UPSC International Relations MCQs - IAS Prelims 2023

Objective Type Questions on International Relations PDF for UPSC is provided in this article. The topic, ‘International Relations’ comes under the IAS Exam Mains GS 2. Current Affairs related to international relations are also asked in the UPSC Prelims.

In the first stage of the UPSC Civil Services Exam i.e. the Prelims, questions are of Multiple Choice Question(MCQ) format and carry negative marking for incorrect answers. We have compiled a list of UPSC International Relations MCQs for IAS Prelims to give candidates an idea of the pattern of questions asked in the exam. These UPSC MCQs have been modelled as per the IAS prelims syllabus.

International relations is a very dynamic part of the UPSC syllabus which is crucial for multiple papers in Prelims and Mains. The IAS exam focuses on International Relations in multiple papers and the syllabus for this subject is vast. In this article, we will discuss the importance of IR in the UPSC exam and provide some International Relations MCQs for Prelims.

International Relations for UPSC

The subject forms a part of Current Affairs of National And International Importance in Prelims. It also directly or indirectly forms a part of the syllabus for the following papers in Mains:

• IAS Mains General Studies Paper II:
  • India and its neighbourhood- relations
  • Bilateral, regional and global groupings and agreements involving India and/or affecting India’s interests.
  • Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests, Indian diaspora.
  • Important International institutions, agencies and fora- their structure, mandate.
• IAS Mains General Studies Paper III:
  • Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
  • Security challenges and their management in border areas – linkages of organized crime with terrorism.
• IAS General Studies Paper IV:
  • Ethical issues in international relations and funding
• UPSC Optional Papers:
  • Agriculture:
    • Climate change—international conventions and global initiatives
    • National and International food policies
  • Commerce & Accountancy
    • ILO and its functions
  • Economics:
    • International Economics
      • Trade Policy and Developing Countries
      • Trade Blocs and Monetary Unions.
      • WTO: TRIMS, TRIPS, Domestic Measures, Different Rounds of WTO talks
    • Growth and Development
      • Economic Development and International Trade and Investment, Role of Multinationals.
  • Geography:
    • Laws of international boundaries and frontiers.
    • International boundary of India and related issues
    • Cross-border terrorism
    • India’s role in world affairs
    • Geopolitics of South Asia and Indian Ocean realm
  • Law
    • International Law
  • Management:
    • International Business
  • Political Science And International Relations
    • Paper II of PSIR

As we can see from the above list, International relations holds significant importance in the Civil Services Exam even when the candidate does not choose Political Science and International Relations as an optional subject for UPSC.

Download International Relations MCQ PDF for UPSC

The download link for UPSC MCQ / UPSC Quiz on International Relations (with answers) can be found below. To ascertain your preparation level for IAS prelims, you can refer to the sample questions provided in the article.

UPSC 2023 International Relations MCQs:-Download PDF Here

For the International Relations part of IAS Prelims, aspirants should be thoroughly prepared with Current Events and important treaties and policies which impacted India’s stand on the global stage.

Q 1. ‘Communications Compatibility and Security Agreement (COMCASA)’, recently seen in news relates to:

1. a) USA
2. b) European Union
3. c) SAARC
4. d) ASEAN

Ans. a) USA

Explanation: COMCASA is an agreement the USA signs with allies and close security partners to enhance interoperability between security forces and high-end technology sales. India has recently signed the agreement and it has implications on India’s internal security as well as defence procurement procedures.

Read in detail about India and US Military Ties in the linked article.

Q 2. With reference to ‘BIMSTEC’, consider the following:

1. It is a regional organization comprising seven Member States lying in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal constituting a contiguous regional unity.
2. It constitutes seven Member States: five deriving from South Asia, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and two from Southeast Asia, including Myanmar and Indonesia.
3. Sri Lanka to host 5th BIMSTEC Summit

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

1. a) 1 only
2. b) 1 and 3 only
3. c) 1 and 2 only
4. d) All of the above

Ans. b) 1 and 3 only

Explanation: BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) does not have Indonesia as a member.

Q 3. With reference to ‘Financial Action Task Force (FATF)’, which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. India is not a full member of FATF but it has partial membership status of this organization.
2. All permanent members of the Security Council except China are members of FATF.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

1. a) 1 only
2. b) 2 only
3. c) Both 1 and 2
4. d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans. d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation: India is a full member of FATF since 2010, as are all the permanent Security Council members including China.

Q 4. Exercise Khanjar is a joint military exercise between 

1. a) India-Kyrgyzstan
2. b) India-Kazakhstan
3. c) India-Uzbekistan
4. d) India-Turkmenistan

Ans. a)

Explanation: Exercise Khanjar’s 8th Edition took place between India and Kyrgyzstan in April 2021. Special Forces of both the countries participated in it. 

Get the list of important Indian Army Exercises in the linked article.

Q 5. Consider the following statements about the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation:

1. It is an intergovernmental organization to promote cooperation in trade, politics, and culture.
2. The Anti-Terrorist structure of SCO is located in Beijing.

Which of the above statement is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Ans. a) 1 only

Explanation: SCO is a permanent intergovernmental international organisation for strengthening mutual trust and neighbourliness among the member states. The Anti-Terrorist structure of SCO is located in Tashkent.

To know more about Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), check the linked article.