UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India important to U.S. Indo-Pacific policy: Rubio
Q1. With reference to the evolution of the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Quad first convened at official level in 2007 on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum, and was revived a decade later in 2017.
- The Quad's Foreign Ministers began meeting annually from 2019, whereas the first Quad Leaders' Summit was held only in 2021.
- The first Quad Leaders' Summit in 2021 was convened as an in-person physical summit.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Consider the following countries. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as member countries of the Quad?
- Australia
- India
- New Zealand
- Japan
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q3. In the context of U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's May 2026 India visit, the 'Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting' is best defined as which one of the following?
- A. A meeting of the Foreign/External Affairs Ministers of India, the United States, Japan and Australia
- B. A meeting of the Defence Ministers of India, the United States, Japan and Australia
- C. A summit-level meeting of the Heads of Government of the four Quad nations
- D. A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of India, the United States, Japan and South Korea
Q4. Which one of the following was the principal multilateral engagement that anchored U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio's May 2026 visit to India?
- A. The Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in New Delhi
- B. The India-U.S. 2+2 Ministerial Dialogue
- C. The Quad Leaders' Summit
- D. The East Asia Summit Foreign Ministers' Meeting
Q5. Consider the following India-U.S. framework and its year. Which of the above agreement-year pairings is/are correctly matched?
- LEMOA - 2016
- COMCASA - 2018
- BECA - 2020
- iCET - 2016
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q6. India's diplomatic engagement with the United States and its participation in the Quad, including the 2026 Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting, is coordinated by which one of the following as the nodal ministry?
- A. Ministry of External Affairs
- B. Ministry of Defence, which alone handles all India-U.S. strategic matters
- C. Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
Q7. With reference to the 2025 U.S. tariff measures on Indian exports, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The initial U.S. 'reciprocal' tariff on most Indian goods in 2025 was set at 25% and came into effect in August 2025.
- An additional 25% penalty tariff, imposed over India's continued imports of Russian crude oil, took the combined duty to 50%.
- At its peak, the combined U.S. tariff on the affected Indian exports reached 75%.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. At its peak during the 2025 trade dispute, the total combined U.S. tariff imposed on the affected Indian exports amounted to what percentage?
Q9. The 52nd G7 Summit of 2026, to which India was invited as a guest and on the margins of which PM Modi met President Trump, was held at Evian-les-Bains, France, over how many days (15-17 June 2026)?
Q10. With reference to the Modi-Trump engagements of 2025-2026, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- Prime Minister Modi visited the Trump White House in February 2025.
- India participated in the June 2026 G7 Summit at Evian-les-Bains, France, as an invited guest country.
- Prime Minister Modi met President Trump on the sidelines of the June 2026 G7 Summit in Evian.
- The 2026 G7 Summit was hosted by India.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q11. Counting the May 2026 New Delhi meeting, how many of the four Quad member countries have hosted an in-person Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting on their own territory?