UPSC Essentials daily subject quiz : International Relations MCQs (Week 165) — Check out answers with explanations

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on  International Relations to check your progress.

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With reference to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), consider the following statements:

1. The president of the UN General Assembly oversees sessions of the 193-member body.

2. The President of the UN General Assembly is elected by the UN Security Council.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Relevance: The structure, powers, and functioning of major UN organs are a recurring area in UPSC Prelims. Recent elections to UN bodies and leadership positions frequently make these topics current-affairs relevant.

Explanation

— Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman has been elected the 81st president of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), defeating Cyprus Ambassador Andreas Kakouris in a rare contested vote.

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— The election comes at a significant moment for the United Nations as discussions intensify over the successor to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, whose term ends in 2026.

— The president of the UN General Assembly oversees sessions of the 193-member body and plays a key role in shaping discussions on global diplomacy, development and international conflicts. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The UNGA president is usually selected by consensus or acclamation. The last contested election was held in 2016, when Fijian diplomat Peter Thomson defeated Cyprus’s candidate by four votes. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Quad, which of the following statements is/are not correct?

1. The Quad was formed following the 1991 Indian economic crisis.

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2. The Quad is structured like a multilateral organisation with a secretariat based in New York.

3. Unlike NATO, the Quad does not include provisions for collective defence.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 3 only

(d) 2 only

Relevance: UPSC frequently asks about emerging strategic groupings, their members, objectives, and institutional structures. The Quad is important in the context of the Indo-Pacific, maritime security, and geopolitical developments.

Explanation

— Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, India, Japan, Australia, and the US came together in an informal arrangement to coordinate disaster relief operations. In 2007, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave political shape to the grouping through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

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— The Quad is not structured like a typical multilateral organisation and lacks a secretariat and any permanent decision-making body (like the EU or UN). Instead, it has focused on expanding existing agreements between member countries and highlighting their shared values. Additionally, unlike NATO, the Quad does not include provisions for collective defence, with member states instead relying on coordination, strategic dialogue, and joint military exercises to demonstrate alignment. Hence, statement 2 is not correct and statement 3 is correct.

— In 2020, the trilateral India-US-Japan Malabar naval exercises expanded to include Australia, marking the first official grouping of the Quad since its resurgence in 2017, and the first joint military exercises among the four countries in over a decade.

— Maritime security nevertheless remains central to the Quad’s outlook, especially given the growing tensions in the Indo-Pacific, concerns over freedom of navigation, and anxieties among member states over China’s expanding military and maritime presence in the region. The four countries have also coordinated on disaster relief, climate resilience, and health security initiatives.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

For which of the following defence equipment did India and Russia have already signed a pact?

1. S-400 missile system

2. Su-57 (fifth-generation fighter aircraft)

3. MiG-29 jets

4. Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarines

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 4 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1, 2, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 3 and 4 only

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Relevance: India–Russia defence cooperation is a recurring UPSC theme, especially major acquisitions and military platforms. UPSC can test whether a defence system has been purchased, leased, jointly developed, or merely proposed.

Explanation

— Russian President Vladimir Putin offered India joint production of the Su-57 — Russia’s most advanced fifth-generation stealth fighter jet — and said Moscow was willing to cooperate with “no restrictions whatsoever”. The proposal comes as India weighs options to bridge a growing fighter aircraft gap before its indigenous Advanced Multirole Combat Aircraft (AMCA) enters service, likely after 2035.

— “As for the Su-57, we offered our friends from India to jointly develop this machine, a fifth-generation aircraft. I think it’s the best to date. But our Indian friends said, ‘Well, let’s see,” Putin quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

— The Su-57 is Russia’s fifth-generation stealth fighter designed to rival advanced US aircraft such as the F-35. India and Russia had earlier pursued a joint Fifth Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) programme for years before New Delhi withdrew in 2021 over concerns about cost, technology sharing and performance.

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— India and Russia have already signed agreements for the S-400 missile system, MiG-29 jets and signed a lease agreement for Akula-class nuclear-powered attack submarines.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

Which of the following African nations has seen repeated outbreaks of Ebola?

1. Central African Nations

2. Eastern African Nations

3. Northern African Nations

4. Western African Nations

5. Southern African Nations

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 5 only

(d) 1 and 4 only

Relevance: Ebola is a recurring topic in health and international affairs due to periodic outbreaks and global health surveillance efforts. UPSC can test the geographical distribution of diseases and their association with specific regions.

Explanation

— Authorities in the Central African country of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are scrambling to control a spiralling Ebola outbreak that is suspected to have infected more than 1,000 people so far and killed at least 246.

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— The World Health Organisation (WHO), in mid-May, declared this outbreak a public health emergency of international concern and experts have raised concerns over the speed of its spread.

— Central and Western African nations have seen repeated outbreaks of Ebola, which spreads through infected bodily fluids, since it was first identified in 1976. The largest ever outbreak of the disease was in 2014-16, when 28,600 people in West Africa were infected, and over 11,000 were killed.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements about platforms for multilateral co-operation : (UPSC 2026)

1. The ‘Colombo Process’ is a regional consultative process in which member states take binding decisions by consensus.

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2. The ‘Abu Dhabi Dialogue’ is a voluntary non-binding consultative process among Asian countries of labour origin and destination to facilitate regional cooperation on contractual labour mobility.

3. The ‘Global Forum for Migration and Development, created upon the proposal of a former UN Secretary General, is a voluntary forum whose decisions are non-binding in nature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1,2 and 3

(b) 1 and 3 only

(c) 2 and 3 only

(d) 2 only

Relevance: Migration governance and labour mobility frameworks are frequently in news due to international migration, diaspora welfare, and overseas employment issues. UPSC often asks about the nature, membership, objectives, and legal status of international forums and consultative mechanisms.

Explanation

— The Colombo Process, established in 2003, is a 12-member regional consultative forum for managing foreign employment and workforce mobility. It consists of labour-sending countries in South and Southeast Asia. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Malaysia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Vietnam are among the countries that have joined the organisation. India is the current Chair of the Process, having taken on the job in May 2024 for a two-year period (2024-2026).

— The Colombo Process is a Regional Consultative Process (RCP) for Asian labour-sending countries. While choices are typically reached through agreement, the procedure is voluntary and non-binding. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The Abu Dhabi Dialogue (ADD), established in 2008, is a regional, voluntary, and non-binding consultative Process comprising 11 Colombo Process Member States and 6 Gulf countries. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— During the 2006 UN General Assembly’s High-Level Dialogue on International Migration and Development (HLD), former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan recommended the creation of a worldwide consultative forum on migration and development. Reflecting an international recognition of the limitations of a completely national strategy to migration, considerable support arose for the establishment of an informal, non-binding, state-led forum to promote the exchange of practices and develop government cooperation. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.mea.gov.in)

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 156)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 165)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 165)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 165)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 165)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 164)

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