UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Raksha Mantri to lead Indian delegation at SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Q1. Iran was accorded the status of a full Member State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) at a Summit held under the chairmanship of which country?

• A. Kazakhstan
• B. Uzbekistan
• C. India
• D. China

Q2. As of 2026, how many countries are full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)?

• A. 8
• B. 9
• C. 10
• D. 11

Q3. Match List I (SCO Member State) with List II (Year of admission as full member) and select the correct answer using the code given below:

• A. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
• B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
• C. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
• D. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4

Q4. With reference to the institutional architecture of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), consider the following statements comparing its two permanent bodies: 1. The SCO Secretariat is located in Beijing, whereas the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is headquartered in Tashkent. 2. Both the Secretariat and the RATS are designated as permanent bodies of the SCO under the SCO Charter. 3. While Russian and Chinese are the working languages of the Secretariat, the RATS additionally uses English as a working language. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The SCO Secretariat is located in Beijing, whereas the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is headquartered in Tashkent.
2. Both the Secretariat and the RATS are designated as permanent bodies of the SCO under the SCO Charter.
3. While Russian and Chinese are the working languages of the Secretariat, the RATS additionally uses English as a working language.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. How many languages are recognised as the official/working languages of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) under its Charter?

• A. Two
• B. Three
• C. Four
• D. Six

Q6. Which of the following are correctly identified as 'permanent bodies' of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) along with the city in which each is headquartered? 1. Secretariat — Beijing 2. Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure — Tashkent 3. Council of Heads of State — Moscow 4. Council of Foreign Ministers — Astana Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1. Secretariat — Beijing
2. Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure — Tashkent
3. Council of Heads of State — Moscow
4. Council of Foreign Ministers — Astana

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 3 and 4
• D. 3 only

Q7. Match List I (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit) with List II (Year) and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

• A. A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4
• B. A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
• C. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4
• D. A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4

Q8. With reference to the 'SECURE-SCO' theme articulated under India's 2023 Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which of the following do NOT form part of the 'SECURE' acronym? 1. Security 2. Economy and Trade 3. Counter-Terrorism 4. Energy Security

1. Security
2. Economy and Trade
3. Counter-Terrorism
4. Energy Security

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 3 and 4 only
• D. 1 and 4 only

Q9. During its 2022-23 Chairmanship of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, India hosted how many Ministerial-level meetings as part of the over 130 institutional engagements held under its chair?

• A. 8
• B. 11
• C. 14
• D. 17

Q10. How many BHISHM (Bhishm Aarogya Maitri Health Cube) units did India gift to Kyrgyzstan on the sidelines of the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting at Bishkek in April 2026?

• A. One
• B. Two
• C. Four
• D. Six

Q11. In the context of India's defence diplomacy at the 2026 SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting, the 'Bhishm Aarogya Maitri Health Cube' is best described as:

• A. A modular, indigenously developed portable medical kit designed for Humanitarian Assistance, Disaster Relief and Search & Rescue operations
• B. A satellite-based military telemedicine network linking SCO member-state field hospitals
• C. A bilateral India-Kyrgyzstan joint military medical exercise conducted annually under the SCO-RATS framework
• D. A DRDO-developed CBRN (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear) decontamination shelter for frontline troops

Q12. The 2026 SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting attended by the Indian Raksha Mantri was hosted under the rotating SCO chairship of which member-state, and in which city?

• A. Kyrgyzstan, in Bishkek
• B. China, in Qingdao
• C. Tajikistan, in Dushanbe
• D. Russia, in Moscow

Q13. With reference to the BHISHM Aarogya Maitri Health Cubes, consider the following countries. Which of the countries given below has/have NOT been a confirmed recipient of BHISHM cubes gifted by India?

1. 1. Ukraine
2. 2. Sri Lanka
3. 3. Kyrgyzstan
4. 4. Bangladesh

• A. 1 and 3 only
• B. 2 and 4 only
• C. 1, 2 and 4 only
• D. 3 only

Q14. Which one of the following aircraft was used as the primary platform by the Indian Air Force for the first-of-its-kind precise para-drop of the BHISHM (Aarogya Maitri) Health Cube at an altitude of close to 15,000 feet?

• A. Il-76 Gajraj
• B. C-17 Globemaster III
• C. C-130J Super Hercules
• D. An-32

Q15. With reference to the modular architecture and capability of the BHISHM Aarogya Maitri Health Cube as compared to its constituent 'mini cubes', consider the following statements: 1. A full BHISHM Cube is constituted by 36 mini cubes assembled into a single mother cube. 2. A complete BHISHM Cube can provide medical care, including surgical procedures, for up to 200 casualties. 3. In a mass casualty incident, the entire BHISHM Cube can be set up within 12 minutes to address the 'golden hour' window. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. 1. A full BHISHM Cube is constituted by 36 mini cubes assembled into a single mother cube.
2. 2. A complete BHISHM Cube can provide medical care, including surgical procedures, for up to 200 casualties.
3. 3. In a mass casualty incident, the entire BHISHM Cube can be set up within 12 minutes to address the 'golden hour' window.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q16. With reference to UNESCO recognitions associated with Kyrgyzstan's Tien Shan region, consider the following statements:

1. The Western Tien-Shan, a transnational property shared with Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, whereas Issyk-Kul is designated under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme.
2. Issyk-Kul is the largest high-altitude lake in the world, surpassing Lake Titicaca in surface area.
3. Despite lying above 1,600 m in the Tien Shan, Issyk-Kul does not freeze in winter owing to its depth, low salinity and warm springs.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q17. Match List I (Geographical feature of Kyrgyzstan) with List II (Description) and select the correct answer using the code given below:

• A. A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1
• B. A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1
• C. A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1
• D. A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4

Q18. The term 'Issyk-Kul', frequently mentioned in the context of Kyrgyzstan, is best described as which one of the following?

• A. An endorheic high-altitude lake situated in the northern Tien Shan of Kyrgyzstan, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve
• B. A trans-boundary glacier in the Pamir range shared by Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan
• C. A high mountain pass on the Kyrgyzstan–China boundary linking Bishkek with Kashgar
• D. A river basin draining from the Tien Shan into the Aral Sea through Uzbekistan

Q19. Match List I with List II in the context of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and select the correct answer using the code given below the Lists:

• A. A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
• B. A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
• C. A-3, B-2, C-1, D-4
• D. A-1, B-3, C-2, D-4

Q20. Which one of the following is the permanent organ of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) tasked exclusively with promoting cooperation of member states against terrorism, separatism and extremism?

• A. SCO Inter-Bank Consortium
• B. Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS)
• C. SCO-Afghanistan Contact Group
• D. SCO Business Council

Q21. With reference to the counter-terrorism framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), consider the following statements:

1. The Shanghai Convention on Combating Terrorism, Separatism and Extremism was adopted in 2001.
2. The Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) of the SCO is headquartered in Astana, Kazakhstan.
3. Exercise 'Peaceful Mission' is a joint counter-terrorism military exercise conducted biennially among SCO member states.
4. India first participated in the SCO 'Peaceful Mission' exercise in 2018, after becoming a full member of the SCO.

• A. 1, 2 and 3 only
• B. 1, 3 and 4 only
• C. 2 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q22. With reference to the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) and the Ashgabat Agreement, consider the following statements:

1. The INSTC was established by an agreement signed by India, Iran and Russia in 2002, whereas the Ashgabat Agreement was originally signed by Oman, Iran, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in 2011.
2. India acceded to the Ashgabat Agreement in 2018, after the Agreement had already entered into force.
3. Unlike the Ashgabat Agreement, the INSTC does not include Iran among its member states.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 2 and 3 only
• C. 1 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q23. Which of the following countries is/are member(s) of the Ashgabat Agreement on the international transport and transit corridor?

1. Iran
2. Kazakhstan
3. Afghanistan
4. Oman

• A. 1 and 4 only
• B. 1, 2 and 4 only
• C. 2, 3 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q24. Which of the following countries did NOT participate as an invitee at the First India-Central Asia Summit held in January 2022?

1. Azerbaijan
2. Tajikistan
3. Mongolia
4. Turkmenistan

• A. 1 and 3
• B. 2 and 4
• C. 1, 2 and 4
• D. 3 only