UPSC Prelims 2025
International Relations Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 7 solved UPSC Prelims 2025 International Relations questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
Consider the following countries:
I. Austria
II. Bulgaria
III. Croatia
IV. Serbia
V. Sweden
VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
Detailed Explanation:
Among the given countries, Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia are members of NATO.
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❌ Austria is not a NATO member and follows a policy of neutrality.
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❌ Serbia is not a NATO member, though it cooperates with NATO through the Partnership for Peace programme.
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✅ Bulgaria (2004), ✅ Croatia (2009), ✅ North Macedonia (2020), and ✅ Sweden (2024) are NATO members.
Therefore, 4 countries are members of NATO.
Country-wise Analysis:
| Country | NATO Member? |
|---|---|
| Austria | ❌ No |
| Bulgaria | ✅ Yes |
| Croatia | ✅ Yes |
| Serbia | ❌ No |
| Sweden | ✅ Yes |
| North Macedonia | ✅ Yes |
Consider the following statements regarding AI Action Summit held in Grand Palais, Paris in February 2025:
I. Co-chaired with India, the event builds on the advances made at the Bletchley Park Summit held in 2023 and the Seoul Summit held in 2024.
II. Along with other countries, US and UK also signed the declaration on inclusive and sustainable AI.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement I is Correct: The AI Action Summit (Paris, February 2025) was co-chaired by India and France. It built upon the discussions held at the Bletchley Park AI Safety Summit (2023) in the UK and the Seoul AI Summit (2024) in South Korea.
❌ Statement II is Incorrect: Although 58 countries signed the declaration on Inclusive and Sustainable AI, the United States and the United Kingdom did not sign the declaration due to concerns over regulatory and governance issues.
Therefore, only Statement I is correct.
Consider the following pairs:
I. International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026
II. International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027
III. International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025
IV. International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Detailed Explanation:
All four pairs are correctly matched as per the United Nations declarations for upcoming international years.
✅ Pair I: International Year of the Woman Farmer — 2026
✅ Pair II: International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism — 2027
✅ Pair III: International Year of Peace and Trust — 2025
✅ Pair IV: International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence — 2029
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Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC:
I. It is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.
II. It came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.
III. Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.
IV. In BIMSTEC, the subsector of tourism is being led by India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) is a regional organization connecting South Asia and Southeast Asia. It promotes cooperation in areas such as trade, connectivity, security, energy, and tourism.
✅ Statement I is Correct: BIMSTEC had 7 member countries till January 2025 — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand.
❌ Statement II is Incorrect: BIMSTEC was established through the Bangkok Declaration (1997), not the Dhaka Declaration.
❌ Statement III is Incorrect: Nepal was not a founding member. The founding members were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar.
❌ Statement IV is Incorrect: In BIMSTEC, the Tourism sector is led by Nepal, not India.
Therefore, only Statement I is correct.
Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS:
I. 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan.
II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS.
III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Statement I is Correct: The 16th BRICS Summit was held in Kazan, Russia, from October 22 to 24, 2024. Russia held the rotating chairship for the year 2024.
Statement II is Correct: Indonesia officially announced its intention to join BRICS and has been integrated into the bloc as a full member following the 16th Summit in Kazan, as part of the group's ongoing expansion to include key emerging economies from the Global South.
Statement III is Incorrect: The official theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was "Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security." The statement incorrectly uses the word "Multiculturalism," which changes the diplomatic meaning of the theme.
India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect
Detailed Explanation:
INSTC connects India → Iran → Central Asia/Russia → Europe, using a mix of sea, rail, and road.
The route looks like this: Mumbai (India) → Bandar Abbas (Iran) → Azerbaijan/Russia → Europe, with branches reaching Central Asia too.
Why other options are wrong:
| Option | Issue |
|---|---|
| Option 2 | Wrong path — INSTC goes via Iran, not China |
| Option 3 | Different corridor entirely — that's about Act East Policy connectivity |
| Option 4 | Incomplete — Azerbaijan is just one stop, the full route goes via Iran first |
📝 Short Notes: INSTC (for Revision)
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full Name | International North-South Transport Corridor |
| Established | 2000, by India, Iran, and Russia (founding members) |
| Type | Multimodal (sea + rail + road) |
| Route | Mumbai → Bandar Abbas (Iran) → Caspian Sea/Azerbaijan/Russia → Europe |
| Length | ~7,200 km |
| Purpose | Reduce transport time/cost between India and Europe/Central Asia/Russia |
| Significance for India | Bypasses Pakistan; reduces dependency on Suez Canal route |
| Chabahar Port connection | Iran's Chabahar Port is a key node, developed with Indian assistance |
Consider the following statements:
I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member.
II. India is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified.
III. The Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Correct Answer: ✅ Option 3 (I and III only)
Critical minerals are essential for sectors such as clean energy, electronics, electric vehicles, semiconductors, and defense. India has taken both international and domestic initiatives to secure access to these minerals.
✅ Statement I is Correct: India joined the Minerals Security Partnership in 2023 to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and reduce vulnerabilities.
❌ Statement II is Incorrect: India is not resource-rich in all 30 critical minerals identified by the government. It remains heavily dependent on imports for minerals such as lithium, cobalt, nickel, and graphite.
✅ Statement III is Correct: The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2023 empowered the Central Government to exclusively auction mining leases and composite licenses for certain critical and strategic minerals.
Short Notes: Critical Minerals in India
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Critical minerals are essential for renewable energy, EVs, electronics, and defense industries.
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India identified 30 critical minerals for economic and strategic security.
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India joined the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) in 2023.
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MSP aims to build secure and sustainable global critical mineral supply chains.
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Key critical minerals include lithium, cobalt, nickel, graphite, and rare earth elements.
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The MMDR Amendment Act, 2023 introduced reforms to accelerate exploration and mining of critical minerals.
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India remains import-dependent for several strategic minerals despite having domestic reserves of some minerals.
UPSC Prelims 2025 - International Relations Chapter-wise Distribution
International & Regional Organizations
5 Qs (71.4%)International Relations Current Affairs
2 Qs (28.6%)UPSC Prelims 2025 - International Relations Questions FAQs
Q1 How many International Relations questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2025?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for International Relations in UPSC Prelims 2025?
- International & Regional Organizations: 5 questions (71.4%)
- International Relations Current Affairs: 2 questions (28.6%)