International Relations
Q1. Which of the following crimes fall within the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court?
- Genocide
- Crimes against humanity
- War crimes
- Crime of aggression
Select the correct answer using the code below:
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 3 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (d)
Explanation
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has recently come into focus amid withdrawals announced by countries such as Venezuela and Chad, adding to earlier withdrawal decisions by Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.
- The developments have renewed attention on the role, jurisdiction and functioning of the Court established under the Rome Statute.
- The ICC has jurisdiction over four core international crimes: genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and the crime of aggression. Therefore, all four crimes listed in the question fall within its jurisdiction.
- The ICC prosecutes individuals rather than States and functions on the principle of complementarity—it generally acts when national judicial systems are unwilling or genuinely unable to investigate or prosecute such crimes.
Hence, option (d) is the correct answer.
Economics
Q2. With reference to “dark patterns” in digital commerce, which one of the following best describes the term?
(a) Encryption techniques used by e-commerce companies to protect consumer data
(b) Interface or design practices that manipulate or mislead consumers into taking decisions they might not otherwise take
(c) Algorithms used exclusively for identifying fraudulent online transactions
(d) Hidden databases maintained by platforms for determining product inventories
Answer: (b)
Explanation
- The Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) (Amendment) Rules, 2026, notified by the Department of Consumer Affairs and set to come into force from January 1, 2027, seek to strengthen consumer protection in digital marketplaces.
- A key provision requires e-commerce platforms to comply with norms against dark patterns and conduct a yearly self-audit to certify that their platforms are free from such practices.
- Dark patterns are interface or design practices used on websites or apps to mislead, manipulate or steer consumers into making decisions they might not otherwise have taken. They interfere with informed and voluntary consumer choice.
- Such practices may include false urgency, misleading prompts, adding products or charges without clear consent, forced actions, or presenting advertisements in a manner that makes them appear like ordinary content.
- In India, dark patterns are specifically addressed through the Guidelines for Prevention and Regulation of Dark Patterns, 2023.
Therefore, option (b) is correct.
Geography
Q3. Consider the following pairs:
| Critical Mineral | States/UTs where deposits are reported |
| 1. Lithium | Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir |
| 2. Cobalt and Nickel | Odisha and Jharkhand |
| 3. Graphite | Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu |
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (c)
Explanation:
- The Union Mines Ministry is in talks with Australia and Chile for lithium blocks, while India, through KABIL, has already secured exploration and exclusive rights over five lithium blocks in Argentina and is seeking five additional blocks there.
- Lithium: Deposits have been identified in Karnataka and Jammu & Kashmir. Lithium is a key input for lithium-ion batteries, making it strategically important for electric vehicles, renewable-energy storage and other emerging technologies.
- Cobalt and Nickel: These are generally found in association with copper ores, and small deposits are known in Odisha and Jharkhand. Both are important inputs in advanced battery technologies, while India’s domestic resource base remains relatively modest.
- Graphite: India has substantial resources of graphite, with deposits occurring in Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu. Graphite is also an important battery material, particularly for anodes in lithium-ion batteries.
Therefore, all three pairs are correctly matched and option (c) is the correct answer.
S&T
Q4. With reference to biological weapons, consider the following statements:
- They may involve the deliberate use of microorganisms or toxins to cause disease in humans, animals or plants.
- The Biological Weapons Convention has a comprehensive verification system based on routine international inspections.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a)
Explanation
- Biological security has come into focus after Anthropic reported disrupting attempts to use its AI models in ways that could support biological weapons development, highlighting concerns over the misuse of frontier AI for high-risk biological applications.
- Biological weapons involve the deliberate use of biological agents, such as microorganisms or toxins, to cause disease or death in humans, animals or plants. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
- The Biological Weapons Convention (BWC)(1975) prohibits biological and toxin weapons, but unlike the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC)(1997), it does not have a comprehensive verification regime involving routine international inspections. Hence, Statement 2 is incorrect.
- Biological security is increasingly linked with dual-use research, as the same scientific knowledge may support legitimate purposes such as vaccines and therapeutics while also carrying potential for misuse.
Hence, option (a) is the correct answer.
Places in News
Q5. Consider the following sequence of locations along a vessel's conventional route from the Arabian Sea towards the Mediterranean Sea:
- Gulf of Aden
- Bab al-Mandeb
- Red Sea
- Suez Canal
Which one of the following represents the correct sequence?
(a) 1 → 2 → 3 → 4
(b) 2 → 1 → 4 → 3
(c) 1 → 3 → 2 → 4
(d) 4 → 3 → 2 → 1
Answer: (a)
Explanation:
- The Bab al-Mandeb Strait and Red Sea route has gained major geopolitical importance due to instability around Yemen and concerns over the security of international shipping. This route is one of the most important maritime links connecting the Indian Ocean region with Europe.
- A vessel travelling from the Arabian Sea towards the Mediterranean Sea first enters the Gulf of Aden. From there, it passes through the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, which connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea.
- After crossing Bab al-Mandeb, the vessel moves northward through the Red Sea and then enters the Suez Canal, which connects the Red Sea with the Mediterranean Sea. Thus, the correct sequence is:
- Gulf of Aden → Bab al-Mandeb → Red Sea → Suez Canal.
- Bab al-Mandeb is a major maritime chokepoint located between Yemen on the Arabian Peninsula and Djibouti–Eritrea on the African side. Any disruption here can affect global shipping, energy transportation and supply chains.
- The Suez Canal route significantly reduces the distance between Asia and Europe. If navigation through the Red Sea–Bab al-Mandeb corridor is disrupted, ships may be forced to travel around the Cape of Good Hope, increasing voyage distance, transit time and freight costs.
Therefore the correct answer is (a).