UPSC Prelims International Relations PYQs Practice
May, 2026
•5 min read
The International Relations section has become an important part of the UPSC Prelims syllabus in recent years. Questions are often linked with current affairs, India’s foreign policy, international organisations, global groupings, and important world events.
Every year, UPSC asks around 4-6 questions from International Relations and related current affairs, making this section highly scoring for well-prepared aspirants.
Practising UPSC Prelims International Relations PYQs helps you understand the changing pattern of questions, the depth of concepts UPSC expects, and the connection between static and current affairs topics.
Here, you will find topic-wise International Relations Previous Year Questions (PYQs) with explanations to improve your accuracy, eliminate confusion, and strengthen your preparation for UPSC Prelims.
How to Attempt UPSC International Relations Prelims PYQs
In this set, you will get 30 UPSC International Relations (IR) PYQs, and each question carries 2 marks, similar to the UPSC Prelims exam pattern. This means you are attempting a 60-mark mini test focused entirely on International Relations and global affairs.
Topics covered include India’s Foreign Policy, International Organisations, Bilateral Relations, Global Groupings, International Treaties, Summits, Geopolitics, Regional Organisations, and important current international developments.
To make your practice more effective, follow these steps carefully:
- Set a timer for 45 minutes and attempt the questions seriously.
- After completing the test, calculate your score and analyse your mistakes.
- Identify weak areas such as international organisations, global groupings, treaties, or India’s relations with major countries, and revise them immediately.
- Focus on understanding the context and logic behind every answer.
Practice Tips
- Read every statement carefully because UPSC often frames IR questions in a conceptual and analytical manner.
- Pay close attention to organisations, member countries, objectives, agreements, and recent global developments.
- Analyse all options carefully before selecting the final answer.
- Use the elimination method smartly, especially in statement-based and match-the-following questions.
- Link current affairs with static concepts related to International Relations.
- Stay calm, manage your time properly, and focus on accuracy over guesswork.
Let's start this interactive UPSC International Relations PYQs practice to revise important concepts, improve accuracy, and strengthen your UPSC Prelims preparation.
PYQs on International Organisations
QUESTION 1
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2022
Consider the following countries
- Armenia
- Azerbaijan
- Croatia
- Romania
- Uzbekistan
Which of the above are members of the Organization of Turkic States?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 2
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2020
In which one of the following groups are all the four countries members of G20?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 3
GS
Easy
Economy
Prelims 2024
Consider the following statements :
- India is a member of the International Grains Council.
- A country needs to be a member of the International Grains Council for exporting or importing rice and wheat.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 4
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2016
Which of the following is not a member of ‘Gulf Cooperation Council’?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 5
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2022
Consider the following:
- Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
- Missile Technology Control Regime
- Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
India is a member of which of the above?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 6
GS
Hard
International Relations
Prelims 2023
Consider the following statements : The 'Stability and Growth Pact' of the European Union is a treaty that
- limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union
- makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities
- enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies
How many of the above statements are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 7
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2022
With reference to the United Nations General Assembly, consider the following statements:
- The UN General Assembly can grant observer status to the non-member States.
- Inter-governmental organisations can seek observer status in the UN General Assembly.
- Permanent Observers in the UN General Assembly can maintain missions at the UN headquarters.
Which of the statements given above are correct ?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 8
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2025
Consider the following statements with regard to BRICS:
I. 16th BRICS Summit was held under the Chairship of Russia in Kazan. II. Indonesia has become a full member of BRICS. III. The theme of the 16th BRICS Summit was Strengthening Multiculturalism for Just Global Development and Security.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 9
GS
Hard
International Relations
Prelims 2017
With reference to ‘Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)’, consider the following statements:
- The first APMCHUD was held in India in 2006 on the theme ‘Emerging Urban Forms — Policy Responses and Governance Structure’.
- India hosts all the Annual Ministerial Conferences in partnership with ADB, APEC and ASEAN.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 10
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2015
In the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation, an initiative of six countries, which of the following is/are not participant/ participants?
- Bangladesh
- Cambodia
- China
- Myanmar
- Thailand
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Select an option to attempt
PYQs on Global Reports
QUESTION 1
GS
Easy
Economy
Prelims 2016
India’s ranking in the ‘Ease of Doing Business Index’ is sometimes seen in the news. Which of the following has declared that ranking?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 2
GS
Easy
Economy
Prelims 2019
The Global Competitiveness Report is published by the
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 3
GS
Medium
Social Issues & Schemes
Prelims 2016
Which of the following is/are the indicator/indicators used by IFPRI to compute the Global Hunger Index Report?
- Undernourishment
- Child stunting
- Child mortality
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 4
GS
Easy
Social Issues & Schemes
Prelims 2017
Which of the following gives the ‘Global Gender Gap Index’ ranking to the countries of the world?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 5
GS
Easy
Social Issues & Schemes
Prelims 2012
The Multi-dimensional Poverty Index developed by Oxford Poverty and Human Development Initiative with UNDP support covers which of the following?
- Deprivation of education, health, assets and services at the household level
- Purchasing power parity at the national level
- The extent of the budget deficit and GDP growth rate at the national level
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Select an option to attempt
PYQs on India and It's Neighbourhood Relations
QUESTION 1
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2016
Community sometimes mentioned in the news : In the affairs of
- Kurd: Bangladesh
- Madhesi: Nepal
- Rohingya: Myanmar
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 2
GS
Hard
International Relations
Prelims 2023
Consider the following pairs : Area of conflict mentioned in news Country where it is located
- Donbas : Syria
- Kachin : Ethiopia
- Tigray : North Yemen
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 3
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2018
Consider the following pairs:
| Regions sometimes mentioned in news | Country |
|---|---|
| 1. Catalonia | Spain |
| 2. Crimea | Hungary |
| 3. Mindanao | Philippines |
| 4. Oromia | Nigeria |
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 4
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2022
Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue which Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 5
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2016
‘Belt and Road Initiative’ is sometimes mentioned in the news in the context of the affairs of -
Select an option to attempt
PYQs on Multilateral Groupings
QUESTION 1
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2016
With reference to the ‘Trans-Pacific Partnership’, consider the following statements:
- It is an agreement among all the Pacific Rim countries except China and Russia.
- It is a strategic alliance for the purpose of maritime security only.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 2
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2016
‘Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres)’, often in the news, is
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 3
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2015
The terms ‘Agreement on Agriculture’, ‘Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures’ and ‘Peace Clause’ appear in the news frequently in the context of the affairs of the:
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 4
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2011
The “New START” treaty was in the news. What is this treaty?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 5
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2016
Consider the following statements:
- New Development Bank has been set up by APEC.
- The headquarters of the New Development Bank is in Shanghai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Select an option to attempt
PYQs on European Union (EU)
QUESTION 1
GS
Easy
International Relations
Prelims 2017
Broad-based Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA)’ is sometimes seen in the news in the context of negotiations held between India and
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 2
GS
Hard
Economy
Prelims 2017
The term ‘Digital Single Market Strategy’ seen in the news refers to -
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 3
GS
Hard
Environment & Ecology
Prelims 2017
With reference to ‘Global Climate Change Alliance’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
- It is an initiative of the European Union.
- It provides technical and financial support to targeted developing countries to integrate climate change into their development policies and budgets.
- It is coordinated by the World Resources Institute (WRI) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 4
GS
Hard
International Relations
Prelims 2023
Consider the following statements : The 'Stability and Growth Pact' of the European Union is a treaty that
- limits the levels of the budgetary deficit of the countries of the European Union
- makes the countries of the European Union to share their infrastructure facilities
- enables the countries of the European Union to share their technologies
How many of the above statements are correct?
Select an option to attempt
QUESTION 5
GS
Medium
International Relations
Prelims 2023
Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Recently, the United States of America (USA) and the European Union (EU) have launched the 'Trade and Technology Council'. Statement-II: The USA and the EU claim that through this they are trying to bring technological progress and physical productivity under their control.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
Select an option to attempt
Practice UPSC Previous Year Questions at SuperKalam
Practice UPSC Prelims & Mains PYQs the right way on SuperKalam — year-wise, topic-wise, and subject-wise, with clear explanations and trend analysis.
Start Practising NowHow to Analyse UPSC Prelims PYQs After Practising
Done attempting the questions? Feeling confident about your score, or unsure about your IR prep for UPSC?
Remember, solving PYQs and counting marks is only half the work done. The real improvement comes from how you analyse them afterwards. Use this quick method to get maximum value from every practice session:
1. Review Every Option: Don’t just check whether your answer was right. Read the explanations of why each option is correct or incorrect. UPSC often repeats concepts through alternative statements.
2. Note the Incorrect Questions: Mark the questions you got wrong and analyse why:
- Did you misread the question?
- Were you confused between two similar options?
- Was it a lack of factual recall?
This will help you fix the exact gap.
3. Identify the Pattern: Analyse which themes you miss frequently. These become your next revision targets.
4. Check the Logic Behind the Right Answer: UPSC rarely asks random facts. Notice the logic, keywords, or clues that led to the correct answer. This sharpens your elimination skills.
5. Update Your Short Notes: Add one-line corrections or facts for every mistake. This builds a high-yield revision sheet over time.
6. Reattempt After 2–3 Days: Solve the same set again quickly. If your score improves, your learning is working. If not, revise the weak areas again.
Conclusion
Consistent practice of UPSC International Relations PYQs is one of the best ways to improve your understanding of global affairs, India’s foreign policy, and current international developments. These previous year questions help you identify important topics, improve accuracy, and build confidence for UPSC Prelims.
Solve these IR PYQs, analyse your mistakes, and strengthen your preparation with a smart and exam-oriented approach.
Join SuperKalam now and take your first smart step toward cracking UPSC.
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