Learn about how to write an answer for the mains exam of International Relations. We shall look into aspects like what is the basic structure to write an answer?

Let us try to understand the sections of IR in the vast syllabus prescribed by the UPSC. IR is crucial for all the three stages of the exam. It is directly mentioned in the syllabus of the Prelims (the first stage) and Mains (the second stage). In the Prelims exam, IR comes under the heading of the syllabus mentioned as “Current Affairs of National and International Importance”. A simple analysis of the past year Prelims exam papers will suggest any aspirant that the above-mentioned section is one of the most important sections of the syllabus, contributing nearly 35 to 40 questions per year. A further breakdown of the above section of the syllabus gives us a better picture. As per that, one can infer that on an annual basis, there are 10 to 12 questions in the Prelims exam that can be directly related to IR.