In the following passage about settlement of disputes, a blank is indicated. Select the most appropriate word to fill the blank: “_____ of international disputes through negotiations and peaceful means is one of the salient features of India’s commitment to world peace.”

Introduction / Context:
This cloze test question completes a sentence that describes how disputes between countries should be handled. In international law and diplomacy, a very common phrase is “settlement of international disputes through negotiations and peaceful means”. The blank therefore needs a word that matches this established term and reflects the idea of resolving conflicts in a peaceful manner.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The sentence fragment is: “_____ of international disputes through negotiations and peaceful means are some of the salient features that give credence to India’s commitment to world peace.”
• The options are “urge”, “requirement”, “settlement”, and “enactment”.
• The context is about peaceful methods of handling disagreements between states.
• We assume the writer is using standard diplomatic vocabulary.

Concept / Approach:
The word that naturally fits in this context is “settlement”. The phrase “settlement of international disputes” is widely used in the United Nations Charter and other legal texts to refer to resolving conflicts peacefully, often through negotiation, mediation or arbitration. “Urge of disputes”, “requirement of disputes”, or “enactment of disputes” do not form meaningful expressions. Thus “settlement” is both semantically and collocationally correct.

Step-by-Step Solution:

Verification / Alternative check:
Read the full sentence with the chosen option: “Settlement of international disputes through negotiations and peaceful means is one of the salient features that give credence to India’s commitment to world peace.” This is fully consistent with the language of global diplomacy and legal documents. If we try “urge of international disputes”, the phrase becomes meaningless. “Requirement of international disputes” is also incorrect, since disputes are not requirements. “Enactment of international disputes” does not make sense either, because we enact laws, not disputes. These comparisons confirm that “settlement” is the only appropriate choice.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:

• Option A: “urge” refers to a strong desire and cannot be used with “of disputes” in this sense.
• Option B: “requirement” would suggest something that is needed, but “requirement of disputes” is not meaningful here.
• Option D: “enactment” refers to the passing or making of laws or regulations, not to the handling of disputes between nations.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake in cloze tests is to choose a word based only on grammar, ignoring the specialised vocabulary of the subject area. In passages about foreign policy or international law, many phrases are set expressions like “peaceful settlement of disputes” or “maintenance of international peace and security”. Candidates who read newspapers and basic texts on world affairs will recognise these patterns quickly. It is also important to check that the noun chosen can logically take the phrase “of international disputes” and be followed by “through negotiations and peaceful means”. Only “settlement” satisfies all these conditions.

Final Answer:
The correct word to fill the blank is “settlement”, giving the phrase “settlement of international disputes through negotiations and peaceful means”.