UPSC Prelims 2007 Q33: Current Affairs – International Conflicts & Security
Which of the following countries recently upgraded its defence agency to a full - fledged
defence ministry?
- (a) Italy
- (b) Japan
- (c) Switzerland
- (d) Poland
Answer: (b) Japan
Explanation
Defence Agency upgraded to full Ministry
| Country | Upgraded defence agency to a ministry? |
|---|---|
| Italy | No |
| Japan | Yes — January 2007 |
| Switzerland | No |
| Poland | No |
Japan upgraded its Japan Defense Agency to a full-fledged Ministry of Defense, effective January 2007, elevating its institutional and budgetary standing.
Answer: (b) Japan.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Italy did not undergo this specific agency-to-ministry upgrade at this time.
- (b) CORRECT. Japan upgraded its Defense Agency to a full Ministry of Defense (January 2007).
- (c) Incorrect. Switzerland did not undergo this specific upgrade.
- (d) Incorrect. Poland did not undergo this specific upgrade.
Key point
Japan upgraded its Defense Agency to a full Ministry of Defense in January 2007.
Remember
Japan Defense Agency upgraded to Ministry of Defense, January 2007.
Common mistakes
- Not knowing Japan's defence establishment was historically just an 'Agency', not a ministry, due to post-WWII pacifist constraints.
- Confusing this institutional upgrade with unrelated European defence reforms.
- Missing the exact timing (January 2007) that links it to this 2007 paper.
Exam tip
Japan's post-war pacifist constitution kept defence as an 'Agency'; its 2007 upgrade to a full Ministry was a notable symbolic shift.
Sources
- Ministry of Defense, Japan — Defense of Japan 2007 (white paper): upgrading of the Defense Agency to the Ministry of Defense, 9 January 2007
- Encyclopaedia Britannica — Japan Self-Defense Forces