UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Ireland hopeful of delivering on EU-India FTA by year end: Kelly

Q1. The EU–India Free Trade Agreement concluded on 27 January 2026 was described by both India and the EU as the 'mother of all deals.' Which one of the following best captures the distinction claimed for it?

• A. It is India's largest free trade agreement ever, creating a free trade zone of about two billion people
• B. It is India's first free trade agreement confined solely to trade in goods
• C. It is India's first free trade agreement to exclude services and investment from its coverage
• D. It is India's only free trade agreement concluded with a single sovereign nation-state

Q2. On the European Union side, the EU–India Free Trade Agreement of January 2026 was concluded on behalf of how many member states?

• A. 25
• B. 26
• C. 27
• D. 28

Q3. The 'rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union' that Ireland assumed in July 2026 is best defined as which one of the following?

• A. A six-month term during which a member state chairs meetings of the Council of the EU and sets its agenda
• B. A two-and-a-half-year renewable post whose holder permanently chairs the European Council
• C. The five-year mandate of the President of the European Commission
• D. A one-year chairmanship of the European Parliament rotating among the largest member states

Q4. Consider the following statements comparing two EU office-holders associated with the January 2026 EU–India Summit: 1. António Costa presides over the European Council, whereas Ursula von der Leyen heads the European Commission. 2. Costa, unlike von der Leyen, is a former Prime Minister of Portugal. 3. It is the President of the European Commission, not the President of the European Council, who chairs the summit meetings of EU heads of state or government. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. António Costa presides over the European Council, whereas Ursula von der Leyen heads the European Commission.
2. Costa, unlike von der Leyen, is a former Prime Minister of Portugal.
3. It is the President of the European Commission, not the President of the European Council, who chairs the summit meetings of EU heads of state or government.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Consider the following persons and the offices with which they are paired in the context of the EU–India FTA: 1. António Costa — President of the European Council 2. Ursula von der Leyen — President of the European Commission 3. Kevin Kelly — Ireland's Ambassador to the EU 4. Piyush Goyal — India's Minister of External Affairs Which of the above pairs is/are correctly identified?

1. António Costa — President of the European Council
2. Ursula von der Leyen — President of the European Commission
3. Kevin Kelly — Ireland's Ambassador to the EU
4. Piyush Goyal — India's Minister of External Affairs

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1, 2 and 4
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 3 and 4

Q6. In the institutional structure of the European Union, the 'European Council' is best described as which one of the following?

• A. The institution of heads of state or government of member states that defines the EU's general political direction and priorities
• B. The body of national government ministers that adopts EU laws jointly with the European Parliament
• C. The EU's politically independent executive arm that alone proposes new legislation
• D. The directly elected assembly representing EU citizens that scrutinises the executive

Q7. The 'trio' arrangement, under which three successive holders of the Council Presidency cooperate on a common 18-month programme, was formally laid down in the EU treaties by which one of the following?

• A. The Treaty of Lisbon (2009)
• B. The Treaty of Maastricht (1993)
• C. The Treaty of Rome (1957)
• D. The Treaty of Nice (2003)

Q8. Consider the following statements about India's recent free trade agreements, seen alongside the EU–India FTA: 1. The India–UAE CEPA, in force since 2022, saw bilateral merchandise trade roughly double to over USD 100 billion within about three years. 2. The India–Australia ECTA was India's first trade agreement concluded in over a decade at the time of its signing. 3. The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in July 2025. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The India–UAE CEPA, in force since 2022, saw bilateral merchandise trade roughly double to over USD 100 billion within about three years.
2. The India–Australia ECTA was India's first trade agreement concluded in over a decade at the time of its signing.
3. The India–UK Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in July 2025.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. On the Indian side, negotiations for India's recent free trade agreements — including those with the EU, the UK and the UAE — are led by which one of the following ministries?

• A. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry
• B. The Ministry of External Affairs
• C. The Ministry of Finance
• D. The Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Q10. Among the intellectual property concerns that stalled the earlier round of India–EU FTA talks, India's principal apprehension centred on which one of the following?

• A. EU demands for data exclusivity and patent 'evergreening' that could undermine India's generic drug industry
• B. EU refusal to grant recognition to any Indian geographical indication
• C. India's own demand to abolish all patent protection within the EU
• D. EU insistence that India first accede to the World Trade Organization

Q11. Consider the following items and their descriptions in the context of Geographical Indications relevant to India–EU trade talks: 1. Darjeeling tea — India's first registered Geographical Indication 2. Basmati rice — an Indian GI whose EU protection is also claimed by Pakistan 3. Kangra tea — an Indian GI registered in the European Union 4. Champagne — an Indian GI originating from Maharashtra Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

1. Darjeeling tea — India's first registered Geographical Indication
2. Basmati rice — an Indian GI whose EU protection is also claimed by Pakistan
3. Kangra tea — an Indian GI registered in the European Union
4. Champagne — an Indian GI originating from Maharashtra

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1, 3 and 4
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 2 and 4