UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Vietnam major pillar of India’s Act East Policy, says Modi as defence, rare-earth ties renewed

Q1. With reference to the 13 agreements signed during Vietnamese President To Lam's state visit to India in May 2026, consider the following: 1. A Memorandum of Understanding on rare earth elements cooperation between IREL (India) Ltd. and Vietnam's Institute for Technology of Radioactive and Rare Elements (ITRRE). 2. A Memorandum of Understanding on digital payments interoperability between the two central banks. 3. A bilateral Free Trade Agreement in goods replacing the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement. 4. A Memorandum of Understanding between Nalanda University and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. A Memorandum of Understanding on rare earth elements cooperation between IREL (India) Ltd. and Vietnam's Institute for Technology of Radioactive and Rare Elements (ITRRE).
  2. A Memorandum of Understanding on digital payments interoperability between the two central banks.
  3. A bilateral Free Trade Agreement in goods replacing the ASEAN-India Trade in Goods Agreement.
  4. A Memorandum of Understanding between Nalanda University and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. How many bilateral agreements/MoUs were signed during the state visit of Vietnamese President To Lam to India in May 2026, when bilateral relations were elevated to the Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership?

  • A. 9
  • B. 11
  • C. 13
  • D. 17

Q3. With reference to the evolution of India-Vietnam relations preceding the May 2026 upgrade to Enhanced Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, consider the following statements: 1. India and Vietnam first established a Strategic Partnership in 2007. 2. Bilateral relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in 2016. 3. The Act East Policy, under which Vietnam is positioned as a major pillar, was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 2011 East Asia Summit in Bali. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India and Vietnam first established a Strategic Partnership in 2007.
  2. Bilateral relations were elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Hanoi in 2016.
  3. The Act East Policy, under which Vietnam is positioned as a major pillar, was announced by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the 2011 East Asia Summit in Bali.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. With reference to India's maritime strategy invoked alongside the Act East Policy during the May 2026 India-Vietnam summit, what does 'Vision MAHASAGAR' most appropriately denote?

  • A. India's framework of 'Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions', expanding the earlier SAGAR doctrine beyond the Indian Ocean Region
  • B. A bilateral India-Vietnam blue economy fund for sustainable fisheries and marine biodiversity in the South China Sea
  • C. A joint India-ASEAN naval exercise series replacing the MILAN exercises
  • D. India's coastal surveillance network of radar stations along the Indo-Pacific littoral

Q5. With reference to the outcomes of the India-Vietnam summit of May 2026, consider the following items: 1. A bilateral trade target of USD 25 billion by 2030. 2. India's offer of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) support for Vietnam's Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and Kilo-class submarines. 3. Ongoing negotiations for the sale of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile estimated at about USD 629 million. 4. India's grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Vietnam for the first time under a new bilateral trade protocol. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as outcomes of the visit?

  1. A bilateral trade target of USD 25 billion by 2030.
  2. India's offer of Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) support for Vietnam's Sukhoi-30 fighter jets and Kilo-class submarines.
  3. Ongoing negotiations for the sale of the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile estimated at about USD 629 million.
  4. India's grant of Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to Vietnam for the first time under a new bilateral trade protocol.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only