Daily Prelims MCQs - International Relations - 12th September 2025
- TPP
- Sep 14
- 6 min read
Welcome to your Daily UPSC Prelims Current Affairs MCQs – 12th September 2025. This is part of our subject-wise daily series where Friday is dedicated to International Relations (IR)—sharpening your grasp of global groupings, doctrines, treaties, and mapwork through crisp, exam-style questions.
Today’s set of 5 carefully curated MCQs blends static–dynamic linkages to help you:
Reinforce the UN system—especially UNSC composition, rotation, and the veto nuance.
Revisit Panchsheel fundamentals and spot distractors that often creep into options.
Decode how multilateral forums issue statements (e.g., SCO Tianjin Declaration) and why wording matters.
Master map-based IR around chokepoints and littorals (the Red Sea neighborhood).
Understand Bretton Woods financing instruments like the IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF).
Topics covered today include:
UNSC: permanent vs. non-permanent membership, tenure, and veto power.
Panchsheel (Five Principles): what’s in—and what’s definitely not.
Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the Tianjin Declaration reference to terrorism.
Countries bordering the Red Sea (with Gulf of Aqaba nuance).
IMF’s EFF: purpose, context, and repayment horizon.
Stay consistent with these daily quizzes to build rock-solid IR fundamentals for Prelims 2026, while fine-tuning elimination skills on classic UPSC trick areas.
Click Here to read the Monthly Current Affairs Pointers (CAP).
QUESTION 1
Regarding the composition of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), consider the following statements:
The non-permanent members of the UNSC serve terms of five years.
Each non-permanent member has the authority to veto decisions made by the Council.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer (d)
Explanation:
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is composed of 15 members in total:
5 permanent members (also known as the P5) — China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
10 non-permanent members, who are elected by the UN General Assembly for fixed terms.
Statement 1 is incorrect:
Non-permanent members are not elected for five-year terms.
In reality, they are elected for two-year terms.
Every year, the General Assembly elects five new non-permanent members, ensuring continuity and rotation among the total ten.
Note: The rotation allows for broad geographical representation and equal opportunity among member states.
Statement 2 is incorrect:
Only permanent members (P5) have the veto power.
This means that if even one of the P5 countries votes against a resolution (a formal decision or expression of opinion), that resolution is automatically blocked, regardless of how many others support it.
This special privilege is known as the "veto power".
Veto Power: The ability to unilaterally stop or reject a decision or proposal — in the UNSC context, it allows a single P5 country to prevent a resolution from being adopted, even if it has a majority.
Non-permanent members do not have veto power. They can vote, but cannot override or block decisions on their own.
Additional Information:
The 10 non-permanent seats are distributed regionally to ensure global representation:
5 seats for African and Asian countries (including 3 for Africa and 2 for Asia).
1 seat for Eastern Europe.
2 seats for Latin America and the Caribbean.
2 seats for Western Europe and other countries.
There's also an informal agreement within the Asia-Africa group to alternate one seat for an Arab country. This helps maintain a balanced voice for Arab nations in the Council.
QUESTION 2
Which of the following elements are included in the Panchsheel, or the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, jointly articulated by India and China?
1. Mutual non-aggression
2. Peaceful co-existence
3. Mutual non-interference
4. Disarmament
5. Democracy promotion
6. Freedom of navigation on high seas
7. Equality and mutual benefit
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3, 4 and 5
(c) 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 7
Answer (d)
Explanation:
The Panchsheel Agreement emerged from diplomatic discussions between India and China, particularly concerning the status of Tibet, a region that was a major area of strategic and political concern after the formation of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and India's independence in 1947.
On April 29, 1954, the two countries signed the "Agreement on Trade and Intercourse Between the Tibet Region of China and India", which included the famous Five Principles of Peaceful Co-existence, known in Hindi as Panchsheel (literally meaning "Five Virtues").
The Five Principles of Panchsheel:
Mutual respect for each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty
(This means both countries agree not to violate or challenge each other's recognized borders and political independence.)
Mutual non-aggression
(Neither country will use military force against the other.)
Mutual non-interference in each other’s internal affairs
(This principle ensures that each state refrains from meddling in the domestic political, social, or economic matters of the other.)
Equality and mutual benefit
(Both parties are seen as equals and should gain fairly from their cooperation.)
Peaceful co-existence
(Despite ideological or political differences, countries can live side by side peacefully.)
What Is Not Part of Panchsheel:
Disarmament: Refers to reducing or eliminating weapons.
Not part of the original Panchsheel principles.
Democracy promotion: Advocating for democratic systems globally.
Panchsheel principles are focused on state sovereignty, not political systems.
Freedom of navigation on the high seas: The right of ships to move freely in international waters.
A concept in international maritime law, but not part of Panchsheel.
QUESTION 3
The Tianjin Declaration, which included a strong condemnation of a terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, was issued by which of the following international organizations?
(a) BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa)
(b) Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
(c) Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
(d) North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
Answer (b)
Explanation:
The Tianjin Declaration was a joint statement issued by the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) during one of their high-level meetings held in Tianjin, China.
In this declaration, the SCO leaders explicitly condemned terrorism in all forms and specifically referred to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, a well-known tourist and pilgrimage site in Jammu and Kashmir, India.
Key Highlights from the Tianjin Declaration:
The SCO members unanimously denounced terrorism, stating:
“The Member States strongly condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations… They expressed their deepest sympathy and condolences to the families of the dead and the wounded.”
They also emphasized that:
“The perpetrators, organisers, and sponsors of such attacks must be brought to justice.”
QUESTION 4
Which of the following countries share a direct land border with the Red Sea?
1. Saudi Arabia
2. Djibouti
3. Egypt
4. Oman
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer (d)
Explanation:
The Red Sea is a narrow strip of water connecting the Mediterranean Sea (via the Suez Canal) to the Indian Ocean (via the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden).
It is located between northeastern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, and plays a vital role in global maritime trade.
Countries That Border the Red Sea:
On the African (Western) Side:
Egypt – northern coast of the Red Sea.
Sudan – directly south of Egypt.
Eritrea – south of Sudan.
Djibouti – although it mainly lies at the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, it still touches the Red Sea.
On the Arabian (Eastern) Side:
Saudi Arabia – extensive coastline on the eastern side of the Red Sea.
Yemen – south of Saudi Arabia, also bordering the Red Sea.
Other Relevant Nations:
Jordan and Israel – have very small coastlines along the Gulf of Aqaba, a northern extension of the Red Sea.
Oman – does not touch the Red Sea; it lies further east, along the Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman.
QUESTION 5
The Extended Fund Facility (EFF) is a financial assistance provided by:
(a) World Bank
(b) World Trade Organisation
(c) International Monetary Fund
(d) United Nations
Answer (c)
Explanation:
The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) decided to allow for “an immediate disbursement” of $1 billion (around Rs 8,500 crore) to Pakistan. This disbursal was done as part of IMF’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to Pakistan.
The Extended Fund Facility (EFF) provides financial support to countries experiencing substantial medium-term balance of payments challenges as a result of structural flaws that take time to correct.
To assist nations in implementing medium-term structural changes, the EFF provides extended longer program engagement and longer repayment periods.
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