UPSC Prelims 2016 GS Paper I · Q77 of 100 Current Events easy

The term 'Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership' often appears in the news in the context of the affairs of a group of countries known as

  1. (a) G20
  2. (b) ASEAN ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) SCO
  4. (d) SAARC

Why the answer is (b)

• RCEP is a free-trade agreement negotiated from 2012 among the ten ASEAN members and their FTA partners — China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and originally India — and signed in 2020 — option (b).

• India withdrew in November 2019 over fears of Chinese imports and inadequate safeguards for farmers and dairy.

• It is not a G20 (a), SCO (c) or SAARC (d) initiative.

• Hence option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) G20
RCEP is not a G20 initiative.
(c) SCO
RCEP is not an SCO initiative.
(d) SAARC
RCEP is not a SAARC initiative.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016, held on 7 August 2016. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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