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. Each day, we cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on International Relations to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the MCQs on Weekly Current Affairs. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations at the end of the quiz.

Consider the following statements:

1. The country has asked India to withdraw its military personnel from its territory.

2. The country has decided not to renew the previous government’s agreement with India on a hydrographic survey of the island nation’s waters.

3. The island nation has two helicopters and an aircraft provided by India for emergency medical evacuations and disaster relief operations.

The above-mentioned statements refer to which country?

(a) Mauritius

(b) Seychelles

(c) Maldives

(d) Sri Lanka

India has decided to provide USD 75 million to which country for reconstruction efforts in earthquake-hit areas?

(a) Nepal

(b) Japan

(c) Afghanistan

(d) Turkey

With reference to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), consider the following statements:

1. It is a regional group that was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty.

2. it aims to have a single common currency.

3. Sierra Leone is not a member of the Group.

4. The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region”

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Consider the following countries:

1. Oman

2. Egypt

3. UAE

4. Saudi Arabia

How many of the countries given above borders Yemen?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Consider the following pairs:

   (Place)                     (Location)

1. Ishikawa              South Korea

2. Aceh                         Malaysia

3. Belgorod                  Russia

How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

FYI:

— Maldives has asked the Indian Government to withdraw its military personnel

— The Maldives government has decided to not renew an agreement with India that allowed India to conduct hydrographic surveys in Maldivian waters.

— The agreement, signed on June 8, 2019 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Maldives at the invitation of then President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih, allowed India to conduct a hydrographic survey of the Maldivian territorial waters.

— Hydrographic surveys are carried out by ships, which use methods such as sonar to understand the various features of a water body.

— These surveys, according to the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), help “map out water depth, the shape of the seafloor and coastline, the location of possible obstructions, and physical features of water bodies.

— The island nation has two helicopters and an aircraft provided by India to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) for emergency medical evacuations and disaster relief operations.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announced that India will extend a USD 75 million financial package for the reconstruction of infrastructure in Nepal’s western district affected by last year’s earthquake.

— Jaishankar arrived in Nepal on his first visit to a foreign country in 2024.

— India was saddened to learn of the casualties and devastation caused by the earthquake that struck western Nepal in November last year, according to Jaishankar. He also said, India is committed to continuing to redefine its relationship with partners in our neighbourhood, especially with Nepal.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is a regional group that was established in 1975 through the Lagos Treaty – with a mandate of promoting economic integration among its members. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The vision of ECOWAS is the creation of a “borderless region”. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

— It is known as CEDEAO in French.

— ECOWAS has 15 members: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Togo. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— ECOWAS’ larger aims are to have a single common currency and create a single, large trading bloc in areas of industry, transport, telecommunications, energy, financial issues, and social and cultural matters. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— ECOWAS is meant to be a region governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Yemen rebel group of Houthis seized an Israel-linked ship bound for India, raising fears of another dimension being added to the ongoing Gaza conflict.

— Israel has claimed the ship is British-owned and Japanese-operated while terming the hijack “another Iranian act of terrorism”.

— The Houthis are a rebel group locked in a civil war with the Yemen government for almost a decade. They are in power in northern Yemen, including the official capital Sanaa. The official government now operates out of Aden.

— Yemen borders Saudi Arabia to the north and Oman to the northeast. It also shares maritime borders with Eritrea, Djibouti and Somalia. It is also bordered by the Red Sea to the west and the Arabian Sea to the south.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 39)

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Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 38)

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