, etc. For the first time, Exercise Mitra Shakti-2023 included participation from the Indian Air Force (15 personnel) and the Sri Lankan Air Force (5 personnel) making it a bi-service exercise.

Explanation

Pair 1 is correctly matched: Argentina has been experiencing a severe economic crisis characterized by hyperinflation, a depreciating peso, and fiscal instability. Persistent fiscal deficits and chronic inflation are longstanding issues in Argentina. The inflation rate averaged 190% between 1944 and 2023, and the government defaulted on its sovereign debt nine times (of which three occurred during the past two decades).

Pair 2 is correctly matched: Since April 2023, Sudan has been embroiled in a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). This civil war has resulted in significant casualties and displacement of civilians.

Pair 3 is incorrectly matched: As of February 2025, Turkey remains a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). It plays a strategic role in the alliance particularly due to its geographic location bridging Europe and Asia. 10 International Relations and Current Affairs

Explanation

Statement I is correct: The Sumed Pipeline serves as a crucial conduit for transporting oil from the Persian Gulf to Europe especially when transit through the Suez Canal is not feasible. It provides an alternative route, ensuring the continuous flow of energy supplies to European markets.

Statement II is correct: The Sumed Pipeline runs through Egypt, linking the Ain Sukhna terminal on the Red Sea coast to the Sidi Kerir terminal on the Mediterranean coast. This connection facilitates the movement of oil between these two significant bodies of water. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, and Statement-II explains Statement-I: The pipeline’s connection between the Red Sea and the Mediterranean Sea is the reason it serves as a strategic route for Persian Gulf oil shipments to Europe.