1998 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 1998 · General Studies
Question 94: International Relations and Current Affairs
What are the official languages of the U.N.O.?
aEnglish, French and Russian
bEnglish, French, German and Russian
cEnglish, French, Russian, Chinese and Hindi
dEnglish, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabian and Spanish
AnswerThe answer is (d).
The United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish. The option writes Arabic as 'Arabian'. German and Hindi are not official languages of the UN, and the other options leave out Chinese, Arabic or Spanish. Remember them by the five permanent members' languages (English, French, Russian, Chinese) plus Spanish and Arabic.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Leaves out Chinese, Arabic and Spanish.
- (b) Includes German, which is not an official UN language.
- (c) Includes Hindi, which is not an official UN language.
- (d) Right: English, French, Chinese, Russian, Arabic and Spanish.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1998, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.