UPSC Prelims 2007 · General Studies
Question 34: International Relations and Current Affairs
Consider the following statements:
- 1.China has observer status at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
- 2.India has observer status at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
AnswerThe answer is (c).
China was admitted as an observer to SAARC, agreed at the 2005 Dhaka summit, and India has been an observer at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation since 2005. Both statements were correct in 2007. SCO observers at that time were India, Pakistan, Iran and Mongolia.
- 1. China got SAARC observer status, agreed at the 2005 Dhaka summit.
- 2. India was an SCO observer from 2005.
How you could have got this
- If you were sure statement 1 is correct, (b) and (d) go: each of them leaves 1 out.
What you needed to know: China got SAARC observer status, agreed at the 2005 Dhaka summit.
- Then, if you were sure statement 2 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 2 out.
What you needed to know: India was an SCO observer from 2005.
Only (c) is left. This one needs every statement.
This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.
Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Statement 2 is also correct.
- (b) Statement 1 is also correct.
- (c) Correct: both statements hold.
- (d) Both statements are correct, so this is wrong.
Worth knowing: India became a full SCO member in 2017, so statement 2 is out of date, though it was true in 2007.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2007, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.