Minimalist IAS
International relations & current affairs

Prelims · International relations & current affairs · 20 questions

Persons, awards & miscellany

Every UPSC Prelims question on this topic, 2016–2026, newest first. Tap an option to check yourself; the answer and explanation open below it.

Persons, awards & miscellany questions per year: 2016: 1, 2017: 0, 2018: 1, 2019: 0, 2020: 0, 2021: 5, 2022: 0, 2023: 2, 2024: 1, 2025: 3, 2026: 4 Asked in 7 of 11 years · most in 2021 (5)

UPSC syllabus: “Current events of national and international importance.” See the full syllabus →

Prelims 2026 · Q65

Hard Provisional key

Consider the following statements with respect to the AI Impact Summit, 2026 held in New Delhi:

  1. 1.The Summit’s intellectual framework was based on three foundational Sutras: People, Planning, and Progress.
  2. 2.The Preamble of the Summit stresses Democratising AI Resources, which acknowledges the Charter for Democratic Diffusion of AI as a binding framework to support locally relevant innovation and strengthen resilient AI ecosystems while respecting national laws.
  3. 3.The New Delhi Declaration on AI Impact was structured around seven Chakras (Pillars), which included Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science, and Secure and Trusted AI.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 3 only

The Summit's three foundational Sutras were People, Planet and Progress, so 'Planning' in Statement 1 is wrong. The Declaration only takes note of the Charter for the Democratic Diffusion of AI as a voluntary and non-binding framework, so Statement 2 is wrong. The Declaration is structured around seven Chakras (pillars) that include the three named in Statement 3.

  • ✗ 1. The government's backgrounder says the Summit is anchored in three foundational pillars, or Sutras: People, Planet and Progress. 'Planning' is not one of them.
  • ✗ 2. The Declaration takes note of the Charter as a voluntary and non-binding framework, not a binding one.
  • ✓ 3. The Declaration is structured around seven pillars (Chakras), among them Access for Social Empowerment, AI for Science and Secure & Trusted AI; the others are Democratizing AI Resources, Economic Growth & Social Good, Human Capital Development, and Resilient, Efficient & Innovative AI Systems.

Remember · AI Impact Summit 2026 (New Delhi): three Sutras (People, Planet, Progress); the Declaration has seven Chakras; the Democratic Diffusion Charter is voluntary and non-binding.

Sources

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 ·

Prelims 2026 · Q81

Medium Provisional key

‘X’, born in the UK, was conferred the Nobel Prize in 2025. He was a professor in an American university when this prize was announced. Identify ‘X’:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) John Clarke

John Clarke, a 2025 Nobel laureate in Physics, was born in Cambridge, UK, and is a professor at the University of California, Berkeley. The other laureates named were either not born in the UK or did not hold an American professorship.

  • ✓ (c) John Clarke (Physics 2025) was born in 1942 in Cambridge, UK, and is Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, USA.
  • ✗ (a) Michel H. Devoret shared the same Physics prize but was born in Paris, France.
  • ✗ (b) Richard Robson (Chemistry 2025) was born in Glusburn, UK, but is Professor at the University of Melbourne, Australia.
  • ✗ (d) Joel Mokyr (Economic Sciences 2025) works at Northwestern University, USA, but was born in Leiden, the Netherlands.

Remember · Physics Nobel 2025: John Clarke (UK-born, UC Berkeley), Michel Devoret and John Martinis, for macroscopic quantum tunnelling in an electric circuit.

Sources

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 ·

Prelims 2026 · Q82

Medium Provisional key

Which of the following statements with regard to the Grand Slam Tennis Tournaments is/are correct?

  1. 1.The tournaments have a shared governance structure establishing the partnership among the four Grand Slam tournaments.
  2. 2.They are open for entry to all internationally ranked tennis players above the age of 14.
  3. 3.There is a limitation on the number of ‘Wild Cards’ a player may receive to compete in a Grand Slam Tournament.

Select the answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct and statement 3 is not: the Grand Slam Rule Book says there is no limit on how many wild cards a player may receive. The four Slams (Australian Open, Roland-Garros, Wimbledon, US Open) work as one partnership, Grand Slam Tennis, under a shared governance structure.

  • ✓ 1. Grand Slam Tennis is the partnership between the four Grand Slam tournaments, set up through a shared governance structure; its Grand Slam Board takes decisions on common rules, regulations and code of conduct.
  • ✓ 2. The Rule Book says the four Slams are open for entry to all internationally ranked players on merit and without discrimination; the only age bar is that minors under fourteen are not eligible.
  • ✗ 3. The Rule Book has a rule titled 'Wild Cards / No Limitation': there is no limit on the number of wild cards a player may receive. Wild cards are chosen at the host tournament's own discretion.

Remember · Grand Slam Tennis = shared governance of the four Slams; open to all ranked players (under-14s barred); no cap on wild cards per player.

Sources

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 ·

Prelims 2026 · Q85

Medium Provisional key

Consider the following statements with regard to the film ‘Boong’:

  1. 1.The film has recently won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Award in the Children’s and Family Film category.
  2. 2.The film is directed by Lakshmipriya Devi.
  3. 3.This is the first Indian film to win a BAFTA award in the Children’s and Family Film category.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3

Boong, by filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi, was announced as the winner of Children’s & Family Film at the 2026 EE BAFTA Film Awards. UPSC’s key treats all three statements as correct, including the claim that it is the first Indian film to win in this category.

  • ✓ 1. BAFTA announced Boong as the winner in the Children’s & Family Film category at the EE BAFTA Film Awards in February 2026; PIB reported the Prime Minister’s congratulations on 23 February 2026.
  • ✓ 2. PIB (Ministry of Information and Broadcasting) calls it ‘Lakshmipriya Devi’s Boong’ and congratulates filmmaker Lakshmipriya Devi on the win; BAFTA’s category page lists her name with the film. She is its director.
  • ✓ 3. The key accepts this: the win was reported as the first by an Indian film in this category. The official pages read do not use the word ‘first’ (see flag).

Remember · Boong (director Lakshmipriya Devi) won the 2026 BAFTA for Children’s & Family Film, reported as the first Indian film to win in that category.

Sources

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 ·

Prelims 2025 · Q93

Medium

Who amongst the following are members of the Jury to select the recipient of 'Gandhi Peace Prize'?

  1. I.The President of India
  2. II.The Prime Minister of India
  3. III.The Chief Justice of India
  4. IV.The Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) II, III and IV

The Gandhi Peace Prize Jury has five members: the Prime Minister (chair), the Chief Justice of India, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and two eminent persons. The President of India is not on it.

  • ✗ I The President of India is not named among the members of the Jury.
  • ✓ II The Prime Minister of India is a member and chairs the Jury.
  • ✓ III The Chief Justice of India is a member.
  • ✓ IV The Leader of Opposition recognised as such in the Lok Sabha is a member; if there is no recognised Leader of Opposition, the leader of the single largest opposition party takes the seat.

Remember · Gandhi Peace Prize Jury: Prime Minister (chair), Chief Justice of India, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, plus two eminent persons.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2025 · Q99

Medium

Consider the following statements in respect of the first Kho Kho World Cup:

  1. I.The event was held in Delhi, India.
  2. II.Indian men beat Nepal with a score of 78–40 in the final to become the World Champion in men category.
  3. III.Indian women beat Nepal with a score of 54–36 in the final to become the World Champion in women category.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) I only

The inaugural Kho Kho World Cup was held in New Delhi in January 2025, and India won both the men's and the women's titles by beating Nepal in each final. Statements II and III swap the two scores.

  • ✓ I The tournament was played in New Delhi, with the finals at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium.
  • ✗ II The Indian men beat Nepal 54-36 in the final. The score of 78-40 belongs to the women's final.
  • ✗ III The Indian women beat Nepal 78-40 in the final. The score of 54-36 belongs to the men's final.

Remember · First Kho Kho World Cup, New Delhi, January 2025: India won both finals against Nepal, men 54-36 and women 78-40.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2025 · Q100

Medium

Consider the following statements:

  1. I.In the finals of the 45th Chess Olympiad held in 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju became the world's youngest winner after defeating the Russian player Ian Nepomniachtchi.
  2. II.Abhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, holds the record of becoming world's youngest ever Grandmaster.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) II only

Gukesh D did become the youngest World Chess Champion in December 2024, but by beating China's Ding Liren in the World Championship match, not in the Chess Olympiad and not against Ian Nepomniachtchi. Abhimanyu Mishra of the USA remains the youngest person ever to earn the Grandmaster title.

  • ✗ I Gukesh's record came in the 2024 World Chess Championship, where he defeated China's Ding Liren at 18. The Olympiad is a team event with no such final, and his opponent was not Nepomniachtchi.
  • ✓ II Abhimanyu Mishra (USA, born 5 February 2009) became a Grandmaster on 30 June 2021 at 12 years, 4 months and 25 days. FIDE, the International Chess Federation, confirms he is the youngest Grandmaster in history.

Remember · Gukesh D, at 18, is the youngest World Chess Champion (beat Ding Liren, December 2024). Youngest Grandmaster ever: Abhimanyu Mishra (USA, 2021, aged 12 years, 4 months, 25 days).

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2024 · Q86

Easy

Who of the following is the author of the books "The India Way" and "Why Bharat Matters"?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

Both books are by Dr S. Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister. 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World' was published in 2020 and 'Why Bharat Matters' in 2024.

  • ✓ (d) Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, wrote both 'The India Way' (2020) and 'Why Bharat Matters' (2024).
  • ✗ (c) Shashi Tharoor has written other books, but neither of these two titles is his.
  • ✗ (b) Nalin Mehta is not the author of these two books.

Remember · S. Jaishankar, India's External Affairs Minister, wrote 'The India Way: Strategies for an Uncertain World' (2020) and 'Why Bharat Matters' (2024).

Sources

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 ·

Prelims 2023 · Q84

Hard

Consider the following statements in respect of the National Flag of India according to the Flag Code of India, 2002:

  1. Statement-I: One of the standard sizes of the National Flag of India is 600 mm × 400 mm.
  2. Statement-II: The ratio of the length to the height (width) of the Flag shall be 3:2.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Answer & explanation

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

Statement-II is right: the Flag Code fixes the length-to-height (width) ratio of the National Flag at 3:2. Statement-I is wrong: the Code lists nine standard sizes and 600 × 400 mm is not among them, even though it has the same 3:2 shape.

  • ✗ Statement-I Paragraph 1.4 lists nine standard sizes, No. 1 to No. 9: 6300 × 4200, 3600 × 2400, 2700 × 1800, 1800 × 1200, 1350 × 900, 900 × 600, 450 × 300, 225 × 150 and 150 × 100 mm. There is no 600 × 400 mm size; the nearest are 900 × 600 mm (No. 6) and 450 × 300 mm (No. 7).
  • ✓ Statement-II Paragraph 1.3 says the National Flag is rectangular and that the ratio of its length to its height (width) shall be 3:2. Every standard size in the table follows this ratio.

Remember · Flag Code 2002: ratio 3:2 (para 1.3); nine standard sizes, 6300 × 4200 mm down to 150 × 100 mm (para 1.4). 600 × 400 mm is not one.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q85

Easy

Consider the following statements in respect of the Constitution Day:

  1. Statement-I: The Constitution Day is celebrated on 26th November every year to promote constitutional values among citizens.
  2. Statement-II: On 26th November, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India set up a Drafting Committee under the Chairmanship of Dr. B. R. Ambedkar to prepare a Draft Constitution of India.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Answer & explanation

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

Statement-I is correct: 26 November, the day the Constitution was adopted, is observed as Constitution Day (Samvidhan Divas) to bring constitutional principles and values before citizens. Statement-II is wrong: the Drafting Committee under Dr B. R. Ambedkar was set up on 29 August 1947, over two years before the Assembly passed the finished Constitution on 26 November 1949.

  • ✓ Statement-I 26 November is kept every year as Constitution Day, also called Samvidhan Divas, to mark the adoption of the Constitution in 1949. The Government of India began the observance in 2015, Dr Ambedkar's 125th birth anniversary year, to highlight constitutional principles and values.
  • ✗ Statement-II The Drafting Committee, chaired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar, was set up on 29 August 1947. On 26 November 1949 the Constituent Assembly did not set up a committee; it adopted the Constitution that the committee's draft had led to.

Remember · Drafting Committee: set up 29 Aug 1947, Chairman Dr Ambedkar. Constitution adopted 26 Nov 1949 (Constitution Day), in force 26 Jan 1950 (Republic Day).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q95

Medium

Consider the following pairs with regard to sports awards:

  1. 1.Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award — For the most spectacular and outstanding performance by a sportsperson over period of last four years
  2. 2.Arjuna Award — For the lifetime achievement by a sportsperson
  3. 3.Dronacharya Award — To honour eminent coaches who have successfully trained sportspersons or teams
  4. 4.Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar — To recognize the contribution made by sportspersons even after their retirement

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Only two

Only pairs 1 and 3 are correct. The Arjuna Award rewards good performance over the previous four years, not lifetime achievement, and the Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar goes to corporate entities, sports bodies and NGOs, not to retired sportspersons.

  • ✓ 1. The Khel Ratna, the highest sports honour, rewards a sportsperson whose performance has been spectacular and among the very best across the four years before the award.
  • ✗ 2. The Arjuna Award rewards good performance across the previous four years, along with leadership, sportsmanship and discipline. Lifetime achievement is honoured by the Dhyan Chand Award.
  • ✓ 3. The Dronacharya Award honours coaches whose consistent and meritorious work has helped their trainees perform well at international events.
  • ✗ 4. The Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar is given to corporate entities, sports control boards and NGOs (including sports bodies) that have played a visible role in promoting sports. Honouring sportspersons for what they do after retirement belongs to the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement.

Remember · Khel Ratna and Arjuna: performance over the previous four years. Dronacharya: coaches. Dhyan Chand Award: lifetime achievement. Rashtriya Khel Protsahan Puraskar: corporates, sports bodies and NGOs.

Sources

  • PIB (Ministry of Youth Affairs & Sports): National Sports Awards 2021 ↗ “is given for the spectacular and most outstanding performance in the field of sports by a sportsperson over a period of previous four years. … is given for good performance over a period of previous four years and showing qualities of leadership, sportsmanship and a sense of discipline. … is given to coaches for doing outstanding and meritorious work on a consistent basis and enabling sportspersons to excel in International events. … is given to corporate entities (both in private and public sector), sports control boards, NGOs including sports bodies at theState and National level who have played a visible role in the area of sports promotion and development.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q96

Medium

Consider the following statements in respect of the 44th Chess Olympiad, 2022:

  1. 1.It was the first time that Chess Olympiad was held in India.
  2. 2.The official mascot was named 'Thambi'.
  3. 3.The trophy for the winning team in the open section is the Vera Menchik Cup.
  4. 4.The trophy for the winning team in the women's section is the Hamilton-Russell Cup.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Only two

Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statements 3 and 4 have the two trophies swapped. The open-section winner gets the Hamilton-Russell Cup and the women's-section winner gets the Vera Menchik Cup.

  • ✓ 1. The 44th Chess Olympiad in Chennai (28 July to 10 August 2022) was the first Olympiad hosted in India.
  • ✓ 2. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister released the official logo and mascot 'Thambi' before the event.
  • ✗ 3. The Vera Menchik Cup goes to the winning team in the women's section, not the open section.
  • ✗ 4. The Hamilton-Russell Cup goes to the winning team in the open section, not the women's section.

Remember · Chess Olympiad trophies: Hamilton-Russell Cup for the open section, Vera Menchik Cup for the women's section. The 2022 Chennai edition was India's first, with mascot Thambi.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q96

Medium

Consider the following statements in respect of Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards:

  1. 1.Bharat Ratna and Padma Awards are titles under the Article 18(1) of the Constitution of India.
  2. 2.Padma Awards, which were instituted in the year 1954, were suspended only once.
  3. 3.The number of Bharat Ratna Awards is restricted to a maximum of five in a particular year.

Which of the above statements are not correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3

All three statements are wrong, so the answer is 1, 2 and 3. The awards are not 'titles' (they cannot be used as a prefix or suffix to the name), the Padma Awards were interrupted twice (1978-79 and 1993-97), and Bharat Ratna is limited to three a year, not five.

  • ✗ 1. Article 18(1) bars the State from conferring titles. The Ministry of Home Affairs states that the Padma award does not amount to a title and cannot be used as a suffix or prefix to the awardee's name; Bharat Ratna is treated the same way.
  • ✗ 2. The Padma Awards were instituted in 1954 but were interrupted in 1978-79 and again from 1993 to 1997, so they were suspended twice, not once.
  • ✗ 3. The number of Bharat Ratna awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year, not five.

Remember · Bharat Ratna: maximum three a year. Padma Awards (1954) were interrupted in 1978-79 and 1993-97. Neither is a 'title' under Article 18(1); neither may be a name prefix or suffix.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q97

Medium

Consider the following statements:

  1. Statement 1: The United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and the Arbor Day Foundation have recently recognized Hyderabad as 2020 Tree City of the World.
  2. Statement 2: Hyderabad was selected for the recognition for a year following its commitment to grow and maintain the urban forests.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Statement 1 is not correct but Statement 2 is correct

Statement 1 is wrong because the 'Tree Cities of the World' recognition is given by the Arbor Day Foundation together with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), not the UN Capital Development Fund. Statement 2 is correct: Hyderabad was among the 120 cities recognised for 2020 for meeting the programme's urban-forest standards.

  • ✗ Statement 1 The programme is a partnership of FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation, launched in 2019. UNCDF, which is a UN fund for least developed countries' finance, has no role in it, so naming it makes the statement wrong although Hyderabad and the Arbor Day Foundation are right.
  • ✓ Statement 2 Hyderabad was one of 120 cities in 23 countries recognised for 2020. Each city has to meet five qualifying standards on managing and celebrating its urban forests.

Remember · Tree Cities of the World = FAO + Arbor Day Foundation (from 2019). Hyderabad was recognised for 2020. The UN Capital Development Fund is not involved.

Sources

  • FAO newsroom, 'The Arbor Day Foundation and FAO recognise 120 Tree Cities of the World' (30 March 2021) ↗ “The Tree Cities of the World programme is a partnership of FAO and the Arbor Day Foundation, launched in 2019. … A total of 120 cities from 23 countries earned this international designation in 2020, including Toronto, Canada; New York, USA; Guadalajara, Mexico; Birmingham, United Kingdom; Campo Grande, Brazil; Hyderabad, India; and Kampala, Uganda. … To earn this recognition, each of these cities demonstrated its commitment to trees and forestry by meeting five qualifying standards related to the management and celebration of urban forests.”
  • UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF): Who we are ↗ · reference work “Established by the United Nations in 1966, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) helps unlock finance in Least Developed Countries, Small Island Developing States, and fragile settings, where risks are high and capital is scarce.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q98

Medium

Consider the following statements in respect of the Laureus World Sports Award which was instituted in the year 2000:

  1. 1.American golfer Tiger Woods was the first winner of this award.
  2. 2.The award was received mostly by 'Formula One' players so far.
  3. 3.Roger Federer received this award maximum number of times compared to others.

Which of the above statements are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Tiger Woods won the very first Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award (2000), and Roger Federer had won more Laureus awards than anyone else. Statement 2 is wrong: Formula One drivers won only a handful of the Sportsman awards, while tennis players, athletes and golfers won most.

  • ✓ 1. The Laureus list of past winners begins with Tiger Woods for 2000 (and 2001) in the Sportsman of the Year category. The first Laureus World Sports Awards were held in 2000.
  • ✗ 2. Among the Sportsman of the Year winners from 2000 to 2021, Formula One drivers won only four times (Michael Schumacher twice, Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton). Federer, Djokovic, Bolt and Nadal won far more.
  • ✓ 3. Federer won the Sportsman award in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2018 and also the Comeback award in 2018; Laureus called him the most decorated winner in its history.
  • • Since then Since the exam, Novak Djokovic has also reached five Sportsman of the Year awards (2012, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2024 on Laureus's list).

Remember · Laureus World Sports Awards began in 2000: Tiger Woods won the first Sportsman award; Roger Federer, with five Sportsman awards plus others, was the most decorated winner.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q99

Easy

Consider the following statements in respect of the 32nd Summer Olympics:

  1. 1.The official motto for this Olympics is 'A New World'.
  2. 2.Sport Climbing, Surfing, Skateboarding, Karate and Baseball are included in this Olympics.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 2 only

Only statement 2 is correct. The 32nd Summer Olympics (Tokyo 2020, held in 2021 after a one-year postponement) had the official motto 'United by Emotion', not 'A New World'. The IOC added five new sports for Tokyo: baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.

  • ✗ 1. The Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee announced 'United by Emotion' as the official Games motto, stressing that sport brings people of every background together.
  • ✓ 2. The IOC agreed to add baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing to the Tokyo 2020 programme; karate, surfing, sport climbing and skateboarding made their Olympic debut.

Remember · Tokyo 2020 (32nd Summer Olympics, held July-August 2021): motto 'United by Emotion'; five new sports were baseball/softball, karate, skateboarding, sport climbing and surfing.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q100

Medium

Consider the following statements in respect of the ICC World Test Championship:

  1. 1.The finalists were decided by the number of matches they won.
  2. 2.New Zealand was ranked ahead of England because it won more matches than England.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Both statements are wrong. In the 2019-21 World Test Championship the teams were ranked by the percentage of points they won, not by matches won, and the top two (India and New Zealand) reached the final. New Zealand finished ahead of England on percentage (70.0 against 61.4), even though England won more matches (11 against 7).

  • ✗ 1. Because Covid-19 disrupted the schedule, the ICC changed the league standings from series points to the percentage of points won out of the points contested. The finalists were the top two on that percentage.
  • ✗ 2. The final table gave India 72.2, New Zealand 70.0, Australia 69.2 and England 61.4 per cent. England won 11 of its 21 Tests and New Zealand 7 of its 11, so New Zealand was ahead on percentage, not on wins.

Remember · WTC 2019-21 ranked teams by percentage of points, not by matches won: India 72.2, New Zealand 70.0, Australia 69.2, England 61.4. India and New Zealand played the final.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2018 · Q18

Easy

Very recently, in which of the following countries have lakhs of people either suffered from severe famine/acute malnutrition or died due to starvation caused by war/ethnic conflicts?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) Yemen and South Sudan

In 2017 the UN formally declared famine in parts of South Sudan, where civil war had wrecked food supply, and warned that war-torn Yemen had more than 17 million people facing severe food insecurity. Both crises were driven by armed conflict.

  • ✓ (d) Famine was declared in parts of South Sudan's Unity region on 20 February 2017, and in March 2017 the UN counted 2.2 million acutely malnourished children in conflict-ridden Yemen.
  • ✗ (c) Venezuela's shortages of food and medicine at the time grew out of an economic collapse rather than a war or ethnic conflict, and neighbouring Colombia saw no famine.
  • ✗ (a) Angola's civil war ended in 2002 and Zambia has had no recent war; neither saw conflict-driven famine around 2017.

Remember · 2017: UN declared famine in South Sudan (Leer and Mayendit, Unity region); Yemen called one of the world's worst hunger crises, 17 million food-insecure.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2018 · Q90

Easy

Consider the following pairs:

Regions sometimes mentioned in newsCountry
1.CataloniaSpain
2.CrimeaHungary
3.MindanaoPhilippines
4.OromiaNigeria

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only

Catalonia is in Spain and Mindanao is in the Philippines, so pairs 1 and 3 are right. Crimea is a Black Sea peninsula that belongs to Ukraine, not Hungary, and Oromia is a region of Ethiopia, not Nigeria.

  • ✓ 1. Catalonia is an autonomous community of north-eastern Spain. In October 2017 the Spanish Government announced it would suspend the region's autonomy and impose direct rule, as a UN human-rights expert's statement records; its independence movement kept it in the news.
  • ✗ 2. Crimea, with the port of Sevastopol, is part of Ukraine. Russia took control of it in 2014, and the UN General Assembly called on states not to recognise any change in its status.
  • ✓ 3. Mindanao is the southern island group of the Philippines. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was created there after a 2019 plebiscite under the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
  • ✗ 4. Oromia is a region of Ethiopia; UN experts wrote about protests in the Oromia region of Ethiopia in 2015-16. It is not in Nigeria.

Remember · Catalonia: Spain. Crimea: Ukraine (annexed by Russia in 2014, not recognised by the UN General Assembly). Mindanao: Philippines. Oromia: Ethiopia.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2016 · Q99

Easy

A recent movie titled The Man Who Knew Infinity is based on the biography of

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) S. Ramanujan

The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015) is a film on the life of the mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan (1887-1920), with Dev Patel in the title role. It takes its name from Robert Kanigel's 1991 biography of Ramanujan, and the film adapts that book.

  • ✓ (a) The film shows Ramanujan's rise from Madras to Cambridge and his work with G. H. Hardy. Ramanujan reshaped twentieth-century mathematics through work on infinite series, continued fractions and number theory.
  • ✗ (b) S. Chandrasekhar was an astrophysicist, not a mathematician, and the film is not about him.
  • ✗ (c) S. N. Bose was a physicist known for Bose-Einstein statistics; he is not the subject of this film.
  • ✗ (d) C. V. Raman was a physicist who won the Nobel Prize for the Raman effect; the film is not about him.

Remember · The Man Who Knew Infinity (2015), starring Dev Patel, is the film on Srinivasa Ramanujan; his birthday, 22 December, is National Mathematics Day.

Sources

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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