International organisations & groupings

Answer: (a) 2 only

The World Toilet Organization is a Singapore-based non-profit founded by Jack Sim on 19 November 2001, not a UN body. It started World Toilet Day, the World Toilet Summit and the World Toilet College, and it works by advocacy, training and local sanitation markets rather than by handing out grants to countries.

• ✗ 1. WTO describes itself as a global non-profit registered in Singapore. The UN adopted its 19 November day as UN World Toilet Day in 2013 through a resolution Singapore sponsored, but that did not make WTO a UN agency.
• ✓ 2. WTO launched World Toilet Day and the World Toilet Summit in 2001 and the World Toilet College in 2005, all to push sanitation up the global agenda.
• ✗ 3. Its work is lobbying, education and training, and helping local sanitation businesses (for example through SaniShop); it is not a funding agency that gives grants to poorer countries.

Remember · World Toilet Organization: Singapore non-profit, founded 19 Nov 2001 by Jack Sim. Started World Toilet Day (UN-recognised 2013), World Toilet Summit (2001), World Toilet College (2005).

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (a) It is a platform for accelerating the transition towards food and water systems that are net-zero (carbon), nature-positive and that aims to increase farmer resilience.

100 Million Farmers is a World Economic Forum platform, launched in 2021, that brings companies, governments, farmer groups and financiers together to shift food and water systems to net-zero, nature-positive farming by 2030 while making farmers more resilient. The name refers to its goal of reaching 100 million farmers.

• ✓ (a) The WEF describes it as a multi-stakeholder platform for net-zero, nature-positive food systems by 2030 that backs local solutions, farmer incentives and resilience, including through regenerative and climate-smart practices.
• ✗ (b) An international network devoted to organic animal husbandry is a different body; 100 Million Farmers deals with climate and nature outcomes across farming, not organic livestock specifically.
• ✗ (d) Organising farmers into producer organisations for market access is a common policy tool, but it is not the purpose of this WEF climate-and-nature platform.

Remember · 100 Million Farmers = World Economic Forum platform (2021) for net-zero, nature-positive food and water systems and farmer resilience by 2030.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (a) 1 only

Only the first statement holds: India is one of the countries that make up the International Grains Council (IGC). The second fails, because the IGC is a forum for co-operation, information-sharing and market transparency, and belonging to it is not a condition for exporting or importing rice or wheat.

• ✓ 1. The IGC lists India among the parties to the Grains Trade Convention, 1995, which make up its membership. India was moved in 2003 from the list of importing members to the list of exporters.
• ✗ 2. The IGC seeks to further co-operation in grains trade and improve market transparency through information-sharing and analysis. It does not license trade, so non-members can still export or import grains.

Remember · India is an IGC member (Grains Trade Convention, 1995); the IGC promotes grain market transparency and does not control who may trade.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Pairs 1 and 2 are correct. Argentina was in a deep economic crisis in 2023-24, and Sudan has been at war since April 2023 between its army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. Turkey did not leave NATO: it has been a member since 1952 and is on NATO's list of 32 members in 2024.

• ✓ 1. Argentina's economy was in deep crisis around 2023-24. The IMF describes elevated and rising inflation, depleted reserves and high poverty as the inheritance of the new government, and an economy pushed to the brink of a full-blown balance of payments crisis.
• ✓ 2. Since 15 April 2023 the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) have been fighting the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), a conflict that has displaced millions.
• ✗ 3. Turkey (Türkiye) joined NATO on 18 February 1952 and remained a member. NATO's page of member countries, updated 11 March 2024, lists Türkiye among its 32 members.

Remember · Sudan: army (SAF) versus paramilitary RSF since April 2023. Argentina: deep economic crisis in 2023-24. Turkey stayed in NATO, a member since 1952.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error

Answer: (c) Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect

Statement-I is correct: the European Parliament approved the Net-Zero Industry Act on 25 April 2024. Statement-II is wrong on two counts. The EU's goal is net-zero emissions by 2050, not 2040, and the Act aims for the EU to produce about 40% of its own annual needs for net-zero technologies by 2030, not all of them.

• ✓ Statement-I The European Parliament adopted the Act on 25 April 2024 by 361 votes to 121, with 45 abstentions. At that stage the Council still had to adopt it formally for it to become law.
• ✗ Statement-II The EU's climate target is a 55% cut in net emissions by 2030 and net-zero by 2050. The Act sets a target of 40% of annual deployment needs for net-zero technologies to be produced in Europe by 2030. It does not aim at making all clean technology in the EU.

Remember · EU Net-Zero Industry Act (Parliament vote 25 April 2024): target 40% of annual deployment needs of net-zero technologies made in the EU by 2030; EU climate neutrality target is 2050.

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2024, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink · Report an error