UPSC Essentials daily subject quiz : International Relations MCQs (Week 171) — Check out answers with explanations

4. IOM functions under the Constitution of the International Organization for Migration

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) Only three

(d) All four

Relevance: International organisations, their mandates, year of establishment, and relationship with the UN are recurring UPSC Prelims themes. Aspirants should also compare IOM with agencies such as UNHCR, ILO, and ICRC, focusing on their mandates, legal status, and membership.

Explanation

— The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), founded in 1951, is the premier intergovernmental organization in the field of migration. It is dedicated to the notion that humane and orderly mobility benefits both migrants and society. The IOM is a part of the United Nations system. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

— IOM assists migrants all over the world in establishing effective solutions to the changing dynamics of migration, and as such, it is a valuable source of advice on migration policy and practice. The IOM operates worldwide, including in non-member states and territories, where governments request help or humanitarian needs arise. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The Organisation is guided by the ideals stated in the United Nations Charter, which include ensuring human rights for all. Respect for migrants’ rights, dignity, and well-being remains vital. Hence, statement 4 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.iom.int)

QUESTION 2

Consider the following statements:

1. It is Iran’s only ocean-facing deep-water port.

2. The port is strategically significant for regional trade.

3. The port is situated outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman.

The above-mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Port of Shahid Rajaee

(b) Bushehr Port

(c) Caspian Port

(d) Chabahar Port

Relevance: UPSC can frame questions on the location of ports, seas, straits, and transport corridors. Aspirants should also map important ports along the Persian Gulf, Gulf of Oman, and the Strait of Hormuz.

Explanation

— The United States launched fresh airstrikes on Iran, hitting the strategic port city of Chabahar for the first time since the war began, as Washington expanded its military campaign beyond the Strait of Hormuz.

— Chabahar is Iran’s only ocean-facing deep-water port and sits outside the Strait of Hormuz on the Gulf of Oman. The port is strategically significant for regional trade.

— The US military officials said strikes in Chabahar were aimed at maritime infrastructure and military facilities that are reportedly believed to be aiding Iran’s ability to threaten commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following countries:

1. Bangladesh

2. Thailand

3. Vietnam

4. Afghanistan

5. Sri Lanka

6. Maldives

Which of the countries given above are the member countries of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)?

(a) 1, 2, 4 and 5 only

(b) 1, 2 and 5 only

(c) 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6

(d) 1, 2, 5 and 6 only

Relevance: Regional groupings such as BIMSTEC, ASEAN, SAARC, IORA, and SCO are frequently tested in UPSC Prelims. Aspirants should be familiar with their member countries, geographical scope, and differences in membership.

Explanation

— National security chiefs of BIMSTEC countries vowed to jointly combat regional security challenges and endorsed new guiding principles to streamline maritime law enforcement coordination.

— BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) comprises India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan, and all of them have stakes in the developments in the Indian Ocean.

— The meeting held in New Delhi was hosted by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the national security advisors and heads of delegations discussed practical and result-oriented solutions to combat terrorism and organised crime, and to ensure security in the cyber, maritime and energy domains.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

The Falkland Islands were recently in the news. They are located:

(a) Northern Pacific Ocean

(b) Southern Pacific Ocean

(c) Northern Atlantic Ocean

(d) Southern Atlantic Ocean

Relevance: Islands, seas, straits, and disputed territories frequently feature in UPSC Prelims, especially when linked to geopolitical developments. Aspirants should be able to locate important island groups and associate them with the correct ocean, neighbouring countries, and strategic significance.

Explanation

— While celebrating their 2-1 triumph over England in the semi-final of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Argentina’s Lautaro Martínez and Giovani Lo Celso held aloft a banner that read: ‘Las Malvinas son Argentinas’. It translates to: ‘The Falkland Islands [Malvinas] are Argentine.’

— The Falkland Islands — or Islas Malvinas, as they are known in Argentina — have remained at the centre of a sovereignty dispute between Argentina and the UK since Britain reasserted control over the islands in 1833.

— The Falkland Islands are an archipelago located in the South Atlantic Ocean.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

The nuclear site ‘Pickaxe Mountain’ was in the news. The site is located in:

(a) United States

(b) Canada

(c) Israel

(d) Iran

Relevance: International hotspots involving nuclear facilities and strategic military infrastructure are frequently in the news and are important from the perspective of international relations and map-based questions.

Explanation

— US President Donald Trump has threatened to strike Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear facility known as “Pickaxe Mountain”, putting renewed focus on one of Tehran’s most secretive underground sites that experts say is designed to withstand conventional bunker-buster bombs.

— Pickaxe Mountain, also known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, is a deeply buried underground nuclear facility under construction near Iran’s main uranium enrichment complex at Natanz.

— It lies about 1.5 km south of the Natanz nuclear facility in central Iran. The site is dug into a mountain in the Zagros range, making it far more protected than Iran’s existing underground facilities.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 159)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 171)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 171)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 171)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 171)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 170)

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