International relations & current affairs

Prelims · International relations & current affairs · 13 questions

Reports & indices

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

Asked in 5 of 11 years · most in 2016 (3)

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

Prelims 2022 · Q41

Medium

"Climate Action Tracker" which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) Database created by coalition of research organisations

The Climate Action Tracker is an independent research project run jointly by two research organisations, Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute. It has assessed countries' climate pledges and actions since 2009 and belongs to no UN or treaty body.

✓ (a) It is a collaboration of two research organisations, Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute, that compares each government's targets and policies with the Paris Agreement goal. UNEP's Emissions Gap Report itself uses it as one of the independent assessments.
✗ (b) The IPCC (properly the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) assesses climate science for governments. The Tracker is a separate, independent project and not a wing of it.
✗ (c) It is not a committee of the UNFCCC, the climate treaty secretariat; it is an outside analysis that tracks what governments do.
✗ (d) It is not an agency promoted and financed by UNEP and the World Bank; UNEP only cites it, alongside other independent studies.

Remember · Climate Action Tracker: independent tracker of national climate pledges, run by Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute since 2009. Not an IPCC, UNFCCC or UNEP body.

Sources

UNEP, Emissions Gap Report 2015, Annex B (Additional INDC assessment information) ↗ “The Climate Action Tracker has evaluated climate action proposals by countries since 2009.”
Climate Action Tracker, About (what is CAT?) ↗ · reference work “A collaboration of two organisations, Climate Analytics and NewClimate Institute, the CAT has been providing this independent analysis to policymakers since 2009.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q44

Medium

In the context of WHO Air Quality Guidelines, consider the following statements:

1.The 24-hour mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 15 µg/m3 and annual mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m3.
2.In a year, the highest levels of ozone pollution occur during the periods of inclement weather.
3.PM10 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.
4.Excessive ozone in the air can trigger asthma.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 1 and 4 only

Statements 1 and 4 are correct. WHO's 2021 guidelines set PM2.5 at 5 µg/m3 a year and 15 µg/m3 over 24 hours, and ozone can trigger asthma. Ozone peaks in hot, sunny weather, not bad weather, and it is PM2.5, not PM10, that WHO says can enter the bloodstream.

✓ 1. The WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2021) recommend an annual average of 5 µg/m3 and a 24-hour average of 15 µg/m3 for PM2.5.
✗ 2. Ground-level ozone forms when pollutants react in sunlight, so it is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days, not in inclement weather.
✗ 3. Both PM2.5 and PM10 can go deep into the lungs, but WHO says only the finer PM2.5 can even enter the bloodstream.
✓ 4. Ozone irritates and inflames the airways, aggravates asthma and increases the frequency of asthma attacks.

Remember · WHO 2021: PM2.5 annual 5, 24-hour 15 µg/m3 (PM10: 15 and 45). Ozone peaks on hot sunny days and worsens asthma. Only PM2.5 reaches the blood.

Sources

WHO, Billions of people still breathe unhealthy air: new WHO data, 4 April 2022 (Internet Archive copy) ↗ “The latest WHO Air Quality Guidelines (2021) recommend the following concentration limits for these pollutants: For PM 2.5 : Annual average 5 µg/m 3 ; 24-hour average 15 µg/m 3”
WHO, WHO global air quality guidelines: questions and answers (Internet Archive copy) ↗ “PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ are capable of penetrating deep into the lungs and PM₂.₅ can even enter the bloodstream, primarily resulting in cardiovascular and respiratory impacts.”
US EPA, Ground-level Ozone Basics (Internet Archive copy) ↗ “Ozone is most likely to reach unhealthy levels on hot sunny days in urban environments, but can still reach high levels during colder months.”
US EPA, Health Effects of Ozone Pollution (Internet Archive copy) ↗ “Aggravate lung diseases such as asthma, emphysema, and chronic bronchitis. Increase the frequency of asthma attacks.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q67

Medium

Consider the following statements:

1.Vietnam has been one of the fastest growing economies in the world in the recent years.
2.Vietnam is led by a multi-party political system.
3.Vietnam's economic growth is linked to its integration with global supply chains and focus on exports.
4.For a long time Vietnam's low labour costs and stable exchange rates have attracted global manufacturers.
5.Vietnam has the most productive e-service sector in the Indo-Pacific region.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1, 3 and 4

Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct. Vietnam's growth has been rapid and export-led, but it is a one-party state led by the Communist Party, not a multi-party system, and its strength lies in manufacturing rather than services.

✓ 1. The World Bank describes four decades of rapid growth in Viet Nam since the Doi Moi reforms of 1986.
✗ 2. Article 4 of Vietnam's Constitution makes the Communist Party of Vietnam the force leading the State and society; it is a one-party system.
✓ 3. Growth was amplified by strategic integration into global trade and investment flows, as the World Bank notes.
✓ 4. The OECD lists competitive labour costs (with proximity, trade agreements and infrastructure) among the reasons manufacturers relocate to Viet Nam. UPSC's official key counts the statement as correct; we could not confirm the exchange-rate detail from an official source, so we do not explain it here.
✗ 5. UPSC's key treats this as incorrect. Vietnam's growth story is built on manufacturing exports; nothing in the sources supports a claim of regional leadership in e-services.

Remember · Vietnam: Doi Moi (1986), export-led growth in global supply chains, one-party Communist state.

Sources

World Bank: Viet Nam Overview ↗ “a milestone in four decades of rapid growth that began with economic reforms launched under Đổi Mới in 1986. Strategic integration into global trade and investment flows amplified this momentum”
Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (official English text, as hosted by the Asian Development Bank), Article 4 ↗ · reference work “is the force leading the State and society.”
OECD, FDI Qualities Review of Viet Nam (2026) ↗ “Viet Nam’s geographic proximity, competitive labour costs, expanding network of free trade agreements, and improving infrastructure have made it one of the primary destinations for these relocations”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

The same topic in Mains

International institutionsGS 2 syllabus
Economy: planning, growth & employmentGS 3 syllabus

Reports & indices

Prelims 2022 · Q41

Prelims 2022 · Q44

Prelims 2022 · Q67

The same topic in Mains

More in International relations & current affairs