UPSC Prelims 1996 · General Studies
Question 80: International Relations and Current Affairs
‘They are fantastically diverse. They speak hundreds of languages and dialects. They comprise scores of ethnic groups. They include highly industrialised economies and up-and-coming economies. They span half the surface of the earth and are home to two-fifths of the world’s population.’ The group of countries referred to belongs to
AnswerThe answer is (b).
APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, 1989) brings together economies on both sides of the Pacific, from rich industrial ones to fast-growing ones, speaking many languages and holding about two-fifths of the world's people. SAPTA is a South Asian arrangement, the EC was European, and the CIS is made up of former Soviet states; none of them spans the Pacific or matches the description.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) SAPTA covers South Asia only, not half the surface of the earth.
- (b) Right: APEC spans the Pacific and includes both industrial and emerging economies.
- (c) The EC was a European grouping of mostly industrial countries.
- (d) The CIS covers former Soviet republics, not the whole Asia-Pacific.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1996, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.