Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Uzbekistan
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
India often signs Memoranda of Understanding, or MoUs, with other countries to promote cooperation in sectors like tourism, health, culture, and trade. This question refers to an MoU aimed at strengthening cooperation in the field of tourism. It checks whether you know that, in this context, India signed such an MoU with Uzbekistan, one of the Central Asian republics with which India is deepening ties.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Tourism MoUs aim to promote mutual visits, easier travel, joint marketing, and cultural exchanges. Uzbekistan is known for historic Silk Road cities such as Samarkand and Bukhara, which have strong tourism potential. India and Uzbekistan have signed several agreements, including one to strengthen cooperation in tourism. To answer correctly, it is necessary to recall this specific pairing rather than simply guessing a Central Asian state.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recognise that all four options are Central Asian countries with which India has diplomatic relations.
Step 2: Recall that news reports about tourism cooperation highlighted an MoU between India and Uzbekistan.
Step 3: Confirm mentally that other recent MoUs with Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Kyrgyzstan often related to areas like energy, defence, or science but that the tourism MoU in the question refers to Uzbekistan.
Step 4: Therefore, select Uzbekistan as the correct option.
Verification / Alternative check:
You can verify by remembering that India and Uzbekistan have also discussed promoting Buddhist tourism and connecting historical sites important to Indian visitors. For many competitive exams, standard current affairs material lists this specific MoU as India Uzbekistan in the tourism sector. Cross checking with such notes confirms that Uzbekistan is the correct answer among the four Central Asian choices.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Tajikistan has cooperation with India in areas like security and defence but is not the country named in this specific tourism MoU question.
Turkmenistan is known for energy cooperation, especially gas pipelines, but it is not the correct answer here.
Kyrgyzstan also has links with India in education and defence but does not match the tourism MoU mentioned in the question.
Common Pitfalls:
Because all the options are geographically close and sometimes appear together in current affairs questions, students may simply guess. A better strategy is to create short notes that pair each country with a distinctive recent agreement or summit. For example, linking Uzbekistan with tourism cooperation helps you recall the correct answer quickly during an exam without confusing it with nearby countries.
Final Answer:
India signed the tourism cooperation MoU with Uzbekistan.
Discussion & Comments