Question map
With reference to ‘Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)’, consider the following statements: 1. The first APMCHUD was held in India in 2006 on the theme ‘Emerging Urban Forms — Policy Responses and Governance Structure’. 2. India hosts all the Annual Ministerial Conferences in partnership with ADB, APEC and ASEAN. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
APMCHUD was established in December 2006, subsequent to the first Asia Pacific Ministers' Conference on Housing and Urban Development at New Delhi, held under the aegis of Government of India, Ministry of Housing & Poverty Alleviation and UN-HABITAT[1]. However, the documents do not mention the theme "Emerging Urban Forms — Policy Responses and Governance Structure" for the first conference, making Statement 1 incorrect regarding the theme.
Statement 2 is clearly incorrect as a meeting was held in Tehran, Iran, on 12–14[2] May 2008 and another meeting was held in Amman, Jordan, 10–12[3] December 2012, and a conference was held on 3–5 November 2014 at Hotel Shilla, Seoul, Republic[4] of Korea. This demonstrates that India does not host all Annual Ministerial Conferences. Additionally, the documents indicate partnership with UN-HABITAT but do not mention ADB, APEC, or ASEAN as organizing partners for all conferences.
Therefore, neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct, making option D the correct answer.
Sources- [1] https://www.apmchud.org/PDF/5ConferenceProceedings.pdf
- [2] https://www.apmchud.org/PDF/5ConferenceProceedings.pdf
- [3] https://www.apmchud.org/PDF/5ConferenceProceedings.pdf
- [4] https://www.apmchud.org/PDF/5ConferenceProceedings.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis question was triggered because the 6th APMCHUD was held in New Delhi in Dec 2016 (just before the 2017 Prelims). The 'history' in Statement 1 was actually the 'About Us' context in current news reports. Statement 2 is a logic-check on how international diplomacy works.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Which country hosted the first Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)?
- Statement 2: In which year was the first Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) held?
- Statement 3: What was the official theme of the first Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD)?
- Statement 4: Have all Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) annual ministerial conferences been hosted in India?
- Statement 5: Is the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) organized in partnership with the Asian Development Bank (ADB)?
- Statement 6: Is the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) organized in partnership with the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)?
- Statement 7: Is the Asia Pacific Ministerial Conference on Housing and Urban Development (APMCHUD) organized in partnership with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)?
- Explicitly states the first APMCHUD was held in New Delhi.
- Names the Government of India and the Ministry of Housing & Poverty Alleviation as organisers of that first conference.
- Expresses appreciation to the government of India and its Ministry for their work by the APMCHUD Permanent Secretariat.
- Identifies India as the 'first chair of the Bureau', supporting India's leading role in the founding conference.
Identifies Singapore as the headquarters of a major Asia‑Pacific forum (APEC), suggesting Singapore is a regional hub for multilateral Asia‑Pacific meetings.
A student could combine this with a map and knowledge that regional hubs often host inaugural conferences to test whether Singapore hosted the first APMCHUD.
Lists Singapore as the place of the 1996 WTO Ministerial Conference, showing Singapore has hosted high‑level international ministerial conferences in the region.
Use the pattern that Singapore hosts major ministerial events to justify checking whether it also hosted the first APMCHUD.
Notes the WTO's first trade Ministerial Conference occurred in Singapore in 1996, reinforcing Singapore's role as a venue for inaugural or early multilateral meetings.
A student could infer that inaugural regional ministerials are sometimes held in established Asia‑Pacific meeting centers like Singapore and therefore investigate APMCHUD records for that possibility.
Shows Manila/Philippines as host city for a major Asia‑Pacific institution (ADB HQ), indicating multiple possible regional host countries (not only Singapore).
Combine this with knowledge of regional institutions to avoid over‑relying on Singapore and check other likely hosts (e.g., Philippines) for the first APMCHUD.
Mentions India’s Act East focus on Asia‑Pacific cooperation and urban renewal, implying India is an active regional participant in urban development dialogues.
A student could consider India as a plausible host for Asia‑Pacific urban/ housing ministerials and cross‑check against records rather than assuming a single hub.
- Explicitly states the establishment timing in relation to the first conference.
- Links the establishment to December 2006 and the first conference held in New Delhi.
- States the year APMCHUD was established (2006).
- Comes from the APMCHUD conference proceedings document, a primary source for conference history.
- Concise external summary confirming the establishment year as 2006.
- Supports the timing of the first conference by affirming the founding year.
Lists a '1st Ministerial Conference' with its year (1996) and place (Singapore), showing that books commonly record the year and location for the inaugural ministerial gatherings of regional/international bodies.
A student could use this pattern—look for published lists of inaugural ministerial conferences for Asia‑Pacific bodies (or search archives for '1st APMCHUD' with likely host countries like Singapore) to find APMCHUD's first year.
Notes that the WTO's first trade Ministerial Conference occurred in 1996 in Singapore, reinforcing that 1990s saw first ministerial meetings in the Asia‑Pacific and that Singapore was a host for inaugural events.
Use the 1990s and Singapore as plausible anchors when searching historical records or UN/Asia‑Pacific housing archives for the first APMCHUD timing and venue.
Describes APEC as an Asia‑Pacific regional forum established in 1989, showing the pattern that many Asia‑Pacific regional bodies were formed or active from late 1980s–1990s.
A student could narrow searches for the first APMCHUD to the late 1980s–1990s period when several regional forums were active or being established.
Gives an example of a well‑known 'first' regional conference (Bandung, 1955) to illustrate that inaugural regional conferences are notable and typically dated in reference works.
A student can expect the first APMCHUD to be documented similarly and therefore check historical conference lists or UN habitat/Asia‑Pacific housing records for a specific year.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
Describes APEC as a Pacific‑Rim regional forum whose stated aims include promoting inclusive growth and greater prosperity across the Asia‑Pacific region — a common thematic framing for regional ministerial conferences.
A student could infer that an Asia‑Pacific urban/housing conference might adopt a theme invoking 'inclusive growth' or 'prosperity' and then check which variant (e.g., 'housing for inclusive growth') matches historical records.
Explains national urbanisation policy priorities such as emphasis on urban housing and slum improvement, showing typical substantive topics for housing/urban development events.
Use this pattern to expect APMCHUD themes to reference slum improvement, affordable housing or urban‑rural continuum and then look for conference titles containing those phrases.
Describes the 'Smart City Mission' with key urban development ingredients (institutional, physical, social, economic), illustrating the sort of comprehensive urban agenda likely reflected in ministerial conference themes.
A student could test whether the APMCHUD theme referenced integrated urban development or 'smart'/sustainable cities by searching for these keywords in conference materials.
Notes that India's 'Act East' policy emphasizes cooperation on urban renewal, smart cities and related infrastructure with Asia‑Pacific partners — indicating regional priorities that may shape conference themes.
Combine this with knowledge of regional cooperation to hypothesize that the APMCHUD theme might stress urban renewal, regional cooperation or capacity building, then verify against primary sources.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- Specifies the Fourth APMCHUD was held in Amman, Jordan, showing a conference hosted outside India.
- Demonstrates that at least one APMCHUD meeting location was not in India, directly contradicting 'all hosted in India.'
- Identifies the Second APMCHUD as taking place in Tehran, Iran, again showing an event outside India.
- Confirms multiple conferences have been held in other countries, so not all were hosted in India.
- Lists a Ministerial Conference with date and venue in Seoul, Republic of Korea (3 – 5 November 2014).
- Provides another clear example of an APMCHUD hosted outside India.
This snippet lists many ministerial conferences of an international body held in a variety of countries (Singapore, Geneva, Seattle, Doha, Cancun, Hong Kong, etc.), showing ministerial conferences are typically hosted across multiple nations.
A student could use this pattern plus a list/map of Asia-Pacific countries to anticipate that APMCHUD ministerial meetings are likely also held in different countries and then check APMCHUD venue lists.
The 11th ministerial conference example (Buenos Aires) again shows international ministerial meetings convene outside a single host country over time.
Combine this with knowledge of international conference hosting norms to suspect APMCHUD conferences are not all in India and then look up APMCHUD conference locations.
Shows India does host significant regional/international conferences (e.g., Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi), establishing India as a recurring host nation for regional meetings.
Use this to reason that while India hosts some regional conferences, hosting some does not imply it hosts every APMCHUD meeting; check APMCHUD venue history to confirm.
India hosted the 13th COP of an international convention (CMS), indicating India is a host for international environmental/ministerial gatherings.
A student can infer India is a plausible host for some APMCHUD meetings but must compare against an APMCHUD venue list to see if all were in India.
The New Delhi Resolution was adopted at the 3rd Asian Ministerial Conference on Tiger Conservation, showing specific Asian ministerial conferences have been held in India.
This suggests some Asian ministerial conferences occur in India, but by itself does not imply exclusivity; one should map APMCHUD meeting locations to judge the statement.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- The conference proceedings explicitly "commend the partnership between UN-HABITAT and Asian Development Bank" in the Asia-Pacific context.
- The same proceedings document records the decision to establish APMCHUD, linking the partnership text to the ministerial conference context.
Describes ADB functions including providing loans and technical assistance for economic and social advancement, which commonly involve partnerships on sectoral programs (e.g., urban development).
A student could infer that ADB's mandate to provide technical assistance and urban/social advancement makes it a plausible partner for a ministerial conference on housing and urban development and should check APMCHUD partner lists for MDB involvement.
States ADB's regional remit (Asia and Pacific) and headquarters in the Philippines, confirming ADB is a regional multilateral bank active in Asia-Pacific affairs.
Given APMCHUD is an Asia-Pacific ministerial forum, a student could reasonably suspect regional MDBs headquartered/active in the region (like ADB) might partner and then verify from conference materials.
AIIB's listed activities explicitly include urban development financing, illustrating that multilateral development banks commonly engage directly in urban development initiatives and partnerships.
Use this pattern (MDBs fund/partner on urban development) to infer that ADB — another MDB — could similarly partner with ministerial urban development conferences and check for such collaborations.
Gives an example of ADB committing funds to a national infrastructure/investment fund (NIIF), showing ADB's practice of direct financial collaboration with country-level development initiatives.
A student could generalize that because ADB partners financially and institutionally with national/regional programs, it is plausible ADB would partner with region-wide sectoral conferences like APMCHUD and should be checked in official partner lists.
Notes SASEC was created with the assistance of ADB, providing a concrete example of ADB assisting regional cooperative initiatives.
This pattern (ADB assisting regional cooperation) supports the idea that ADB might assist/partner on a regional ministerial conference; a student could look for ADB’s involvement in APMCHUD documentation.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- Defines APMCHUD and its establishment in 2006 and describes its purpose (sustainable housing and urban development).
- Provides an authoritative description of the conference without mentioning any partnership with APEC, implying no evidence in this source of an APEC partnership.
- Official conference materials state APMCHUD was established in 2006 with a mission for sustainable housing and urban development in the Asia-Pacific region.
- This official proceedings text describes organizers/mission but does not reference APEC, providing no support for an APEC partnership.
- Contains the Delhi Declaration on the establishment of APMCHUD (2006), an official founding statement.
- The founding declaration text describes the conference's creation but does not mention APEC as a partner.
Defines APEC as a regional economic forum of 21 Pacific‑Rim countries with a specific economic/prosperity mandate and a Singapore headquarters.
A student could use this to ask whether APMCHUD’s mandate (housing/urban development) fits within APEC’s economic remit and then check APMCHUD organizer lists for APEC involvement.
Describes 'Act East' emphasis on India‑ASEAN cooperation in areas including urban renewal and smart cities, showing urban development is often a focus within regional political/economic cooperation frameworks.
A student could compare which regional bodies (ASEAN, APEC, etc.) typically handle urban/renewal forums and then look for APMCHUD partnerships among those bodies.
Explains that East Asian regional economic cooperation is pursued through multiple, overlapping institutions (ASEAN+1, RCEP built on ASEAN FTAs).
A student could infer that multiple regional bodies exist and therefore should check which specific body partners on housing/urban conferences rather than assuming APEC does.
Shows there are other Asia‑Pacific arrangements (APTA) focused on economic cooperation distinct from APEC, illustrating the region has numerous specialized forums.
A student could use this to motivate checking specialized Asia‑Pacific mechanisms (trade, development, housing) to see which one convenes APMCHUD.
Lists examples of ministerial conferences being convened by organizations (various places/years), indicating 'ministerial conference' is a common format used by different regional and global bodies.
A student could therefore look for the specific convening organization named on APMCHUD materials rather than presuming APEC because 'ministerial conference' is generic.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- Explicitly names APMCHUD's establishment and mission for the Asia-Pacific region, indicating its institutional scope.
- Lists specific organizers (Korea Land & Housing Corporation, Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements, etc.) rather than ASEAN, implying ASEAN is not an organizing partner.
- Describes the Delhi Declaration on the establishment of APMCHUD by Asia-Pacific ministers, showing it is a ministers' conference for the Asia-Pacific region.
- Focus on ministerial establishment and UN-related context, with no mention of ASEAN as a partner.
- States that APMCHUD was established in 2006 to promote sustainable housing and urban development, indicating its founding purpose and timeline.
- Provides a general factual description of APMCHUD without referencing ASEAN as an organizing partner.
Describes ASEAN as a regional organisation that forms formal partnerships (ASEAN+1 FTAs) with multiple external partners to broaden regional engagement.
A student could infer that ASEAN frequently enters formal partnerships and then check whether APMCHUD lists ASEAN as a formal partner.
States ASEAN 'meets annually to discuss East Asian cooperation' and 'encourages negotiation'—showing ASEAN participates in regional multilateral dialogues and conferences.
A student could look for APMCHUD records of regional multilateral meetings to see if ASEAN is listed among participant organisations.
Notes ASEAN's policy of interaction and consultation with member states, dialogue partners, and other non-regional organisations.
One could use this pattern to suspect ASEAN might partner on sectoral ministerial conferences (like housing/urban development) and then verify APMCHUD partner lists.
Specifically links India–ASEAN cooperation to 'urban renewal, smart cities' under Act East Policy, showing ASEAN engagement in urban development topics.
Since APMCHUD concerns housing/urban development, a student could check whether ASEAN's urban initiatives or secretariat are co-sponsors/partners of APMCHUD events.
Gives basic institutional facts about ASEAN (membership, aims) implying it is a distinct regional body that could be a named partner in regional conferences.
Use the fact ASEAN is a distinct actor to search conference documentation for an explicit ASEAN partnership line for APMCHUD.
This statement analysis shows book citations, web sources and indirect clues. The first statement (S1) is open for preview.
Login with Google to unlock all statements. Unlock full statement-level provenance with ExamRobot Pro.
- [THE VERDICT]: Manageable Trap. Statement 1 is tough static GK, but Statement 2 is a 'Logic Sitter' that simplifies the choice.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Current Affairs (Summits hosted by India). The 2016 New Delhi Declaration was in the news.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: For every body India hosts (e.g., G20, SCO, BRICS), memorize: 1. Founding Year, 2. Location of First Summit, 3. Secretariat HQ. Contrast ADB (Manila) vs AIIB (Beijing) vs NDB (Shanghai).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: The 'Alpha-Omega Rule': When a summit is in the news, UPSC asks about its *First* edition (Alpha) or its *Founding Charter*, not just the current theme. Always read the 'Background' section of the PIB release.
This tab shows concrete study steps: what to underline in books, how to map current affairs, and how to prepare for similar questions.
Login with Google to unlock study guidance. Available with ExamRobot Pro.
Several references identify Singapore as host or headquarters for Asia‑Pacific meetings (e.g., first ministerial in 1996; APEC HQ). This is relevant when inferring likely venues for regional conferences.
High-yield for UPSC: many questions ask about host countries and headquarters of regional forums. Knowing common regional hubs (like Singapore) helps eliminate options and recall related events. Connects international relations, geography (city‑states as hubs), and modern Indian foreign policy contexts; practise by memorising major hubs and cross‑checking with specific organisations/events.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > 1. Ministerial Conference (MC) > p. 537
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) > p. 550
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > 13.5.3Information Technology Agreement (ITA) > p. 383
References list ministerial conference years and places (first in 1996, Singapore) and explicitly mention the WTO ministerial in 1996 at Singapore — useful for questions about ministerial timelines and venues.
Important because UPSC often asks dates/venues of landmark multilateral meetings. Mastering the chronology of major ministerials (WTO, APEC meetings) aids in eliminating distractors and linking events to policy outcomes. Study via timelines and mapping venues to years.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > 1. Ministerial Conference (MC) > p. 537
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > 13.5.3Information Technology Agreement (ITA) > p. 383
References reference Asia‑Pacific organisations and HQs (e.g., APEC headquartered in Singapore; ADB HQ in the Philippines), highlighting focus on institutional locations in the region.
Useful for UPSC because questions frequently query locations and roles of regional organisations. Understanding HQs and host countries connects to topics in international organisations, economic diplomacy, and regional integration. Learn by grouping institutions by region and memorising HQs.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) > p. 550
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK > p. 530
Several references list the first/early ministerial conferences and their inaugural years (e.g., first WTO Ministerial Conference in 1996).
UPSC questions often ask for the year/place of inaugural international conferences; mastering how to identify the scope and inaugural date of 'ministerial conferences' helps distinguish similarly named events. This links to diplomacy and international organizations topics and trains candidates to verify which agency/event is being referenced rather than relying on memory alone.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > 1. Ministerial Conference (MC) > p. 537
- Indian Economy, Vivek Singh (7th ed. 2023-24) > Chapter 13: International Organizations > 13.5.3Information Technology Agreement (ITA) > p. 383
References include examples of regional forums (APEC) and generic ministerial conferences, highlighting different types of international gatherings.
Knowing the difference between regional economic forums (APEC) and sector-specific ministerial conferences (e.g., housing, trade) prevents conflation in answers. This is high-yield for polity/diplomacy questions and helps frame follow-up study (scope, membership, typical hosts, and founding years).
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) > p. 550
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 18: International Economic Institutions > 1. Ministerial Conference (MC) > p. 537
APMCHUD concerns housing and urban development; the provided references discuss India's urbanisation policy and emphasis on slum improvement.
High-yield for UPSC: questions often ask about national urban policy priorities, slum upgrading vs clearance, and housing for weaker sections. Links directly to welfare, urban governance, and schemes (Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs). Candidates should learn policy objectives, implementation challenges, and examples of programmes.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 14: Settlements > The National Urbanisation Policy > p. 52
Housing and urban development discussions include modern urban initiatives; the Smart City Mission reference lists aims and key components relevant to urban development conferences.
Important for both GS Paper topics and case studies: understanding mission objectives, institutional/physical/social/economic infrastructure pillars helps answer questions on urban renewal, financing, and inter-governmental roles. Enables comparison between national schemes and international conference themes or commitments.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 15: Infrastructure > SMART CITY MISSION > p. 464
Discover the small, exam-centric ideas hidden in this question and where they appear in your books and notes.
Login with Google to unlock micro-concepts. Unlock micro-concepts with ExamRobot Pro.
Habitat III (Quito, 2016). The 2016 APMCHUD in Delhi was significant because it was the first regional response to the 'New Urban Agenda' adopted at UN Habitat III. Expect questions on 'New Urban Agenda' goals.
The 'Rotating Chair' Heuristic. Statement 2 says India hosts 'all' annual conferences. Multilateral bodies (Asia-Pacific, UN-linked) function on rotation/equality. No single nation hosts *every* summit unless it's a fixed HQ (like UN in NY), but even then, 'Ministerial Conferences' usually rotate. 'All' + 'India' = Incorrect.
GS-1 (Urbanization & Society) + GS-2 (Global Groupings). The themes of these conferences (Governance, Slums, Sustainability) directly feed into Mains answers for 'Problems of Urbanization' and 'Smart Cities Mission'.
Access hidden traps, elimination shortcuts, and Mains connections that give you an edge on every question.
Login with Google to unlock The Vault. Unlock the Mentor's Vault with ExamRobot Pro.