2003 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 2003 · General Studies
Question 51: International Relations and Current Affairs
Which one of the following statements is correct?
aEast Timor was a British colony for four centuries
bThe European colonial rulers handed over East Timor to Indonesia in 1975
cThe United Nations took over East Timor in 1999 to prepare it for independence
dEast Timor finally declared its independence in Dec. 2001
AnswerThe answer is (c).
East Timor was a Portuguese colony for about four centuries, not a British one. After Portugal withdrew in 1975, Indonesia invaded and annexed it in 1976. After a UN-supervised referendum in August 1999 voted for independence, the United Nations took over the administration in 1999 to prepare it for statehood, and independence was formally achieved on 20 May 2002. The country is now called Timor-Leste.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) It was a Portuguese colony, not a British one.
- (b) Portugal withdrew in 1975 and Indonesia invaded; it was not handed over by colonial rulers.
- (c) Correct: the UN took over in 1999 to prepare it for independence.
- (d) Independence was formally achieved on 20 May 2002, not in December 2001.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2003, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.