UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — A security deal, but not the end of the Arctic contest

Q1. With reference to the Arctic Council, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Council was set up through a declaration of the Arctic states rather than through a treaty requiring ratification by its members.
  2. Observer states such as India have a vote on Council decisions relating to scientific cooperation, though not on other matters.
  3. Observer states become eligible for full membership after a sustained period of engagement in the Council's working groups.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. India takes part in the Arctic Council as an observer and not as a member.
  2. Decisions of the Arctic Council are taken by consensus among its member states.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. India runs its Arctic research station Himadri at Ny-Ålesund in the Svalbard archipelago, although India has no territory in the Arctic. Which one of the following best explains why a non-Arctic state can keep a permanent presence there?

  • A. The archipelago is a terra nullius jointly administered by the eight members of the Arctic Council.
  • B. A treaty recognising Norway's sovereignty there also guarantees access for other contracting states.
  • C. Arctic Council observer status entitles a state to set up research stations on any member's territory.
  • D. UNCLOS declares all land lying north of the Arctic Circle to be part of the common heritage of mankind.

Q4. With reference to Svalbard and Greenland, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Both are under the sovereignty of Nordic states, though not of the same state.
  2. Since India's Arctic station is located there, India's research presence in Svalbard depends on the consent of Denmark.
  3. Greenland's present self-government arrangement comes from a Danish parliamentary statute rather than from an international treaty.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. The 2026 US–Denmark–Greenland agreement reaffirms both Danish sovereignty and Greenland's right to self-determination. In this context, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Reaffirming self-determination alongside Danish sovereignty is legally contradictory, because self-determination presupposes that a people is already independent.
  2. The autonomy Greenland enjoys over its domestic affairs does not, by itself, make it a sovereign state.
  3. The right to self-determination recognised for Greenlanders can extend to choosing independence in the future.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q6. With reference to the faster warming of the Arctic compared with the global average, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. When sea ice gives way to open ocean, the surface albedo falls sharply, so more incoming solar radiation is absorbed.
  2. The ice-albedo mechanism is a positive feedback, since the initial warming sets off changes that cause further warming.
  3. The extra warming is concentrated in the stratosphere and is weakest close to the surface.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q7. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Arctic amplification is strongest in autumn and early winter rather than in summer, even though sunlight over the Arctic is greatest in summer.
  2. Heat absorbed by newly ice-free ocean during summer is stored in the ocean and released to the atmosphere later, in the cold season.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q8. With reference to India's engagement with the two polar regions, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. India's activities in Antarctica are regulated by a parliamentary statute, whereas its Arctic engagement is guided by a policy document.
  2. One purpose of India's Antarctic law is to give domestic effect to India's obligations under the Antarctic Treaty System.
  3. Like Antarctica, the Arctic is governed by a comprehensive treaty that freezes territorial claims in the region.
  4. Unlike Antarctica, the Arctic contains land territory under the sovereignty of individual states.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4