UPSC Prelims 2009 · General Studies
Question 114: International Relations and Current Affairs
The Security Council of UN consists of 5 permanent members, and the remaining 10 members are elected by the General Assembly for a term of
AnswerThe answer is (b).
The UN Security Council has five permanent members (China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA) and ten non-permanent members, elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms, with five replaced every year. A retiring member cannot be re-elected immediately. The 1963 amendment of the Charter raised the council's size from eleven to fifteen.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) A one-year term is shorter than the actual term.
- (b) Right: two-year terms.
- (c) Three years is the ECOSOC term, not the Security Council's.
- (d) Five years is too long; permanent members have no fixed term.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2009, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.