Strategic Maritime Chokepoints
A critical maritime chokepoint for global oil, linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, central to West Asian geopolitics and energy security.
Oil prices surged by over $2 a barrel following renewed Israeli strikes on Lebanon, despite a recent truce. This escalation in the Israel-Lebanon/Iran conflict, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, has eroded hopes for de-escalation and a restart of crude flows through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz. Iran has made a ceasefire with Lebanon a condition for a peace deal with Washington. Amid the resulting supply crisis, OPEC+ agreed to increase oil output, but analysts believe this will have minimal physical impact due to the Hormuz closure and Russia's production issues.
Durable syllabus ideas for revision — not article memory.
A critical maritime chokepoint for global oil, linking the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, central to West Asian geopolitics and energy security.
Geopolitical events, especially in the Middle East, significantly impact global oil supply and prices, affecting energy security for importing nations like I...
Previous year Prelims questions on overlapping themes and topics.
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 statements:
Statement-I: Recently, Venezuela has achieved a rapid recovery from its economic crisis and succeeded in preventing its people from fleeing/emigrating to other countries.
Statement-II: Venezuela has the world's largest oil reserves.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Statement-I: Incorrect. Venezuela continues to suffer from a severe economic crisis marked by hyperinflation, shortages of basic goods, and political instability. This crisis has led to a massive exodus of Venezuelans seeking better living conditions in neighboring countries and beyond. Statement-II: Correct. Venezuela indeed possesses the world's largest proven oil reserves, surpassing even Saudi Arabia. However, despite this vast resource wealth, economic mismanagement, corruption, and international sanctions have crippled its oil industry and hindered its ability to leverage this asset for economic recovery.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the 'Trade and Technology Council'
Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to begin technological progress and physical productivity under their control.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statement?
* Statement 1 is correct: Trade and Technology Council was launched by the the United States of America and the European Union during the EU-US Summit on 15 June 2021 in Brussels. * Statement 2 is incorrect: Trade and Technology council, the USA and EU does not aim to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control. Rather the initiative intends to promote pooling of digital resources such as AI models and computing power, and make them available to partner countries to address challenges in areas such as climate change and extreme weather, healthcare or smart agriculture.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Consider the following countries:
I. Austria
II. Bulgaria
III. Croatia
IV. Serbia
V. Sweden
VI. North Macedonia
How many of the above are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization?
❌ I. Austria - Not a NATO member (maintains neutrality). ✅ II.Bulgaria - NATO member (joined in 2004). ✅ III. Croatia - NATO member (joined in 2009). ❌ IV.Serbia - Not a NATO member (participates in Partnership for Peace, but not a full member). ✅ V. Sweden - NATO member (officially joined in March 2024). ✅ VI. North Macedonia - NATO member (joined in 2020). So, four of the listed countries are members of NATO: Bulgaria, Croatia, Sweden, and North Macedonia.
Consider the following pairs:
|Town|Sometime mentioned in news Country |
|-- |--|
|1. Aleppo | Syria|
|2. Kirkuk|Yemen |
|3. Mosul | Palestine |
|4. Mazar-i-Sharif|Afghanistan|
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Aleppo is a city in Syria , serving as the capital of the Aleppo Governorate, the most populous Syrian governorate. Kirkuk is a city in Iraq , serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate, located 238 kilometres north of Baghdad. Mosul is a major city in northern Iraq situated on the west bank of the Tigris, opposite the ancient Assyrian city of Nineveh on the east bank. Mazar-e Sharif, the city is in Afghanistan , 35 miles south of the border with Uzbekistan. Hence, B is the correct option.
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?
"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.
How can India achieve energy independence through clean technology by 2047? How can biotechnology play a crucial role in this endeavour?
The fusion energy programme in India has steadily evolved over the past few decades. Mention India’s contributions to the international fusion energy project – International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). What will be the implications of the success of this project for the future of global energy?