UPSC Prelims 2025 Q96: UN International Years 2025–2029 — Explained
Consider the following pairs:
I. International Year of the Woman Farmer : 2026
II. International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism : 2027
III. International Year of Peace and Trust : 2025
IV. International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence : 2029
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- Only one
- Only two
- Only three
- All the four
Answer: (d) All the four
Statement-wise explanation
- I: correct — UN General Assembly resolution A/RES/78/279, adopted without a vote on 2 May 2024, declared 2026 the International Year of the Woman Farmer. It names FAO as the lead agency. The aim is to recognise women's work across agrifood systems and close their gaps in access to land, finance, technology and markets.
- II: correct — In February 2024 the General Assembly adopted resolution A/RES/78/260 without a vote, proclaiming 2027 the International Year of Sustainable and Resilient Tourism. It follows the 2017 International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development. It treats tourism as a source of income, foreign exchange and jobs for developing countries, least developed countries (LDCs) and small island developing states (SIDS).
- III: correct — Resolution A/RES/78/266, adopted without a vote on 21 March 2024 at Turkmenistan's initiative, proclaimed 2025 the International Year of Peace and Trust. The resolution noted Turkmenistan's offer to host an International Forum of Peace and Trust in December 2025. That forum also marks 30 years of Turkmenistan's permanent neutrality.
- IV: correct — Resolution A/RES/79/86, adopted on 4 December 2024, declared 2029 the International Year of Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence. The year was chosen because asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass about 32,000 km above Earth on 13 April 2029. That is inside geostationary orbit, but the asteroid poses no threat.
How to eliminate
Elimination helps very little here. All four pairs are dates, and none uses words like 'only' or 'always' that would expose a false claim. Two reasoning cues do help. First, 2029 for asteroid awareness can be tied to Apophis, which makes a famous close pass of Earth on 13 April 2029, a fact often in science news. Second, the 'Peace and Trust' year was proposed by Turkmenistan and was first observed in 2021, so 2025 fits a five-year cycle. For the other two you must remember the UN calendar: 2026 is Woman Farmer (alongside Rangelands and Pastoralists, and Volunteers for Sustainable Development), and 2027 is Sustainable and Resilient Tourism (alongside Legal Literacy). UPSC builds 'how many pairs' questions on the assumption that candidates will doubt at least one pair. Here every pair is genuine, so the safe move is to learn the full UN list of International Years for the next five years.
Know more
UN International Years are proclaimed by the UN General Assembly, usually by consensus, after a member state or group of states proposes one. A UN agency is often named to lead it, such as FAO for agriculture years. Specialised bodies like UNESCO can also proclaim years within their own field. A year exists to draw attention, start policy debate and raise money for a theme. It creates no binding obligations.
UN International Years, 2025–2029
| Year | International Year(s) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Quantum Science and Technology; Cooperatives; Glaciers' Preservation; Peace and Trust | Peace and Trust: Turkmenistan's initiative |
| 2026 | Woman Farmer; Rangelands and Pastoralists; Volunteers for Sustainable Development | FAO leads Woman Farmer (A/RES/78/279) |
| 2027 | Sustainable and Resilient Tourism; Legal Literacy | Follows the 2017 Sustainable Tourism year |
| 2028 | Year of International Law | |
| 2029 | Asteroid Awareness and Planetary Defence | Apophis passes Earth on 13 April 2029 |
Points worth remembering
- Do not confuse a day with a year. International Asteroid Day falls on 30 June every year. The asteroid Year is 2029 only.
- Planetary defence means finding, tracking and, if needed, deflecting near-Earth objects. At the UN this is overseen by the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS).
- Several years can run at once. 2025 had four. UPSC often swaps themes between nearby years (for example, 2026's Rangelands and Pastoralists against 2027's Tourism), so learn each year's full set.
- Earlier themed years include 2023, International Year of Millets (proposed by India), and 2024, International Year of Camelids.
In the news
Exam day, 25 May 2025, fell inside the International Year of Peace and Trust. The resolutions for 2026, 2027 and 2029 had all been adopted in 2024, the last of them (Asteroid Awareness) in December 2024, a few months before the exam. Recently announced UN years are a regular source of 'how many pairs' questions.