Question map
Consider the following pairs : 1. Argentina - Worst economic crisis 2. Sudan - War between the country's regular army and paramilitary forces 3. Turkey - Rescinded its membership of NATO How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched ?
Explanation
The correct answer is option B because only two pairs are correctly matched.
**Pair 1 (Argentina - Worst economic crisis):** This is correctly matched. Argentina experienced its worst economic crisis in 2001-2002, marked by economic collapse, debt default, and severe social unrest.
**Pair 2 (Sudan - War between regular army and paramilitary forces):** This is correctly matched. In 2023, Sudan witnessed a devastating conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (regular army) and the Rapid Support Forces (paramilitary group).
**Pair 3 (Turkey - Rescinded its membership of NATO):** This is **incorrectly matched**. Turkey has remained an important member of NATO, with witnesses[1] underscoring the importance of keeping Turkey in NATO. Turkey initially resisted applications from Sweden and Finland to join NATO[2], but this was about blocking new memberships, not rescinding its own membership. Turkey has never left or rescinded its NATO membership; it has been a continuous member since 1952.
Therefore, pairs 1 and 2 are correct while pair 3 is incorrect, making the answer "Only two pairs."
Sources- [2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-61397478
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis question rewards 'Active Reading' of newspapers over static rote learning. The Turkey statement is a 'sanity check'—a major geopolitical lie inserted to test basic awareness. The Sudan statement tests specific detail (Army vs Paramilitary) rather than just generic 'Civil War'.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: For the country Argentina, did it experience its worst economic crisis in 2001–2002 (the Argentine economic crisis/2001 crisis)?
- Statement 2: For the country Sudan, did a war occur between the country's regular army (Sudanese Armed Forces) and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in 2023?
- Statement 3: For the country Turkey, has Turkey ever rescinded or terminated its membership of NATO?
Describes a severe balance-of-payments crisis that prompted an IMF-sponsored bail-out and subsequent recovery via devaluation and foreign inflows — a pattern typical of large national crises.
A student could check whether Argentina in 2001–2002 showed a similar BOP collapse, IMF involvement, and devaluation to judge if that episode matches this crisis pattern.
Explains how sudden withdrawal of external loans created acute crises in multiple countries and particularly affected Latin America — a common mechanism behind major regional economic collapses.
A student could look up Argentina's external debt dynamics and whether sudden capital withdrawal or loss of foreign lending occurred around 2001–2002.
Notes the late-20th-century pattern where borrowing from Western banks led to periodic debt crises in the developing world, explicitly mentioning Latin America as vulnerable.
Use that pattern to investigate if Argentina’s 2001–2002 episode was part of such a debt-crisis pattern (e.g., unsustainable external borrowing and rising unemployment).
Summarises typical social effects of deep economic crises (currency loss, erosion of savings, middle-class distress), providing indicators to recognise a major crisis.
A student could compare social indicators (currency stability, savings value, middle-class hardship) in Argentina in 2001–2002 to see if the episode produced these severe effects.
Identifies that large trade deficits and falling external receipts can produce a severe BOP crisis leading to major reforms — a structural cause to look for in large crises.
Investigate whether Argentina experienced large trade deficits or collapsing external receipts around 2001–2002 as a plausible cause of a severe crisis.
States often face internal threats and 'internal wars' now constitute the vast majority of armed conflicts; this establishes a general pattern that internal armed fights between state forces and other armed groups are common.
A student could take this pattern and check whether Sudan experienced internal armed conflict in 2023 by consulting contemporary news/timeline sources about Sudan for that year.
The snippet describes how distrust between communities can escalate into civil war with large-scale casualties, illustrating how internal rivalries may transform into full-scale conflict.
A student could examine whether rivalries between Sudanese military/paramilitary actors existed before 2023 and whether they escalated that year into open conflict.
Example of prolonged militant/insurgent campaigns leading to extraordinary violence and direct army involvement shows how governments and armed groups can come into sustained combat.
Compare this template of insurgency-versus-army to Sudan: look for reports in 2023 of sustained clashes specifically between the national army and an organized internal armed formation (e.g., a paramilitary force).
Provides an example (Mizo rebellion) where an organized insurgent group fought a sustained guerilla war against the national army, showing the modal form internal conflict can take.
Use this example as a model to assess whether the Sudanese situation in 2023 matched guerrilla/paramilitary versus army patterns by checking the nature, organization, and duration of reported clashes.
Describes how territorial and strategic disputes between states (or within regions) can produce repeated wars and limited conflicts, highlighting that both full wars and limited internal conflicts are possible outcomes of political disputes.
A student could apply this distinction to Sudan in 2023 by determining whether clashes between army and a paramilitary were limited skirmishes or rose to the scale commonly described as a 'war'.
- The passage explicitly discusses efforts and opinions about 'keeping Turkey in NATO', treating Turkey as a current member whose membership should be preserved.
- Speakers emphasized engagement rather than expulsion, implying Turkey remained within the alliance rather than having rescinded or terminated membership.
- The passage describes 'Why Turkey resisted Sweden and Finland', showing Turkey actively participating in NATO-related accession discussions.
- Turkey's role in resisting new applicants indicates it was functioning as an active NATO member at that time (i.e., it had not rescinded or terminated membership).
Describes Turkey signing regional security pacts in 1955 (CENTO) aimed at checking communist influence, indicating Turkey's mid‑20th century alignment with Western/security blocs.
A student could combine this with the fact that NATO is a major Western security alliance to infer continuity of pro‑Western defense ties and then check NATO membership history for any formal withdrawal.
States the US intervened to support Greece and Turkey against communist threats (Truman Doctrine), showing early Cold War Western support for Turkey.
Using this pattern of US/Turkish security cooperation, a student might expect long‑term ties (such as NATO membership) and look for records of any formal termination.
Summary notes that by end of 1947 Turkey was outside Soviet influence, implying Turkey was part of the Western camp during the Cold War.
Knowing NATO was the principal Western military alliance, a student could use this to motivate checking whether Turkey later left such an alliance.
Defines SEATO as an 'Asian‑Pacific version of NATO', providing a conceptual link between NATO and other regional alliances and illustrating how countries join comparable security organizations.
A student could use this analogy to frame NATO membership as a formal treaty relationship and then search for treaty termination/withdrawal procedures or historical examples to compare with Turkey's case.
Notes Turkey's historical geopolitical position in Europe/ Balkans and subsequent national transformations, giving context for why Turkey might seek alignment with Western institutions.
A student could combine Turkey's European/strategic location with Cold War alignment clues to prioritize looking for Turkey's NATO membership status and any formal termination acts.
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter for newspaper readers / Trap for static-only students. Source: The Hindu/Indian Express International Page (2023).
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Current Geopolitics – Civil Wars, Economic Crises, and Military Alliances (Places in News).
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: 1. Sahel Coups: Mali, Niger, Burkina Faso (Alliance of Sahel States). 2. Nagorno-Karabakh: Azerbaijan vs Armenia (2023 dissolution). 3. NATO Expansion: Finland (31st), Sweden (32nd). 4. Sri Lanka: Debt default (2022). 5. Ecuador: Gang violence/Internal armed conflict (2024).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: When reading about a crisis, define the *actors* (Who is fighting? e.g., RSF vs SAF in Sudan) and the *magnitude* (Is it a policy shift or a collapse?). For alliances (NATO/G20/ECOWAS), track *entries* and *exits* religiously.
A BoP crisis arises from large trade deficits, falling net receipts and depleted reserves, causing acute external financing problems.
High-yield for UPSC: explains immediate triggers of macroeconomic collapses and links to policy responses (devaluation, import compression). Connects to topics on foreign trade, forex reserves, and economic reforms; useful for questions asking causes and remedies of national economic crises.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 16: Balance of Payments > Period III [from 1980-81 to 1990-91] > p. 483
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 16: Balance of Payments > 16.16 Indian Economy > p. 484
Countries facing severe external imbalances often secure IMF-sponsored bailouts that accompany policy conditionality and structural adjustments.
Essential for answering questions on crisis management and reform trajectories; ties together public finance, international institutions, and macroeconomic stabilization. Knowing this helps evaluate policy trade-offs and historical reform episodes.
- Indian Economy, Nitin Singhania .(ed 2nd 2021-22) > Chapter 16: Balance of Payments > 16.16 Indian Economy > p. 484
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World > 4.4 End of Bretton Woods and the Beginning of 'Globalisation' > p. 77
Rapid withdrawal or reduction of external loans can precipitate acute economic crises and propagate distress across dependent economies.
Crucial for explaining regional debt crises and contagion effects; links international finance, sovereign debt sustainability, and trade shocks. Enables analysis of why crises in one country or lender market can trigger wider downturns.
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World > Box 3 > p. 72
- India and the Contemporary World – II. History-Class X . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 3: The Making of a Global World > 4.4 End of Bretton Woods and the Beginning of 'Globalisation' > p. 77
Differentiating internal wars from interstate wars is central to assessing whether clashes inside a country qualify as a civil war.
High-yield for UPSC: many questions ask about the nature and trends of conflict (internal vs external). Mastering this helps answer questions on state stability, security policy, and international responses. It connects to topics on sovereignty, humanitarian intervention, and peacebuilding.
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 5: Security in the Contemporary World > Traditional Notions: Internal > p. 68
- Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia > India-Pakistan Conflicts > p. 38
Understanding how separatist groups mobilize, sustain insurgencies, and interact with state forces is key to explaining internal armed conflicts.
Important for polity and contemporary history: useful in questions on internal security, federalism, and conflict resolution. It links to causes of unrest, counterinsurgency measures, and post-conflict rehabilitation strategies.
- Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations > Secessionist movements > p. 127
- Politics in India since Independence, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 7: Regional Aspirations > Insurgency and After > p. 121
External backing of militants or paramilitaries alters conflict dynamics and can turn internal disputes into prolonged violence.
Exam-relevant for international relations and security: explains escalation, regional instability, and foreign policy responses. Useful for analysing cross-border influence, hybrid warfare, and sanction/mediation options.
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > Terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir > p. 51
- Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 16: India–Political Aspects > The Kashmir Problem > p. 39
The Truman plan records US financial and military support to Greece and Turkey, marking Turkey's alignment with the Western bloc in the early Cold War.
High-yield: explains the origins of Turkey's Western security orientation and why it became part of Western alliance structures. Links Cold War diplomacy, US foreign policy, and regional security — useful for questions on alliance formation and containment policy.
- History , class XII (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 15: The World after World War II > Truman Plan > p. 247
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES). While Turkey *didn't* leave NATO, Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso *did* leave ECOWAS in early 2024. UPSC loves swapping these 'exit' narratives between regions.
The 'Breaking News' Filter: Turkey leaving NATO would be a geopolitical earthquake comparable to Brexit or the USSR collapsing. If you didn't see 100 editorials about 'The End of NATO's Southern Flank,' it didn't happen. Statement 3 is false.
Resource Curse & Paramilitaries (GS-2/GS-3): Sudan's RSF controls gold mines (Jebel Amer). Link this to how illicit resource trade fuels internal security threats, similar to how Naxalism in India relies on extortion/levy.