UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Unilateral sanctions impacting food security, people’s welfare: Pezeshkian

Q1. Indonesia's accession to BRICS took the grouping's total strength of full members to which one of the following numbers?

  • A. Nine full members, comprising the five founders and four countries admitted in the first expansion round
  • B. Ten full members, comprising the five founders and five countries admitted in the first expansion round
  • C. Eleven full members, comprising the founders and the countries admitted in the expansion rounds
  • D. Twelve full members, comprising the founders and the countries admitted in the expansion rounds

Q2. India's membership of the New Development Bank is handled, and India is represented on the Bank's Board of Governors, by which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, headed by the Union Finance Minister
  • B. The Economic Diplomacy Division in the Ministry of External Affairs, headed by the Union External Affairs Minister
  • C. The Reserve Bank of India, represented by the Governor of the central bank
  • D. NITI Aayog, represented by its Vice-Chairperson as India's nominated Governor

Q3. Consider the following statements comparing the New Development Bank (NDB) with other multilateral financial institutions: 1. The NDB was established under an Agreement signed at Fortaleza in 2014 and was operationalised in 2015 with its headquarters at Shanghai. 2. Unlike the World Bank, whose membership is open to a wide range of countries, the NDB has admitted no country beyond its five founding members. 3. India is a founding member of the NDB and holds a twenty per cent stake in the Bank. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The NDB was established under an Agreement signed at Fortaleza in 2014 and was operationalised in 2015 with its headquarters at Shanghai.
  2. Unlike the World Bank, whose membership is open to a wide range of countries, the NDB has admitted no country beyond its five founding members.
  3. India is a founding member of the NDB and holds a twenty per cent stake in the Bank.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which one of the following statements best describes what the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement actually is?

  • A. A multilateral currency swap among the central banks of the member states, providing short-term liquidity support against balance-of-payments pressures
  • B. A pooled fund of member states' sovereign wealth funds that lends for infrastructure and sustainable development projects on concessional terms
  • C. A common physical reserve of foodgrains and fertilizers maintained by member states, to be released among them during supply disruptions
  • D. A joint reinsurance facility capitalised by member states to cover trade and shipping risks arising from third-country sanctions

Q5. Consider the following statements about successive BRICS Summits: 1. The 16th BRICS Summit, the first that Iran attended as a full member, was hosted at Kazan in the Russian Federation. 2. The 17th BRICS Summit, which adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, was hosted by Brazil in July 2025. 3. The 18th BRICS Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marked India's second Chairship of the grouping. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 16th BRICS Summit, the first that Iran attended as a full member, was hosted at Kazan in the Russian Federation.
  2. The 17th BRICS Summit, which adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration, was hosted by Brazil in July 2025.
  3. The 18th BRICS Summit, held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, marked India's second Chairship of the grouping.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. Consider the following statements about recent BRICS summit declarations: 1. The declaration adopted under India's Chairship is titled 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'. 2. The Rio de Janeiro Declaration condemned unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions as contrary to international law, citing harm to the rights to development, health and food security. 3. The Rio de Janeiro Declaration was adopted at the 16th BRICS Summit hosted by Brazil. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The declaration adopted under India's Chairship is titled 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability'.
  2. The Rio de Janeiro Declaration condemned unilateral economic sanctions and secondary sanctions as contrary to international law, citing harm to the rights to development, health and food security.
  3. The Rio de Janeiro Declaration was adopted at the 16th BRICS Summit hosted by Brazil.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The International Day against Unilateral Coercive Measures, observed annually on 4 December, was proclaimed by which one of the following?

  • A. The United Nations General Assembly, by its resolution 79/293 adopted in 2025
  • B. The United Nations Human Rights Council, by its resolution 19/33 adopted in 2012
  • C. The United Nations Security Council, acting under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations
  • D. The Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, on the recommendation of UNCTAD

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding India's engagement with Chabahar and the International North-South Transport Corridor: 1. The Indian entity that signed the 2024 long-term contract for the Chabahar terminal is India Ports Global Limited. 2. The Iranian counterpart to that contract is the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran. 3. Under the contract India equips and operates a General Cargo and Container Terminal at Bandar-e-Anzali for a period of ten years. 4. Under the corridor's routing, cargo moves from Chabahar by road to Bandar-e-Anzali and thereafter by ship across the Caspian Sea to Astrakhan. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Indian entity that signed the 2024 long-term contract for the Chabahar terminal is India Ports Global Limited.
  2. The Iranian counterpart to that contract is the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran.
  3. Under the contract India equips and operates a General Cargo and Container Terminal at Bandar-e-Anzali for a period of ten years.
  4. Under the corridor's routing, cargo moves from Chabahar by road to Bandar-e-Anzali and thereafter by ship across the Caspian Sea to Astrakhan.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q9. The Reserve Bank of India put in place its framework for invoicing, payment and settlement of international trade in Indian Rupees — the arrangement under which Special Rupee Vostro Accounts are opened by authorised dealer banks — in which year?

  • A. 2014, alongside India's accession to the founding treaties of the BRICS financial institutions
  • B. 2018, alongside the expansion of the currency swap facility for SAARC member countries
  • C. 2022, ahead of the wider push among emerging economies for settlement in national currencies
  • D. 2025, following the revision of procedures for opening such accounts by authorised dealer banks