Stay Tuned with Daily Current Affairs Newspaper Quiz for UPSC 2026
Question 1
International Relations | Places In News | Medium | The Hindu
SOURCE
Consider the following:
1. The Bagram Airbase was built by the Soviet Union.
2. The United States–Taliban deal took place in the year 2015.
Which of the statements above is or are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. None of the above
Solution & Detailed Explanation
Answer: (A) 1 only
Detailed Explanation
- The former Soviet Union built the Bagram Air Base in 1950 and used it during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan between 1979 and 1989.
- The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War, lasted from December 1979 to February 1989. The Soviet Union invaded to support the struggling communist government against a nationalist insurgency, but faced a protracted guerrilla war with the Mujahideen resistance. The conflict, a key event in the Cold War, resulted in significant casualties, widespread displacement of Afghan refugees, and a devastating defeat for the Soviet Union, which contributed to its eventual collapse.
- The Kremlin had hoped that a rapid and complete military takeover would secure Afghanistan’s place as an exemplar of the Brezhnev Doctrine, which held that once a country became socialist Moscow would never permit it to return to the capitalist camp.
- United States–Taliban deal: (2020-21)
- At the time, there were about 13,000 US troops in the country. The withdrawal was conditional on the Taliban upholding the terms of the agreement that included “not to allow al-Qaeda or any other extremist group to operate in the areas they control.
- The stated goal was to dismantle al-Qaeda, which had executed the attacks under the leadership of Osama bin Laden, and to deny Islamist militants a safe base of operations in Afghanistan by toppling the ruling Taliban government.
Question 2
International Relations | Places In News | Medium | The Hindu
SOURCE
Consider the following:
1. Qatar is a peninsula with a 563-km coastline.
2. The country shares an 87 km land border with Saudi Arabia to the North.
Which of the statements above is or are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. None of the above
Solution & Detailed Explanation
Answer: (A) 1 only
Detailed Explanation
- Qatar has one land border, which it shares exclusively with Saudi Arabia to the south. The rest of the country is a peninsula, surrounded by the Persian Gulf, with nearby countries like Bahrain, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates separated by water.
- Country: Saudi Arabia
- Location: To the south of Qatar
- Length: The land border is approximately 87 kilometers (about 54 miles) long.
- Significance: It is Qatar’s sole land connection to the mainland, as the country is otherwise a peninsula.
- Qatar is a peninsula with a 563-km coastline jutting along the western coast of the Arabian Gulf
Question 3
International Relations | Places In News | Medium | The Hindu
SOURCE
Consider the following:
1. Chabahar port is located at the mouth of the Gulf of Oman.
2. Chabahar port serves as Iran’s Only oceanic port and consists of two separate ports.
Which of the statements above is or are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. None of the above
Solution & Detailed Explanation
Answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
Detailed Explanation
- Chabahar port is a seaport in Chabahar located in southeastern Iran, on the Gulf of Oman.
- It serves as Iran’s Only oceanic port, and consists of two separate ports named shahid kalantari and shahid Beheshti.
- India took over the development and operations of the Chabahar port in 2018.
Question 4
History | IVC | Medium | The Hindu
SOURCE
Match List-I with List-II :
| List – I | List – II |
|---|---|
|
I. Shortughai |
|
II. Nageshwar |
|
III. South Rajasthan |
|
IV. Lothal |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below :
(1) (A) – (III), (B) – (IV), (C) – (I), (D) – (II)
(2) (A) – (II), (B) – (I), (C) – (IV), (D) – (III)
(3) (A) – (I), (B) – (II), (C) – (III), (D) – (IV)
(4) (A) – (IV), (B) – (III), (C) – (II), (D) – (I)
Solution: Option 2 (Chapter – 1 Bricks, Beads And Bones: Harappan Civilisation)
- The Harappans procured materials for craft production in various ways. For instance, they established settlements such as Nageshwar and Balakot in areas where shells were available.
- Other such sites were Shortughai, in far-off Afghanistan, near the best source of lapis lazuli, a blue stone that was apparently very highly valued, and Lothal which was near sources of carnelian (from Bharuch in Gujarat), steatite (from south Rajasthan and north Gujarat) and metal (from Rajasthan).
| List – I | List – II |
|---|---|
|
II. Nageshwar |
|
I. Shortughai |
|
IV. Lothal |
|
III. South Rajasthan |
Question 5
International Relations | International Organisations | Medium | The Hindu
SOURCE
Consider the following:
1. Sanctions by the UN are implemented by the UN Peacekeeping Force.
2. The UN Security Council has the authority to impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.
Which of the statements above is or are correct?
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. None of the above
Solution & Detailed Explanation
Answer: (B) 2 only
Detailed Explanation
- UN sanctions are enforced by Member States, not the UN itself, through national legislation and robust legal and administrative infrastructure.
- The UN Security Council establishes sanctions through resolutions and creates Sanctions Committees to oversee implementation and maintain lists of individuals and entities subject to the measures.
- States then incorporate these resolutions into their domestic law, enacting laws to enforce arms embargoes, asset freezes, travel bans, and other measures, with enforcement agencies.
- Authority:
- The UN Security Council has the authority to impose measures under Chapter VII of the UN Charter to maintain or restore international peace and security.
- Sanctions Committees:
- The Council establishes Sanctions Committees to oversee specific sanctions regimes, which draw up lists of targeted individuals and entities.
