UGC NET/JRF EXAM, Politics Including International Relations and Studies JANUARY-2025 – (PAPER-II)

Total Questions: 100

31. Which among the following is a buffer state?

Correct Answer: 2. Chad
Solution:A buffer state is a country situated between two larger, often rival powers, helping to prevent conflict between them.

Chad is considered a buffer state between the Arab-Muslim North Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa. It sits between countries with differing political, cultural, and religious influences, thus playing a buffer role in regional geopolitics.

32. Which of the following is a 'Double-Landlocked' country?

Correct Answer: 3. Uzbekistan
Solution:A double-landlocked country is one that is landlocked and also surrounded only by other landlocked countries, requiring at least two border crossings to reach a coastline. There are only two such countries in the world:

• Uzbekistan, in Central Asia
• Liechtenstein, in Europe

Hence, Uzbekistan is the correct answer.

33. Which among the following countries is India's top importer of Akash Surface-toAir Missile (SAM).

Correct Answer: 1. Armenia
Solution:In recent years, Armenia has emerged as a significant importer of India’s Akash Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) system. The Akash is a medium-range mobile SAM developed by  DRDO.

The growing defense ties between India and Armenia are a response to Armenia’s need for advanced air defense amid tensions with Azerbaijan.

34. Which of the following is NOT correct about the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ)?

Correct Answer: 3. The states have full sovereignty over the areas coming under its EEZ.
Solution:The Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is defined under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). It extends up to 200 nautical miles from a state’s baseline.

Within the EEZ, a state has special rights to explore and exploit marine resources—like fishing, oil, and gas. However, it does not have full sovereignty (as it does on land or in territorial waters);

instead, it has sovereign rights for specific purposes. Thus, the statement claiming full sovereignty over the EEZ is incorrect.

35. "Samudra Laksamana' is a Bilateral Maritime Exercise between India and which other country?

Correct Answer: 2. Malaysia
Solution:‘Samudra Laksamana’ is a bilateral maritime naval exercise conducted between India and Malaysia.

It is aimed at enhancing interoperability, maritime security, and cooperation between the navies of both nations in the Indian Ocean Region. The exercise involves drills such as communication, replenishment, and coordinated maneuvers.

36. NATO was created by 12 countries from Europe and North America on 4th April 1949, which of the following countries was not part of the original 12 founding members of NATО?

Correct Answer: 2. Germany
Solution:The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) was established on 4th April 1949 with 12 founding members, including the USA, UK, Canada, France, Belgium, Denmark, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal.

Germany was not a founding member; West Germany joined NATO later in 1955, after its rearmament was permitted post-WWII, which also triggered the Soviet Union to form the Warsaw Pact.

37. In which year the Warsaw Pact was dissolved?

Correct Answer: 2. 1991
Solution:The Warsaw Pact, formally known as the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Mutual Assistance, was the military alliance of the Soviet Union and its Eastern European allies, formed in 1955 as a counter to NATO.

Following the fall of communist regimes and the collapse of the USSR, the Warsaw Pact was officially dissolved in 1991, marking the end of the Cold War military standoff.

38. Who among the following became the first Director General of World Trade Organisation on 1st January, 1995?

Correct Answer: 3. Peter Sutherland
Solution:The World Trade Organization (WTO) was established on 1 January 1995, replacing the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT).

Peter Sutherland, an Irish economist and lawyer, became the first Director-General of the WTO. He was also the last Director-General of the GATT and helped steer the transition toward the WTO.

39. Which of the following leaders from the USA and the USSR signed the SALT I Treaty?

Correct Answer: 4. Brezhnev and Nixon
Solution:The Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT I) were a series of negotiations between the USA and the USSR during the Cold War to curb the arms race, particularly nuclear weapons.

The SALT I Treaty was signed in 1972 by U.S. President Richard Nixon and Soviet General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, leading to agreements that limited the number of ballistic missile launchers and ABM systems.

40. Who among the following has become President of Sri Lanka in a presidential election held in September 2024?

Correct Answer: 2. Anura Kumara Dissanayake
Solution:In the 2024 Sri Lankan presidential election, held in September, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, leader of the National People’s Power (NPP) party, emerged victorious.

He became the President of Sri Lanka, defeating key political figures and representing a shift in the country’s political landscape towards anti-corruption and progressive governance.