Diaspora & Diplomacy — UPSC CSE Questions

8 UPSC CSE practice questions on Diaspora & Diplomacy, part of International Relations. Below are 8 of them in full, each with the answer and a written explanation.

Questions & explanations

1. Consider the diaspora's contributions to India: 1. World's largest remittance inflows 2. Soft power through culture and yoga 3. The right to vote in person from abroad for all NRIs Which are correct?

  1. (a) 1 and 2 only
  2. (b) 2 and 3 only
  3. (c) 1 and 3 only
  4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Remittances and soft power are real contributions. However, in-person/remote voting from abroad for all NRIs is not yet available, so statement 3 is incorrect.

2. The Vande Bharat Mission was launched primarily to:

  1. (a) Evacuate Indians stranded abroad during COVID-19
  2. (b) Promote railways
  3. (c) Boost defence exports
  4. (d) Distribute vaccines abroad

Answer: (a) Evacuate Indians stranded abroad during COVID-19

The Vande Bharat Mission (2020) was one of the largest civilian evacuations, bringing home Indians stranded abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic.

3. Colonial-era indentured Indian labourers, the 'girmitiyas', were taken mainly to:

  1. (a) The USA and Canada
  2. (b) Mauritius, Fiji and the Caribbean
  3. (c) Japan and Korea
  4. (d) Russia and Central Asia

Answer: (b) Mauritius, Fiji and the Caribbean

Girmitiya indentured labourers were transported by the British to plantation colonies like Mauritius, Fiji, Trinidad, Guyana and South Africa.

4. Which scheme is aimed at skilling Indians intending to migrate abroad for work?

  1. (a) Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana
  2. (b) PM-KISAN
  3. (c) PM Awas Yojana
  4. (d) Operation Greens

Answer: (a) Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana

The Pravasi Kaushal Vikas Yojana aims to skill Indian youth seeking overseas employment, improving their prospects and protection abroad.

5. The Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana provides which benefit to emigrant workers?

  1. (a) Free air travel
  2. (b) Mandatory insurance for ECR-category workers
  3. (c) Voting rights abroad
  4. (d) Pension after return

Answer: (b) Mandatory insurance for ECR-category workers

The Pravasi Bharatiya Bima Yojana provides mandatory insurance cover to ECR (Emigration Check Required) category emigrant workers.

6. The Madad portal of the Ministry of External Affairs is used to:

  1. (a) Register NGOs
  2. (b) Handle grievances of Indians abroad
  3. (c) File income tax
  4. (d) Issue Aadhaar

Answer: (b) Handle grievances of Indians abroad

The Madad portal handles consular grievances of Indians living or working abroad, helping resolve their problems through missions.

7. The exploitative sponsorship system that often binds low-skilled Indian workers to employers in the Gulf is known as:

  1. (a) Hawala
  2. (b) Kafala
  3. (c) Khilafat
  4. (d) Hundi

Answer: (b) Kafala

The kafala system ties migrant workers' legal status to their employer-sponsor, often leading to exploitation in Gulf countries.

8. Consider the following about the OCI card: 1. OCI holders have the right to vote in Indian elections. 2. OCI holders can take up government jobs in India. 3. OCI holders can live and work in India without a visa. Which is/are correct?

  1. (a) 3 only
  2. (b) 1 and 3 only
  3. (c) 2 and 3 only
  4. (d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (a) 3 only

OCI holders can live and work in India visa-free, but they cannot vote or take government jobs. So only statement 3 is correct.

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