UPSC CSE Prelims
International Awards Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Practice solved questions for International Awards with detailed step-by-step solutions, key insights, and trend analysis for UPSC CSE PRELIMS.
Solved Previous Year Questions
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Which of the following statements with regard to the Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments is/are correct?
- The tournaments have a shared governance structure establishing the partnership among the four Grand Slam tournaments.
- They are open for entry to all internationally ranked tennis players above the age of 14.
- There is a limitation on the number of 'Wild Cards' a player may receive to compete in a Grand Slam Tournament.
Select the answer using the code given below:
Detailed Explanation:
Statement 1 — Correct. The four Grand Slam tournaments (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, and US Open) collaborate through a shared governance structure called the Grand Slam Board (GSB). It coordinates activities of mutual interest including:
- Maintaining the unified Grand Slam Rule Book
- Officiating standards
- Managing relationships with ATP, WTA, and ITF
Statement 2 — Incorrect. Entry is NOT open to all internationally ranked players above age 14. According to the Grand Slam Rule Book's "Open Competition" section, a player must have a ranking of 500 or better. Simply being internationally ranked and above 14 is insufficient.
Statement 3 — Incorrect. While each tournament draw has a fixed maximum number of wild card slots (e.g., 8 in a 128-player draw), the official Rule Book features a "No Limitation" clause — there is no restriction on how many wild cards a specific individual can be granted over time.
Key Tricks:
- Statement 2 traps: age criterion alone is not enough — ranking ≤ 500 is also required
- Statement 3 traps: confuses per-draw slot limit (fixed) with per-player lifetime limit (none)
Consider the following statements in respect of the Kho Kho World Cup:
I. The event was held in Delhi, India.
II. Indian men beat Nepal with a score of 78–40 in the final to become the World Champion in men category.
III. Indian women beat Nepal with a score of 54–36 in the final to become the World Champion in women category.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement I: Correct The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi, India, from January 13-19, 2025.
❌ Statement II: Incorrect India defeated Nepal 54-36 (not 78-40) to win the men’s final.
❌ Statement III: Incorrect India beat Nepal 78-40 (not 54-36) in the women’s final.
Additional Context: 24 countries participated, and the event was organized by the Kho Kho Federation of India with the International Kho Kho Federation.
Therefore, only Statement I is correct.
Consider the following statements:
I. In the finals of the 45th Chess Olympiad held in 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju became the world's youngest winner after defeating the Russian player Ian Nepomniachtchi.
II. Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, holds the record of becoming world's youngest ever Grandmaster.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Statement I is Incorrect: The 45th Chess Olympiad (2024) is a team-based tournament played in a Swiss-system format, not an individual knockout competition with a "final" match. While India won the gold medal and Gukesh Dommaraju won individual gold on Board 1, he did not defeat Ian Nepomniachtchi in a final; Russian teams were suspended from the 2024 Olympiad by FIDE.
Statement II is Correct: Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, became the world's youngest Grandmaster in June 2021 at the age of 12 years, 4 months, and 25 days, breaking the previous record held by Sergey Karjakin.
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Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022 :
- It was the first time that Chess Olympiad was held in India.
- The official mascot was named 'Thambi'.
- The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
- The trophy for the winning team in the women's section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — Only two
The 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 was indeed India's first time hosting this prestigious event, held in Mamallapuram near Chennai. The official mascot was correctly named 'Thambi' (Tamil for younger brother). However, the trophies are reversed: the Open section receives the Hamilton-Russell Cup, while the Women's section receives the Vera Menchik Cup (named after the first Women's World Chess Champion).
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The 44th Chess Olympiad 2022 was the first time India hosted this event, held in Mamallapuram/Chennai from July 28 to August 9, 2022.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The official mascot was named 'Thambi', a Tamil word meaning 'younger brother', representing Tamil Nadu's culture and hospitality.
❌ Statement 3 – Incorrect: The Open section trophy is the Hamilton-Russell Cup, not the Vera Menchik Cup.
❌ Statement 4 – Incorrect: The Women's section trophy is the Vera Menchik Cup, not the Hamilton-Russell Cup.
📝 Short Notes: Chess Olympiad Trophies
| Section | Trophy Name | Named After |
|---|---|---|
| Open Section | Hamilton-Russell Cup | Frederick Hamilton-Russell (British diplomat and chess patron) |
| Women's Section | Vera Menchik Cup | Vera Menchik (first Women's World Chess Champion, 1927-1944) |
- 44th Chess Olympiad 2022: First held in India at Mamallapuram, Tamil Nadu (July 28 – August 9, 2022)
- Record Participation: Nearly 190 teams in Open and over 160 teams in Women's section
- First-ever Torch Relay: The Olympic torch was carried across multiple Indian cities before the event
- Multiple Indian Teams: As host nation, India fielded multiple teams in both sections
- Winners 2022: Open section - Uzbekistan; Women's section - Ukraine
Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship :
- The finalists were decided by the number of matches they won.
- New Zealand was ranked ahead of England because it won more matches than England.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 4 — Neither 1 nor 2
The finalists for the ICC World Test Championship (2019-2021) were determined based on the Percentage of Points (PCT) earned, not the absolute number of matches won. This system was adopted to ensure fairness given the varying number of matches played by different teams due to COVID-19 disruptions.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The finalists were decided by the Percentage of Points (PCT) earned from total points contested, not by the number of matches won.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: New Zealand was ranked ahead of England due to a higher PCT (70.0% vs 64.1%), even though England won more matches (11) than New Zealand (7) during the tournament cycle.
📝 Short Notes: ICC World Test Championship
- Format: The ICC World Test Championship is a league competition for Test cricket, featuring the top nine Test-playing nations competing over a two-year cycle.
- Points System (2019-2021): Teams earned 120 points for a win, 60 for a draw, 40 for a tie, and 0 for a loss in each Test series.
- Percentage of Points (PCT): PCT = (Points Won / Points Contested) × 100. This metric was used for rankings to account for unequal matches played.
- COVID-19 Impact: The pandemic led to series cancellations and postponements, making PCT the fairest ranking criterion instead of absolute points or wins.
- Inaugural Final (2021): New Zealand defeated India at Southampton to become the first World Test Champions.
- Qualified Teams (2019-2021): India (PCT 72.2%) and New Zealand (PCT 70.0%) qualified for the final.
Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics:
- The official motto for this Olympics is 'A New World'.
- Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this, Olympics.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Answer: Option 2 — 2 only
This question tests knowledge about the 32nd Summer Olympics held in Tokyo in 2021. Statement 1 is incorrect as the official motto was different, while Statement 2 correctly identifies the new sports added to the Games.
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: The official motto for the 32nd Summer Olympics (Tokyo 2020) was "United by Emotion", not "A New World". The motto "A New World" was used for the Rio Olympics 2016.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Under new IOC rules, Tokyo Olympics included six new sports: Baseball/Softball, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate, and Sport Climbing, along with new mixed-team events in traditional sports.
📝 Short Notes: Tokyo 2020 Olympics (32nd Summer Olympics)
- Year & Location: Held in Tokyo, Japan in 2021 (postponed from 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic)
- Official Motto: "United by Emotion"
- New Sports Added: Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate, Baseball, and Softball (6 new sports)
- Innovation: First Olympics to allow host cities to propose additional sports under new IOC flexibility rules
- Other Additions: New mixed-team events in traditional sports like athletics, swimming, and judo; new forms of basketball (3x3) and cycling (BMX freestyle)
- Context: Rio 2016 Olympics used the motto "A New World" and was the 31st Summer Olympics
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