UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India to host International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) Summit, on 1st – 2nd June, 2026, in New Delhi

Q1. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), consider the following countries that deposited the instruments of ratification/acceptance/approval under Article VIII(1) of the Framework Agreement, thereby bringing the Alliance into force on 23 January 2025: 1. India 2. Nicaragua 3. Bhutan 4. Eswatini Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. India
  2. Nicaragua
  3. Bhutan
  4. Eswatini
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Which one of the following is the apex (supreme) decision-making organ of the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) under its Framework Agreement?

  • A. Standing Committee
  • B. Secretariat headquartered in New Delhi
  • C. Assembly of Members
  • D. International Steering Committee

Q3. Which of the following is the nodal organisation through which the Government of India operationalises the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)?

  • A. Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB)
  • B. National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA)
  • C. Wildlife Institute of India (WII)
  • D. Zoological Survey of India (ZSI)

Q4. Out of the seven big cat species covered under the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), how many are found in India?

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

Q5. The International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), launched by India in 2023 and entered into force as a treaty-based inter-governmental organization in 2025, focuses on the conservation of how many big cat species?

  • A. Five
  • B. Six
  • C. Seven
  • D. Nine

Q6. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA), which one of the following is the nodal Indian organisation through which the Government of India established the IBCA?

  • A. Wildlife Institute of India
  • B. National Tiger Conservation Authority
  • C. Central Zoo Authority
  • D. Zoological Survey of India

Q7. With reference to the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) vis-à-vis Project Tiger, consider the following statements: 1. The IBCA was launched by the Prime Minister at the event commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger. 2. Unlike Project Tiger, which is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India, the IBCA is a treaty-based intergovernmental international organisation. 3. Both the IBCA Secretariat and Project Tiger are implemented in India by the Wildlife Institute of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The IBCA was launched by the Prime Minister at the event commemorating 50 years of Project Tiger.
  2. Unlike Project Tiger, which is a centrally sponsored scheme of the Government of India, the IBCA is a treaty-based intergovernmental international organisation.
  3. Both the IBCA Secretariat and Project Tiger are implemented in India by the Wildlife Institute of India.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. With reference to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, the category 'Near Threatened' is best described as a taxon which:

  • A. is facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future
  • B. is close to qualifying for, or is likely to qualify for, a threatened category in the near future
  • C. is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild
  • D. has been evaluated against the criteria and does not qualify for any threatened category at present

Q9. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, which classifies the seven big cat species covered under the International Big Cat Alliance, is prepared and maintained under the authority of which one of the following?

  • A. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
  • B. Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) Secretariat
  • C. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
  • D. Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Secretariat

Q10. With reference to Project Cheetah, which one of the following is the nodal agency designated for the monitoring and implementation of cheetah reintroduction in India?

  • A. Wildlife Institute of India
  • B. Central Zoo Authority
  • C. National Tiger Conservation Authority
  • D. Zoological Survey of India

Q11. With reference to the two reintroduction/expansion sites of Project Cheetah in India, consider the following statements: 1. Both Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary are located in the state of Madhya Pradesh. 2. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary received the first batch of African cheetahs in 2022, whereas Kuno National Park has been prepared as the second-phase expansion habitat. 3. The long-term objective of Project Cheetah is to establish a self-sustaining metapopulation of 60–70 cheetahs across approximately 17,000 sq km by 2032. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Both Kuno National Park and Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary are located in the state of Madhya Pradesh.
  2. Gandhi Sagar Wildlife Sanctuary received the first batch of African cheetahs in 2022, whereas Kuno National Park has been prepared as the second-phase expansion habitat.
  3. The long-term objective of Project Cheetah is to establish a self-sustaining metapopulation of 60–70 cheetahs across approximately 17,000 sq km by 2032.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. With how many tiger reserves was Project Tiger launched by the Government of India in 1973?

  • A. 5
  • B. 7
  • C. 9
  • D. 11

Q13. Among the following India-initiated international organisations, which one was the FIRST to come into force as a treaty-based intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India?

  • A. International Solar Alliance (ISA)
  • B. Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI)
  • C. International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA)
  • D. Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA)

Q14. In the context of India's environmental diplomacy through initiatives such as the International Big Cat Alliance and the International Solar Alliance, the term 'South-South cooperation' refers to:

  • A. Technical, economic and knowledge exchange among developing countries of the Global South on a basis of mutual benefit
  • B. Climate finance transfers from developed (Annex-I) to developing nations under the UNFCCC
  • C. Preferential market access granted by the WTO to least developed countries under the Generalised System of Preferences
  • D. Joint maritime security arrangements among Indian Ocean littoral developing states
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

  • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore