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The first BIMSTEC Health Ministers Meeting was held in which city?

  1. A.Dhaka
  2. B.Colombo
  3. C.Bangkok
  4. D.Kathmandu

Correct answer

B. Colombo

Explanation

The correct answer is Colombo. The first meeting of the health ministers of the BIMSTEC countries took place in Colombo, the Sri Lankan capital, on 11 November 2026, and Sri Lanka’s Minister of Health and Mass Media, Nalinda Jayatissa, chaired the proceedings. India was represented by Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, who also holds the Chemicals and Fertilizers portfolio. Dhaka is wrong because Bangladesh, although a member of the grouping, did not host this meeting; its contribution at Colombo was a proposal for a Regional Zoonotic Disease Observatory with an early warning system. Bangkok is wrong as a venue for this meeting, though the city matters to the story, because it was the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit held there in April 2025 that decided to set up a dedicated mechanism for cooperation among the health ministers of member countries. Thailand has offered to host the second such ministerial meeting in 2028. Kathmandu is wrong as well; Nepal took part through its Minister for Health and Food Safety, Neesha Mehta, who held a bilateral meeting with the Indian minister on the sidelines.

Read the full article: First BIMSTEC Health Ministers Meeting Held in Colombo

Practice Questions

Q1.InternationalMedium

India announced that it will host the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine at which institution?

  1. A.All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi
  2. B.National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur
  3. C.Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar
  4. D.Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences, Pune
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar

At Colombo the Union Health Minister announced India’s commitment to hosting the BIMSTEC Centre of Excellence in Traditional Medicine at this institute, and the Joint Ministerial Statement welcomed the initiative.

Q2.InternationalMedium

Which plan of action did the first BIMSTEC Health Ministers Meeting adopt?

  1. A.Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026-2030)
  2. B.BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Pandemic Response (2025-2035)
  3. C.Bay of Bengal Health Charter (2026-2036)
  4. D.BIMSTEC Digital Health Mission (2027-2032)
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Revised BIMSTEC Plan of Action on Public Health (2026-2030)

Along with the unanimously adopted Joint Ministerial Statement, this plan was accepted at Colombo and gives the grouping a structured roadmap for cooperation in disease surveillance, pandemic preparedness, digital health, traditional medicine, the One Health approach and the development of a health workforce.

Q3.InternationalEasy

Which office does Volodymyr Zelenskyy hold?

  1. A.Prime Minister of Ukraine
  2. B.President of Ukraine
  3. C.Foreign Minister of Ukraine
  4. D.Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament
Show answer
Correct answer: B. President of Ukraine

It was in that capacity that he held the telephone conversation with India's Prime Minister on 9 November 2026 and shared his perspective on the recent developments in the ongoing conflict.

Q4.InternationalMedium

Which position did the Prime Minister of India reiterate during his call with the President of Ukraine?

  1. A.That the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy
  2. B.That India would send troops as peacekeepers
  3. C.That India would impose trade sanctions
  4. D.That the dispute should be referred to arbitration by a third country
Show answer
Correct answer: A. That the conflict must be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy

That has been India's consistent stand, and the Prime Minister restated it during the telephone conversation along with India's human-centric approach, which puts the suffering of ordinary people before the competing claims of the warring sides.