UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I

Question 62: International Relations and Current Affairs

India is one of the founding members of the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), a multimodal transportation corridor, which will connect

aIndia to Central Asia to Europe via Iran

bIndia to Central Asia via China

cIndia to South-East Asia through Bangladesh and Myanmar

dIndia to Europe through Azerbaijan

AnswerThe answer is (a).

The International North-South Transport Corridor is a multimodal route of ship, rail and road, agreed in 2000 by India, Iran and Russia. It carries goods from India by sea to Iranian ports such as Chabahar and Bandar Abbas, across Iran by rail and road to the Caspian Sea, and on through Russia and Central Asia towards Europe. It is meant to shorten the transport time and cost compared with the Suez route. So it links India to Central Asia and Europe via Iran.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Right: the corridor runs from India through Iran to Central Asia, Russia and Europe.
(b) Wrong: the route passes through Iran, not China.
(c) Wrong: the link to South-East Asia via Bangladesh and Myanmar is a different project.
(d) Wrong: Azerbaijan is one transit leg of the corridor, not what it is defined as connecting.

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.