2025 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2025 · GS Paper I

Question 92: International Relations and Current Affairs

Consider the following statements in respect of BIMSTEC :

  1. IIt is a regional organization consisting of seven member States till January 2025.
  2. IIIt came into existence with the signing of the Dhaka Declaration, 1999.
  3. IIIBangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Nepal are founding member States of BIMSTEC.
  4. IVIn BIMSTEC, the subsector of ‘tourism’ is being led by India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

aI and II
bII and III
cI and IV
dI only

AnswerThe answer is (d).

BIMSTEC has seven member States: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand, so Statement I is correct. It began in 1997 with the Bangkok Declaration, not a Dhaka Declaration of 1999, so Statement II is wrong. The founding members were Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka and Thailand; Myanmar joined in 1997 and Nepal and Bhutan in 2004, so Statement III is wrong. Tourism is not India's lead area in the regrouped sectors, so Statement IV is not accepted. Only Statement I is correct.

  • I. BIMSTEC has seven member States.
  • II. It was formed by the Bangkok Declaration of 1997.
  • III. Nepal joined in 2004 and was not a founding member.
  • IV. Tourism is not India's lead area under the regrouped sectors.

How you could have got this

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

    What you needed to know: It was formed by the Bangkok Declaration of 1997.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement IV is not correct, (c) goes: it includes IV.

    What you needed to know: Tourism is not India's lead area under the regrouped sectors.

Only (d) is left. You didn’t need statements 1 or 3.

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: the founding declaration was signed in Bangkok in 1997.
  • (b) Wrong: neither II nor III is correct.
  • (c) Wrong: IV is not accepted as correct.
  • (d) Right: only the seven-member statement 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.