UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Global waterways should be safe, unimpeded: Jaishankar

Q1. The inaugural East Asia Summit (2005), at which India participated as a founding member, was convened under the ASEAN chairmanship of which one of the following countries?

  • A. Thailand
  • B. Indonesia
  • C. Malaysia
  • D. the Philippines

Q2. As of 2026, how many countries participate in the East Asia Summit?

  • A. 16
  • B. 18
  • C. 10
  • D. 21

Q3. Under UNCLOS 1982, the term 'Exclusive Economic Zone' (EEZ) refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A belt of sea extending up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline within which the coastal state exercises full sovereignty, subject to innocent passage
  • B. A zone extending up to 24 nautical miles within which the coastal state may enforce customs, fiscal, immigration and sanitary laws
  • C. A zone extending up to 200 nautical miles from the baseline within which the coastal state has sovereign rights over the exploration and exploitation of natural resources
  • D. The seabed and subsoil beyond the territorial sea throughout the natural prolongation of the land territory

Q4. Which one of the following judicial bodies was established under UNCLOS 1982 to adjudicate disputes concerning the interpretation and application of the Convention?

  • A. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
  • B. International Court of Justice
  • C. Permanent Court of Arbitration
  • D. International Maritime Organization

Q5. With reference to the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, consider the following as claimant states: 1. Vietnam 2. Cambodia 3. Brunei 4. Malaysia Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a claimant state?

  1. Vietnam is a claimant state in the South China Sea territorial disputes.
  2. Cambodia is a claimant state in the South China Sea territorial disputes.
  3. Brunei is a claimant state in the South China Sea territorial disputes.
  4. Malaysia is a claimant state in the South China Sea territorial disputes.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q6. Consider the following statements distinguishing the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) from the Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea: 1. India supports the conclusion of a CoC that is 'substantive, effective and legally binding'. 2. Finalisation of the CoC is targeted at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila in November 2026. 3. The DOC, adopted by ASEAN and China in 2002, is a legally binding treaty. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India supports the conclusion of a CoC that is 'substantive, effective and legally binding'.
  2. Finalisation of the CoC is targeted at the 49th ASEAN Summit in Manila in November 2026.
  3. The DOC, adopted by ASEAN and China in 2002, is a legally binding treaty.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. India's announcement that it would host the 7th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation and the EAS Maritime Heritage Festival in 2026 was made at which one of the following forums?

  • A. The 20th East Asia Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025
  • B. The 22nd ASEAN-India Summit held in Kuala Lumpur in October 2025
  • C. The 21st East Asia Summit held in Manila in July 2026
  • D. The 49th ASEAN Summit held in Manila in November 2026

Q8. Consider the following statements regarding India's maritime engagements announced around the 21st East Asia Summit (2026): 1. India will host the 7th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation at Kochi. 2. India will host the EAS Maritime Heritage Festival at Lothal. 3. The year 2026 has been designated the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation. 4. India will host the 49th ASEAN Summit at Manila in November 2026. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. India will host the 7th EAS Conference on Maritime Security Cooperation at Kochi.
  2. India will host the EAS Maritime Heritage Festival at Lothal.
  3. The year 2026 has been designated the ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation.
  4. India will host the 49th ASEAN Summit at Manila in November 2026.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 4 only

Q9. The year 2026 has been formally designated by ASEAN and India as which one of the following?

  • A. ASEAN-India Year of Tourism
  • B. ASEAN-India Year of Digital Transformation
  • C. ASEAN-India Year of Friendship
  • D. ASEAN-India Year of Maritime Cooperation

Q10. Lothal, the venue announced for the EAS Maritime Heritage Festival, is chiefly renowned as the site of which one of the following?

  • A. The Great Bath, a large public water tank
  • B. The world's oldest known artificial dockyard
  • C. The earliest evidence of a ploughed agricultural field
  • D. The largest Harappan settlement by area

Q11. Consider the following statements regarding the Strait of Hormuz: 1. It connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. 2. Its shipping lanes lie exclusively within Iranian territorial waters. 3. Iran and Oman are the two states bordering its shipping lanes. 4. It is the only maritime outlet for all petroleum exported from every Persian Gulf state. Which of the above is/are correctly stated?

  1. The Strait of Hormuz connects the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman.
  2. The shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz lie exclusively within Iranian territorial waters.
  3. Iran and Oman are the two states whose territorial waters border the Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes.
  4. The Strait of Hormuz is the only maritime outlet for all petroleum exported from every Persian Gulf state.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q12. Consider the following statements about India's maritime diplomacy initiatives: 1. SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was articulated by India in 2015. 2. The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) was launched at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok in 2019. 3. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was launched in 2008. 4. The IPOI was unveiled by India at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2015. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) was articulated by India in 2015.
  2. The Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) was launched at the 14th East Asia Summit in Bangkok in 2019.
  3. The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) was launched in 2008.
  4. The IPOI was unveiled by India at the Shangri-La Dialogue in 2015.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only