Current set IAS · 2022 Q16

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Q16 (IAS/2022) International Relations & Global Affairs › India's Bilateral & Regional Relations › East Asian maritime disputes Official Key

Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news ?

It is generally believed that they are artificial islands made by a country around South China Sea.

China and Japan engage in maritime disputes over these islands in East China Sea.

A permanent American military base has been set up there to help Taiwan to increase its defence capabilities.

Though International Court of Justice declared them as no man's land, some South-East Asian countries claim them.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.

Q. Which one of the following statements best reflects the issue with Senkaku Islands, sometimes mentioned in the news ? [A] It is generall…

At a glance

Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 10/10

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This is a classic 'Places in News' question. It is highly fair because the Senkaku/Diaoyu dispute is a primary flashpoint in Indo-Pacific geopolitics. The question tests your ability to distinguish between the South China Sea (artificial islands, ASEAN claimants) and the East China Sea (Japan-China conflict).

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1: Are the Senkaku Islands artificial (man-made) islands created by a country?
Statement 2: Are the Senkaku Islands located in the South China Sea?
Statement 3: Are the Senkaku Islands located in the East China Sea?
Statement 4: Do China and Japan have maritime or territorial disputes over the Senkaku Islands?
Statement 5: Has a permanent United States military base been established on the Senkaku Islands?
Statement 6: Did the International Court of Justice declare the Senkaku Islands to be no man's land?
Statement 7: Do any Southeast Asian countries claim sovereignty over the Senkaku Islands?

Statement 1

Are the Senkaku Islands artificial (man-made) islands created by a country?

Origin: Web / Current Affairs Fairness: CA heavy Web-answerable

Web source

Presence: 5/5

"Through these surveys, it was confirmed that the Senkaku Islands had been uninhabited and showed no trace of having been under the control of the Qing Dynasty of China. Based on this confirmation, the Government of Japan made a Cabinet Decision on 14 January 1895 to erect a marker on the Islands to formally incorporate the Senkaku Islands into the territory of"

Why this source?

Describes government surveys that examined the islands as existing geographic features.
States the islands were "uninhabited" and incorporated by Japan in 1895, implying they pre‑existed human construction.

Web source

Presence: 5/5

"A resident of Okinawa Prefecture who had been engaging in activities such as fishery around the Senkaku Islands since around 1884 made an application for the lease of the islands, and approval was granted by the Meiji Government in 1896. After this approval, he sent workers to those islands and ran the following businesses:"

Why this source?

Reports human economic activity around the islands dating to about 1884 and a formal lease approval in 1896.
Describes sending workers and running businesses on the islands, indicating they were natural landmasses used long before modern land‑reclamation projects.

Web source

Presence: 4/5

"as the Senkaku Islands began to draw attention following an academic survey in the fall of 1968 which indicated the possibility of the existence of petroleum resources in the East China Sea,"

Why this source?

References a 1968 academic survey that identified possible petroleum resources in the East China Sea near the islands.
Indicates geological/natural resource interest, supporting that the islands are natural features rather than recently constructed.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 8: Convergent Boundary > Formation of Island Arcs > p. 111

Strength: 5/5

“Constant volcanism above the subduction zone creates layers of rocks. As this process continues for millions of years, a volcanic landform is created which in some cases rises above the ocean waters. Such volcanic landforms all along the boundary form a chain of volcanic islands which are collectively called Island Arcs (Indonesian Island Arc or Indonesian Archipelago, Philippine Island Arc, Japanese Island Arc, etc.).• Orogenesis (mountain building) sets in motion the process of building continental crust by replacing the oceanic crust (this happens at a much later stage). For example, new islands are born around Japan every few years. After a few million years, Japan will be a single landmass because continental crust formation is constantly replacing the oceanic crust).”

Why relevant

Describes island arcs and explicitly names the Japanese Island Arc where new islands are born by volcanic processes.

How to extend

A student could locate the Senkaku Islands relative to the Japanese Island Arc on a map; if they lie in that arc, natural volcanic/tectonic origin is more likely than artificial construction.

Certificate Physical and Human Geography , GC Leong (Oxford University press 3rd ed.) > Chapter 11: Islands and Coral Reefs > Gontinental islands > p. 97

Strength: 4/5

“Some of the outstanding examples are Newfoundland, separated from the mainland by the Fig. 1 1 .1 Continental island Strait of Belle Isle; Malagasy, by the Mozambique Channel; Sri Lanka by the Palk Strait; Tasmania by the Bass Strait and Taiwan by the Formosa Strait. 2. Archipelagos or island groups. These comprise groups of islands of varying sizes and shapes, e.g. the British Isles, the Balearic. Islands of the Mediterranean and also those of the Aegean Sea. 3. Festoons or islgnd arcs. The islands form an archipelago in the shape of a loop around the edge of the mainland, marking the continuation of mountain ranges which can be traced on the continent, e.g. the East Indies, the Aleutian Islands, Ryukyu Islands, Kurile Islands and other island arcs of the Pacific coasts.”

Why relevant

Defines island arcs/archipelagos and lists the Ryukyu Islands among island arcs of the Pacific coasts.

How to extend

If the Senkaku Islands are near or part of the Ryukyu island arc, one could infer they follow the natural island-arc formation pattern rather than being man-made.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 11: Volcanism > The West Indian Islands > p. 156

Strength: 4/5

“• The Lesser Antilles (Part of the West Indies Islands) are made up mainly of volcanic islands, and some of them still bear signs of volcanic liveliness.”

Why relevant

Gives the general rule that many island groups (e.g., Lesser Antilles) are volcanic in origin and may show ongoing volcanic activity.

How to extend

Compare geological descriptions (volcanic vs constructed) of the Senkaku group; presence of volcanic landforms would point to natural origin.

Physical Geography by PMF IAS, Manjunath Thamminidi, PMF IAS (1st ed.) > Chapter 12: Hotspot Volcanism > Reunion Hotspot > p. 165

Strength: 4/5

“The Laccadive Islands, the Maldives, and the Chagos Archipelago are atolls resting on former volcanoes created 60-45 million years ago that subsequently submerged below sea level.• About 45 million years ago, the mid-ocean rift crossed over the hotspot, and the hotspot passed under the African Plate and had been relatively quiet from 45-10 million years ago. When activity resumed, the Mascarene Islands, which include Mauritius, Reunion, and Rodrigues were created. Mantle Plumes And Divergence (Plate Tectonics)”

Why relevant

Explains that atolls and many island chains were formed by hotspot/volcanic processes over millions of years.

How to extend

Use basic geological knowledge (hotspot/volcanic vs reclaimed land signatures) and region maps to see if Senkaku fits long-timescale volcanic/atoll formation patterns.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 2: Physiography > THE INDIAN ISLANDS > p. 66

Strength: 3/5

“India has a total of 615 islands, of which 572 lie in the Bay of Bengal, and the remaining 43 in the Arabian Sea. Out of the 572 islands of Andaman and Nicobar, only 36 are inhabited. The Bay of Bengal islands include the Andaman and Nicobar Islands which are largely tectonic and volcanic in origin, while the islands of the Arabian Sea are mainly coral formations. Moreover, there are a number of offshore islands along the mouth of the Ganga, eastern and western coasts and in the Gulfs of Khambat, Kachchh and Mannar.”

Why relevant

Contrasts different island origins (tectonic/volcanic vs coral) showing islands are commonly natural products of plate processes and biological deposition.

How to extend

A student could check whether Senkaku's physical description matches known natural island types (rocky/volcanic or coral) rather than human-made reclamation features.

Statement analysis