UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — More heft
Q1. Consider the following statements comparing the membership decisions taken at the 15th BRICS Summit (Johannesburg, 2023) with the accessions that actually followed:
1. Six countries were extended membership invitations at Johannesburg, but only five of them actually acceded as full members with effect from 1 January 2024.
2. Indonesia was among the countries invited at Johannesburg in 2023 and completed its accession as a full member in January 2025.
3. The 2024 Kazan Summit created a 'Partner Country' tier distinct from full membership, under which ten countries were taken on board in 2025.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Six countries were extended membership invitations at Johannesburg, but only five of them actually acceded as full members with effect from 1 January 2024.
- Indonesia was among the countries invited at Johannesburg in 2023 and completed its accession as a full member in January 2025.
- The 2024 Kazan Summit created a 'Partner Country' tier distinct from full membership, under which ten countries were taken on board in 2025.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. With reference to the composition of BRICS as it stands in September 2026, consider the following country–status pairs:
1. Ethiopia — full member since January 2024
2. Nigeria — partner country since 2025
3. Argentina — full member since January 2024
4. Vietnam — partner country since 2025
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Ethiopia — full member since January 2024
- Nigeria — partner country since 2025
- Argentina — full member since January 2024
- Vietnam — partner country since 2025
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q3. Which one of the following was the first BRICS Summit to be hosted by India?
- A. The 3rd BRIC Summit, held at Sanya in 2011
- B. The 8th BRICS Summit, held at Goa in 2016
- C. The 4th BRICS Summit, held at New Delhi in 2012
- D. The 13th BRICS Summit, held in virtual format in 2021
Q4. India's BRICS Chairship 2026, including the launch of its official logo, theme and website and the convening of the Sherpas' meetings, is coordinated on the Indian side by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Finance, through the Department of Economic Affairs
- B. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Department of Commerce
- C. The Ministry of External Affairs
- D. The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, through the Press Information Bureau
Q5. Consider the following events held in India in 2026 under its BRICS Chairship and the cities paired with them:
1. 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting — Gurugram
2. 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting — Jaipur
3. BRICS Youth Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting — Bengaluru
4. BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition — New Delhi
Which of the above pairs is/are NOT correctly matched?
- 11th BRICS Energy Ministers' Meeting — Gurugram
- 10th BRICS Industry Ministers' Meeting — Jaipur
- BRICS Youth Entrepreneurship Working Group Meeting — Bengaluru
- BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition — New Delhi
- A. 3 only
- B. 1 and 2
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1 and 3
Q6. The 'BRICS Bharat Innovates Exposition', showcasing deep-tech innovations from Indian higher education institutions alongside the 18th BRICS Summit, was organised in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Science and Technology, through the Department of Science and Technology
- B. The Ministry of Education
- C. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry, through the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
- D. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
Q7. Consider the following statements comparing the BRICS Foreign Ministers' meeting of May 2026 with the 18th BRICS Summit of September 2026:
1. At the September 2026 Summit the members again failed to arrive at a consensus text and settled for a Chair's Statement instead of a joint declaration.
2. The May 2026 Foreign Ministers' meeting ended without a joint statement because Iran and the UAE could not agree on language concerning the West Asia conflict.
3. Iran had pressed for BRICS to condemn the US–Israeli military action against it and accused the UAE of direct involvement in operations against Iran.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- At the September 2026 Summit the members again failed to arrive at a consensus text and settled for a Chair's Statement instead of a joint declaration.
- The May 2026 Foreign Ministers' meeting ended without a joint statement because Iran and the UAE could not agree on language concerning the West Asia conflict.
- Iran had pressed for BRICS to condemn the US–Israeli military action against it and accused the UAE of direct involvement in operations against Iran.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. In the run-up to the 2026 Summit, Iran publicly attributed the deadlock over a BRICS statement on the West Asia conflict principally to which one of the following BRICS members?
- A. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
- B. The Arab Republic of Egypt
- C. The Federative Republic of Brazil
- D. The United Arab Emirates
Q9. US President Donald Trump has announced different tariff rates in connection with BRICS on different occasions. The additional rate he announced specifically for countries 'aligning themselves with the anti-American policies of BRICS' was:
- A. 25 per cent
- B. 10 per cent
- C. 150 per cent
- D. 100 per cent
Q10. Under India's framework for settlement of international trade in Indian rupees — the mechanism underlying India's participation in local-currency trade arrangements — approval for opening a Special Rupee Vostro Account is granted by which one of the following?
- A. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- B. The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance
- C. The Reserve Bank of India, on an application routed through an Authorised Dealer bank in India
- D. The Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Q11. With reference to the institutions created by BRICS, consider the following statements:
1. The New Development Bank has its headquarters in Shanghai and its first President was from India.
2. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement provides short-term liquidity support through currency swaps to members facing balance-of-payments pressures.
3. The Contingent Reserve Arrangement has a committed size of USD 100 billion, of which South Africa's commitment is the largest single share.
4. The New Development Bank was established in 2014 and was operationalised in 2015.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The New Development Bank has its headquarters in Shanghai and its first President was from India.
- The Contingent Reserve Arrangement provides short-term liquidity support through currency swaps to members facing balance-of-payments pressures.
- The Contingent Reserve Arrangement has a committed size of USD 100 billion, of which South Africa's commitment is the largest single share.
- The New Development Bank was established in 2014 and was operationalised in 2015.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 3 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q12. Which one of the following statements comparing the memberships of BRICS, the G-7, the G-20 and the SCO is correct?
- A. BRICS has the largest membership among the four, and it is the only one of them that maintains a separate tier of 'Partner Countries'.
- B. The G-7 has the smallest membership among the four, and it is the only one of them that has never enlarged since its formation.
- C. The SCO has the largest membership among the four, and it is the only one of them of which both India and Pakistan are full members.
- D. The G-20 has the largest membership among the four, and it is the only one of them that counts regional organisations among its members.