International Relations and Current Affairs: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)
182 previous year UPSC Prelims International Relations and Current Affairs questions are on this page, from 2011 to 2025, in 3 chapters. International Relations is the largest, covering groupings, treaties, reports and countries in the news. Current Affairs and Miscellaneous add national schemes, awards, sports and institutions. The set is recent, so the explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
Showing 91–100 of 182 questions
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UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Current Affairs
Q91. The terms WannaCry, Petya and EternalBlue’ sometimes mentioned in the news recently are related to:
Explanation
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.
Additional insight:
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.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Current Affairs
Q92. What is "Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD)", sometimes seen in the news?
Explanation
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.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Current Affairs
Q93. Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India? 1. Formation of India’s own Internet companies like China did. 2. Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries. 3. Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our schools, public places and major tourist centres. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
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.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q94. With reference to organic farming in India, consider the following statements: 1. ‘The National Programme for Organic Production’ (NPOP) is operated under the guidelines and directions of the Union Ministry of Rural Development. 2. ‘The Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Devel-opment Authority’ (APEDA) functions as the Secretariat for the implementation of NPOP. 3. Sikkim has become India’s first fully organic State. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: NPOP is implemented under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Rural Development. It sets standards for organic production and certification.
Statement 2 is correct: APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority), under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, serves as the Secretariat for NPOP, ensuring certification and export facilitation of organic products.
Statement 3 is correct: Sikkim became India’s first fully organic state in 2016, implementing strict policies to eliminate chemical fertilizers and pesticides, covering 75,000 hectares of farmland under organic farming.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q95. Consider the following events: 1. The first democratically elected communist party government formed in a State in India. 2. India’s then largest bank, ‘Imperial Bank of India’, was renamed ‘State Bank of India’. 3. Air India was nationalised and became the national carrier. 4. Goa became a part of independent India. Which of the following is the correct chronological sequence of the above events?
Explanation
Air India was nationalized in 1953 under the Air Corporations Act, 1953. Imperial Bank of India was renamed as the State Bank of India (SBI) in 1955 as part of banking sector reforms. India’s first democratically elected communist government was formed in Kerala in 1957, with E.M.S. Namboodiripad as Chief Minister. Goa was annexed by India and became part of independent India in 1961 after "Operation Vijay". Therefore, the correct chronological sequence is 3-2-1-4. Thus, the correct chronological order is 1953 (Air India Nationalization) 1955 (SBI Renaming) 1957 (First Communist Government) 1961 (Goa’s Liberation).
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q96. With reference to Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, consider the following statements: 1. It is the flagship scheme of the Ministry of Labour and Employment. 2. It, among other things, will also impart training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy. 3. It aims to align the competencies of the unregulated workforce of the country to the National Qualification Skill Framework. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) is a flagship skill development pro-gram aimed at enhancing employability among youth. It is implemented by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), not the Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Statement 2 is correct: The scheme imparts training in soft skills, entrepreneurship, financial and digital literacy, improving employment readiness.
Statement 3 is correct: It aligns competencies of informal sector workers with the National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF) to standardize skill assessment.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q97. With reference to solar power production in India, consider the following statements: 1. India is the third largest in the world in the manufacture of silicon wafers used in photovoltaic units. 2. The solar power tariffs are determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: India does not rank third in silicon wafer manufacturing. The top three manufacturers are China, Taiwan, and South Korea. India still imports most of its solar photovoltaic (PV) wafers.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Solar tariffs in India are not determined by the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), but by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) and state electricity regulatory commissions (SERCs) through competitive bidding.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q98. With reference to the provisions made under the National Food Security Act, 2013, consider the following statements: 1. The families coming under the category of ‘below poverty line (BPL)’ only are eligible to receive subsidised food grains. 2. The eldest woman in a household, of age 18 years or above, shall be the head of the household for the purpose of issuance of a ration card. 3. Pregnant women and lactating mothers are entitled to a ‘take-home ration’ of 1600 calories per day during pregnancy and for six months thereafter. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect:The National Food Security Act (NFSA), 2013 aims to provide food and nutritional security to the population through subsidized food grains. The NFSA covers up to 75% of the rural population and 50% of the urban population, not just BPL families. It includes Priority House-holds and Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) beneficiaries.
Statement 2 is correct: As per Section 13 of the NFSA, the eldest woman (18 years or above) is mandated to be the head of the household for the purpose of ration card issuance.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Pregnant women and lactating mothers receive free meals under the Integrated Child Devel-opment Services (ICDS) scheme, but no fixed calorie intake of 1600 kcal per day is prescribed in the NFSA.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q99. The identity platform ‘Aadhaar’ provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply? 1. It can be integrated into any electronic device. 2. Online authentication using iris is possible. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: Aadhaar APIs can be integrated into multiple electronic devices such as biometric scanners, mobile phones, and ATMs to enable identity verification and digital transactions.
Statement 2 is correct: Aadhaar authentication supports irisbased verification, which is more secure and accurate than fingerprint-based authentication, especially for elderly individuals and those engaged in manual labor. The Aadhaar identity platform enables seamless authentication and integration with various applications through open Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), facilitating secure digital identity verification.
UPSC 2018International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q100. Consider the following statements: 1. Aadhaar card can be used as a proof of citizenship or domicile. 2. Once issued, Aadhaar number cannot be deactivated or omitted by the Issuing Authority. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: Aadhaar is a 12-digit unique identification number issued by UIDAI to Indian residents based on biometric and demographic data. However, it does not serve as proof of citizenship or domicile, as it is issued to all residents, including foreign nationals residing in India.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Aadhaar numbers can be deactivated or omitted by UIDAI in cases of fraud, duplication, or non-use for an extended period, as per Section 23 of the Aadhaar Act, 2016.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
91
2018
(c) Cyber attacks
92
2018
(c) An American anti-missile system
93
2018
(b) 3 only
94
2018
(b) 2 and 3 only
95
2018
(b) 3-2-1-4
96
2018
(c) 2 and 3 only
97
2018
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
98
2018
(b) 2 only
99
2018
(c) Both 1 and 2
100
2018
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
What UPSC has tested in International Relations and Current Affairs
Questions about reports and indices ask which organisation publishes them, such as the World Economic Forum, the IMF, the World Bank and the World Justice Project.
Country-grouping questions ask how many of the listed countries belong to a group, such as NATO, G20 or UPI payment partners.
Current-affairs items in recent papers include the AI Action Summit, the Kho Kho World Cup, the Chess Olympiad and the Gandhi Peace Prize jury.
Many items are one-line identifications: what a term means, who wrote a book, or which body issued a report.
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on International Relations and Current Affairs?
This page covers 182 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on International Relations and Current Affairs, asked from 2011 to 2025. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
Which chapters does International Relations and Current Affairs have?
Three: International Relations with 91 questions, Current Affairs with 48 and Miscellaneous with 43. International Relations covers groupings, treaties and countries in the news, while the other two cover national schemes, institutions, sports and awards.
Which years do these questions cover?
They run from 2011 to 2025, so almost all are recent. This keeps the facts closer to today, although each explanation states the position as it stood in the year the question was asked.
Are the 2025 questions on BRICS, BIMSTEC and the AI Action Summit included?
Yes. The 2025 paper’s questions on BRICS, BIMSTEC, INSTC, the Minerals Security Partnership, NATO membership, the AI Action Summit, Kho Kho and the Gandhi Peace Prize jury are included with their explanations.
