Question map
Consider the following pairs : International agreement / set-up Subject 1. Alma-Ata Declaration Healthcare of the people 2. Hague Convention Biological and chemical weapons 3. Talanoa Dialogue Global climate change 4. Under2 Coalition - Child rights Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched ?
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3 (1 and 3 only) based on the following analysis of international agreements:
- Pair 1 is correctly matched: The Alma-Ata Declaration (1978) was a landmark intergovernmental statement that identified primary healthcare as the key to attaining the goal of "Health for All" around the globe.
- Pair 3 is correctly matched: The Talanoa Dialogue was launched at COP23 (2017) under the UN Climate Change process. It is a facilitative dialogue designed to help countries implement and enhance their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) by 2020 to combat global climate change.
- Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: The Hague Convention primarily deals with the protection of cultural property during armed conflict or international legal aspects like inter-country adoption and child abduction, not biological and chemical weapons (which are covered by the BWC and CWC).
- Pair 4 is incorrectly matched: The Under2 Coalition is a memorandum of understanding between subnational governments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not child rights.
Thus, only pairs 1 and 3 are accurate.
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question is a classic 'Theme Swap' trap. UPSC takes static GK (Alma-Ata), standard environment book content (Talanoa), and current news (Under2), then swaps their objectives. The key was recognizing that 'Under2' refers to the 2°C climate goal, not children, and that Hague is primarily about Civil Law/War, not WMDs.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: International agreement/set-up Alma-Ata Declaration: Is this declaration concerned with primary healthcare and the healthcare of the people ("Health for All")?
- Statement 2: International agreement/set-up Hague Convention: Is the Hague Convention an international agreement dealing with biological and chemical weapons?
- Statement 3: International agreement/set-up Talanoa Dialogue: Is the Talanoa Dialogue an international UNFCCC process addressing global climate change?
- Statement 4: International agreement/set-up Under2 Coalition: Is the Under2 Coalition an international coalition concerned with child rights?
- Explicitly states a country signed the Alma-Ata Declaration in 1978.
- Directly links the Declaration to a pledge to ensure "Health for All" by 2000.
- Specifies that this pledge was to be achieved through Primary Health Care.
- Identifies the Alma-Ata Declaration as the Report of the International Conference on Primary Health Care.
- Connects the Declaration to the WHO "Health for All" series, tying it to the Health for All goal.
- Explicitly references 'Health for All in Alma-Ata in 1978', linking the conference to the Health for All concept.
- Situates Alma-Ata among major international conferences emphasizing health as a universal goal.
This snippet shows that international declarations (e.g., Changwon) explicitly link declarations to human wellbeing and health as core themes.
A student could infer that similar international declarations (like Alma‑Ata) may likewise focus on health and so check the Alma‑Ata text for explicit 'health for all' language.
The Kunming Declaration example demonstrates that multilateral declarations can prioritize biodiversity in terms of protecting human health, illustrating a pattern where declarations state specific health-related goals.
Using this pattern, a student could reasonably look for goal-oriented phrasing (e.g., 'health for all') in Alma‑Ata to confirm whether it concerns population health and primary care.
This classroom snippet lists primary healthcare centres, doctors, and related infrastructure as key contributors to human capital, defining 'primary healthcare' as a recognizable concept in education materials.
A student can use this standard notion of primary healthcare to interpret Alma‑Ata: if Alma‑Ata emphasizes primary healthcare infrastructure, it likely aligns with 'health for all' aims.
National policy described here aims at improving accessibility of healthcare and primary healthcare/services for underprivileged groups, reflecting the typical objectives associated with 'Health for All'.
Given that 'Health for All' involves accessibility and primary services, a student could check whether Alma‑Ata prescribes similar accessibility and primary care measures to judge the statement.
This snippet defines what international protocols/declarations do—strengthening commitments and adding detailed obligations—showing that declarations often set programmatic goals.
Knowing declarations commonly set specific commitments, a student could look for Alma‑Ata language that establishes primary healthcare commitments to infer its concern with 'Health for All'.
- The passage explicitly names the 'Hague Convention on Protection of Children', indicating the Hague Convention in this context concerns child protection.
- If the Hague Convention referenced is about protection of children, it is not an agreement dealing with biological or chemical weapons.
- This passage defines 'treaty, covenant and convention' as 'legally binding agreements between states', establishing that a 'Hague Convention' is an international agreement.
- Combining this with the child-protection wording shows the Hague Convention is an international legal instrument on children, not on biological/chemical weapons.
Gives concrete examples of named international conventions that specifically address biological and chemical weapons (the Biological Weapons Convention and the Chemical Weapons Convention).
A student could use this pattern (check the formal names of conventions that govern B/C weapons) to see whether a 'Hague Convention' appears among those names or is separate.
Explains the general pattern that international 'protocols' are additional agreements linked to existing conventions, showing how arms/weapon-related rules are organized into named treaties and protocols.
A student can apply this rule to look for whether B/C weapon controls are enacted as standalone conventions or as protocols attached to another convention (and whether 'Hague' appears as either).
Shows that multilateral treaties can be titled for specific hazards (here, Rotterdam Convention for hazardous chemicals and pesticides), illustrating that chemical controls are usually in clearly named agreements.
A student could compare treaty names (e.g., 'Chemical Weapons Convention' vs. 'Hague Convention') to judge which treaty likely covers chemical hazards.
Describes how conventions list and regulate chemicals (Annexes, PIC procedure), indicating that chemical control is typically handled by specialized treaty instruments with annexes and procedures.
A student could expect a treaty dealing with chemical weapons to have specific annexes/procedures and then check whether the 'Hague Convention' contains such chemical/weapon-specific provisions.
States that a 'Convention' (CITES) is an international agreement between governments with a clear subject matter, reinforcing the idea that treaty names reflect their domain.
A student can infer that the subject in a convention's title usually indicates its remit and therefore check whether 'Hague Convention' title/description corresponds to biological/chemical weapons or another domain.
- Explicitly names the 'Talanoa Dialogue' as launched by delegates at COP23 to set the stage for revising national climate action plans.
- Links the Dialogue's purpose to raising ambition and meeting the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement, i.e., global climate action.
- Defines the UNFCCC as the multilateral framework under which COPs operate to address global temperature increases and climate impacts.
- Provides institutional context showing that COP-launched initiatives (like the Talanoa Dialogue at COP23) are part of the UNFCCC process.
- Identifies COP23 as UNFCCC climate talks hosted by Fiji, demonstrating the COP forum where international processes and outcomes are created.
- Shows that COP outcomes include mechanisms and platforms focused on mitigation/adaptation, consistent with how the Talanoa Dialogue functions.
Gives a general definition of 'coalition' as a cooperative arrangement where distinct parties join for a common purpose.
A student could use this rule to ask whether Under2's membership composition (states, regions, NGOs) and stated common purpose match the coalition pattern.
Provides a concrete example (Coalition Against Wildlife Trafficking) of an international voluntary public–private coalition formed to address a specific issue.
Compare Under2's founding statement and goals to CAWT's model to see if Under2 similarly targets child rights or a different issue.
Notes that international NGOs (Human Rights Watch) build coalitions around specific human-rights issues, including campaigns to stop use of child soldiers.
Use this pattern to check whether Under2's documented campaigns or partners focus on child-rights issues (like child soldiers) or other policy areas.
Defines 'child rights' via the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and what such rights encompass.
A student can compare Under2's stated objectives against the CRC definition to see if Under2's goals align with protecting/promoting such child rights.
Explains that international organisations help countries cooperate on specific issues to improve living conditions, implying coalitions often have focused policy goals.
Use this general principle to infer that Under2, if an international coalition, most likely has a clear policy focus which can be checked to determine if it's child-rights related.
- [THE VERDICT]: Manageable Mix. Talanoa was in Shankar IAS (Environment). Alma-Ata is foundational Public Health (often in current affairs due to its 40th anniversary/Astana Declaration). Under2 was major climate news.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: International Declarations & Conventions. Specifically, the intersection of Health, Environment, and Global Security.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize these siblings: Astana Declaration (2018, Health), Geneva Protocol (1925, Asphyxiating Gas), BWC & CWC (Bio/Chem Weapons), Basel/Rotterdam/Stockholm (Waste/Chemicals), and the Sendai Framework (Disaster Risk).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not study treaties in isolation. Create a 'Confusion Matrix': List treaties that sound similar or cover overlapping themes (e.g., Vienna Convention for Ozone vs. Vienna Convention for Diplomatic Relations). Verify the *exact* mandate of famous cities (Hague = Law/Child Abduction; Geneva = War/Humanitarian).
Primary healthcare comprises the first-contact services such as primary healthcare centres, doctors, pharmacies and basic diagnostic facilities.
High-yield for UPSC because questions often probe public health delivery, service-accessibility and human capital. Mastering PHC helps answer scheme-design, rural health systems and infrastructure-strengthening questions and links to welfare and development topics.
- Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science, Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 7: Factors of Production > THINK ABOUT IT > p. 168
- Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: People as Resource > Health > p. 23
National health policies prioritise improving accessibility of healthcare and population health through programmes and structural reforms, reflecting 'Health for All' aims.
Important for UPSC essays and prelims/mains on health governance and reforms; connects national policy, flagship programmes and sanitation/ preventive measures. Knowing this concept enables evaluation of policy success and comparative questions on public vs private role.
- Rajiv Ahir. A Brief History of Modern India (2019 ed.). SPECTRUM. > Chapter 39: After Nehru... > Health Policy > p. 781
- Economics, Class IX . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 2: People as Resource > Health > p. 23
Declarations are political commitments while protocols add specific, often binding, commitments to existing conventions.
Crucial for UPSC topics on international relations and global governance; helps distinguish legal force and policy implications of global agreements affecting health and environment, and supports analytic answers on international cooperation.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 8: Reconstruction of Post-colonial India > Bandung Declaration > p. 111
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > The Changwon Declaration on human wellbeing and wetlands > p. 398
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > Protocol > p. 427
Conventions are primary international treaties and protocols are supplementary agreements that add or strengthen obligations.
High-yield for UPSC because many environmental and security instruments are structured as a convention with later protocols; understanding this distinction helps classify treaties, trace treaty evolution, and answer questions on treaty obligations and ratification. Helps link topics in international law, environmental governance, and disarmament regimes.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 29: Environment Issues and Health Effects > Protocol > p. 427
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > Objective > p. 391
Biological Weapons Convention (1972) and Chemical Weapons Convention (1997) are the established international treaties that ban biological and chemical weapons respectively.
Essential for UPSC security and international relations topics: these are the primary instruments for non‑proliferation of biological and chemical weapons, often asked in polity/international relations mains and prelims. Knowing their dates, scope, and state-party counts enables comparison with other arms-control measures and questions on global security architecture.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > Security in the Contemporary World 69 > p. 69
Treaties like the Rotterdam Convention regulate trade in hazardous chemicals and pesticides and set procedures for labeling, information exchange, and prior informed consent.
Important for environment and international law segments of UPSC: understanding different chemical‑control regimes (trade controls, PIC procedures, annex listings) helps answer questions on chemical safety, international cooperation, and treaty mechanisms. Connects to public health, trade policy, and environmental governance questions.
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 5: Biodiversity and Legislations > rottErdam convEntIon. > p. 10
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 28: International Organisation and Conventions > Annex III Chemicals > p. 407
Talanoa Dialogue was launched at COP23 to raise ambition in national climate action plans toward Paris Agreement goals.
High-yield for UPSC because questions test knowledge of post-Paris UNFCCC processes and mechanisms; links COP decisions to implementation tools and diplomatic timelines. Mastering this enables answers on how international processes drive NDC revisions and climate diplomacy.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > 2At7 > p. 323
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 24: Climate Change Organizations > 24.1. UNFCCC > p. 321
The Astana Declaration (2018). It is the modern successor to Alma-Ata, reaffirming primary healthcare. Since Alma-Ata was asked here, the next logical question is on the specific commitments of the Astana Declaration or the 'UHC Political Declaration' (Universal Health Coverage).
The 'Name-Literal' Hack. 'Under2' implies a numeric threshold. In global policy, 'Under 2' is universally associated with the Paris Agreement's goal (keep warming under 2°C). 'Child rights' rarely uses such numeric branding. Similarly, 'Hague' is the capital of International Law (ICJ, Private Law), whereas WMD bans are usually explicit 'Conventions' (BWC, CWC).
Paradiplomacy (Mains GS-2/GS-3). The 'Under2 Coalition' is a prime example of sub-national entities (states/cities) bypassing national gridlock to act on global issues (Climate Change). Use this as a case study for 'Federalism in International Relations'.