UPSC Prelims 2024 Q87: Current Affairs – Current Affairs
Consider the following pairs :
Country - Reason for being in the news
1. Argentina - Worst economic crisis
2. Sudan - War between the country's regular army and paramilitary forces
3. Turkey - Rescinded its membership of NATO
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
- (a) Only one pair
- (b) Only two pairs
- (c) All three pairs
- (d) None of the pairs
Answer: (b) Only two pairs
Explanation
Countries in News - Correct Matching
| Pair | Country | Reason Given | Verdict | Analysis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Argentina | Worst economic crisis | TRUE | Argentina experienced severe economic crisis in 2023 - hyperinflation exceeding 140%, debt default issues, election of President Milei on austerity platform. Correctly matched. |
| 2 | Sudan | War between regular army and paramilitary forces | TRUE | Sudan's conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) began April 2023. One of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Correctly matched. |
| 3 | Turkey | Rescinded its membership of NATO | FALSE | Turkey did NOT leave NATO. Turkey has been a NATO member since 1952. There were disputes (Turkey blocked Sweden/Finland's NATO accession briefly), but Turkey never left NATO. Incorrectly matched. |
Only two pairs (1 and 2) are correctly matched.
Answer: (b) Only two pairs.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Only one pair would exclude pair 2 (Sudan-war), which is correctly matched. The Sudan civil war between SAF and RSF is accurate.
- (b) CORRECT. Only two pairs are correctly matched: Argentina (economic crisis) and Sudan (war between regular army and RSF paramilitary). Turkey did NOT leave NATO.
- (c) Incorrect. All three pairs would require Turkey to have left NATO - Turkey remains a NATO member and has not rescinded its membership.
- (d) Incorrect. Pairs 1 (Argentina-economic crisis) and 2 (Sudan-war) are correctly matched. Not all pairs are wrong.
Key point
Argentina = economic crisis (hyperinflation, debt, Milei election). Sudan = war between SAF and RSF (started April 2023). Turkey did NOT leave NATO - still a member since 1952.
Remember
Argentina (economic crisis) and Sudan (war between regular army SAF and paramilitary RSF) are correctly matched. Turkey did NOT leave NATO - it has been a member since 1952.
Common mistakes
- Thinking Turkey left NATO - Turkey has had disputes within NATO (blocking Sweden's entry briefly) but never rescinded membership. NATO membership is permanent until formally withdrawn.
- Not knowing about the Sudan SAF-RSF conflict - the war between Sudan's regular army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF paramilitary) started April 2023, causing massive displacement.
- Underestimating Argentina's economic crisis severity - Argentina faced over 140% annual inflation in 2023, leading to the election of Javier Milei on a radical economic reform platform.
Exam tip
Current affairs pairs: verify BOTH the country AND the specific reason. Turkey's NATO dispute = blocking Sweden (resolved 2024) - NOT leaving NATO. Argentina = economic crisis (hyperinflation). Sudan = SAF vs RSF war (April 2023).
Sources
- Reuters - Argentina Economic Crisis 2023
- United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs — Sudan Humanitarian Update (2023)
- NATO - Member Countries List