UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership (2026-2030)

Q1. The 'Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership' adopted at The Hague in May 2026 is intended to guide bilateral cooperation for a period of how many years?

  • A. Three years
  • B. Five years
  • C. Seven years
  • D. Ten years

Q2. With reference to the 'Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership (2026-2030)', consider the following statements: 1. It was adopted at The Hague on 16 May 2026. 2. It was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten. 3. It institutes an annual stock-taking mechanism at the level of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries. 4. It elevates the bilateral relationship to a 'Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership' for a period of ten years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It was adopted at The Hague on 16 May 2026.
  2. It was signed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
  3. It institutes an annual stock-taking mechanism at the level of the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.
  4. It elevates the bilateral relationship to a 'Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership' for a period of ten years.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. The Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership (2026-2030), adopted at The Hague in May 2026, provides for a periodic review of its implementation. At which one of the following levels is this institutional review mechanism set to be held annually?

  • A. Heads of Government (Prime Ministers of India and the Netherlands)
  • B. Foreign Ministers of India and the Netherlands
  • C. National Security Advisors of the two countries
  • D. Foreign Secretaries / Secretaries-General of the two Foreign Ministries

Q4. With reference to the Roadmap of India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership (2026-2030) adopted in May 2026, and its predecessor sectoral framework, consider the following statements: 1. The India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water, signed in March 2022 and valid up to March 2027, will continue to be monitored through a Ministerial-level Joint Working Group on Water, which the 2026 Roadmap commits to renew. 2. Unlike the 2022 framework, which was confined to a single sector, the 2026 Roadmap elevates the overall bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership covering multiple pillars such as defence, semiconductors, climate and people-to-people ties. 3. The 2026 Roadmap discontinues the annual Foreign Ministers' review and replaces it with a biennial Heads of Government summit as the sole institutional review mechanism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership on Water, signed in March 2022 and valid up to March 2027, will continue to be monitored through a Ministerial-level Joint Working Group on Water, which the 2026 Roadmap commits to renew.
  2. Unlike the 2022 framework, which was confined to a single sector, the 2026 Roadmap elevates the overall bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership covering multiple pillars such as defence, semiconductors, climate and people-to-people ties.
  3. The 2026 Roadmap discontinues the annual Foreign Ministers' review and replaces it with a biennial Heads of Government summit as the sole institutional review mechanism.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. With reference to India-Netherlands bilateral economic relations, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Netherlands is India's largest export destination for goods in Europe.
  2. The Netherlands is India's second largest merchandise trading partner globally.
  3. In FY 2024-25, India had a merchandise trade surplus with the Netherlands.
  4. The India-Netherlands Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) was established in December 2025.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. In the context of India-Netherlands economic engagement, the 'Fast-Track Mechanism (FTM)' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An institutional platform set up by DPIIT, Invest India and the Embassy of the Netherlands for faster resolution of investment-related issues of Dutch companies operating in India
  • B. A bilateral arrangement granting Indian merchandise exports concessional handling priority at the Port of Rotterdam
  • C. A joint customs green-channel corridor between Indian seaports and Schiphol Airport for perishable agricultural exports
  • D. A preferential tariff window under the proposed India-EU FTA reserved exclusively for Dutch semiconductor and lithography imports

Q7. The India-Netherlands Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), institutionalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in December 2025, is co-chaired from the Indian side by which one of the following?

  • A. Foreign Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs
  • B. Additional Secretary, Department of Commerce
  • C. Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
  • D. Joint Secretary (Europe West), Ministry of External Affairs

Q8. Which of the following Union Ministries is the nodal coordinating ministry for the Prime Minister's official outbound state visits, including the five-nation tour undertaken in May 2026?

  • A. Ministry of External Affairs
  • B. Prime Minister's Office (PMO)
  • C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. Ministry of Home Affairs

Q9. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi's five-nation tour of 15-20 May 2026, with which one of the following countries did India agree to elevate bilateral relations to a 'Special Strategic Partnership'?

  • A. United Arab Emirates
  • B. Netherlands
  • C. Norway
  • D. Italy

Q10. The India–Netherlands Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC), institutionalised in December 2025, was set up through a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Ministry of Commerce and Industry of India and which one of the following entities of the Kingdom of the Netherlands?

  • A. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy
  • C. Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management
  • D. Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA)

Q11. Under the India-Netherlands MoU on Semiconductors and Related Emerging Technologies (as reflected in the 2026-2030 Strategic Partnership Roadmap), cooperation on technology value-chain partnerships in 'emerging technologies' explicitly names how many sectors?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q12. With reference to the Centre of Excellence established under the India-Netherlands water cooperation (a joint venture of the National Mission for Clean Ganga, IIT Delhi and the Government of the Netherlands), consider the following as its declared focus areas: 1. Urban water and river management 2. Artificial Intelligence and Geospatial Technologies 3. Coastal erosion and cyclone-surge modelling 4. Monitoring and Modelling of Water Quality Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Urban water and river management
  2. Artificial Intelligence and Geospatial Technologies
  3. Coastal erosion and cyclone-surge modelling
  4. Monitoring and Modelling of Water Quality
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q13. Consider the following statements comparing the Joint Trade and Investment Committee (JTIC) and the Foreign Ministers' review mechanism agreed under the India-Netherlands Strategic Partnership Roadmap (2026-2030): 1. The Roadmap's stocktaking meeting is held at the level of Foreign Ministers, whereas the JTIC is co-chaired at the level of Additional Secretary (India) and Director General, Foreign Economic Relations (Netherlands). 2. The JTIC was institutionalised in December 2025, prior to the formal adoption of the Strategic Partnership Roadmap in May 2026. 3. Both the JTIC and the Roadmap stocktaking meeting are scheduled to be convened biennially. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Roadmap's stocktaking meeting is held at the level of Foreign Ministers, whereas the JTIC is co-chaired at the level of Additional Secretary (India) and Director General, Foreign Economic Relations (Netherlands).
  2. The JTIC was institutionalised in December 2025, prior to the formal adoption of the Strategic Partnership Roadmap in May 2026.
  3. Both the JTIC and the Roadmap stocktaking meeting are scheduled to be convened biennially.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3