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Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Political Science study materials
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Assam ASSEB Higher Secondary Political Science practice questions

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Question 1Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Which two superpowers dominated world politics during the Cold War era?

  1. Britain and France
  2. The United States and the Soviet Union Correct answer.
  3. Germany and Italy
  4. China and Japan

Explanation

The Cold War was a prolonged geopolitical rivalry between the capitalist bloc led by the United States and the communist bloc led by the Soviet Union. The other pairs were either weakened colonial powers or regional states that never commanded global bipolar rivalry.

Question 2Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The term 'Cold War' refers to a conflict that was cold primarily because:

  1. it was fought only in winter campaigns
  2. it was confined entirely to economic sanctions
  3. it never escalated into direct large-scale armed combat between the two superpowers Correct answer.
  4. it involved no military alliances at all

Explanation

The rivalry was 'cold' because despite massive arms racing, proxy wars and crises, the United States and the Soviet Union avoided direct full-scale war between themselves. Nuclear deterrence made such direct conflict prohibitively dangerous.

Question 3Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

NATO was established in 1949 primarily as:

  1. a Soviet-led economic assistance programme
  2. a United Nations peacekeeping force
  3. a collective defence alliance of Western states against possible Soviet expansion Correct answer.
  4. a neutral non-aligned forum

Explanation

NATO was founded as a collective security organisation binding North American and Western European states to mutual defence. It was explicitly a Western bloc response to perceived Soviet threat in Europe.

Question 4Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Warsaw Pact was formed in 1955 mainly as:

  1. a United Nations agency for refugees
  2. a Western European trade union
  3. an Asian regional development bank
  4. the Soviet bloc's military alliance responding to NATO Correct answer.

Explanation

The Warsaw Treaty Organisation united the Soviet Union and its Eastern European satellites in a military alliance. It was created after West Germany joined NATO, consolidating the division of Europe into two armed camps.

Question 5Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Which event in 1962 brought the world closest to nuclear war during the Cold War?

  1. The Cuban Missile Crisis Correct answer.
  2. The Korean War armistice
  3. The Berlin Blockade
  4. The Suez Crisis

Explanation

The Cuban Missile Crisis arose when the Soviet Union placed nuclear missiles in Cuba and the United States imposed a naval quarantine. The tense standoff ended with withdrawal of the missiles and highlighted the danger of nuclear confrontation.

Question 6Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The policy of 'containment' in United States foreign policy was aimed at:

  1. limiting the spread of communism beyond its existing borders Correct answer.
  2. withdrawing from all foreign alliances
  3. dissolving the United Nations
  4. expanding Soviet influence into Latin America

Explanation

Containment sought to prevent further Soviet or communist expansion through deterrence, alliances and aid. It was articulated in the late 1940s and guided American strategy for decades.

Question 7Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War represented states that:

  1. sought to avoid formal alignment with either superpower bloc Correct answer.
  2. dismantled their armed forces
  3. joined NATO militarily
  4. formed a third nuclear superpower

Explanation

The Non-Aligned Movement, shaped by leaders such as Nehru, Nasser and Tito, sought independence from both Cold War blocs. It emphasised sovereignty, decolonisation and peaceful coexistence rather than bloc membership.

Question 8Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Berlin Wall, erected in 1961, became a symbol of:

  1. the success of the Marshall Plan in East Germany
  2. the reunification of Germany
  3. the division of Europe between communist and capitalist blocs Correct answer.
  4. European economic integration

Explanation

The Wall physically divided East and West Berlin and stood for the wider Iron Curtain splitting Europe. Its fall in 1989 signalled the collapse of that division.

Question 9Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Marshall Plan of 1948 was significant in the Cold War because it:

  1. provided Soviet economic aid to Western Europe
  2. ended the Korean War
  3. created the Warsaw Pact
  4. strengthened Western European economies and reduced communist appeal there Correct answer.

Explanation

American economic assistance helped rebuild Western Europe, stabilising capitalist democracies and limiting the appeal of communist parties. It was also a form of containment by economic means.

Question 10Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Korean War of 1950-53 is best described in Cold War terms as:

  1. a United Nations decolonisation campaign
  2. a proxy war in which superpowers backed opposing Korean sides Correct answer.
  3. a purely civil conflict with no external involvement
  4. a Soviet invasion of Japan

Explanation

North Korea, backed by the Soviet Union and China, fought South Korea, supported by a United States-led UN force. It exemplified how superpower rivalry was fought through regional proxies rather than direct superpower war.

Question 11Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The doctrine of 'peaceful coexistence' was associated with which Soviet leader?

  1. Mikhail Gorbachev
  2. Nikita Khrushchev Correct answer.
  3. Leonid Brezhnev
  4. Joseph Stalin

Explanation

Khrushchev promoted peaceful coexistence in the 1950s, arguing that socialism could compete with capitalism economically rather than through inevitable war. This marked a shift from earlier Stalinist confrontation.

Question 12Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Brezhnev Doctrine asserted that the Soviet Union:

  1. would join NATO
  2. could intervene militarily to preserve socialist governments in Eastern Europe Correct answer.
  3. would withdraw from all Eastern European affairs
  4. would dissolve the Warsaw Pact

Explanation

The Brezhnev Doctrine justified Soviet intervention where socialism was threatened, as in Czechoslovakia in 1968. It asserted a limited sovereignty of socialist states within the Soviet sphere.

Question 13Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Détente in the 1970s referred to:

  1. a relaxation of tensions and increased dialogue between the superpowers Correct answer.
  2. a renewed arms race between superpowers
  3. the collapse of the Soviet Union
  4. the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement

Explanation

Détente involved arms control talks, summit meetings and improved East-West relations during the 1970s. It produced agreements such as SALT I and the Helsinki Accords.

Question 14Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The SALT agreements between the United States and the Soviet Union primarily dealt with:

  1. membership of the United Nations
  2. trade tariffs on agricultural goods
  3. border disputes in Africa
  4. limitation of strategic nuclear weapons Correct answer.

Explanation

SALT, the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks, produced agreements limiting strategic nuclear delivery systems. They were a central achievement of superpower détente in the 1970s.

Question 15Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 had which major Cold War consequence?

  1. It strengthened détente and led to new cultural exchanges
  2. It ended superpower détente and renewed confrontation Correct answer.
  3. It caused the immediate dissolution of the Warsaw Pact
  4. It led to the formation of NATO

Explanation

The invasion provoked Western condemnation, sanctions and support for Afghan resistance, effectively ending the détente era. It is often seen as a turning point toward renewed confrontation in the early 1980s.

Question 16Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of 'glasnost' referred to:

  1. economic restructuring through market mechanisms
  2. military expansion into Eastern Europe
  3. greater openness and transparency in Soviet public life Correct answer.
  4. the closure of Soviet borders

Explanation

Glasnost means openness and involved loosening censorship and encouraging public discussion. It was paired with perestroika, the restructuring of the economy.

Question 17Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The fall of the Berlin Wall in November 1989 is best understood as:

  1. an isolated local event with no international significance
  2. the formal dissolution of the Soviet Union
  3. the beginning of the Korean War
  4. a key marker of the collapse of communist control in Eastern Europe Correct answer.

Explanation

The Wall's opening followed mass protests and reforms across Eastern Europe and symbolised the end of the Cold War division of Europe. The Soviet Union itself dissolved two years later.

Question 18Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The dissolution of the Soviet Union took place in which year?

  1. 1985
  2. 1989
  3. 1991 Correct answer.
  4. 1993

Explanation

The Soviet Union formally dissolved in December 1991, leaving fifteen independent republics. This event ended the bipolar Cold War order and left the United States as the sole superpower.

Question 19Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

After the Cold War, the international system is often described as:

  1. a return to colonial empires
  2. unipolar with the United States as the dominant power Correct answer.
  3. bipolar
  4. strictly multipolar with equal powers

Explanation

With the Soviet Union gone, the United States held unmatched military and economic power in the 1990s, producing a unipolar moment. Some scholars later argued for a multipolar trend as other powers rose.

Question 20Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The concept of 'soft power' in post-Cold War international relations refers to:

  1. nuclear deterrence strategy
  2. the use of economic sanctions only
  3. influence through attraction, culture and values rather than coercion Correct answer.
  4. military coercion and invasion

Explanation

Soft power, a term associated with Joseph Nye, describes the ability to shape preferences through attraction rather than payment or force. It contrasts with hard power based on military and economic coercion.

Question 21Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

The Gulf War of 1991 is significant in post-Cold War politics because it:

  1. was fought without any United Nations involvement
  2. demonstrated multilateral action under UN authorisation against Iraq's invasion of Kuwait Correct answer.
  3. marked the beginning of the Cold War
  4. resulted in the annexation of Kuwait by Iraq

Explanation

A United States-led coalition acted under UN Security Council authorisation to reverse Iraq's annexation of Kuwait. It illustrated both multilateral security cooperation and American military dominance after the Cold War.

Question 22Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Which development best illustrates the trend toward a multipolar world in the twenty-first century?

  1. The dissolution of the United Nations
  2. The return of the Warsaw Pact
  3. The complete disappearance of all regional powers
  4. The economic and political rise of states such as China and India alongside the United States Correct answer.

Explanation

The growing economic weight and diplomatic influence of China, India and other emerging powers suggest a diffusion of global power away from a single centre. This is central to debates about multipolarity after the unipolar 1990s.

Question 23Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

'Ethnic cleansing' and humanitarian intervention became prominent post-Cold War issues largely because:

  1. nuclear weapons were abolished
  2. the UN Charter was amended to permit aggression
  3. all states joined NATO
  4. the end of superpower rivalry exposed and enabled action on regional and ethnic conflicts previously suppressed by bipolar competition Correct answer.

Explanation

With the Cold War over, conflicts such as those in the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda drew international attention and debate over humanitarian intervention. The Security Council became more active, though responses remained uneven.

Question 24Cold War Era and Post-Cold War World

Which statement best captures the shift in global politics from the Cold War to the post-Cold War era?

  1. The world immediately became a single peaceful state
  2. Colonial empires expanded across Africa and Asia
  3. Nuclear weapons were used in Europe
  4. Ideological bipolar rivalry gave way to debates about unipolarity, multipolarity and new security threats Correct answer.

Explanation

The end of superpower rivalry changed the structure of international politics, opening debates about American dominance, emerging multipolarity, terrorism and regional conflict. It did not produce a single world state or eliminate conflict.

Question 25Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The United Nations Charter was signed in 1945 at which city?

  1. Paris
  2. Geneva
  3. San Francisco Correct answer.
  4. New York

Explanation

Delegates from fifty countries met at the United Nations Conference on International Organization and signed the Charter in San Francisco on 26 June 1945. The organisation's headquarters later moved to New York, but the founding signature took place in San Francisco.

Question 26Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which principal organ of the United Nations has primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security?

  1. The Economic and Social Council
  2. The Secretariat
  3. The Trusteeship Council
  4. The Security Council Correct answer.

Explanation

Under the UN Charter the Security Council carries primary responsibility for maintaining international peace and security. It can impose sanctions, authorise peace operations and adopt binding resolutions. The other councils handle economic, social or administrative work.

Question 27Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

How many permanent members sit on the United Nations Security Council?

  1. Five Correct answer.
  2. Ten
  3. Four
  4. Three

Explanation

The Security Council has five permanent members holding veto power: China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States. Ten additional non-permanent members are elected for two-year terms. The permanent five are fixed by the Charter.

Question 28Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The veto power in the UN Security Council means that a substantive resolution fails if it is opposed by:

  1. Any three non-permanent members
  2. Any single permanent member Correct answer.
  3. A two-thirds majority of the General Assembly
  4. The Secretary-General

Explanation

A substantive draft resolution requires the concurring votes of all five permanent members, so one negative vote by any of them blocks adoption. This is the veto. Non-permanent members and the General Assembly cannot exercise it.

Question 29Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which body of the United Nations is composed of all member states, each with one vote?

  1. The International Court of Justice
  2. The General Assembly Correct answer.
  3. The Secretariat
  4. The Security Council

Explanation

The General Assembly is the plenary organ in which every member state holds exactly one vote regardless of size or contribution. It debates and adopts recommendations. The Security Council, ICJ and Secretariat have restricted or no general membership.

Question 30Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The headquarters of the World Trade Organization is located in:

  1. Washington, D.C.
  2. Vienna
  3. Geneva Correct answer.
  4. Nairobi

Explanation

The WTO, established in 1995 as successor to GATT, is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Geneva also hosts many other international organisations. Vienna, Washington and Nairobi host different institutions.

Question 31Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which organisation was created in 1949 as a collective defence alliance of Western states?

  1. The Warsaw Pact
  2. The Non-Aligned Movement
  3. NATO Correct answer.
  4. SEATO

Explanation

NATO was founded by the North Atlantic Treaty in April 1949 as a collective defence alliance. Its core principle is that an armed attack on one member is an attack on all. The Warsaw Pact was the Soviet-led counterpart formed later.

Question 32Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The principle that an armed attack against one NATO member is considered an attack against all is set out in which article of the North Atlantic Treaty?

  1. Article 2
  2. Article 4
  3. Article 5 Correct answer.
  4. Article 10

Explanation

Article 5 contains the collective defence commitment invoked only once, after the September 2001 attacks on the United States. Article 4 covers consultation when a member feels threatened. Article 10 deals with accession of new members.

Question 33Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The International Monetary Fund was established primarily to:

  1. Regulate global tariffs on manufactured goods
  2. Promote exchange-rate stability and short-term balance-of-payments support Correct answer.
  3. Finance long-term infrastructure projects in developing states
  4. Provide emergency food aid during famines

Explanation

The IMF was created at Bretton Woods to oversee the monetary system and lend to members facing short-term balance-of-payments difficulties. Long-term project lending is the World Bank's role. Tariff rules belong to GATT and later the WTO.

Question 34Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The Bretton Woods Conference of 1944 led directly to the creation of which two institutions?

  1. The IMF and the World Bank Correct answer.
  2. The WTO and the OECD
  3. The UN and NATO
  4. The WHO and UNESCO

Explanation

The 1944 conference in New Hampshire produced the Articles of Agreement for the International Monetary Fund and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the core of the World Bank. Both began operations after the war.

Question 35Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which agreement, signed in 1997 and in force since 2005, sets binding greenhouse-gas reduction targets for developed countries?

  1. The Geneva Protocol
  2. The Montreal Protocol
  3. The Kyoto Protocol Correct answer.
  4. The Ramsar Convention

Explanation

The Kyoto Protocol, adopted under the UNFCCC in 1997, imposed binding emission targets on industrialised countries. It entered into force in 2005 after Russian ratification. The Paris Agreement later replaced its approach with nationally determined contributions.

Question 36Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The Paris Agreement on climate change differs from the Kyoto Protocol mainly because it:

  1. Excludes developing countries entirely
  2. Relies on nationally determined contributions from all parties Correct answer.
  3. Applies only to the European Union
  4. Sets a single global carbon tax

Explanation

The Paris Agreement, adopted in 2015, applies to all parties and uses bottom-up nationally determined contributions rather than Kyoto-style binding targets limited to developed states. It aims to keep warming well below two degrees Celsius.

Question 37Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The principle of 'non-refoulement' in international refugee law means that a state may not:

  1. Register refugees with the UNHCR
  2. Detain asylum seekers pending status determination
  3. Return a refugee to a territory where they face persecution Correct answer.
  4. Grant asylum to persons fleeing armed conflict

Explanation

Non-refoulement, codified in the 1951 Refugee Convention, bars states from returning refugees to a country where their life or freedom would be threatened. It is the cornerstone of refugee protection. It does not forbid granting asylum or registering refugees.

Question 38Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which UN body issues the annual 'World Economic Situation and Prospects' report and coordinates development policy debates among member states?

  1. The International Court of Justice
  2. The Security Council
  3. The Trusteeship Council
  4. The Economic and Social Council Correct answer.

Explanation

ECOSOC coordinates the economic, social and environmental work of the UN system and oversees bodies that produce flagship reports. The ICJ is judicial, the Security Council handles peace and security, and the Trusteeship Council is inactive.

Question 39Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The World Health Organization operates as a specialised agency of the United Nations and is headquartered in:

  1. Rome
  2. Paris
  3. Geneva Correct answer.
  4. Montreal

Explanation

The WHO, established in 1948, is based in Geneva and coordinates international public health. Rome hosts the FAO, Paris hosts UNESCO, and Montreal hosts ICAO. Each specialised agency has a distinct headquarters city.

Question 40Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The 'Responsibility to Protect' (R2P) doctrine, endorsed by the UN General Assembly in 2005, holds that:

  1. Sovereignty entails a responsibility to protect populations from mass atrocities Correct answer.
  2. Sovereign states may treat their citizens however they wish
  3. Humanitarian intervention requires no authorisation of any kind
  4. Only the Security Council may intervene in any domestic matter

Explanation

R2P reframes sovereignty as responsibility: each state must protect its population from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, with the international community acting if the state fails. Military action under R2P requires Security Council authorisation.

Question 41Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which organisation replaced the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade as the institutional framework for global trade rules in 1995?

  1. The International Trade Centre
  2. The OECD
  3. UNCTAD
  4. The World Trade Organization Correct answer.

Explanation

The WTO was created by the Marrakesh Agreement at the end of the Uruguay Round and took over GATT's functions in 1995. It administers trade agreements and operates a dispute settlement system. UNCTAD and the OECD are advisory or analytical bodies without WTO authority.

Question 42Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The 'most-favoured-nation' principle of the WTO requires a member to:

  1. Give a single favoured partner exclusive trade benefits
  2. Grant every other member the best trade treatment it gives to any one member Correct answer.
  3. Apply tariffs only to developing countries
  4. Ban imports from non-member states

Explanation

MFN treatment means any advantage, favour or immunity granted to one trading partner must be extended immediately and unconditionally to all other WTO members. It is a cornerstone of non-discriminatory trade. Preferential treatment for developing states is permitted as an exception.

Question 43Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The Non-Aligned Movement, which held its first summit in Belgrade in 1961, was principally a response to:

  1. The formation of the World Trade Organization
  2. The collapse of the Soviet Union
  3. Cold War bipolar rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union Correct answer.
  4. The end of European colonialism in Latin America

Explanation

NAM brought together newly independent states seeking to avoid alignment with either superpower bloc during the Cold War. Its founders included Nehru, Nasser, Tito, Sukarno and Nkrumah. It predates the WTO and the Soviet collapse.

Question 44Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The International Court of Justice differs from the International Criminal Court chiefly because the ICJ:

  1. Operates under the Security Council's enforcement powers
  2. Prosecutes individuals for war crimes
  3. Hears disputes between states and gives advisory opinions Correct answer.
  4. Tries cases only after a state's domestic courts fail

Explanation

The ICJ is the principal judicial organ of the UN and settles contentious cases between states, also issuing advisory opinions to authorised bodies. The ICC, created by the Rome Statute in 2002, prosecutes individuals for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Question 45Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

A developing country borrows from the IMF and must accept policy conditions attached to the loan. Critics argue that such conditionality most undermines which value in international organisation?

  1. The neutrality of the Secretariat
  2. The principle of diplomatic immunity
  3. Sovereign policy autonomy of the borrowing state Correct answer.
  4. The universality of the UN Charter

Explanation

Conditionality requires borrowers to adopt fiscal, monetary or structural reforms, which critics say narrows the domestic policy space of elected governments. This is a tension between financial assistance and state autonomy. The other options concern unrelated legal principles.

Question 46Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

Which statement best explains why the UN Security Council's veto has been criticised by many developing states?

  1. It requires unanimous consent of all 193 member states
  2. It allows ten elected members to override the General Assembly
  3. It applies only to budget resolutions
  4. It enables five permanent members to block action even when a large majority supports it Correct answer.

Explanation

The veto gives each permanent member the power to defeat a substantive resolution regardless of the level of support among other Council members or the wider membership. Critics link this to paralysis in cases such as mass atrocities. Reform proposals would expand seats or restrict veto use.

Question 47Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

The concept of 'complex interdependence', associated with Keohane and Nye, is most useful for explaining which feature of contemporary international relations?

  1. That multiple channels link societies through trade, organisations and non-state actors, reducing the primacy of military force Correct answer.
  2. That military force is the only instrument of statecraft
  3. That international organisations merely reflect superpower interests
  4. That states always act as unitary rational actors

Explanation

Complex interdependence stresses transnational channels, the absence of hierarchy among issues and the declining utility of force in many relationships. It explains cooperation through trade, regimes and organisations. Realist accounts instead emphasise unitary states and military power.

Question 48Contemporary International Relations and Organisations

When the UN General Assembly adopts a resolution on a global issue, that resolution is best described as:

  1. Subject to a veto by any permanent member
  2. A recommendation without binding legal force except on internal UN matters Correct answer.
  3. Automatically enforceable by the Security Council
  4. Binding on all member states under international law

Explanation

General Assembly resolutions are generally recommendations and do not create binding obligations for states, though they carry political weight and may reflect customary law. Only certain internal budgetary and procedural decisions bind within the organisation. The veto belongs to the Security Council.

Question 49India's Foreign Policy and Neighbourhood

Which Article of the Indian Constitution places the conduct of foreign affairs in the Union List, giving Parliament and the Union Executive authority over external relations?

  1. Article 253 on legislation for international agreements
  2. Article 51 of the Directive Principles
  3. Article 372 on continuance of existing laws
  4. Article 246 read with Entry 10 of the Union List Correct answer.

Explanation

Foreign affairs appear as Entry 10 of the Union List in the Seventh Schedule, and Article 246 empowers Parliament to legislate on Union List subjects. Article 51 and Article 253 are related but distinct provisions dealing with international peace and treaty implementation respectively.

Question 50India's Foreign Policy and Neighbourhood

The policy of Non-Alignment, central to early Indian foreign policy, is best described as:

  1. Refusal to join any military bloc while retaining freedom to judge each issue independently Correct answer.
  2. Complete isolation from international organisations
  3. An alliance with socialist states against Western powers
  4. A commitment to collective security under the United Nations Charter

Explanation

Non-Alignment meant staying out of the Cold War military blocs while preserving autonomy of decision-making on each international question. It was not isolationism, nor was it alignment with any bloc.