UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — World Bank chief cautions on jobs crisis even after war ends

Q1. The World Bank Group's jobs strategy identifies a set of sectors where large-scale, local job creation can take root. With reference to these priority sectors, which of the following is/are NOT correctly listed?

  1. Agribusiness
  2. Tourism
  3. Value-added manufacturing, including critical minerals
  4. Real estate and construction
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q2. According to the World Bank, roughly 1.2 billion people in developing countries will reach working age over the next 10-15 years while only about 400 million jobs are projected to be created. Approximately how large is the resulting jobs shortfall?

  • A. About 400 million jobs
  • B. About 600 million jobs
  • C. About 800 million jobs
  • D. About 1.2 billion jobs

Q3. With reference to Ajay Banga and his career immediately preceding the World Bank presidency, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. He is the 14th President of the World Bank Group.
  2. The position he held immediately before becoming World Bank President was President and CEO of Mastercard.
  3. His term as World Bank President began in June 2023.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which one of the following is the original and core institution of the World Bank Group, established in 1944 at the Bretton Woods conference?

  • A. International Development Association (IDA)
  • B. International Finance Corporation (IFC)
  • C. International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD)
  • D. Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA)

Q5. The five institutions of the World Bank Group differ in their mandates. Consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The IDA provides grants and concessional (low-interest) loans to low-income countries, whereas the IBRD lends primarily to middle-income and creditworthy low-income countries.
  2. The IFC focuses on the private sector, while MIGA provides political risk insurance (guarantees).
  3. The ICSID provides long-term financing for infrastructure projects in member countries.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. With reference to the 2026 World Bank-IMF Spring Meetings, which of the following is/are correctly identified?

  1. They were held in Washington, D.C.
  2. They were convened under the theme 'Building prosperity through policy'.
  3. They included the meetings of the Development Committee and the International Monetary and Financial Committee.
  4. They were jointly convened by the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organization.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. With reference to the World Bank Group's Jobs Agenda and its associated bodies, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 'Laying the Groundwork for Jobs in Africa' conference, focused on core infrastructure and business environments, was convened in March 2026.
  2. The Development Committee, which called for reforms to advance the Jobs Agenda, is the highest decision-making body of the International Monetary Fund.
  3. The World Bank Group Scorecard is meant to shift the institution from tracking activities to delivering outcomes, with jobs as a central priority.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Which of the following is/are correctly identified as features that distinguish the World Bank from the International Monetary Fund (IMF)?

  1. The IMF focuses on short- and medium-term macroeconomic and balance-of-payments stability, whereas the World Bank focuses on long-term development and poverty reduction.
  2. The IMF relies principally on quota subscriptions from members, whereas the World Bank raises much of its funds by issuing bonds in world capital markets.
  3. Membership of the IMF always requires prior membership of the World Bank.
  4. The IMF was created at the Bretton Woods conference, but the World Bank was not.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q9. The 'demographic dividend' is primarily realised through a sustained decline in which one of the following?

  • A. The dependency ratio
  • B. The sex ratio
  • C. The literacy ratio
  • D. The gross savings ratio

Q10. With reference to the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4) and how it relates to earlier such conferences, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. FFD4 was held in Sevilla (Seville), Spain, in 2025.
  2. Its outcome, the 'Compromiso de Sevilla', is the first inter-governmentally agreed financing-for-development framework since the Monterrey Consensus of 2002.
  3. The Sevilla Platform for Action aims to help close an estimated annual SDG financing gap of about $4 trillion in developing countries.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3