UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Dhaka rules out Rahman’s visit to India for BRICS meet

Q1. Within BIMSTEC's sectoral cooperation framework, India is the designated lead country for which one of the following sectors?

  • A. Environment and climate change, including disaster risk reduction
  • B. People-to-people contact, including culture and tourism promotion
  • C. Security, including counter-terrorism and cyber security cooperation
  • D. Science, technology and innovation, including technology transfer

Q2. The BIMSTEC Energy Centre, whose Governing Board's first meeting India hosted, is operationalised on the Indian side under which one of the following arrangements?

  • A. Ministry of External Affairs, at the Research and Information System for Developing Countries, New Delhi
  • B. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, at the National Institute of Solar Energy, Gurugram
  • C. Ministry of Science and Technology, at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi
  • D. Ministry of Power, at the Central Power Research Institute, Bengaluru

Q3. Which one of the following is the theme under which India has conducted its BRICS Chairship culminating in the 18th BRICS Summit?

  • A. Strengthening Multilateralism for Just Global Development and Security
  • B. Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability
  • C. Building Responsive, Inclusive and Collective Solutions
  • D. BRICS@15: Intra-BRICS Cooperation for Continuity, Consolidation and Consensus

Q4. The 'Bharat Innovates' Exposition held at Bharat Mandapam alongside the 18th BRICS Summit is being organised by which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, in coordination with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship
  • B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, in coordination with NITI Aayog
  • C. Ministry of Education, in coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Science and Technology, in coordination with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q5. Consider the following statements comparing the interim administration in Bangladesh with the elected government that succeeded it: 1. The interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, held office for about eighteen months before making way for an elected government. 2. In the general elections that ended the interim administration, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won every single seat in the House, so that no other party obtained any parliamentary representation whatsoever. 3. Unlike the interim arrangement, which was headed by a Chief Adviser, the successor government is headed by a Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, whose party's victory was publicly congratulated by the Prime Minister of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The interim government headed by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after the collapse of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, held office for about eighteen months before making way for an elected government.
  2. In the general elections that ended the interim administration, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party won every single seat in the House, so that no other party obtained any parliamentary representation whatsoever.
  3. Unlike the interim arrangement, which was headed by a Chief Adviser, the successor government is headed by a Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, whose party's victory was publicly congratulated by the Prime Minister of India.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. With reference to Bangladesh's political transition since August 2024, consider the following statements: 1. The interim administration that assumed office after the fall of the Awami League government was headed by Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser. 2. The general elections that brought the interim administration to a close were held in February 2026. 3. Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 after about seventeen years of exile in London. 4. Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the single largest party in the newly elected House, ahead of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The interim administration that assumed office after the fall of the Awami League government was headed by Muhammad Yunus as Chief Adviser.
  2. The general elections that brought the interim administration to a close were held in February 2026.
  3. Tarique Rahman returned to Bangladesh in December 2025 after about seventeen years of exile in London.
  4. Jamaat-e-Islami emerged as the single largest party in the newly elected House, ahead of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q7. The category of 'BRICS Partner Country', which is distinct from full membership of the grouping, was created at which one of the following summits?

  • A. The 15th BRICS Summit at Johannesburg in 2023, under South Africa's chairship
  • B. The 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan in 2024, under Russia's chairship
  • C. The 17th BRICS Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 2025, under Brazil's chairship
  • D. The 14th BRICS Summit held virtually in 2022, under China's chairship

Q8. The first BRICS-BIMSTEC Outreach Summit, at which BRICS leaders met the leaders of all seven BIMSTEC countries, was held alongside which one of the following BRICS Summits?

  • A. The 6th BRICS Summit at Fortaleza
  • B. The 9th BRICS Summit at Xiamen
  • C. The 8th BRICS Summit at Goa
  • D. The 13th BRICS Summit hosted by India in 2021

Q9. At the 6th BIMSTEC Summit, India announced a set of initiatives to deepen regional cooperation. Consider the following: 1. Hosting of the first BIMSTEC Games in 2027, the year in which the grouping marks its thirtieth anniversary. 2. Establishment of a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and the holding of an annual BIMSTEC Business Summit in India. 3. Establishment of a BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility at Colombo to service the grouping's science and technology sector. 4. A Young Leaders' Summit, a hackathon and a Young Professional Visitors programme for the youth of the region. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as initiatives announced by India at that Summit?

  1. Hosting of the first BIMSTEC Games in 2027, the year in which the grouping marks its thirtieth anniversary.
  2. Establishment of a BIMSTEC Chamber of Commerce and the holding of an annual BIMSTEC Business Summit in India.
  3. Establishment of a BIMSTEC Technology Transfer Facility at Colombo to service the grouping's science and technology sector.
  4. A Young Leaders' Summit, a hackathon and a Young Professional Visitors programme for the youth of the region.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q10. According to the position stated by Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in September 2026, India's invitation to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman for the 18th BRICS Summit had been extended to him in which one of the following capacities?

  • A. As Chair of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, and not as head of government
  • B. As Chair of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, and not as head of government
  • C. As head of government of a state admitted to the BRICS Partner Country framework
  • D. As Chair of the Indian Ocean Rim Association, and not as head of government

Q11. In the context of regional groupings of South Asia and the Bay of Bengal littoral, the acronym BIMSTEC stands for which one of the following?

  • A. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Maritime Security, Trade and Economic Cooperation
  • B. Bay of Bengal Integrated Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Community
  • C. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
  • D. Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multilateral Sectoral Trade and Energy Cooperation