International organisations & groupings

Answer: (b) Better production, better nutrition, better environment and better life

FAO's Blue Transformation Roadmap is built around the 'four betters': better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life. Option (b) is the only one that lists all four correctly.

• ✗ (a) 'Better ocean' is not one of the four betters; the fourth is a better life.
• ✓ (b) Better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life are the four betters that FAO links to the Blue Transformation Roadmap.
• ✗ (c) 'Better coral reefs' replaces better production, which is the first of the four betters.
• ✗ (d) Better estuaries and better mangrove vegetation are not among the four betters, which are about production, nutrition, environment and life.

Remember · FAO's Blue Transformation Roadmap: the four betters are better production, better nutrition, a better environment and a better life.

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

Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only

The Colombo Process is a regional consultative process that gives a non-binding, informal setting, so it takes no binding decisions. The Abu Dhabi Dialogue is a voluntary, non-binding consultative process between Asian labour-origin and destination countries. The Global Forum on Migration and Development grew out of Kofi Annan's 2006 proposal for a government-led forum that would produce no negotiated outcomes.

• ✗ 1. The Colombo Process describes itself as offering a non-binding and informal environment for dialogue on labour migration, so its members do not take binding decisions.
• ✓ 2. The Abu Dhabi Dialogue, set up in 2008, is described as a voluntary and non-binding inter-government consultative process between Asian countries of labour origin and destination.
• ✓ 3. Then UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan proposed the forum in June 2006 as a government-led consultative body that would not produce negotiated outcomes or recommendations, so its results are non-binding.

Remember · Colombo Process: non-binding regional consultative process (Asian labour-sending states). Abu Dhabi Dialogue: voluntary, non-binding, links Asian labour-origin and destination countries. GFMD: Kofi Annan's 2006 idea, state-led, non-binding.

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

Answer: (a) 1

Only the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has won the Nobel Peace Prize twice, in 1954 and 1981. The other three UN bodies each won it once: the ILO in 1969, UNICEF in 1965 and the World Food Programme in 2020.

• ✗ 1. The World Food Programme received the Nobel Peace Prize once, in 2020, for its work against hunger and for peace in conflict-affected areas.
• ✗ 2. UNICEF won the Peace Prize once, in 1965.
• ✓ 3. UNHCR was honoured in 1954 and again in 1981. Apart from the Red Cross (three times), no other organisation has won the Peace Prize more than once.
• ✗ 4. The International Labour Organization won the Peace Prize once, in 1969, for creating international legislation on working conditions.

Remember · UNHCR: Nobel Peace Prize twice (1954, 1981). ILO 1969, UNICEF 1965, WFP 2020 each won once. The International Committee of the Red Cross has won three times.

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

Answer: (b) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2

UNMIL in Liberia ran from 2003 to 2018 and MINUSTAH in Haiti from 2004 to 2017. MINURCAT in the Central African Republic and Chad ran from 2007 to 2010, and UNMISET in East Timor from 2002 to 2005. That gives A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2.

• ✓ A UNMIL (Liberia) was set up in 2003 and completed its mandate on 30 March 2018, so it pairs with 2003–2018 (3).
• ✓ B MINURCAT (Central African Republic and Chad) began under Security Council Resolution 1778 of 2007 and its mandate ended on 31 December 2010, so it pairs with 2007–2010 (1).
• ✓ C MINUSTAH (Haiti) was established on 1 June 2004 and completed its mission on 15 October 2017, so it pairs with 2004–2017 (4).
• ✓ D UNMISET (East Timor) ran from May 2002 to May 2005, so it pairs with 2002–2005 (2).

Remember · Liberia UNMIL 2003–18; Haiti MINUSTAH 2004–17; Chad and CAR MINURCAT 2007–10; East Timor UNMISET 2002–05. Fixing two pairs usually settles the code.

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

Answer: (c) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3

The BIMSTEC Cultural Industries Observatory is to be in Thimphu, the Energy Centre in Bengaluru, the Centre for Weather and Climate in Noida and the Technology Transfer Facility in Colombo. That gives A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3.

• ✓ A The Cultural Industries Observatory is to be established in Thimphu, Bhutan (4).
• ✓ B The Energy Centre is housed at the Central Power Research Institute, Bengaluru (2).
• ✓ C The Centre for Weather and Climate is located at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting, Noida (1).
• ✓ D The Technology Transfer Facility is to be established in Colombo, Sri Lanka (3).

Remember · BIMSTEC centres: Energy (Bengaluru), Weather and Climate (Noida), Cultural Industries Observatory (Thimphu), Technology Transfer Facility (Colombo).

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

Answer: (c) 2 and 3

Poland (a member since 2004) and Germany (one of the six founding members) are EU members. Belarus and Switzerland are European countries outside the EU; Switzerland deals with the EU through a free trade agreement and bilateral agreements.

• ✗ 1. Belarus is not an EU member: it is not among the 27 EU countries or the countries that joined in any enlargement.
• ✓ 2. Poland joined the European Union in the fifth enlargement of 2004.
• ✓ 3. Germany is one of the six founding countries of the European Union (with Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg and the Netherlands).
• ✗ 4. Switzerland is not an EU member; its relations with the EU are governed by a free trade agreement and a series of bilateral agreements.

Remember · EU members here: Germany (one of the six founders) and Poland (2004). Switzerland is outside the EU (bilateral agreements); Belarus is not a member either.

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