The bilateral military exercise IMBEX 2018–19 was conducted between India and which of the following neighbouring countries?

Introduction / Context:
Modern general knowledge questions frequently cover joint military exercises that India conducts with partner countries. These exercises strengthen defence cooperation, improve interoperability, and support regional security. IMBEX 2018–19 is one such exercise, and this question checks whether you can correctly identify India's partner country in that specific training activity.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The name of the exercise is IMBEX 2018–19.
• The question clearly states that it was a bilateral exercise involving India.
• Options given are Afghanistan, Myanmar, China, and Nepal.
• We assume IMBEX refers to India Myanmar bilateral exercises, as used in defence news reports.

Concept / Approach:
The full form commonly attached to IMBEX is India Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise. It focuses on training, cooperation, and capacity building between the armies of India and Myanmar, particularly in the areas of counter insurgency and peacekeeping. Afghanistan, China, and Nepal have their own separate exercises with India under different names, but IMBEX 2018–19 is specifically associated with Myanmar.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Interpret IMBEX as an acronym and recall that the letters IM often stand for India and Myanmar in the context of this exercise.Step 2: Remember that IMBEX has been reported in defence news as India Myanmar Bilateral Army Exercise.Step 3: Compare partner countries listed in the options, focusing on Myanmar.Step 4: Exclude Afghanistan, China, and Nepal, which do not match the IMBEX acronym and have other exercise names with India.Step 5: Select Myanmar as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
Another way to check is to recall that India and Myanmar share a land border in the northeast region and cooperate on border security and counter insurgency measures. It is natural for them to conduct army level exercises. In contrast, exercises with China have different names and are far less frequent, while separate exercise series exist with Afghanistan and Nepal under different titles.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Afghanistan has training cooperation with India but IMBEX is not used for joint exercises with Afghan forces. China and India have at times conducted joint exercises under names like Hand in Hand, but not as IMBEX 2018–19. Nepal also participates in different India Nepal exercises with distinct names. Therefore, these options do not correctly identify the partner for IMBEX 2018–19.

Common Pitfalls:
Candidates may confuse IMBEX with other abbreviations or rely on guesswork based on which neighbouring country they hear most about in the news. Making a small list of key joint exercise names, such as IMBEX for Myanmar, Yudh Abhyas for the United States, and others, helps avoid such errors in competitive exams.

Final Answer:
The bilateral military exercise IMBEX 2018–19 was held between India and Myanmar.