UPSC CSE Prelims
Global Geopolitical Developments Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

This question tests knowledge of Israel's diplomatic relations with Arab states and the Arab Peace Initiative. Statement-I correctly reflects the Abraham Accords and earlier peace treaties, while Statement-II incorrectly claims that Israel signed the Arab Peace Initiative.

✅ Statement-I – Correct: Israel has established diplomatic relations with several Arab states including Egypt (1979), Jordan (1994), UAE, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan (2020 Abraham Accords).

❌ Statement-II – Incorrect: The Arab Peace Initiative (2002), proposed by Saudi Arabia and endorsed by the Arab League, was never signed by Israel. It remains a proposal offering normalization in exchange for Israeli withdrawal from occupied territories, but Israel has not formally accepted its terms.

📝 Short Notes: Israel-Arab Relations & Peace Initiatives

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 1, 3 and 4

Vietnam has emerged as one of the fastest-growing economies globally, driven by its strategic integration into global supply chains and export-oriented growth model. The country's competitive advantages include low labor costs and a stable exchange rate, which have attracted significant foreign direct investment from global manufacturers. However, Vietnam operates under a single-party communist political system, not a multi-party democracy, and its e-services sector, while growing, is not the most productive in the Indo-Pacific region.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Vietnam has been one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in recent years, with consistent GDP growth even during the 2020 pandemic.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Vietnam is a one-party communist state led by the Communist Party of Vietnam, not a multi-party political system.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Vietnam's economic success is directly linked to its integration with global supply chains and export-led growth strategy.
✅ Statement 4 – Correct: Low labor costs and stable exchange rates have been key factors attracting global manufacturers to Vietnam, especially as wages rose in other East Asian countries.
❌ Statement 5 – Incorrect: According to the Asian Development Bank, e-services including digital financial services are at a nascent stage in Vietnam, not the most productive in the Indo-Pacific region.

📝 Short Notes: Vietnam's Economic Growth Model

• Political System: One-party socialist republic governed by the Communist Party of Vietnam since reunification in 1976.
• Economic Reforms: Doi Moi (Renovation) policy launched in 1986 transformed Vietnam from a centrally planned to a socialist-oriented market economy.
• Growth Drivers: Export-oriented manufacturing, FDI attraction, integration into global value chains, and membership in trade agreements like CPTPP and RCEP.
• Manufacturing Hub: Emerged as an alternative to China for global manufacturers due to lower labor costs, political stability, and strategic location.
• Trade Relations: Major trading partners include China, US, EU, ASEAN members; significant beneficiary of US-China trade tensions.
• Digital Economy: Projected to be the fastest-growing internet economy in Southeast Asia, though e-services sector is still developing compared to regional leaders like Singapore.

Detailed Explanation:

The Arab Spring uprisings originally started in Tunisia in December 2010 when street vendor Mohamed Bouazizi set himself on fire in protest against police harassment and corruption.

This sparked widespread protests demanding political reforms, leading to the overthrow of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011, which then inspired similar uprisings across Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and other Arab nations.