2010 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2010 · General Studies

Question 130: International Relations and Current Affairs

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.The Commonwealth has no charter, treaty or constitution.
  2. 2.All the territories/countries once under the British empire (jurisdiction/rule/mandate) automatically joined the Commonwealth as its members.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (a).

In 2010 the Commonwealth was a voluntary association of countries with no charter or treaty, held together by declarations such as the Singapore Declaration of 1971, so statement 1 was correct. Statement 2 is wrong: former British territories did not automatically become members, and several, such as Egypt, Iraq, Israel and Myanmar, never joined or did not remain. Membership has to be sought and accepted.

  • 1. In 2010 the Commonwealth had no charter, treaty or constitution.
  • 2. Former British territories did not automatically become members.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) and (c) go: each of them includes 2.

    What you needed to know: Former British territories did not automatically become members.

    The red flag in statement 2 is “all”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “all” were true 41% of the time (76 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 1 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 1 out.

    What you needed to know: In 2010 the Commonwealth had no charter, treaty or constitution.

Only (a) 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) Right (as keyed): only statement 1 is correct.
  • (b) Statement 2 is wrong: membership is not automatic.
  • (c) Statement 2 is wrong, so 'both' fails.
  • (d) Statement 1 was correct then, so 'neither' fails.

Worth knowing: Statement 1 has been overtaken: the Commonwealth adopted a Charter in 2012 and it was signed in 2013.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2010, General Studies, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.