11. Consider the following organizations/groups:
- Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC)
- Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
- Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
At present, India is a member country of which of the above?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 3
[C] Only 2
[D] 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 2]
Notes:
India is a member of BIMSTEC only. India is not a member of the Pacific Economic Cooperation Council (PECC), which has 23 full member committees but does not include India, nor of the Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC). Hence, only BIMSTEC among the groups listed includes India as a member country.
12. Consider the following statements regarding the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR):
- It is a member of the United Nations Development Group.
- It has its headquarters at New York, United States.
- It has received two Nobel Peace Prizes.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Only 1 & 3]
Notes:
Statement 1 is correct: UNHCR is a member of the United Nations Development Group. Statement 2 is incorrect: its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, not New York. Statement 3 is correct: UNHCR has received the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981.
13. Consider the following pairs of defence equipment and their countries of origin:
- Dassault Rafale – France
- SPYDER – Israel
- Barak 8 – Russia
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 1 and 2
[C] Only 2 and 3
[D] 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only 1 and 2]
Notes:
Dassault Rafale originates from France and is a multirole fighter jet. SPYDER is an Israeli air defence missile system. Barak 8, however, is not Russian; it was developed jointly by Israel and India. Therefore, only pairs 1 and 2 are correctly matched; pair 3 is incorrect.
14. Which of the following is/are not states parties to the Statute of the International Criminal Court?
- India
- China
- United States
- Israel
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 4
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
India, China, United States, and Israel are not states parties to the Statute of the International Criminal Court. As of now, 122 states are parties, mainly from Europe, South America, Oceania, and Africa. These four countries have neither signed, ratified, nor acceded to the Rome Statute, thus remaining outside the ICC’s jurisdiction.
15. Which of the following segments have been identified for acquisition under Strategic Partnership Model in Defence Acquisition?
- Fighter Aircraft
- Helicopters
- Submarines
- Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs)
Select the correct option from codes given below:
[A] 1, 2 & 3 Only
[B] 2, 3 & 4 Only
[C] 1, 3 & 4 Only
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
The Strategic Partnerships Model in Defence sector was approved by Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) in May 2017. The policy aims to encourage broader participation of the private sector, in addition to DPSUs/OFB, in the manufacture of defence platforms and equipment such as aircraft, submarines, helicopters and armoured vehicles. The four segments that have been identified for acquisition under Strategic Partnership (SP) route are Fighter Aircraft; Helicopters; Submarines & Armoured Fighting Vehicles (AFVs).
16. Consider the following statements with respect to sports awards in India?
- Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar is bestowed upon the universities and colleges for promotion of sports
- Both Dronacharya Award and Arjuna Award are bestowed upon individual sportspersons for their outstanding performances
Which of the above is / are correct statements?
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 nor 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Neither 1 nor 2]
Notes:
Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was introduced by government in 2009 to encourage involvement of corporates and sports promotion boards in the development of sports.
Dronacharya Award is bestowed upon coaches for producing medal winners at prestigious international sports events.
Arjuna Award are bestowed upon individual sportspersons for their outstanding performances in last four years.
17. With reference to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), consider the following statements:
- Being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is a prerequisite for IAEA membership.
- India is not a member of the IAEA.
- RCA (Regional Cooperative Agreement) is one of the four sub-groups of IAEA that share information and hold conferences in their regions.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] 1 and 2
[B] 1 and 3
[C] 2 and 3
[D] Only 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Only 3]
Notes:
Statement 1 is incorrect as NPT membership is not mandatory for IAEA membership. Statement 2 is incorrect since India is an IAEA member. Statement 3 is correct: RCA is one of four IAEA regional cooperative agreements (AFRA, ARASIA, RCA, ARCAL) that facilitate regional collaboration, information sharing, and conferences among member states.
18. Consider the following pairs regarding recent military exercises:
| Exercise |
Countries Involved |
| Surya Kiran |
India & Nepal |
| Garuda Shakti |
India & Indonesia |
| Mitra Shakti |
India & Myanmar |
| Shakti |
India & Bangladesh |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
[A] Only One Pair
[B] Only Two Pairs
[C] Only Three Pairs
[D] All Four Pairs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Only Two Pairs]
Notes:
Surya Kiran is a joint exercise between India and Nepal. Garuda Shakti is between India and Indonesia. Mitra Shakti is between India and Sri Lanka, not Myanmar. Shakti is between India and France, not Bangladesh. So, only the first two pairs are correctly matched.
19. The sports ministry has recently announced to fund foreign exposure trips and upcoming international competitions for which of the following sports?
- Wrestlers
- Shooters
- Weightlifters
Choose the correct answer using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 2 & 3
[C] Only 1 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
- The Sports Ministry will fund foreign exposure trips and upcoming international competitions for wrestlers, shooters and weightlifters.
- The wrestlers are set to compete in two competitions in the new season — Bulgaria (Feb 17-20) and Turkey (Ranking Series, Feb 24-27). 10 wrestlers in each of three categories — men’s freestyle, women and Greco Roman — compete in international events.
- The Indian Weightlifting team will participate in Singapore from February 23 to 28. Tokyo Olympics silver medallist Mirabai Chanu
- The government has also approved the participation of a 33-member Indian Shooting team in the ISSF World Cup Cairo, Egypt, from February 25 to March 8. The members include 25 shooters, six coaches and two physiotherapists. Tokyo Olympians Divyansh, Apurvi Chandela, Aishwary Pratap Singh Tomar, Sanjeev Rajput, Saurabh Chaudhary and Rahi Sarnobat will compete.
20. Which of the following pairs of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and their respective countries are correctly matched?
- Bayraktar – Turkey
- Orion – Russia
- Mojave – USA
- Heron – Israel
Select the correct option using the codes given below:
[A] Only 1, 2 & 4
[B] Only 2, 3 & 4
[C] Only 1, 3 & 4
[D] 1, 2, 3 & 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [1, 2, 3 & 4]
Notes:
Bayraktar is a Turkish UAV, developed by Baykar. Orion is a Russian UAV by Kronshtadt. Mojave is an unmanned aerial vehicle developed by General Atomics, USA. Heron is produced by Israel Aerospace Industries. All four pairs are correctly matched as per their respective origin countries and manufacturer details.
