UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions 2023: International Relations | UPSC Mains: International Relations PDF Download

Ans: (c)
The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is by far the world's largest producer of cobalt, accounting for roughly 70 percent of global production. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Ans: (a)
The Congo Basin spans across six countries—Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea and Gabon. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (d)

• East–west Corridor connects Silchar to Porbandar. Hence, statement 1 is NOT correct.
• India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway connects the three countries from Moreh in India to Mae Sot in Thailand via Bagan in Myanmar. Hence, statement 2 is NOT correct.
• The 2800 km BCIM corridor proposes to link Kunming in China’s Yunnan province with Kolkata, passing through nodes such as Mandalay in Myanmar and Dhaka in Bangladesh before heading to Kolkata. Hence, statement 3 is NOT correct.

Hence, option (d) is correct.

Ans: (d)

• Kivu and Ituri are related to the Republic of Congo. A war between the Republic of congo and Rawanda started in 1994 with genocide of 800,000 Rawandan Tutsis and Hutus. Hence, pair 1 is NOT correctly matched.
• Nagorno-Karabakh is a region of southwestern Azerbaijan. It is used to refer to an autonomous oblast (province) of the former Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (S.S.R.) and to the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh, a self-declared country whose independence is not internationally recognized. The old autonomous region occupied an area of about 1,700 square miles (4,400 square km), while the forces of the self- proclaimed Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh presently occupy some 2,700 square miles (7,000 square km). Hence, pair 2 is NOT correctly matched.
• Kherson and Zaporizhzhia are related to Ukraine and they are related to the dispute between Ukraine and Russia. Hence, pair 3 is NOT correctly matched.

Ans: (c)

• Egypt and Jordan are the only two Arab countries that have formal diplomatic relations with Israel, though some other Arab countries, like Saudi Arabia and Morocco, have reportedly had back-channel communications with it for years. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Since the 1970s Saudi Arabia had exercised a policy of regional coordination among Middle Eastern states, and between them and the United States.
• The special position that Saudi Arabia has occupied over the last few decades in Arab- Israeli affairs reflects the Saudi kingdom's role as regional coordinator.
• The analysis revolves around the Saudi initiative for peace between Arab parties and Israel in the 1980s ("The Fahd Plan" leading up to "The Fez resolutions"-1981-1982) and in the beginning of the twenty-first century ("The Abdullah initiative" leading up to "The Arab peace initiative", 2002-2007). However, Israel has not officially signed the initiative. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Some other initiatives are as follows,

• Abraham Accord: The Abraham Accord between Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain is mediated by the USA.
  • It is the first Arab-Israeli peace deal in 26 years.
  • As per the agreements, the UAE and Bahrain will establish Embassies and exchange ambassadors.
  • Working together with Israel across a range of sectors, including tourism, trade, healthcare and security.
  • The Abraham Accords also open the door for Muslims around the world to visit the historic sites in Israel and to peacefully pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the third holiest site in Islam.
  • In the Islamic tradition, the Kaaba in Mecca is considered the holiest site, followed by the Prophet's Mosque in Medina, and Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
• I2U2 Initiative: I2U2 was initially formed in October, 2021 following the Abraham Accords between Israel and the UAE, to deal with issues concerning maritime security, infrastructure and transport in the region.
• At that time, it was called the ‘International Forum for Economic Cooperation’. That was referred to as the ‘West Asian Quad’.

Ans: (a)

• The Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award has been renamed as the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. The now renamed Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award comes with a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh. It is the highest sporting award given by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of four years. Hence, pair 1 is correctly matched.
• Arjuna award was instituted in 1961 by the Government of India to recognise outstanding achievement in national sports events. It is given for good performance over a period of previous four years and showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. Hence, pair 2 is NOT correctly matched.
• Dronacharya award was instituted in 1985 by the Government of India to recognise excellence in sports coaching. It is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in International events. Hence, pair 3 is correctly matched.
• Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puruskar was instituted in the year 2009. It is given to corporate entities (both in private and public sector), sports control boards, NGOs including sports bodies at the State and National level who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development. Hence, pair 4 is NOT correctly matched.

Ans: (b)

• The first official Olympiad held in London in 1927 at Westminster Central Hall was then known as the ‘Tournament of Nations’. This is the first time the Chess Olympiad was held in the place of origin of chess, India. It is coming to Asia for the first time in 3 decades. It has the highest ever number of countries participating. It has the highest ever number of teams participating. It has the highest number of entries in the women’s section. Hence, statement 1 is Correct.
• The Official Mascot of 44th Chess Olympiad is 'Thambi'. The word 'Thambi' in Tamil language means - little or younger brother. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup, which was offered by the English magnate Frederick Hamilton-Russell as a prize for the 1st Olympiad (London 1927). Hence, statement 3 is NOT correct.
• The trophy for the winning women's team is known as the Vera Menchik Cup in honour of the first Women's World Chess Champion. Hence, statement 4 is NOT correct.

Ans: (d)

• Donbas is located in the Donets Basin of ukraine. It is a large mining and industrial region of southeastern Europe, notable for its sizable coal reserves. The industrial area of the Donbas includes much of the Ukrainian oblasti (provinces) of Donetsk and Luhansk. Hence pair 1 is NOT correctly matched.
• "Kachin" comes from the Jinghpaw word "GaKhyen," meaning "Red Earth," a region in the valley of the two branches of the upper Irrawaddy with the greatest concentration of powerful traditional chiefs. Kachin are located primarily in the Kachin State of Myanmar (Burma) and parts of the northern Shan State, southwestern Yunnan in China, and northeasternmost India (Assam and Arunachal Pradesh). Hence, pair 2 is NOT correctly matched.
• Tigray, also spelled Tegray, Tigrai, or Tigre, historical region, northern Ethiopia. Hence, pair 3 is NOT correctly matched.

Ans: (d)

• In the last couple of years, Africans witnessed a series of military coups. Most of the recent military takeovers have taken place in West Africa, but the trend threatens to spread wider.
• In West Africa, the cycle of coups began in Chad. Mali has witnessed two military coups within a span of 18 months. The last coup took place in August 2020.
• In 2021, the military in Sudan ended its uneasy cohabitation with the civilian government by staging a coup.
• In 2021, the Guinean military’s overthrow of President Alpha Condé was an outcome of autocratic overreach, economic mismanagement, and eroding democratic norms which points to the failure of regional bodies and international partners to anticipate and respond to an evolving coup playbook.

Hence, for their successful coup, they are in the news. Hence option (d) is correct.

Ans: (c)

The G20:

• It was founded in 1999 after the Asian financial crisis as a forum for the Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors to discuss global economic and financial issues. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• It was upgraded to the level of Heads of State/Government in the wake of the global economic and financial crisis of 2007, and, in 2009.
• The G20 Summit is held annually, under the leadership of a rotating Presidency.
• It is initially focused largely on broad macroeconomic issues, but it has since expanded its agenda to include trade, sustainable development, health, agriculture, energy, environment, climate change, and anti-corruption.

Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI):

• It is a shared means to many ends. It is a critical enabler of digital transformation and is helping to improve public service delivery at scale.
• Designed and implemented well, it can help countries achieve their national priorities and accelerate the Sustainable Development Goals.
• The Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India has partnered with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to drive collective action on digital public infrastructure during India’s G20 Presidency. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Ans: (c)

• Statement 1 is correct: Switzerland is one of the leading exporters of gold in terms of value. U.S. dollars in 2021. Switzerland is consistently the world's leading gold exporting country based on value.
• In addition to being the largest exporter of gold based on value, Switzerland is also consistently the largest importer of gold based on value in the world. This can be explained by the fact that Switzerland refines some 70 percent of the world's gold: Switzerland imports unrefined gold, and exports it in its refined form.
• Statement 2 is incorrect: With 1,040 tonnes of gold, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) has the seventh largest gold reserves in the world.

Ans: (c)

• Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the Trade and Technology Council’.
• The EU-US Trade and Technology Council serves as a forum for the United States and European Union to coordinate approaches to key global trade, economic, and technology issues and to deepen transatlantic trade and economic relations based on these shared values. It was established during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• US and EU discussed TTC work, with a focus on issues such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and information and communication technology services.
• Through the Council, the EU and the US are working together to:
  • Ensure that trade and technology serve societies and economies, while upholding our common values
  • Strengthen their technological and industrial leadership Expand bilateral trade and investment. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Ans: (a)

• The Stability and Growth Pact is a political agreement that sets limits on the fiscal deficits and public debt of the Member States of the European Monetary Union (EMU). Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• These guidelines are intended to ensure sound management of public finances within the EMU in order to prevent one Member State’s irresponsible budgetary policies from spilling over and undermining the economic stability of the entire euro area
• The European Union Stability and Trade Pact does not make any provision related to sharing of infrastructure and technology. Hence, statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

Ans: (d)

• In September 2016, with Europe overwhelmed by waves of migrants from Africa and West Asia, all 193 UN member states adopted New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants for a comprehensive approach to human mobility and enhanced cooperation at the global level leading to the adoption of a global compact in 2018.
• The New York Declaration included a set of commitments for refugees and migrants, and elements towards the achievement of a Global Compact on Refugees and a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration.
• Recently, Austria announced that it would not sign the Global Compact on Migration, criticising its pro-migration approach, which represented a danger to Austria's national security. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• The global compact is non-legally binding. Hence, Statement 2 is not correct. The Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration is the world’s first, intergovernmental negotiated agreement covering all dimensions of international migration in a holistic and comprehensive manner. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Ans: (a)
As per the map given below, only Hungary and Romania share their land borders with Ukraine.

Hence, option A is correct.

Ans: (d)
Navigation Systems Operational in the World:

• GPS from the U.S.
• GLONASS from Russia.
• Galileo from European Union
• BeiDou from China.
• NavIC from India
• QZSS from Japan.

Hence, option D is correct.

Ans: (c)

• India is the largest user of groundwater in the world. It uses an estimated 230 cubic kilometers of groundwater per year - over a quarter of the global total. 

World Bank

• More than 60% of irrigated agriculture and 85% of drinking water supplies are dependent on groundwater. Urban residents increasingly rely on groundwater due to unreliable and inadequate municipal water supplies (Because 89% of Groundwater is used for irrigation purposes). Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• From the ‘above’ with ‘below’ figure India extract approx half of global groundwater. 

Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Ans: (d)

• The country that has been suffering from decades of civil strife and food shortages and was in news in the recent past for its very severe famine in Somalia.
  • Somalia has been affected by a prolonged drought, conflict, displacement and insecurity, resulting in acute food insecurity and malnutrition for millions of people. In 2021, Somalia faced its worst desert locust infestation in 25 years, which further threatened food security and livelihoods.
• The report also mentions other countries facing food crises, such as Ethiopia, South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan and Syria.