✅ Answer: A) Gulf of AdenThe Bab-el-Mandeb strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. It is located between Yemen (Asia) and Djibouti/Eritrea (Africa). It is a critical chokepoint for ships using the Suez Canal route. About 4.8 million barrels of oil pass through it daily. “Bab-el-Mandeb” means “Gate of Grief” in Arabic. Houthi attacks on ships in this strait in 2023-24 disrupted global shipping.

✅ Answer: A) India and Pakistan (Punjab and Bengal)The Radcliffe Line was drawn by Sir Cyril Radcliffe in 1947 to divide British India into India and Pakistan. It divided Punjab (between India and West Pakistan) and Bengal (between India and East Pakistan, now Bangladesh). Radcliffe had only 5 weeks to draw the boundary. The partition led to one of the largest mass migrations in history (~15 million people displaced) and communal violence.

✅ Answer: B) Geneva, SwitzerlandThe World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland. WHO was established in 1948. It is a specialised agency of the United Nations. Other UN agencies in Geneva: ILO, UNHCR, WTO, ICRC. The current Director-General is Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (Ethiopia). WHO declared COVID-19 a pandemic in March 2020. India is a founding member of WHO.

✅ Answer: B) Sri LankaThe Palk Strait separates India (Tamil Nadu) from Sri Lanka. It connects the Bay of Bengal to the Gulf of Mannar. It is about 53-80 km wide. The Adam’s Bridge (Ram Setu) is a chain of limestone shoals between India and Sri Lanka in the Palk Strait. The Palk Strait is named after Robert Palk, a British Governor of Madras. It is a shallow strait — not navigable by large ships.

✅ Answer: C) 2017India joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a full member in 2017 at the Astana Summit. Pakistan also joined SCO in 2017. SCO was founded in 2001 in Shanghai. Its headquarters is in Beijing, China. SCO members: China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Iran (2023), Belarus (2024). SCO covers about 40% of world’s population and 30% of world’s GDP.

✅ Answer: A) Mediterranean SeaThe Strait of Gibraltar connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. It is located between Spain (Europe) and Morocco (Africa). It is about 14 km wide at its narrowest point. It is called the “Gateway to the Mediterranean.” The Rock of Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) is located here. The Suez Canal connects the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea. The Bosphorus connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

✅ Answer: B) Simla Agreement 1972The Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir was established by the Simla Agreement signed between India (PM Indira Gandhi) and Pakistan (PM Zulfikar Ali Bhutto) in 1972. It converted the ceasefire line of 1949 into the LoC. The LoC is the de facto boundary between India and Pakistan in Kashmir. It is not an internationally recognised boundary. The LoC is about 740 km long.

✅ Answer: A) RussiaRussia is the world’s largest country by area at 17.1 million sq km — about 11% of Earth’s land area. It spans 11 time zones. Russia borders 14 countries (tied with China). The top 5 largest countries: Russia, Canada, USA, China, Brazil. The smallest country is Vatican City (0.44 sq km). Kazakhstan is the world’s largest landlocked country. India is the 7th largest country by area.

✅ Answer: A) Brazil, Russia, India, China, South AfricaBRICS originally consisted of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. The term “BRIC” was coined by Goldman Sachs economist Jim O’Neill in 2001. South Africa joined in 2010, making it BRICS. The first BRICS summit was held in Yekaterinburg, Russia in 2009. In 2024, BRICS expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. India hosted the BRICS summit in 2021 (virtual).

✅ Answer: A) Kashmir Valley and LadakhThe Zoji La pass connects the Kashmir Valley (Srinagar) to Ladakh (Leh). It is at an altitude of 3,528 metres on the Srinagar-Leh highway (NH-1). It remains closed in winter due to heavy snowfall. The Zoji La Tunnel project aims to provide all-weather connectivity. The Nathu La pass connects Sikkim to Tibet. The Shipki La pass connects Himachal Pradesh to Tibet. The Rohtang Pass connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti.