UPSC Prelims 2024 Question:

Consider the following pairs

	Country	Reasons for being in the news
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	Turkey	Rescinded its membership of NATO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:

• Argentina faced another severe economic crisis starting in 2018, characterized by a sharp devaluation of the peso, high inflation, and a deep recession. The country entered into a $57 billion loan agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the largest in the IMF's history. However, economic instability continued, with rising poverty rates and social unrest. So, pair 1 is correctly matched.
  
  
• The ongoing conflict in Sudan involves the country's regular army, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), and a powerful paramilitary group called the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In April 2023, open warfare erupted between the SAF and the RSF. The conflict has caused widespread devastation, with thousands of civilians killed and millions displaced. The fighting has been characterized by heavy urban combat, airstrikes, and artillery shelling, leading to severe humanitarian crises in cities like Khartoum and Omdurman. So, pair 2 is correctly matched.
  
  
• NATO was established in 1949 and Turkey joined NATO in 1952. Turkey’s role within NATO constantly increased since the end of the Cold War. All NATO members need to approve applications from countries seeking to join the alliance. When Sweden and Finland asked to join in 2022, Turkey raised objections. In January 2024, Turkey finally backed Sweden’s NATO bid for its inclusion. So, pair 3 is not correctly matched.
  
  

So, only two of the above pairs are correctly matched.

Therefore, option (2) is the correct answer.

Subject: Polity | International Relations