Which one of the following is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council ?
- A.France
- B.China
- C.Japan
- D.United Kingdom
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Japan. The United Nations Security Council has fifteen members: five permanent members and ten non-permanent members elected by the General Assembly for two-year terms. The five permanent members, often called the P5, are China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States, the main Allied powers of the Second World War when the UN Charter was signed in 1945. Each of them holds a veto, so a single negative vote from any one of them blocks a substantive resolution. Japan has served many times as an elected non-permanent member and, with India, Germany and Brazil, forms the G4 group that seeks permanent seats in a reformed council, but it is not a permanent member. Option A is wrong because France is a permanent member. Option B is wrong because China is a permanent member; its seat passed from the Republic of China to the People's Republic in 1971. Option D is wrong because the United Kingdom is a permanent member. Exam tip: P5 means China, France, Russia, UK and USA; the G4 aspirants are India, Japan, Germany and Brazil.
Practice Questions
View allWhat was the code name given to the first ever tri-service military exercise between India and USA?
- A.Lion Triumph
- B.Elephant Triumph
- C.Tiger Triumph
- D.Bison Triumph
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Tiger Triumph was the first tri-service exercise between India and the United States, held in November 2019 off the coast of Andhra Pradesh, with a harbour phase at Visakhapatnam and a field phase near Kakinada.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following military operations was not undertaken by India ?
- A.Operation Ablaze
- B.Operation Spider's Web
- C.Operation Trident
- D.Operation Bandar
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Operation Spider's Web was carried out by Ukraine, not India, in June 2025: small drones hidden in trucks were driven deep inside Russia and launched against several air bases, damaging long-range bombers.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about the position of the Chief of Defence Staff : 1. He is the Head of the Department of Military Affairs within the Ministry of Defence. 2. He is the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee. 3. He does not exercise any military command over the three Service Chiefs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 and 3 only
- C.1 and 3 only
- D.1, 2 and 3
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The post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was created in December 2019 on the advice of the Kargil Review Committee and later expert groups, and the first CDS took office on 1 January 2020.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following statements about the National Water Academy (NWA) is/are correct? 1. The primary objective of the NWA is to function as Centre of Excellence in training for in-service engineers from Central and State organizations on various aspects of water resource planning. 2. The NWA is located in New Delhi. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
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The National Water Academy is the training wing of the Central Water Commission, which works under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following is not a member of the Quad group of nations ?
- A.France
- B.USA
- C.Australia
- D.Japan
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The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, has four members: India, the United States, Japan and Australia. France is a major Indo-Pacific partner of India with its island territories in the Indian Ocean, but it is not a member of the grouping.
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