International relations & current affairs

Prelims · International relations & current affairs · 22 questions

Security, defence & exercises

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Prelims 2026 · Q60

Medium Provisional key

Consider the following statements about Mission Sudarshan Chakra of India:

1.It aims to enhance India’s air defence, ballistic missile defence and aerial offensive capabilities.
2.This Mission is being designed to enhance rapid, precise, and powerful defence responses, reinforcing India’s strategic autonomy.
3.One of the aims of this Mission is to cover all public places of India by an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1, 2 and 3

Prime Minister Modi announced Mission Sudarshan Chakra in his 15 August 2025 address as a defence shield with offensive and deterrent strength. Its stated aims are rapid, precise and powerful defence responses that reinforce strategic autonomy, and a nationwide security shield over all public places by 2035. The Defence Minister has described it as a multi-level missile defence system.

✓ 1. The Mission is meant to strengthen India's offensive and deterrent capabilities and neutralise enemy defence infiltrations; the Defence Minister calls it a multi-level missile defence system.
✓ 2. The official summary says the initiative is designed to enhance rapid, precise and powerful defence responses, reinforcing India's strategic autonomy.
✓ 3. The official summary says all public places will be covered by an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035.

Remember · Mission Sudarshan Chakra (announced 15 Aug 2025): multi-level missile defence with offensive strength, strategic autonomy, and a nationwide shield covering public places by 2035.

Sources

Prime Minister of India: Highlights from the PM’s address on the 79th Independence Day (offensive and deterrent capabilities) ↗ “To strengthen India’s offensive and deterrent capabilities, we are launching “Mission Sudarshan Chakra”, aimed at neutralising enemy defence infiltrations and enhancing India’s offensive capabilities. … The initiative is designed to enhance rapid, precise, and powerful defence responses, reinforcing India’s strategic autonomy. … All public places will be covered by an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035, ensuring comprehensive protection for the nation while showcasing India’s commitment to self-reliant defence.”
PIB (Ministry of Defence): Raksha Mantri inaugurates an Advanced Weapon System Complex at DRDL, Hyderabad (12 June 2026) ↗ “‘Mission Sudarshan Chakra' will be a multi-level missile defence system of modern India”

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 · Q73

Medium Provisional key

Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?

(Indian Army Corps: Headquarters)

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 33 Corps: Srinagar

Srinagar is the seat of 15 Corps, the Chinar Corps, not 33 Corps. 33 Corps is located at Siliguri in North Bengal. The other three pairs are correct.

✓ (d) This is the mismatched pair: 33 Corps is at Siliguri in North Bengal, while Srinagar is the station of 15 Corps (Chinar Corps).
✗ (a) 3 Corps is at Dimapur, so this pair is correctly matched.
✗ (b) 4 Corps is at Tezpur, so this pair is correctly matched.
✗ (c) 14 Corps is at Leh, so this pair is correctly matched.

Remember · Corps stations: 3 Dimapur, 4 Tezpur, 14 Leh, 15 Srinagar (Chinar Corps), 33 Siliguri, 16 Nagrota, 9 Yol, 21 Bhopal.

Sources

Controller General of Defence Accounts (Ministry of Defence), organisation chart of Internal Financial Advisers, Corps HQrs ↗ “3 Corps, Dimapur IFA, 4 Corps, Tezpur IFA,9 Corps, Yol IFA, 10 Corps, Bhatinda IFA, 11 Corps, Jalandhar Cantt IFA, 12 Corps , Jodhpur IFA, 14 Corps, Leh IFA, 15 Corps, Srinagar IFA, 16 Corps, Nagrota IFA, 21 Corps, Bhopal IFA, 33 Corps, Siliguri”
PIB (President's Secretariat), President of India in Srinagar, 26 July 2019 ↗ “at the Chinar Corps (15 Corps) War Memorial in Srinagar”

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 ·

Prelims 2026 · Q76

Medium Provisional key

Match List I with List II and select the answer using the code given below the Lists:

	List I (INTERPOL Notice)	List II (Description)
A.	Silver Notice	1. To seek information on unidentified bodies
B.	Blue Notice	2. To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in relation to a criminal investigation
C.	Black Notice	3. To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety
D.	Green Notice	4. To identify and trace criminal assets

Answer & explanation

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

INTERPOL's Silver Notice targets criminal assets, the Blue Notice seeks information on a person of interest in an investigation, the Black Notice identifies dead bodies and the Green Notice warns about a person's criminal activities. That gives A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3.

✓ A The Silver Notice, piloted from January 2025, targets criminal assets: it lets countries request information on property and assets linked to serious organised crime (4).
✓ B A Blue Notice is used to obtain information on, locate or identify a person of interest in a criminal investigation (2).
✓ C A Black Notice is published to identify dead bodies that police have found but not yet identified (1).
✓ D A Green Notice warns about a person's criminal activities, when the person is considered a possible threat to public safety (3).

Remember · INTERPOL notices: Blue seeks information on a person of interest, Green warns about a person's criminal activities, Black identifies dead bodies, Silver targets criminal assets.

Sources

INTERPOL, About Notices: Blue and Black Notices ↗ “Blue Notice: To collect additional information about a person’s identity, location or activities in relation to a criminal investigation. Black Notice: To seek information on unidentified bodies. … Green Notice: To provide warning about a person’s criminal activities, where the person is considered to be a possible threat to public safety. … Silver Notice (pilot phase): To identify and trace criminal assets”
INTERPOL's Rules on the Processing of Data (hosted by the Council of Europe), Article 91: Black notices ↗ “Black notices are published to identify dead bodies. 2. Black notices may only be published under the following conditions: (a) the discovery of a dead body has been recorded by the police; (b) this dead body has not been identified;”
INTERPOL statement at the 11th session of the UNCAC Conference of the States Parties (UNODC), Silver Notice ↗ · reference work “The Silver Notice targets criminal assets and enables countries to request information on property and assets linked to serious organized crime.”

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 ·

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Security, defence & exercises

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