IN-STEP is organised jointly by the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Defence and which other body?
- A.NITI Aayog
- B.National Security Council Secretariat
- C.Indian Council of World Affairs
- D.Ministry of Home Affairs
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is the National Security Council Secretariat. The programme is put together by the two ministries along with that secretariat, and it is conducted in association with the National Defence College, which is where such strategic courses are run. NITI Aayog is the government's policy think tank and works on development planning, not on a strategic engagement programme of this kind, so option A is wrong. The Indian Council of World Affairs is a research body on international relations and is not named among the organisers, which rules out option C. The Ministry of Home Affairs handles internal security and has no part in convening this programme, so option D is wrong as well. The Vice-President specifically thanked the secretariat and the two ministries for bringing the delegates together.
Read the full article: Vice-President Opens 4th IN-STEP with 22 Nations Taking Part
Practice Questions
How many countries are represented among the international delegates at the fourth edition of IN-STEP?
- A.16
- B.22
- C.25
- D.38
Show answer
The fourth edition of the International Strategic Engagement Programme has 38 delegates in all, and of these 25 are international delegates who have come from 22 countries, among them Sri Lanka, Seychelles, Mongolia, Nepal, Mauritius, Maldives, Oman, Guyana, Chile, Argentina, the Philippines, Thailand, Armenia, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, Myanmar, Uzbekistan and Brazil.
Read the full explanation →Which three-part message did the Vice-President give to the IN-STEP delegates?
- A.Reform, perform and transform
- B.Think globally, engage strategically, act in cohesion
- C.Learn, unlearn and relearn
- D.Plan, produce and prosper
Show answer
The Vice-President offered these three ideas as the philosophy behind the programme while urging countries of the Global South to respond together to challenges that cut across technology, cyberspace, artificial intelligence, energy and maritime security, climate change and supply chains.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following is NOT one of the Pillar II thematic clusters of Horizon Europe named as matching India's research priorities?
- A.Health
- B.Climate, energy and mobility
- C.Defence procurement and arms exports
- D.Food and the bioeconomy
Show answer
The clusters listed under Pillar II of Horizon Europe in the announcement are health; digital technologies, industry and space; climate, energy and mobility; and food and the bioeconomy.
Read the full explanation →The exploration of India's association with Horizon Europe was launched after a summit held on which date?
- A.27 January 2026
- B.15 July 2026
- C.7 November 2026
- D.15 August 2025
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According to the announcement, an exploration of the possible association was launched after the India-EU Summit held on that date, which the Ministry of Science and Technology calls historic.
Read the full explanation →India concluded association negotiations with the European Union for which programme?
- A.Erasmus Plus
- B.Horizon Europe
- C.Copernicus
- D.Galileo
Show answer
The Ministry of Science and Technology announced that India and the European Union had successfully completed negotiations for India's association with Horizon Europe, which the release describes as the EU's flagship research and innovation programme.
Read the full explanation →