International Relations: UPSC Previous Year Questions (International Relations and Current Affairs)
91 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on international relations appear here, from 2011 to 2025. UPSC asks which organisation issues which report, which countries belong to a grouping, what a treaty or initiative does and where a place in the news is. The explanations give the member list and purpose so that country-count questions can be settled.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 21–30 of 91 questions
Browse by year
UPSC 2023International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q21. Consider the following statements about G-20: 1. The G-20 group was originally established as a platform for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss international economic and financial issues. 2. Digital public infrastructure is one of India’s G-20 priorities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The G-20 was established in 1999 in response to the financial crises of the late 1990s. It began as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors from major economies to discuss international economic and financial issues. The primary aim was to bring together both developed and emerging economies to promote international financial stability.
Statement 2 is correct: During its G-20 presidency in 2023, India has prioritized digital public infrastructure (DPI) as a key agenda item. India has been a global leader in developing and implementing DPI such as the Aadhaar biometric identification system, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), and the DigiLocker platform. India aims to share its expertise and promote the adoption of DPI globally to foster inclusive growth and digital transformation.
UPSC 2023International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q22. Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the Trade and Technology Council. Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Explanation
Statement-I is correct: The U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC) was launched in June 2021 as a forum to strengthen transatlantic cooperation on trade, technology, and supply chain issues. The TTC aims to address shared challenges such as climate change, digital governance, and global trade standards and counter the influence of non-market economies like China. Statement-II is incorrect: The primary goal of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council is not to bring technological progress and physical productivity "under their control." The TTC focuses on fostering collaboration in areas such as:
Setting global standards for emerging technologies (e.g., AI, semiconductors). Ensuring secure and resilient supply chains. Promoting democratic values in technology governance. Addressing unfair trade practices and economic coercion. The TTC emphasizes cooperation and shared governance, not unilateral control.
UPSC 2023International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q23. Consider the following statements: The ‘Stability and Growth Pact’ of the European Union is a treaty that 1. limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union 2. makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities 3. enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is an agreement among the member states of the European Union (EU) to facilitate and maintain the stability of the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU). It sets limits on the budgetary deficits and public debt of EU member states. It requires countries to keep their budget deficits below 3% of GDP and public debt below 60% of GDP or to be working towards these targets. Statements 2 and 3 are incorrect:
The Stability and Growth Pact does not mandate or involve sharing infrastructure facilities among EU member states. It is purely focused on fiscal discipline and economic stability. The Stability and Growth Pact does not directly deal with technology sharing or cooperation in technological development.
UPSC 2023International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q24. Consider the following statements: 1. Recently, all the countries of the United Nations have adopted the first-ever compact for international migration, the ‘Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM)’. 2. The objectives and commitments stated in the GCM are binding on the UN member countries. 3. The GCM addresses internal migration or internally displaced people also in its objectives and commitments. How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM) was adopted by most UN member states in December 2018 but not all. Countries like the US, Hungary, Poland, Israel, and the Czech Republic did not endorse it. It is the first global framework on international migration.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The GCM is a non-binding agreement. It is a cooperative framework that provides guidelines and best practices for managing international migration but does not impose legally binding obligations on UN member states. It respects the sovereignty of states and is intended to foster inter-national cooperation.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The GCM specifically focuses on international migration and does not address internal migration or internally displaced people (IDPs). Internal displacement is covered by other frameworks such as the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement.
UPSC 2023International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q25. Which one of the following countries has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine?
Explanation
Somalia, the Eastern African nation has endured decades of civil strife and political instability since its central government collapsed in 1991, leading to widespread violence and displacement. Recurring droughts exacerbated by climate change and conflict have caused severe food shortages and famine. In 2022 and 2023 Somalia faced one of its worst droughts resulting in a humanitarian crisis. Organizations like the United Nations and the World Food Programme have highlighted the dire situation, calling for urgent aid. The combination of prolonged conflict, economic challenges, and environmental factors has made Somalia a focal point of global attention for its severe famine conditions.
UPSC 2022International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q26. With reference to the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, consider the following statements: 1. A coastal state has the right to establish the breadth of its territorial sea up to a limit not exceeding 12 nautical miles, measured from baseline determined in accordance with the convention. 2. Ships of all states, whether coastal or landlocked, enjoy the right of innocent passage through the territorial sea. 3. nautical miles from the baseline from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), 1982, defines maritime zones and rights of coastal and landlocked states.
Statement 1 is correct: According to Article 3 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), every coastal state has the right to establish its territorial sea up to a maximum breadth of 12 nautical miles from baselines determined under the convention. The state exercises full sovereignty over this zone, including its airspace and seabed.
Statement 2 is correct: Article 17 of UNCLOS provides that all states, including landlocked ones, have the right of "innocent passage" through the territorial sea of a coastal state. Innocent passage means passing through the sea without harming the security, peace, or environment of the coastal state.
Statement 3 is correct: Article 57 of UNCLOS specifies that an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the territorial sea. In this zone, the coastal state has special rights over marine re-sources (fishing, oil exploration, etc.) but it cannot prohibit navigation or overflight by foreign states.
UPSC 2022International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q27. Consider the following countries: 1. Armenia 2. Azerbaijan 3. Croatia 4. Romania 5. Uzbekistan Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?
Explanation
Organization of Turkic States (OTS) formerly known as the Turkic Council was established in 2009 under the Nakh-chivan Agreement. Its primary objective is to promote comprehensive cooperation among Turkic-speaking countries, fostering collaboration based on shared history, culture, and language. Full Members include Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye and Uzbekistan and Observer States are Hungary, Turkmenistan, and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The OTS Secretariat is headquartered in Istanbul, Türkiye. Options (c) is correct:
Azerbaijan is a full member of OTS. It has strong ethnic, linguistic, and cultural ties with Turkey and other Turkic nations. Uzbekistan is a full member of OTS, joining officially in 2019. It is a Turkic-speaking Central Asian country with historical connections to the Turkic world. Armenia is not a Turkic country and is not a member of OTS. It has historical conflicts with Azerbaijan, especially over Nagorno-Karabakh. Croatia is not a Turkic-speaking country and not a member of OTS. It is part of the European Union (EU) and NATO. Romania is not a Turkic-speaking country and not a member of OTS. It has cultural ties with Hungary and the Balkans but not with the Turkic world.
UPSC 2022International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q28. Consider the following statements: 1. Bidibidi is a large refugee settlement in north-western Kenya. 2. Some people who fled from South Sudan civil war live in Bidibidi. 3. Some people who fled from civil war in Somalia live in Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Bidibidi is not in Kenya. It is one of the largest refugee settlements in the world located in north-western Uganda, near the border with South Sudan.
Statement 2 is correct: Bidibidi was established in 2016 to accommodate refugees fleeing the civil war in South Sudan. Bidibidi refugee settlement in Uganda shelters people displaced by the South Sudan civil war (2013-2018). Uganda hosts over 1 million South Sudanese refugees with Bidibidi being the largest settlement.
Statement 3 is correct: The Dadaab refugee complex, located in north-eastern Kenya, has been a major shelter for Somali refugees since the outbreak of civil war in Somalia in 1991. It remains one of the largest and longest-standing refugee camps globally.
UPSC 2022International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q29. With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements: 1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States. 2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly. 3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters. Which of the statements given above are correct?
Explanation
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It is responsible for granting observer status to non-member entities including states and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs).
Statement 1 is correct: The UNGA can grant observer status to non-member states. Having observer status allows them to participate in its sessions and work without voting rights. For example, the Holy See (Vatican City) and Palestine have Permanent Observer status in the UN.
Statement 2 is correct: Inter-governmental organizations (IGOs) can apply for observer status in the UNGA. Examples:
European Union (EU), African Union (AU) and International Organization for Migration (IOM) have observer status at the UN.
Statement 3 is correct: Permanent Observers at the UNGA can establish diplomatic missions at the UN Headquarters in New York. Example: The Holy See and Palestine maintain Permanent Observer Missions at the UN.
UPSC 2022International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q30. With reference to the "United Nations Credentials Committee", consider the following statements: 1. It is a committee set up by the UN Security Council and works under its supervision. 2. It traditionally meets in March, June and September every year. 3. It assesses the credentials of all UN members before submitting a report to the General Assembly for approval. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
The United Nations Credentials Committee is a subsidiary committee of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) and not the UN Security Council. It is responsible for reviewing the credentials of representatives of UN member states and reporting its findings to the General Assembly.
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Credentials Committee is established by the UN General Assembly (UNGA), not the UN Security Council (UNSC). It operates independently of the UNSC and reports directly to the General Assembly.
Statement 2 is incorrect: There is no fixed schedule for the Credentials Committee. It usually meets before the annual General Assembly session in September and whenever necessary. The statement that it meets three times a year (March, June, and September) is not correct.
Statement 3 is correct: The committee reviews and validates the credentials of representatives of all UN member states. It then submits a report to the General Assembly which then votes on whether to accept or reject the credentials. This process ensures that only legitimate representatives of member states participate in UN meetings and decisions.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
21
2023
(c) Both 1 and 2
22
2023
(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
23
2023
(a) Only one
24
2023
(d) None
25
2023
(d) Somalia
26
2022
(d) 1, 2 and 3
27
2022
(c) 2 and 5
28
2022
(c) 2 and 3
29
2022
(d) 1, 2 and 3
30
2022
(a) 3 only
What UPSC has tested in International Relations
The Global Competitiveness Report and Global Gender Gap Index are published by the World Economic Forum; the Global Financial Stability Report is prepared by the IMF.
The Global Economic Prospects report is issued by the World Bank; the Rule of Law Index is released by the World Justice Project.
The ILO Conventions 138 and 182 relate to child labour.
Iran is not a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a data protection law of the European Union.
Chabahar Port gives India access to Afghanistan and Central Asia without depending on Pakistan.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on International Relations?
This page covers 91 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on International Relations (International Relations and Current Affairs), asked from 2011 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Who publishes the Global Competitiveness Report?
The World Economic Forum. It also publishes the Global Gender Gap Index. Rankings from other bodies, such as the World Bank’s Global Economic Prospects and the IMF’s Global Financial Stability Report, are often asked together to test whether you can match the report to its publisher.
Which Gulf country is not a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council?
Iran. The GCC has six members: Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. Iran lies on the other side of the Gulf and has never been a member.
What are ILO Conventions 138 and 182?
Conventions on child labour. Convention 138 sets a minimum age for admission to employment, and Convention 182 calls for the prohibition and elimination of the worst forms of child labour. Both have been ratified by India.
Why is Chabahar Port important to India?
It lets India reach Afghanistan and Central Asia by sea and road through Iran, bypassing Pakistan. India is developing the port’s Shahid Beheshti terminal, and it links to the International North-South Transport Corridor.
