Consider the following in respect of Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS) : 1. Inaugural IONS was held in India in 2015 under the chairmanship of the Indian Navy. 2. IONS is a voluntary initiative that seeks to increase maritime co-operation among navies of the littoral states of the Indian Ocean Region. Which of the above statements is/are correct ?

Gives a specific example that conferences of Indian Ocean littoral states have been held long before 2015 (e.g., first conference at Cairo in 1964).

A student could use this pattern to infer that multilateral Indian Ocean forums have earlier origins and so should check IONS founding date against earlier conference history.

Shows India had established major regional maritime/Indian Ocean institutions (e.g., tsunami warning centre in 2007) well before 2015.

One might extend this to expect India’s involvement in regional naval forums earlier than 2015 and therefore verify whether IONS began before or after such institutions.

Describes India’s significant geopolitical role and cooperative programmes with littoral states of the Indian Ocean.

A student could use India’s longstanding regional engagement as a reason to check records of multilateral naval initiatives (like IONS) across a broader multi-year timeline, not just 2015.

Emphasises India’s central geographical and strategic position in the Indian Ocean, implying India is a likely host/participant but not proving timing.

Combine this with external timelines (e.g., list of IONS meetings) to judge whether India hosted the inaugural meeting or hosted at a later date.

Notes historical naval presences and foreign bases in the Indian Ocean region, indicating longstanding naval activity in the area.

Use this to motivate checking when formal regional naval dialogue forums like IONS were initiated relative to prior naval activity.