International Relations

The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal transport network aimed at boosting trade between India, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, using a combination of sea, rail, and road routes via Iran.


The corridor connects Mumbai → Bandar Abbas (Iran) → Azerbaijan → Russia → Europe, with access to Central Asia.

Pair I: International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026 — Correct *The UN designated 2026 to honor the vital role of women in agriculture and to address gender inequalities in farming globally.*

Pair II: International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027 — Correct *2027 is proclaimed to promote tourism that supports sustainable development and resilience against climate and health challenges.*

Pair III: International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025 — Correct *The year 2025 focuses on fostering global peace, trust, and cooperation among nations and communities.*

Pair IV: International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029 — Correct *2029 marks the UN's focus on asteroid awareness and planetary defense, coinciding with asteroid Apophis's close approach.*

Therefore, all four pairs are correctly matched.

Statement I is Correct: The 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24, 2024. Russia held the rotating chairship for the year 2024.

Statement II is Correct: Indonesia officially announced its intention to join BRICS and has been integrated into the bloc as a full member following the 16th Summit in Kazan, as part of the group's ongoing expansion to include key emerging economies from the Global South.

Statement III is Incorrect: The official theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security." The statement incorrectly uses the word "Multiculturalism," which changes the diplomatic meaning of the theme.

Statement I is Incorrect: The 45th Chess Olympiad (2024) is a team-based tournament played in a Swiss-system format, not an individual knockout competition with a "final" match. While India won the gold medal and Gukesh Dommaraju won individual gold on Board 1, he did not defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi in a final; Russian teams were suspended from the 2024 Olympiad by FIDE.

Statement II is Correct: Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, became the world's youngest Grandmaster in June 2021 at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days, breaking the previous record held by Sergey Karjakin.

Statement I: Correct *India co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris (Feb 2025), continuing efforts from the Bletchley Park (UK, 2023) and Seoul (South Korea, 2024) Summits on AI governance.*

Statement II: Incorrect *The joint statement on 'Inclusive and Sustainable AI' was signed by 58 countries including India and China, but the US and UK did not sign due to concerns about overregulation.*

Correct Answer: Only Statement I is correct.

Statement I: Correct The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi, India, from January 13-19, 2025.

Statement II: Incorrect India defeated Nepal 54-36 (not 78-40) to win the men's final.

Statement III: Incorrect India beat Nepal 78-40 (not 54-36) in the women's final.

Additional Context: 24 countries participated, and the event was organized by the Kho Kho Federation of India with the International Kho Kho Federation.

Therefore, only Statement I is correct.

Statement I: Correct *BIMSTEC currently has seven members: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, and Bhutan.*

Statement II: Incorrect *BIMSTEC was established by the Bangkok Declaration in 1997, not the Dhaka Declaration in 1999.*

Statement III: Incorrect *Founding members were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar; Nepal and Bhutan joined later.*

Statement IV: Incorrect *Nepal leads tourism subsector, not India; India leads sectors like Counter-Terrorism and Energy.*

Correct Answer: Only Statement I is correct.

I. Austria - Not a NATO member (maintains neutrality).

II.Bulgaria - NATO member (joined in 2004).

III. Croatia - NATO member (joined in 2009).

IV.Serbia - Not a NATO member (participates in Partnership for Peace, but not a full member).

V. Sweden - NATO member (officially joined in March 2024).

VI. North Macedonia - NATO member (joined in 2020).

So, four of the listed countries are members of NATO: Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia.

The Assertion is Correct: The European Parliament officially approved the Net-Zero Industry Act in April 2024 to scale up the manufacturing of clean technologies within the EU.

The Reason is Incorrect: The European Union's target for achieving carbon neutrality is 2050 (as per the European Climate Law), not 2040, and the Act sets a target to meet 40% of its clean technology needs by 2030 rather than developing all of its own technology by 2040.

Statement-II is factually incorrect and therefore does not explain Statement-I.

Statement-I: Incorrect. Venezuela continues to suffer from a severe economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods, and political instability. This crisis has led to a massive exodus of Venezuelans seeking better living conditions in neighboring countries and beyond.


Statement-II: Correct. Venezuela indeed possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, surpassing even Saudi Arabia. However, despite this vast resource wealth, economic mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions have crippled its oil industry and hindered its ability to leverage this asset for economic recovery.

* Argentina - Worst economic crisis: Correct. Argentina has been facing a severe economic crisis for a while, marked by high inflation, debt, and poverty.

* Sudan - War between the country's regular army and paramilitary forces: Correct. Sudan has been engulfed in a violent conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.

* Turkey - Rescinded its membership of NATO: Incorrect. Turkey has not rescinded its membership of NATO. While there have been tensions between Turkey and other NATO members, it remains a member.


_Therefore, only two out of the three pairs are correctly matched._

* Statement-I: There is instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. This statement is correct as the Sahel region has been experiencing significant instability and security challenges, including terrorism, armed conflict, and humanitarian crises.

* Statement-II: There have been military takeovers/coups d'état in several countries of the Sahel region in the recent past. This statement is also correct. Several countries in the Sahel region, such as Mali, Burkina Faso, and Chad, have experienced military coups in recent years.


* Statement-II explains Statement-I because the military takeovers and coups contribute to the instability and worsening security situation in the Sahel region. The political instability resulting from these coups disrupts governance, exacerbates conflict, and undermines efforts to address security and development challenges in the region.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023 was a joint military exercise between India and Sri Lanka.

* Statement 2 is correct: The ninth edition of Joint Military exercise "Exercise MITRA SHAKTI-2023" commenced in Aundh (Pune).

* Statement 3 is correct: The Scope of the exercise includes synergizing joint responses during counter-terrorist operations.

* Statement 4 is correct: 15 personnel from Indian Air Force and five personnel from Sri Lankan Air Force participated in the exercise.

* Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is an Indian diplomat and politician serving as the Minister of External Affairs of India since 2019. He has authored two prominent books:

* 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World' (2020) which provides insights into India's foreign policy approach.

* 'Why Bharat Matters' is a compilation of his articles and speeches that delve into India's global significance.


The Assertion is Correct: The 'Trade and Technology Council' (TTC) was launched by the United States and the European Union during the EU-US Summit in Brussels on June 15, 2021. The Reason is Incorrect: The USA and EU do not aim to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control; instead, the TTC aims to foster cooperation on digital transformation, supply chain resilience, and shared democratic values. Since the Reason is incorrect, it does not serve as an explanation for the Assertion.

* Statement I is correct: Several Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, have established diplomatic relations with Israel.

* Statement II is incorrect: The Arab Peace Initiative, mediated by Saudi Arabia, was endorsed by the Arab League but not signed by Israel. It outlines a path towards peace in exchange for Israeli concessions, but Israel has not formally accepted all its terms.

Statement 1 is Correct: Affordable housing is one of the three primary focus areas of the UNOPS S3i initiative, aimed at addressing the global shortage of high-quality, sustainable housing.

Statement 2 is Incorrect: Mass rapid transport is not included in the specific investment mandate of the S3i initiative, which focuses exclusively on housing, energy, and health infrastructure.

Statement 3 is Correct: Health care (specifically health infrastructure) is a core focus area for S3i to improve access to essential medical services in underserved regions.

Statement 4 is Correct: Renewable energy is a key focus area for S3i, supporting the global transition to clean energy and climate-resilient infrastructure.

SK Tip: The UNOPS S3i initiative has a strictly defined mandate focusing on only three sectors: Affordable Housing, Renewable Energy, and Health Infrastructure. While other sectors like transport are vital for the SDGs, they do not fall under the S3i investment umbrella.

None of the pairs (1, 2, or 3) are correctly matched. Let's break it down:

1. North Kivu and Ituri: This region in the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences conflict, but is not related to the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

2. Nagorno-Karabakh: This enclave is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the insurgency is happening in Mozambique.

3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia: These are currently under heavy fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, not a dispute between Israel and Lebanon.


* Both statements about the G-20 are correct

* Statement 1 is correct: The G-20 originated as a forum for Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to address global economic and financial issues. It has since expanded its focus to other areas of international cooperation.

* Statement 2 is correct: India, as the chair of the G-20 in 2023, prioritised digital public infrastructure as one of its key areas of focus. This included discussions on promoting responsible use of artificial intelligence, bridging the digital divide, and fostering inclusive growth through digitalization.

* The Stability and Growth Pact (SGP) is an agreement, among all of the 27 member states of the European Union, to facilitate and maintain the economic stability of the EU countries.The European Commission and the Council of the European Union, monitors the fiscal condition of EU member countries from time to time to ensure their fiscal stability.

* Statement 1 is correct: It is true that SGP aims to level the budget deficits of European countries. The corrective arm of the Stability and Growth Pact ensures that Member States adopt appropriate policy responses to correct excessive deficits (and/or debts) by implementing the Excessive Deficit Procedure (EDP). Also the SGP requires the EU Member States to lay out their fiscal plans for the next three years to limit their budget deficits.

* Statement 2 and 3 are incorrect: The SGP treaty does not require its members to share their infrastructure facilities nor their technologies with other countries. The purpose of the SGP was to ensure that fiscal discipline would be maintained and enforced in the European Union.

* Somalia has been experiencing civil war and instability since the early 1990s. This ongoing conflict has severely disrupted agricultural production, trade, and basic services, leading to food insecurity.

* Somalia is one of the countries most vulnerable to food insecurity due to a combination of factors like drought, conflict, and poverty.

* Somalia has faced several severe famines in recent decades, with the most recent one occurring in 2020-2021. The UN warned it was on the brink of "famine of unparalleled proportions" due to a perfect storm of drought, locust infestations, and economic hardship.

* Statement 1 is incorrect: So far only 163 countries have adopted the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM), the United States, Hungary, Israel, Czech Republic and Poland are some of the countries that voted against the compact.

* Statement 2 is incorrect: The GCM is not legally binding on UN member countries. It's a non-legally binding framework for cooperation.

* Statement 3 is incorrect: The GCM primarily focuses on international migration, not internal displacement.

Pair 1 is Incorrect: Donbas is a historical and industrial region in eastern Ukraine, comprising the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. It has been a primary theater of conflict between Ukrainian forces and Russian-backed separatists/Russian forces.

Pair 2 is Incorrect: Kachin State is the northernmost state of Myanmar. It has been the site of long-standing conflict between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) seeking ethnic autonomy.

Pair 3 is Incorrect: Tigray is the northernmost region of Ethiopia. Since 2020, it has been the center of a major civil conflict involving the Ethiopian federal government, the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and neighboring Eritrea.

* Successful Coups There have been several military coups in these countries in recent years - Chad (2021) - Guinea (2021) - Mali (2020, 2021) - Sudan (2019)

* Military coups often lead to political instability, international concern about human rights, and potential disruption to trade and regional security.


Statement 1 is correct. The United Nations General Assembly may grant non-member states, international organizations, and other entities Permanent Observer Status.

Statement 2 is correct. The General Assembly decided that observer status would be confined to States and intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly.

Statement 3 is correct. Permanent Observers may participate in the sessions and workings of the General Assembly and maintain missions at the UN Headquarters.

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. China has not established any permanent military base in Chad.

Pair 2 is correctly matched. Guinean special forces staged a coup, captured President Alpha Conde, replaced governors with the military, and dissolved the constitution and National Assembly.

Pair 3 is correctly matched. Lebanon has been experiencing a severe and prolonged economic depression since 2019, driven by political instability, inadequate reforms, and systemic corruption. The economic crisis has affected approximately 74% of the population.

Pair 4 is correctly matched. Tunisian President Kais Saied dissolved the suspended parliament after lawmakers held an online meeting and voted to repeal presidential decrees. He called it a failed coup attempt.


The Polar Code is an international maritime regulation that sets safety and environmental standards for shipping in polar waters.

International maritime regulation, the Polar Code, is adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for the safety and security of shipping.

The code specifically addresses the unique challenges and risks associated with navigation in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.

The code establishes mandatory requirements for aspects like ship design, construction, equipment, operational procedures, crew training, and pollution prevention to ensure safe and environmentally sound navigation in polar waters.

Senkaku Islands are a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea.


Japan and China claim the uninhabited islands, known as the Senkaku in Japan and Tiaoyu in China, as their own, but Japan has administered them since 1972.

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Vietnam's open economic policy of recent years integrating into global supply chains has made the growth success story possible. Vietnam's export-led growth strategy and global integration are among the key factors behind the country's remarkable achievements in growth and poverty. Vietnam was one among the few countries to post GDP growth rate figures in 2020 when the pandemic hit. Vietnam is projected to be the fastest-growing internet economy in Southeast Asia in the next 10 years.

Statement 2 is not correct. Vietnam is a one-party communist state, not a multi-party parliamentary democracy.


Statement 4 is correct. Thanks to an abundance of low-wage labour, Vietnam's manufacturing sector grew at a compound annual growth in the last decade. As the rest of East Asia developed and wages there rose, global manufacturers were lured by Vietnam's low labour costs and stable exchange rate. Hence,

Statement 5 is not correct. According to the Asian Development Bank Report, e-services including digital financial services are at a very nascent stage in Vietnam.

Statement 1 is correct: UNCLOS allows coastal states to define the breadth of their territorial sea up to a limit of 12 nautical miles, measured from a baseline established according to the Convention.

Statement 2 is correct: UNCLOS guarantees the right of innocent passage for ships of all states, including coastal and land-locked nations, through the territorial sea of another state. Innocent passage refers to non-threatening travel that doesn't harm the coastal state's security or interests.

Statement 3 is correct: UNCLOS sets the limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) at 200 nautical miles from the baseline used to measure the territorial sea. The EEZ grants the coastal state exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage resources (living and non-living) within the zone.


Hence, all three statements about the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) are correct.