UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Parliamentary panel seeks clarity from govt. on future engagement with Pakistan

Q1. With reference to India's policy posture towards Pakistan in the period following the Pahalgam terror attack (April 2025), consider the following: 1. Holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance 2. Precision military strikes under Operation Sindoor 3. Formal termination of India's membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation 4. Unilateral abrogation of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 by the Government of India Which of the above is/are correctly identified as measures taken by the Government of India?

  1. Holding the Indus Waters Treaty of 1960 in abeyance
  2. Precision military strikes under Operation Sindoor
  3. Formal termination of India's membership of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
  4. Unilateral abrogation of the Shimla Agreement of 1972 by the Government of India
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. In the context of recent India-Pakistan engagement reviewed by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs, the term 'Track-II diplomacy' is best described as:

  • A. Confidential backchannel negotiations conducted by serving diplomats of the two governments outside the glare of publicity
  • B. Unofficial dialogues between non-governmental actors such as retired officials, academics, journalists and civil society representatives of the two countries
  • C. Multilateral negotiations conducted under the auspices of a third country acting as a formal mediator between the two states
  • D. Exchange of parliamentary delegations between the two countries for inter-legislature cooperation

Q3. Under Operation Sindoor (May 2025), Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on how many terror-related sites located in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?

  • A. Six
  • B. Nine
  • C. Eleven
  • D. Fourteen

Q4. With reference to India's engagement with Pakistan and multilateral fora, consider the following statements: 1. At the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad in October 2024, India was represented by the External Affairs Minister and not by the Prime Minister. 2. The Indus Waters Treaty was held in abeyance by India only after the launch of Operation Sindoor and not before it. 3. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is a Department-Related Standing Committee with members drawn from both Houses of Parliament. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. At the SCO Council of Heads of Government meeting hosted by Pakistan in Islamabad in October 2024, India was represented by the External Affairs Minister and not by the Prime Minister.
  2. The Indus Waters Treaty was held in abeyance by India only after the launch of Operation Sindoor and not before it.
  3. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs is a Department-Related Standing Committee with members drawn from both Houses of Parliament.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3
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