UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ‘Expiry of nuclear arms treaty alarming’

Question 1

Which of the following best describes the 'New START' treaty, whose expiry on 5 February 2026 was recently in the news?

Accepted Answer

A bilateral United States–Russia treaty placing ceilings on deployed strategic nuclear warheads and their delivery vehicles

Answer

A multilateral treaty that bans any and all nuclear-weapon test explosions in every environment

Answer

A bilateral United States–Russia treaty that eliminates all ground-launched ballistic and cruise missiles of intermediate range

Answer

A multilateral treaty prohibiting the transfer of nuclear weapons to any non-nuclear-weapon State

Question 2

Which one of the following was the last surviving bilateral nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia prior to its lapse on 5 February 2026?

Accepted Answer

New START (New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty)

Answer

Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty

Answer

Strategic Offensive Reductions Treaty (SORT / Moscow Treaty)

Answer

Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the New START Treaty (2010) in comparison with its predecessor, START I (1991):
1. New START caps deployed strategic nuclear warheads at 1,550 per side, whereas START I had permitted 6,000 warheads per side.
2. New START was signed in Prague, whereas START I was signed in Moscow.
3. New START limits deployed strategic delivery vehicles to 700 per side, whereas START I had allowed 1,600 per side.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 3

Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

1 and 3 only

Answer

2 and 3 only

Question 4

Which body was established under the New START Treaty as its principal forum for implementation, verification and compliance issues?

Accepted Answer

Bilateral Consultative Commission (BCC)

Answer

Joint Compliance and Inspection Commission (JCIC)

Answer

Standing Consultative Commission (SCC)

Answer

Special Verification Commission (SVC)

Question 5

Under the New START Treaty that expired on 5 February 2026, the cap on the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads permitted to each of the United States and Russia was:

Accepted Answer

1,550

Answer

700

Answer

800

Answer

2,200

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ‘Expiry of nuclear arms treaty alarming’

Q1. Which of the following best describes the 'New START' treaty, whose expiry on 5 February 2026 was recently in the news?

Q2. Which one of the following was the last surviving bilateral nuclear arms control treaty between the United States and Russia prior to its lapse on 5 February 2026?

Q4. Which body was established under the New START Treaty as its principal forum for implementation, verification and compliance issues?

Q5. Under the New START Treaty that expired on 5 February 2026, the cap on the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads permitted to each of the United States and Russia was: