2025 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I

Question 100: International Relations and Current Affairs

Consider the following statements :

  1. IIn the finals of the 45th Chess Olympiad held in 2024, Gukesh Dommaraju became the world’s youngest winner after defeating the Russian player Ian Nepomniachtchi.
  2. IIAbhimanyu Mishra, an American chess player, holds the record of becoming world’s youngest ever Grandmaster.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

aI only
bII only
cBoth I and II
dNeither I nor II

AnswerThe answer is (b).

Gukesh Dommaraju became the youngest world champion in December 2024 by beating China's Ding Liren in the World Championship match, not Ian Nepomniachtchi, and the Chess Olympiad is a team event with no such final, so Statement I is wrong. Abhimanyu Mishra, a United States player of Indian origin, became the youngest ever Grandmaster in 2021 at 12 years, 4 months and 25 days, breaking Sergey Karjakin's record, so Statement II is correct.

  • I. Gukesh beat Ding Liren for the world title; the Olympiad is a team event.
  • II. Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest ever Grandmaster in 2021.

How you could have got this

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

    What you needed to know: Gukesh beat Ding Liren for the world title; the Olympiad is a team event.

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

    What you needed to know: Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest ever Grandmaster in 2021.

Only (b) 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) Wrong: Statement I mixes up the world championship with the Olympiad and the wrong opponent.
  • (b) Right: only the Abhimanyu Mishra record statement is correct.
  • (c) Wrong: Statement I is incorrect.
  • (d) Wrong: Statement II is correct.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2025, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.