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 151–160 of 182 questions
Browse International Relations and Current Affairs chaptersBrowse by year
UPSC 2016International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q151. Why does the Government of India promote the use of Neem-coated Urea’ in agriculture?
Explanation
Introduced by the Government of India in 2015, the Neem-coated Urea policy aims to improve nitrogen use efficiency and curb the diversion of urea for non-agricultural purposes. The neem coating slows the dissolution rate of urea in the soil, ensuring a gradual release of nitrogen that minimizes nutrient loss and boosts crop productivity. Additionally, it helps prevent soil degradation caused by overuse of urea and discourages illegal diversion for industrial applications, as neem-coated urea is unsuitable for non-agricultural uses.
UPSC 2016International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q152. With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct? 1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with cluster approach. 2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme. 3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irriga-tion equipment. Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The initiative promotes advanced production, post-harvest technologies, and value addition techniques to enhance millet productivity and processing.
Statement 2 is correct: The scheme benefits poor, marginal, and tribal farmers as millets are drought-resistant and thrive in low-input farming conditions.
Statement 3 is incorrect: While the initiative promotes millet cultivation, it does not mandate shifting from commercial crops or provide free kits for inputs and micro-irrigation equipment.
UPSC 2016International Relations and Current Affairs · Miscellaneous
Q153. Which of the following are the key features of the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA)? 1. The river basin is the unit of planning and management. 2. It spearheads the river conservation efforts at the national level. 3. One of the Chief Ministers of the States through which the Ganga flows becomes the Chairman of NGRBA on the rotation basis. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Explanation
Statement 1 is correct: The entire Ganga River Basin is used as a planning and management unit, ensuring comprehensive conservation efforts.
Statement 2 is correct: NGRBA is responsible for national-lev-el policy and implementation strategies for river cleaning and pollution control.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Prime Minister of India is the Chairperson of NGRBA, not a rotating Chief Minister.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q154. Consider the following countries: 1. China 2. France 3. India 4. Israel 5. Pakistan Which among the above are Nuclear Weapons States as recognized by the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?
Explanation
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) classifies Nuclear-Weapon States (NWS) as those that tested nuclear weapons before January 1, 1967. These include China (Tested in 1964), France (Tested in 1960), Russia (formerly Soviet Union, 1949), United Kingdom (Tested in 1952) and United States (Tested in 1945).
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q155. Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action’, often seen in the news, is:
Explanation
Option (c) is correct: The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (BPfA) is a landmark international agenda for gender equality and women’s empowerment. It was adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing in 1995, organized by the United Nations. It is recognized as one of the most comprehensive global commitments to advancing women’s rights. The BPfA serves as a guiding framework for national and international efforts to achieve gender equality. Options (a), (b) and (d) are incorrect:
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) focuses on security and economic cooperation. APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) deals with trade and economic policies, not gender equality. Wildlife trafficking is addressed under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) and the East Asia Summit, but this is unrelated to the Beijing Declaration.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q156. With reference to Indian Ocean Rim Association for Regional Cooperation (IOR-ARC), consider the following statements: 1. It was established very recently in response to incidents of piracy and accidents of oil spills. 2. It is an alliance meant for maritime security only. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), formerly IOR-ARC, was established in 1997. It was not formed in response to piracy or oil spills but to promote regional economic cooperation, trade, and devel-opment among Indian Ocean nations. Piracy and maritime security became important issues later, but they were not the primary reason for formation of IOR-ARC.
Statement 2 is incorrect: IORA is not just about maritime security; it covers a broad range of areas, including: Trade and investment facilitation, Fisheries management, Disaster risk reduction, Academic and scientific cooperation, Tourism and cultural exchanges.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q157. In the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, an initiative of six countries, which of the following is/are not a participant/participants? 1. Bangladesh 2. Cambodia 3. China 4. Myanmar 5. Thailand Select the correct answer by using the code given below:
Explanation
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) is a regional cooperation initiative launched in 2000 to strengthen ties between India and five Southeast Asian countries along the Mekong River and the Ganges River. MGC Member Countries include India, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam. Clearly, Bangladesh and China are not participants in MGC.
Additional insight:
Objectives of MGC include:
Strengthening economic collaboration and trade between member nations, Advancing cultural interactions and people-to-people connections, and Encouraging dialogue and partnership on shared concerns. The MGC’s four core cooperation areas encompass tourism, culture, education, and transport & communication. Additionally, it has broadened its scope to cover emerging fields such as health and traditional medicine, agriculture and allied industries, small and medium enterprises, water resource management, science and technology, skill enhancement, and capacity development.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q158. India is a member of which among the following? 1. Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation 2. Association of South-East Asian Nations 3. East Asia Summit Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: APEC is a 21-member economic forum focused on promoting free trade and economic co-operation in the Asia-Pacific region. India has been seeking APEC membership, but it has not yet been admitted.
Statement 2 is incorrect: ASEAN is a regional group of 10 Southeast Asian countries. However, India has strong ties with ASEAN and is a part of the ASEAN+6 framework but is not a full member.
Statement 3 is correct: India is a member of the East Asia Summit (EAS). EAS includes 18 countries, including ASEAN members + India, China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and the US. It focuses on political, security, and economic issues in the Indo-Pacific region. It promotes peace, stability, connectivity, and cooperation on global challenges such as climate change and health security.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q159. Amnesty International is:
Explanation
Option (a) is incorrect: Amnesty International is NOT a UN agency. UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) is the actual UN body responsible for refugee assistance.
Option (b) is correct: Amnesty International fights for human rights globally hence, is the correct answer.
Option (c) is incorrect: Amnesty focuses on human rights, not poverty alleviation. Organizations like Oxfam and ActionAid focus on helping the poor.
Option (d) is incorrect: Amnesty International is not intergovernmental. Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) deals with medical emergencies.
UPSC 2015International Relations and Current Affairs · International Relations
Q160. The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:
Explanation
Option (a) is incorrect: Central Asia includes Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, and Golan Heights is not in this region.
Option (b) is correct: Golan Heights is in the Middle East, contested between Israel and Syria.
Option (c) is incorrect: Southeast Asia includes countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar, but Golan Heights is unrelated to this region.
Option (d) is incorrect: Central Africa includes DR Congo, Chad, and the Central African Republic, not related to the Golan Heights.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
151
2016
(b) Neem coating slows down the rate of dissolution of urea in the soil
152
2016
(c) 1 and 2 only
153
2016
(a) 1 and 2 only
154
2015
(a) 1 and 2 only
155
2015
(c) An agenda for women’s empowerment, an outcome of a World Conference convened by the United Nations
156
2015
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
157
2015
(c) 1 and 3
158
2015
(b) 3 only
159
2015
(b) A global Human Rights Movement
160
2015
(b) Middle East
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.
