North Korea’s Kim says country will exercise its position as nuclear state, KCNA reports​​

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 ?

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

Consider the following countries -
1. China
2. France
3. India
4. Israel
5. Pakistan

Which among the above are Nuclear Weapons States as recognized by the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)?

1. A. 1 and 2 only
2. B. 1, 3, 4 and 5 only
3. C. 2, 4 and 5 only
4. D. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

In the Indian context, what is the implication of ratifying the 'Additional Protocol' with the `International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'?

1. A. The civilian nuclear reactors come under IAEA safeguards.
2. B. The military nuclear installations come under the inspection of IAEA.
3. C. The country will have the privilege to buy uranium from the Nuclear Suppliers Group NSG.
4. D. The country automatically becomes a member of the NSG.

Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?

1. A. Iran
2. B. Saudi Arabia
3. C. Oman
4. D. Kuwait

The term "two-state solution" is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of -

1. A. China
2. B. Israel
3. C. Iraq
4. D. Yemen

In the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, an initiative of six countries, which of the following is/are not participant/ participants?
1. Bangladesh
2. Cambodia
3. China
4. Myanmar
5. Thailand

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. A. 1 only
2. B. 2, 3 and 4
3. C. 1 and 3 only
4. D. 1, 2 and 5 only

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?

1. A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
2. B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
3. C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
4. D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

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?

1. A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement- II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
2. B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement- II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
3. C. Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
4. D. Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

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?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only two
3. C. All three
4. D. None

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 ?

1. A. Only one
2. B. Only Two
3. C. All three
4. D. None

"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.

Why is maritime security vital to protect India’s sea trade? Discuss maritime and coastal security challenges and the way forward.

"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?

What are the major challenges to internal security and peace process in the North-Eastern States? Map the various peace accords and agreements initiated by the government in the past decade.

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?

Indian Constitution has conferred the amending power on the ordinary legislative institutions with a few procedural hurdles. In view of this statement, examine the procedural and substantive limitations on the amending power of the Parliament to change the Constitution.

According to the recent KCNA report, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un stated that exercising the country's position as a nuclear state is the only way to cope with:

1. A. The ongoing global economic recession.
2. B. An unpredictable and complicated global security situation.
3. C. Internal political dissent and instability.
4. D. The need to join the UN Security Council as a permanent member.

North Korea has defied sanctions imposed by which of the following international bodies/countries regarding its nuclear and ballistic missile programs?

1. A. United Nations and United States
2. B. United Nations, United States, and China
3. C. United States, China, and South Korea
4. D. United Nations, United States, China, and South Korea

Besides expanding its nuclear forces, what specific military development did Kim Jong Un order, according to the KCNA report?

1. A. Construction of a new space launch vehicle.
2. B. Development of advanced cyber warfare capabilities.
3. C. Acceleration of the construction of a 10,000-ton strategic guided missile cruiser.
4. D. Establishment of overseas military bases.

North Korea's declaration of its intent to 'thoroughly exercise the position of a nuclear weapons state' poses significant challenges to global non-proliferation efforts and regional stability. Discuss the implications of this stance for international security and the effectiveness of existing diplomatic frameworks.

Introduce North Korea's stance and its historical context. Analyze its impact on East Asian security (e.g., US, South Korea, Japan, China) and the broader global non-proliferation regime (e.g., NPT). Evaluate the effectiveness of past and present diplomatic frameworks in addressing such challenges. Conclude with potential future scenarios and policy considerations.

Despite a slew of sanctions imposed by the United Nations and the U.S., North Korea continues to advance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. Examine the reasons behind the limited effectiveness of international sanctions in curbing North Korea's nuclear ambitions and suggest alternative or complementary approaches.

Begin by defining international sanctions and their intended objectives. Analyze the specific factors contributing to their limited success against North Korea (e.g., internal resilience, illicit trade, support from certain actors, regime survival strategy). Suggest a range of alternative or complementary strategies, including diplomatic engagement, security assurances, and multilateral cooperation.