11 questions

UPSC Prelims · International Relations PYQ

India's Foreign Policy & Strategic Ties UPSC PYQ — Nuclear Diplomacy & Strategic Corridors

India's nuclear diplomacy, key bilateral deals, and strategic corridors like Chabahar, INSTC and the Malacca Strait.

11 Questions·2011–2025
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All 11 India's Foreign Policy & Strategic Ties questions attempted!

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  1. 1 2015

    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)?

    1. A1 and 2 only
    2. B1, 3, 4 and 5 only
    3. C2, 4 and 5 only
    4. D1, 2, 3, 4 and 5
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: A. 1 and 2 only

    Explanation

    The NPT entered into force in March 1970. Its 190 states-parties are classified into two categories: nuclear-weapon states (NWS) — the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom — and non-nuclear-weapon states (NNWS). India did not join or sign the NPT. So options (b), (c), and (d) can be eliminated. Only China and France (options 1 and 2) are NPT-recognised Nuclear Weapons States among those listed.

  2. 2 2019

    Recently, India signed a deal known as 'Action Plan for Prioritisation and Implementation of Cooperation Areas in the Nuclear Field' with which of the following countries?

    1. AJapan
    2. BRussia
    3. CThe United Kingdom
    4. DThe United States of America
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: B. Russia

    Explanation

    An 'Action Plan for Prioritization and Implementation of Co-operation Areas in the Nuclear Field' was jointly signed by India and Russia in October 2018 in New Delhi. The document was signed by the Director General of Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation and the Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy and the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission of India. The two countries planned to implement a project of six nuclear power units of Russian design at a new site in India.

  3. 3 2017

    What is the importance of developing Chabahar Port by India?

    1. AIndia's trade with African countries will enormously increase.
    2. BIndia will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.
    3. CIndia will be able to checkmate China's access to the Indian Ocean.
    4. DPakistan will facilitate and protect the installation of a gas pipeline between Iraq and India.
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: B. India will not depend on Pakistan for access to Afghanistan and Central Asia.

    Explanation

    The first and foremost significance of the Chabahar port is that India can bypass Pakistan in transporting goods to Afghanistan and Central Asia. Chabahar port will boost India's access to Iran, the key gateway to the International North-South Transport Corridor that has sea, rail and road routes between India, Russia, Iran, Europe, and Central Asia. Chabahar port will be beneficial to India in countering Chinese presence in the Arabian Sea.

  4. 4 2016

    'Belt and Road Initiative' is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of:

    1. AAfrican Union
    2. BBrazil
    3. CEuropean Union
    4. DChina
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: D. China

    Explanation

    The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a transcontinental long-term policy and investment program which aims at infrastructure development and acceleration of the economic integration of countries along the route of the historic Silk Road. The Initiative was unveiled by China in 2013. BRI aims to promote connectivity of Asian, European, and African continents and their adjacent seas, establish and strengthen partnerships among countries along the Belt and Road, and realise diversified, independent, balanced, and sustainable development.

  5. 5 2011

    The “New START” treaty was in the news. What is this treaty?

    1. AIt is a bilateral strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation
    2. BIt is a multilateral energy security cooperation treaty among the members of the East Asia Summit
    3. CIt is a treaty between the Russian Federation and the European Union for energy security cooperation
    4. DIt is a multilateral cooperation treaty among the BRICS countries for the promotion of trade
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: A. It is a bilateral strategic nuclear arms reduction treaty between the USA and the Russian Federation

    Explanation

    New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) is a bilateral nuclear arms control agreement between the United States and Russia, signed in 2010 and in force from 2011. It caps deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 per country and limits ICBMs, SLBMs, and heavy bombers. It succeeded the original START I treaty (1991) and was extended in 2021 for five more years.

  6. 6 2011

    Recently, the USA decided to support India's membership in multi-lateral export control regimes called the “Australia Group” and the “Wassenaar Arrangement”. What is the difference between them?

    1. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting countries to minimize the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapons proliferation, whereas the Wassenaar Arrangement is a formal group under the OECD holding identical objectives.
    2. The Australia Group comprises predominantly of Asian, African and North American countries, whereas the member countries of Wassenaar Arrangement are predominantly from the European Union and American continents.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B2 only
    3. CBoth 1 and 2
    4. DNeither 1 nor 2
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: D. Neither 1 nor 2

    Explanation

    Statement 1 is incorrect: the Wassenaar Arrangement is also an informal group, not a formal OECD body, and it focuses on conventional arms and dual-use goods, not chemical/biological weapons. Statement 2 is incorrect: the Australia Group's ~42 members include the USA, European countries, Australia, and Japan (not predominantly Asian/African/North American), and the Wassenaar Arrangement also includes several Asian members like India, Japan, and South Korea.

  7. 7 2011

    With reference to “Look East Policy” of India, consider the following statements:

    1. India wants to establish itself as an important regional player in East Asian affairs.
    2. India wants to plug the vacuum created by the termination of the Cold War.
    3. India wants to restore the historical and cultural ties with its neighbours in Southeast and East Asia.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B1 and 3 only
    3. C3 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: B. 1 and 3 only

    Explanation

    Statement 1 is correct: the Look East Policy aimed to strengthen India's presence and influence in East and Southeast Asia. Statement 2 is incorrect: it was driven by India's need for economic liberalization and regional integration, not specifically by filling a Cold War power vacuum. Statement 3 is correct: the policy sought to revive India's deep-rooted cultural and historical links with Southeast and East Asia.

  8. 8 2020

    Consider the following statements:

    1. The value of Indo-Sri Lanka trade has consistently increased in the last decade.
    2. “Textile and textile articles” constitute an important item of trade between India and Bangladesh.
    3. In the last five years, Nepal has been the largest trading partner of India in South Asia.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 and 2 only
    2. B2 only
    3. C3 only
    4. D1, 2 and 3
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: B. 2 only

    Explanation

    Statement 1 is incorrect: India-Sri Lanka trade has fluctuated, not grown consistently, due to economic slowdowns and policy changes. Statement 2 is correct: textiles and textile articles form a major component of India's exports to Bangladesh. Statement 3 is incorrect: Bangladesh, not Nepal, has been India's largest trading partner in South Asia over the past five years.

  9. 9 2025

    India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect:

    1. AIndia to Central Asia to Europe via Iran
    2. BIndia to Central Asia via China
    3. CIndia to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar
    4. DIndia to Europe through Afghanistan
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: A. India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran

    Explanation

    India is a founding member of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC). It connects India to Central Asia to Europe via Iran.

  10. 10 2011

    Southeast Asia has captivated the attention of the global community over space and time as a geostrategically significant region. Which among the following is the most convincing explanation for this global perspective?

    1. AIt was the hot theatre during the Second World War
    2. BIts location between the Asian powers of China and India
    3. CIt was the arena of superpower confrontation during the Cold War period
    4. DIts location between the Pacific and Indian oceans and its pre-eminent maritime character
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: D. Its location between the Pacific and Indian oceans and its pre-eminent maritime character

    Explanation

    The most geostrategically significant factor about Southeast Asia is its location between the Pacific and Indian Oceans and its dominance in maritime trade routes, particularly the Strait of Malacca, Sunda Strait, and Lombok Strait, which are among the world's busiest and most crucial shipping chokepoints.

  11. 11 2011

    Between India and East Asia, the navigation time and distance can be greatly reduced by which of the following?

    1. Deepening the Malacca Straits between Malaysia and Indonesia.
    2. Opening a new canal across the Kra Isthmus between the Gulf of Siam and the Andaman Sea.

    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

    1. A1 only
    2. B2 only
    3. CBoth 1 and 2
    4. DNeither 1 nor 2
    Reveal answer

    Correct answer: B. 2 only

    Explanation

    Statement 1 is incorrect: the Strait of Malacca is already a deep, navigable, and heavily used waterway; deepening it would not meaningfully reduce navigation time, since the real challenges there are congestion and piracy. Statement 2 is correct: a proposed Kra Canal across Thailand's Kra Isthmus would create a shortcut between the Gulf of Thailand and the Andaman Sea, bypassing the long detour through the Malacca Strait — though it remains unconstructed.

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