UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s ‘Israel habit’ meets West Asian realities

Q1. The year 2017 holds a special place in India-Israel relations because it marked which one of the following?

  • A. The first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Israel
  • B. The establishment of full diplomatic relations between the two countries
  • C. India's first-ever procurement of defence equipment from Israel
  • D. The signing of the India-Israel Bilateral Investment Agreement

Q2. The I2U2 grouping, frequently cited as an example of India's multi-alignment in West Asia, held its first leaders' (virtual) summit in which year?

  • A. 2020
  • B. 2021
  • C. 2022
  • D. 2023

Q3. In the context of India's West Asia diplomacy, the plurilateral grouping 'I2U2' comprises which one of the following sets of countries?

  • A. India, Israel, the UAE and the USA
  • B. India, Iran, the UAE and the USA
  • C. India, Israel, the UAE and the UK
  • D. India, Indonesia, the UAE and the USA

Q4. The 5th meeting of the Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) on West Asia, convened in May 2026 to review India's energy security, was chaired by which one of the following?

  • A. The Raksha Mantri (Minister of Defence)
  • B. The Minister of External Affairs
  • C. The Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • D. The Minister of Finance

Q5. During the 2026 West Asia crisis, the mission to escort India-bound merchant vessels carrying crude oil, LNG and LPG through the approaches to the Strait of Hormuz was undertaken by which one of the following forces?

  • A. Indian Navy
  • B. Indian Coast Guard
  • C. Indian Air Force
  • D. Border Security Force

Q6. During the 2026 Strait of Hormuz crisis, the number of frontline warships the Indian Navy deployed to the Gulf of Oman/northern Arabian Sea to escort India-bound fuel tankers was reported to be:

  • A. exactly two
  • B. more than half a dozen
  • C. more than fifty
  • D. exactly one

Q7. Which one of the following is the port India is developing in Iran as its flagship connectivity gateway linked to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC)?

  • A. Shahid Beheshti terminal, Chabahar
  • B. Bandar Abbas
  • C. Bandar-e-Anzali
  • D. Gwadar

Q8. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), with which India signed the Terms of Reference for a Free Trade Agreement in February 2026, consists of which one of the following groups of member states?

  • A. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman
  • B. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq
  • C. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain and Yemen
  • D. Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman and Jordan