West Asian Geopolitics and Regional Conflicts
West Asia is a volatile region marked by state-on-state and proxy conflicts, involving major powers and non-state actors like Hezbollah, with significant glo...
The article details the escalation of tensions between Iran and Israel, primarily focusing on the ongoing conflict in Lebanon involving Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants. It provides a timeline of events, including ceasefires, diplomatic talks, and renewed hostilities, highlighting the complex geopolitical dynamics in West Asia.
Durable syllabus ideas for revision — not article memory.
West Asia is a volatile region marked by state-on-state and proxy conflicts, involving major powers and non-state actors like Hezbollah, with significant glo...
Sustaining ceasefires and achieving conflict resolution is challenging due to the involvement of diverse state and non-state actors, incomplete agreements, a...
Previous year Prelims questions on overlapping themes and topics.
Consider the following statements:
Statement-I :Israel has established diplomatic relations with some Arab States.
Statement-II :The 'Arab Peace Initiative' Mediated by Saudi Arabia was signed by Israel and Arab League.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement I is correct: Several Arab states, including Egypt, Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, have established diplomatic relations with Israel. * Statement II is incorrect: The Arab Peace Initiative, mediated by Saudi Arabia, was endorsed by the Arab League but not signed by Israel. It outlines a path towards peace in exchange for Israeli concessions, but Israel has not formally accepted all its terms.
The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of -
The Two-State Solution is used in the context of the Israel-Palestine issue. It envisages an independent State of Palestine alongside the State of Israel west of the Jordan River.
Consider the following pairs : Area of conflict mentioned in news Country where it is located
1. Donbas : Syria
2. Kachin : Ethiopia
3. Tigray : North Yemen
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
* The Donbas is a historical, cultural, and economic region in eastern Ukraine. It has two heavily industrialised regions of Donetsk and Luhansk which were occupied by Russian forces last year. Hence, pair 1 is not correctly matched. * Kachin State is the northernmost state of Myanmar. In 2022, Myanmar military air * strikes reportedly killed dozens of people including civilians at a concert in Kachin State. Hence, pair 2 is not correctly matched. * Tigray is Ethiopia's northernmost region. The region is at the centre of an ongoing civil conflict involving ethno-regional militias, the federal government, and the Eritrean military that has attracted the concern of humanitarian groups and external actors since November 2020. In October 2022, the first formal African Union-led peace talks between an Ethiopian government team and Tigray forces happened in South Africa. Hence, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect
The International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC) is a multimodal transport network aimed at boosting trade between India, Central Asia, Russia, and Europe, using a combination of sea, rail, and road routes via Iran. The corridor connects Mumbai → Bandar Abbas (Iran) → Azerbaijan → Russia → Europe, with access to Central Asia.
Consider the following pairs :
Regions : often Reason for being in news
1. North Kivu and Ituri : War between Armenia and Azerbaijan
2. Nagorno-Karabakh : Insurgency in Mozambique
3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia : Dispute between Israel and Lebanon
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched ?
None of the pairs (1, 2, or 3) are correctly matched. Let's break it down: 1. North Kivu and Ituri: This region in the Democratic Republic of Congo experiences conflict, but is not related to the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan. 2. Nagorno-Karabakh: This enclave is disputed between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but the insurgency is happening in Mozambique. 3. Kherson and Zaporizhzhia: These are currently under heavy fighting in the Russia-Ukraine war, not a dispute between Israel and Lebanon.
With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements:
1. The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.
2. Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.
3. Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Statement 1 is correct. The United Nations General Assembly may grant non-member states, international organizations, and other entities Permanent Observer Status. Statement 2 is correct. The General Assembly decided that observer status would be confined to States and intergovernmental organizations whose activities cover matters of interest to the Assembly. Statement 3 is correct. Permanent Observers may participate in the sessions and workings of the General Assembly and maintain missions at the UN Headquarters.
Consider the following countries
1. Armenia
2. Azerbaijan
3. Croatia
4. Romania
5. Uzbekistan
Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?
The Organization of Turkic States, formerly called the Turkic Council or the Cooperation Council of Turkic Speaking States, is an international organization comprising prominent independent Turkic countries - Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Kyrgyzstan - Turkey
- Uzbekistan
Consider the following pairs:
Country - Important reason for being in the news recently
1. Chad – Setting up of permanent military base by China.
2. Guinea – Suspension of Constitution and Government by military
3. Lebanon – Severe and prolonged economic depression
4. Tunisia – Suspension of Parliament by President
How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
Pair 1 is incorrectly matched. China has not established any permanent military base in Chad. Pair 2 is correctly matched. Guinean special forces staged a coup, captured President Alpha Conde, replaced governors with the military, and dissolved the constitution and National Assembly. Pair 3 is correctly matched. Lebanon has been experiencing a severe and prolonged economic depression since 2019, driven by political instability, inadequate reforms, and systemic corruption. The economic crisis has affected approximately 74% of the population. Pair 4 is correctly matched. Tunisian President Kais Saied dissolved the suspended parliament after lawmakers held an online meeting and voted to repeal presidential decrees. He called it a failed coup attempt.
Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?
The Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, originally (and still colloquially) known as the Gulf Cooperation Council, is a regional intergovernmental political and economic union consisting of all Arab states of the Persian Gulf except Iran. Its member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. The Charter of the Gulf Cooperation Council was signed on 25 May 1981, formally establishing the institution. Hence, option A is the correct answer.
The area known as ‘Golan Heights’ sometimes appears in the news in the context of the events related to:
The correct answer is the Middle East. The Golan Heights is a hilly, 1,200 sq-km rocky plateau in south-western Syria in the Middle East region overlooking Lebanon, Syria, and the Jordan Valley. The Golan was Syrian territory until 1967 when Israel occupied it in the closing stages of the Six-Day War.
Previous year Mains questions mapped to overlapping GS syllabus topics.
"The reform process in the United Nations remains unresolved, because of the delicate imbalance of East and West and entanglement of the USA vs. Russo-Chinese alliance." Examine and critically evaluate the East-West policy confrontations in this regard.
"Energy security constitutes the dominant kingpin of India's foreign policy, and is linked with India's overarching influence in Middle Eastern countries." How would you integrate energy security with India's foreign policy trajectories in the coming years?
Examine the evolving pattern of Centre-State financial relations in the context of planned development in India. How far have the recent reforms impacted the fiscal federalism in India?
"With the waning of globalization, post-Cold War world is becoming a site of sovereign nationalism." Elucidate.
India-Africa digital partnership is achieving mutual respect, co-development and long-term institutional partnerships. Elaborate.
Discuss the nature of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly after the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019. Briefly describe the powers and functions of the Assembly of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.