UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — FTA talks with Israel, GCC countries may be delayed

Q1. With reference to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with which India launched FTA negotiations in February 2026, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The GCC consists exclusively of six member states, all of them Arab monarchies of the Gulf.
2. All members of the Arab League are members of the GCC.
3. Saudi Arabia is the only GCC member that is also a member of the OPEC.
4. The GCC was established in 1981 and has its Secretariat at Riyadh.

• A. 1 and 4
• B. 2 and 3
• C. 1, 3 and 4
• D. 2 and 4 only

Q2. On the Indian side, which of the following is the nodal ministry conducting the Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the GCC bloc and Israel that were launched in February 2026?

• A. Ministry of External Affairs
• B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• C. Ministry of Finance
• D. NITI Aayog

Q3. In the context of India's recent Free Trade Agreement negotiations with Israel and the GCC, the 'Terms of Reference (ToR)' signed before the first round of negotiations refers to:

• A. The binding tariff concession schedule for goods to be traded preferentially under the FTA
• B. An agreed framework document defining the scope, structure and procedural roadmap of the negotiations
• C. A WTO-mandated dispute settlement protocol applicable to the prospective FTA
• D. A list of products on which Most-Favoured-Nation treatment is to be granted from day one

Q4. Which of the following is India's largest bilateral trading partner bloc, with which India formally launched FTA negotiations in February 2026 with bilateral trade of approximately USD 178.56 billion in FY 2024-25?

• A. European Union
• B. ASEAN
• C. Gulf Cooperation Council
• D. BRICS