UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Raksha Mantri and Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, Republic of Korea inaugurate Indian War Memorial in Seoul

Q1. In the context of the Indian War Memorial inaugurated at Imjingak Park, Seoul (May 2026), what was the 'Custodian Force of India (CFI)'?

• A. An Indian Army brigade that supervised unrepatriated prisoners of war in Korea under the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission
• B. The Indian Army medical contingent that treated UN troops on the Korean front from 1950 to 1953
• C. The Indian observer contingent in the International Commission for Supervision and Control in Indochina
• D. The Indian infantry battalion that served with the UN Emergency Force in the Suez Canal zone

Q2. The Indian War Memorial at Imjingak Park, Seoul (May 2026) was jointly inaugurated by India's Raksha Mantri and the Republic of Korea's Minister heading which one of the following Ministries?

• A. Ministry of National Defence
• B. Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• C. Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs
• D. Ministry of Unification

Q3. During the Korean War (1950-53), the 60 Para Field Ambulance of the Indian Army was deployed in Korea under which one of the following international command authorities?

• A. United Nations Command
• B. NATO Joint Command
• C. Commonwealth Forces Korea Command
• D. South-East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) Force

Q4. With reference to the 60 Para Field Ambulance of the Indian Army during the Korean War, consider the following statements:

1. It was commanded by Lt Col (Dr) A. G. Rangaraj, who was awarded the Maha Vir Chakra for his service in the Korean operations.
2. It was deployed in Korea under the United Nations Command established following the outbreak of the Korean War.
3. It was conferred the title of 'Maroon Angels' by wounded soldiers and civilians of the Republic of Korea in recognition of its humanitarian medical service.
4. It constituted independent India's first combatant infantry deployment abroad in the Korean War.

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

Q5. Who chaired the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) constituted under the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953?

• A. Lt Gen K.S. Thimayya
• B. Lt Gen S.P. Thorat
• C. Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa
• D. Maj Gen A.A. Rudra

Q6. With reference to India's role in the aftermath of the Korean War (1950–53), consider the following statements: 1. The Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) was set up under the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953 to handle prisoners of war who refused repatriation. 2. Unlike the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), the NNRC included India as a member and was chaired by an Indian general. 3. The Custodian Force of India (CFI), which held the unrepatriated prisoners of war, functioned as a contingent of the United Nations Command. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission (NNRC) was set up under the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953 to handle prisoners of war who refused repatriation.
2. Unlike the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission (NNSC), the NNRC included India as a member and was chaired by an Indian general.
3. The Custodian Force of India (CFI), which held the unrepatriated prisoners of war, functioned as a contingent of the United Nations Command.

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

Q7. With reference to the Korean War Armistice of 1953, consider the following statements:

1. The Armistice Agreement was signed at Panmunjom on 27 July 1953.
2. The Republic of Korea (South Korea) was a signatory to the Armistice Agreement.
3. India was a member of the Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission set up under the Armistice.
4. General Mark W. Clark signed the Armistice on behalf of the United Nations Command.

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

Q8. Which one of the following UN Security Council resolutions was the first to call upon the North Korean authorities to cease hostilities and withdraw their armed forces to the 38th parallel at the outbreak of the Korean War?

• A. Resolution 82 (1950)
• B. Resolution 83 (1950)
• C. Resolution 84 (1950)
• D. Resolution 85 (1950)

Q9. During the State Visit of which Indian Prime Minister to Seoul was the India–Republic of Korea bilateral relationship elevated to a 'Special Strategic Partnership' through a Joint Statement issued in May 2015?

• A. Atal Bihari Vajpayee
• B. Manmohan Singh
• C. Narendra Modi
• D. I. K. Gujral

Q10. With reference to the India–Republic of Korea Special Strategic Partnership, which of the following statements is/are NOT correct?

1. The bilateral relationship was elevated from 'Strategic Partnership' to 'Special Strategic Partnership' through a Joint Statement issued in May 2015.
2. The India–Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed in 2014 and came into force in 2016.
3. Under the Joint Strategic Vision (2026–2030) announced during President Lee Jae Myung's State Visit, the two sides set a target of doubling bilateral trade to USD 54 billion by 2030.
4. The 2026 Joint Strategic Vision replaced the 'Special Strategic Partnership' framework with a new 'Comprehensive Strategic Alliance'.

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

Q11. At the Indo-Korean Friendship Park inaugurated at Delhi Cantonment in March 2021, how many pillars stand in the backdrop of the statue of General K.S. Thimayya, embossed with details of operations carried out by the 60 Parachute Field Ambulance during the Korean War?

• A. Three
• B. Five
• C. Seven
• D. Eleven

Q12. In the context of India's contribution to the Korean War, which one of the following best describes the 'Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission' (NNRC), of which General K.S. Thimayya — commemorated at the Indo-Korean Friendship Park, Delhi — was the Chairman?

• A. A UN Security Council subsidiary body that supervised the ceasefire line along the 38th parallel after the 1953 Armistice
• B. A body chaired by India to take custody of and decide the fate of prisoners of war who refused repatriation after the Korean Armistice
• C. A joint India–Sweden–Switzerland mission that investigated alleged use of biological weapons during the Korean War
• D. A standing committee of non-aligned nations that mediated the negotiation of the Korean Armistice Agreement of 1953

Q13. The Custodian Force of India (CFI), regarded as India's first major United Nations assignment after independence, was primarily entrusted with which one of the following functions?

• A. Supervising the ceasefire along the Korean Military Demarcation Line on behalf of the UN Command
• B. Taking custody of prisoners of war who had refused repatriation, pending a final decision under the Armistice Agreement
• C. Monitoring the ceasefire line between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir
• D. Administering a plebiscite in the Korean Peninsula under United Nations supervision

Q14. With reference to India's contribution to early United Nations peacekeeping, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. The Neutral Nations Repatriation Commission set up after the Korean Armistice was chaired by Lt Gen K.S. Thimayya of India.
2. The Custodian Force of India that handled unrepatriated prisoners of war in Korea was led by Maj Gen S.S.P. Thorat.
3. India was among the troop-contributing countries to the First United Nations Emergency Force (UNEF I) deployed in 1956 during the Suez Crisis.
4. India deployed the United Nations' first-ever all-female Formed Police Unit to the Operation des Nations Unies au Congo (ONUC) in 1960.

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