100 short questions with answers from chapter Contemporary suth Asia
Contemporary South Asia – 100 Short Questions and Answers
1. Q: What does "South Asia" generally refer to?
A: The region comprising India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Maldives, and Afghanistan.
2. Q: Which organization is a regional intergovernmental body in South Asia?
A: SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation).
3. Q: When was SAARC established?
A: 1985.
4. Q: Where is the SAARC Secretariat located?
A: Kathmandu, Nepal.
5. Q: How many member states does SAARC have?
A: Eight.
6. Q: Which South Asian country has the largest population?
A: India.
7. Q: Which two South Asian countries were part of British India before 1947?
A: India and Pakistan.
8. Q: What major conflict occurred between India and Pakistan in 1971?
A: The Bangladesh Liberation War.
9. Q: What new country was created in 1971?
A: Bangladesh.
10. Q: What river is crucial to agriculture in Pakistan?
A: The Indus River.
11. Q: What is the capital of Sri Lanka?
A: Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte (administrative), Colombo (commercial).
12. Q: Who led the civil war in Sri Lanka?
A: The LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam).
13. Q: When did the Sri Lankan civil war end?
A: 2009.
14. Q: What is the dominant religion in Bhutan?
A: Vajrayana Buddhism.
15. Q: What political system does Bhutan follow?
A: Constitutional monarchy.
16. Q: What is the capital of Afghanistan?
A: Kabul.
17. Q: Who took control of Afghanistan in 2021?
A: The Taliban.
18. Q: What is the capital of Nepal?
A: Kathmandu.
19. Q: Which South Asian country is landlocked and mountainous?
A: Nepal.
20. Q: What is the main religion in India?
A: Hinduism.
21. Q: Which South Asian country has the highest Muslim population?
A: Pakistan.
22. Q: What currency is used in Bangladesh?
A: Bangladeshi Taka.
23. Q: What is India's official currency?
A: Indian Rupee.
24. Q: What event led to India's nuclear tests in 1998?
A: Security concerns over China and Pakistan.
25. Q: What is the name of India’s first nuclear test in 1974?
A: Smiling Buddha.
26. Q: When did Pakistan become a nuclear power?
A: 1998.
27. Q: What is the major mountain range in Nepal?
A: The Himalayas.
28. Q: What is the official language of Bhutan?
A: Dzongkha.
29. Q: Which country hosts the highest number of Afghan refugees?
A: Pakistan.
30. Q: What is the currency of Sri Lanka?
A: Sri Lankan Rupee.
31. Q: Which river is considered sacred in India?
A: Ganga.
32. Q: What is the dominant language of Bangladesh?
A: Bengali.
33. Q: What is the capital of Bangladesh?
A: Dhaka.
34. Q: What was the Kargil War?
A: A 1999 conflict between India and Pakistan in Kashmir.
35. Q: What is the currency of Nepal?
A: Nepalese Rupee.
36. Q: Which ocean borders South Asia?
A: The Indian Ocean.
37. Q: Who are the Rohingya people?
A: A Muslim minority fleeing persecution from Myanmar, many settled in Bangladesh.
38. Q: What type of government does Pakistan have?
A: Federal parliamentary republic.
39. Q: What is the official language of Pakistan?
A: Urdu.
40. Q: Which Indian Prime Minister signed the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord?
A: Rajiv Gandhi.
41. Q: When was the Indo-Sri Lanka Accord signed?
A: 1987.
42. Q: What is SAFTA?
A: South Asian Free Trade Area.
43. Q: Which South Asian country was never colonized?
A: Nepal.
44. Q: What is the name of the disputed region between India and Pakistan?
A: Kashmir.
45. Q: When did India and Bangladesh sign the Land Boundary Agreement?
A: 2015.
46. Q: What is the main religion of Maldives?
A: Islam.
47. Q: What is the capital of Maldives?
A: Malé.
48. Q: What is the most spoken language in South Asia?
A: Hindi.
49. Q: Which South Asian country is known for its “Gross National Happiness” index?
A: Bhutan.
50. Q: What is the capital of Bhutan?
A: Thimphu.
51. Q: What is the name of the Pakistani Parliament?
A: Majlis-e-Shura.
52. Q: Which South Asian country is an archipelago?
A: Maldives.
53. Q: What environmental issue affects Maldives the most?
A: Rising sea levels.
54. Q: Which two South Asian countries have fought three wars?
A: India and Pakistan.
55. Q: What was the Simla Agreement?
A: A peace agreement signed by India and Pakistan in 1972.
56. Q: Which country supports federalism as a system of governance?
A: India.
57. Q: Which country has a unicameral legislature?
A: Bangladesh.
58. Q: What is the name of the peacekeeping force sent to Sri Lanka in 1987?
A: Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF).
59. Q: When was the Taliban first removed from power?
A: 2001.
60. Q: What South Asian country experienced a Maoist insurgency?
A: Nepal.
61. Q: What is the major export of Bangladesh?
A: Garments and textiles.
62. Q: Which is the only Hindu nation in South Asia?
A: Nepal (until 2006; now secular).
63. Q: What is the name of the legislative body in Sri Lanka?
A: Parliament of Sri Lanka.
64. Q: Which country had Operation Blue Star?
A: India.
65. Q: Which body is responsible for elections in India?
A: Election Commission of India.
66. Q: What country is Balochistan a part of?
A: Pakistan.
67. Q: What is the traditional dress in Bhutan?
A: Gho for men and Kira for women.
68. Q: What major natural disaster hit Nepal in 2015?
A: Earthquake.
69. Q: What ethnic group dominates Bhutan?
A: Drukpa.
70. Q: What is the primary cause of tension in South Asia?
A: Territorial disputes and religious conflicts.
71. Q: What country had a political revolution in 2006 to end monarchy?
A: Nepal.
72. Q: What agreement governs water sharing between India and Pakistan?
A: Indus Waters Treaty.
73. Q: What insurgent group operates in Northeast India?
A: ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom).
74. Q: What is the SAARC development fund used for?
A: Regional economic projects.
75. Q: Which country has experienced ethnic conflict between Tamils and Sinhalese?
A: Sri Lanka.
76. Q: What was Operation Meghdoot?
A: India's operation to capture Siachen Glacier in 1984.
77. Q: Which river is disputed between India and Bangladesh?
A: Teesta River.
78. Q: What is BIMSTEC?
A: Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.
79. Q: Which country had the People’s War led by Maoists?
A: Nepal.
80. Q: What peace treaty ended Nepal’s civil war?
A: Comprehensive Peace Accord (2006).
81. Q: Which South Asian countries are considered Least Developed Countries (LDCs)?
A: Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan, and Bangladesh.
82. Q: Who mediates the Indus Waters Treaty?
A: The World Bank.
83. Q: What is the term used for regional power balancing in South Asia?
A: Balance of Power.
84. Q: Which country’s constitution mandates Islam as state religion?
A: Pakistan.
85. Q: Who was the founder of modern Afghanistan?
A: Ahmad Shah Durrani.
86. Q: What is India's Act East Policy?
A: A strategy to strengthen ties with Southeast and East Asia.
87. Q: What was the primary cause of LTTE’s rebellion?
A: Tamil marginalization.
88. Q: Who was Benazir Bhutto?
A: Former Prime Minister of Pakistan.
89. Q: What is “SAARC Charter Day”?
A: December 8.
90. Q: What is the name of India’s regional satellite initiative?
A: SAARC Satellite.
91. Q: Which country uses the term “Gross National Happiness”?
A: Bhutan.
92. Q: Which South Asian country has the highest literacy rate?
A: Sri Lanka.
93. Q: What is the official language of Maldives?
A: Dhivehi.
94. Q: Which two countries were involved in the Doklam standoff?
A: India and China (in Bhutanese territory).
95. Q: What is the literacy rate of Afghanistan (approx.)?
A: Around 38% (as of 2023 est.).
96. Q: Which country recently adopted a new map claiming parts of India?
A: Nepal (in 2020).
97. Q: What was India's foreign policy doctrine under Nehru?
A: Non-Alignment.
98. Q: What is “SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme”?
A: Allows certain categories of persons visa-free travel within SAARC.
99. Q: What is the largest island of Maldives?
A: Gan Island.
100. Q: What is the purpose of the India-Bangladesh Joint Rivers Commission?
A: Water sharing and river management.
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