153rd IPU Assembly: Harivansh Leads India in Arusha

The correct answer is Arusha, Tanzania. The Rajya Sabha Secretariat records that the Indian Parliamentary Delegation continued its participation in the 153rd IPU Assembly at Arusha in Tanzania, and that the second day of the Assembly was 6 October 2026. In the evening of that day the Indian High Commission organised a cultural programme for the delegation, after which the members met the Indian diaspora. Option A, Nairobi in Kenya, is wrong because no Kenyan venue is mentioned in the account of the Assembly. Option C, Geneva in Switzerland, is a plausible distractor since the IPU keeps its headquarters there, but the Assembly described in this note was not held in Geneva. Option D, Kampala in Uganda, is wrong for the same reason as Nairobi: the only African venue named is Arusha, where the committees, workshops and panel discussions reported all took place.

The correct answer is Harivansh, Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. He heads the delegation and, on the floor of the Assembly, used the Right of Reply to answer uncalled-for remarks made by Pakistan on Kashmir, stating that Kashmir is an integral and inalienable part of India and that Pakistan has no locus standi in India's internal affairs. Option A is wrong because Anurag Singh Thakur took part in the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights and in the debate on the draft resolution concerning people living with disabilities, but as a member rather than leader. Option B is wrong because Dr Sasmit Patra joined a panel discussion on parliaments and military artificial intelligence and contributed to drafting that resolution. Option D is wrong because Dr Sanjay Jaiswal attended the IPU Committee on Health and a field visit with that committee.

The correct answer is Dr Sasmit Patra, a member of the Rajya Sabha. He joined the panel discussion of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security on the role of parliaments in securing peace in the age of military artificial intelligence, and he also took part in the work of the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights, contributing to the drafting of the resolution on the rights of people living with disabilities. Option A is wrong because Kamaljeet Sehrawat attended the meeting of the Standing Committee on Peace and International Security and spoke in the debate on parliamentary diplomacy, mediation and dialogue for lasting peace. Option B is wrong because N. K. Premachandran attended workshops on the parliamentary response to terrorism and on critical minerals. Option D is wrong because Dr Sanjay Jaiswal worked with the IPU Committee on Health.

The correct answer is a workshop attended by N. K. Premachandran, a member of the Lok Sabha. He took part in the workshop on strengthening the parliamentary response to terrorism, where the IPU reference framework was introduced, and also in a separate workshop on critical minerals for shared prosperity and the strengthening of parliamentary oversight over them. Option B is wrong because the IPU Committee on Health dealt with health questions and a field visit, which Dr Sanjay Jaiswal joined. Option C is wrong because the Standing Committee on Democracy and Human Rights handled the draft resolution on inclusive social development and disability rights, with Anurag Singh Thakur and Dr Sasmit Patra taking part. Option D is wrong because the cultural programme hosted by the Indian High Commission was an evening engagement followed by a meeting with the Indian diaspora, not a policy workshop.