UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India, Canada aiming to seal trade deal by year end: Goyal
Q1. As of the end of May 2026, how many rounds of negotiations for the proposed India–Canada Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) had been formally concluded?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. Four
Q2. The business delegation that accompanied Union Minister Piyush Goyal to Canada in May 2026 for the CEPA talks was officially described as which one of the following?
- A. The first-ever Indian trade mission to Canada
- B. The largest-ever Indian business delegation to Canada
- C. India's only all-MSME business delegation to North America
- D. The largest Indian delegation to any G7 nation
Q3. With reference to the personalities associated with the India–Canada CEPA engagement in 2026, consider the following pairings of person and office:
1. Piyush Goyal — India's Minister of Commerce and Industry
2. Maninder Sidhu — Canada's Minister of International Trade
3. Anita Anand — Canada's Minister of Agriculture
4. Mark Carney — Prime Minister of Canada
Which of the above are correctly identified?
- Piyush Goyal — India's Minister of Commerce and Industry
- Maninder Sidhu — Canada's Minister of International Trade
- Anita Anand — Canada's Minister of Agriculture
- Mark Carney — Prime Minister of Canada
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q4. The Terms of Reference for the India–Canada CEPA were exchanged in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and which other head of government?
- A. Justin Trudeau
- B. Mark Carney
- C. Anthony Albanese
- D. Maninder Sidhu
Q5. The bilateral trade target of USD 50 billion set for India and Canada at the CEPA Terms of Reference ceremony is to be achieved by which year?
- A. 2026
- B. 2028
- C. 2030
- D. 2035
Q6. India's first Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) — which later became a template for its comprehensive trade agreements — was signed in 2005 with which country?
- A. South Korea
- B. Japan
- C. Singapore
- D. Sri Lanka
Q7. Which Union ministry is the nodal ministry that negotiates India's comprehensive trade agreements such as the India–Canada CEPA?
- A. Ministry of External Affairs
- B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- C. Ministry of Finance
- D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
Q8. Which one of the following is identified as the primary trigger of the 2023 freeze in India–Canada relations that stalled trade negotiations?
- A. Canadian allegations regarding the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
- B. A Khalistan referendum held in Canadian cities
- C. Canada's closure of its consulates in India
- D. India's suspension of visa services for Canadians
Q9. With reference to the reset in India–Canada relations, consider the following statements:
1. The 2023 diplomatic row began under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
2. The reset gained momentum after Mark Carney replaced Trudeau as Prime Minister in 2025.
3. A reconciliatory Modi–Carney meeting took place on the sidelines of the June 2025 G7 Summit hosted by Canada.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The 2023 diplomatic row began under Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
- The reset gained momentum after Mark Carney replaced Trudeau as Prime Minister in 2025.
- A reconciliatory Modi–Carney meeting took place on the sidelines of the June 2025 G7 Summit hosted by Canada.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. The second round of India–Canada CEPA negotiations (4–8 May 2026) was held at which venue in New Delhi?
- A. Hyderabad House
- B. Vanijya Bhawan
- C. Vigyan Bhawan
- D. Shram Shakti Bhawan
Q11. Which of India's comprehensive trade agreements was negotiated and concluded in the shortest time span — about 88 days — making it the fastest such agreement India has signed?
- A. India–Australia ECTA
- B. India–UAE CEPA
- C. India–South Korea CEPA
- D. India–EFTA TEPA