UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — USCIRF is creating a distorted picture of India, says Centre

Q1. The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which released its 2026 Annual Report on India, was established under which one of the following United States federal laws?

  • A. International Religious Freedom Act, 1998
  • B. Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act, 2016
  • C. Foreign Assistance Act, 1961
  • D. Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, 2016

Q2. With reference to the recommendations made by USCIRF in its 2026 Annual Report on India, consider the following: 1. Designation of India as a 'Country of Particular Concern' 2. Imposition of targeted sanctions, including asset freezes, on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) 3. Imposition of targeted sanctions, including US entry bans, on the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) 4. Suspension of India from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) pending religious-freedom reforms Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Designation of India as a 'Country of Particular Concern'
  2. Imposition of targeted sanctions, including asset freezes, on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)
  3. Imposition of targeted sanctions, including US entry bans, on the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW)
  4. Suspension of India from the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) pending religious-freedom reforms
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2, 3 and 4 only

Q3. Which one of the following is the nodal Indian ministry that has consistently issued the Government of India's official rebuttals to USCIRF Annual Reports, including the March 2026 statement terming the report a 'distorted and selective picture' of India?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of External Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Minority Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Q4. In its 2026 Annual Report, for how many consecutive years has the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a 'Country of Particular Concern' (CPC)?

  • A. Fifth consecutive year
  • B. Sixth consecutive year
  • C. Seventh consecutive year
  • D. Tenth consecutive year

Q5. Which one of the following best describes the 'Country of Particular Concern' (CPC) designation that USCIRF has recommended for India in its 2026 Annual Report?

  • A. A statutory designation under the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act, 1998 for countries whose governments engage in or tolerate systematic, ongoing and egregious violations of religious freedom
  • B. A United Nations Human Rights Council classification for states found to be in persistent breach of minority-rights covenants
  • C. A U.S. Treasury Department category that automatically imposes secondary sanctions on the country's central bank and sovereign instruments
  • D. A bilateral category, jointly notified by the U.S. State Department and the host country, indicating heightened diplomatic monitoring of religious freedom