SCO MCQs set 2 for National Highways & Motorway Police (NH&MP) SI / JPO Current Affairs — 20 solved questions.
Q1. A “summit application” item mentions a regional grouping where Islamabad and New Delhi sit at the same table with Moscow and Beijing. Which organization fits best?
Answer: SCO
Explanation: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is the only major multilateral forum where Pakistan, India, China, and Russia all hold full membership, making it a unique platform for regional dialogue despite bilateral tensions.
Q2. Which year did Pakistan become a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)?
Answer: 2017
Explanation: Pakistan and India were admitted as full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the Astana summit in June 2017, expanding the bloc from six to eight full members.
Q3. Where is the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) located?
Answer: Beijing
Explanation: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation's permanent Secretariat is located in Beijing, China, while its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) is based in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
Q4. In which city was the SCO Heads of Government Summit hosted by Pakistan in October 2024?
Answer: Islamabad
Explanation: Pakistan hosted the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Heads of Government (Council of Prime Ministers) Summit in Islamabad in October 2024, marking a significant diplomatic moment as Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended despite strained bilateral ties.
Q5. How many full member states does the SCO have as of 2024 after its latest expansion?
Answer: 9
Explanation: After Iran and Belarus joined as full members at the New Delhi SCO Summit in 2023, the organization expanded to nine full members: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus.
Q6. Which country became the most notable new full member of the SCO in 2023?
Answer: Iran
Explanation: Iran was admitted as a full member of the SCO at the Kazan summit in July 2023, following years as an observer state - making it the most notable new addition that year.
Q7. What role did the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) play in India-Pakistan relations during 2023-2025?
Answer: Both India and Pakistan are SCO members, providing a multilateral forum though bilateral tensions persisted within the organisation
Explanation: Both India and Pakistan are full members of the SCO, providing a multilateral platform where their leaders and officials occasionally interact; however, the organisation did not resolve the deep bilateral tensions that persisted, including through the 2025 Operation Sindoor crisis.
Q8. What is the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) primarily responsible for?
Answer: Coordinating counter-terrorism intelligence among SCO members
Explanation: The SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS), headquartered in Tashkent, coordinates intelligence sharing and joint counter-terrorism operations among SCO member states against terrorism, separatism, and extremism.
Q9. Under the SCO Charter, the Secretariat is headed by which official position?
Answer: Secretary-General
Explanation: The SCO Secretariat, headquartered in Beijing, is headed by a Secretary-General serving a three-year term; the position rotates among member states and is responsible for day-to-day administration and coordination of the organization.
Q10. The SCO Development Bank, proposed to finance BRI and regional projects, will be headquartered in which city?
Answer: Shanghai
Explanation: The proposed SCO Development Bank is planned to be headquartered in Shanghai, China, reflecting China's central role in shaping SCO economic institutions alongside existing BRI financing mechanisms.
Q11. The SCO Charter was signed in Saint Petersburg in which year, formally establishing the organization's legal framework?
Answer: 2002
Explanation: The SCO Charter was signed at the Saint Petersburg summit in June 2002, providing the organisation's legal foundation covering its objectives, principles, structure, and decision-making procedures.
Q12. Which specific provision of the SCO Charter prohibits member states from entering into military alliances directed against other SCO members?
Answer: Article 2 on the Shanghai Spirit principles
Explanation: Article 2 of the SCO Charter enshrines the "Shanghai Spirit" principles - mutual trust, non-interference, equality, and non-alliance - which implicitly prohibit members from forming military blocs targeting fellow SCO states.
Q13. Which organization serves as the SCO's permanent judicial dispute resolution body equivalent to a regional court?
Answer: There is no permanent SCO judicial body; disputes go to ICJ
Explanation: The SCO has no permanent judicial or arbitration body; it lacks a regional court equivalent to the ICJ or WTO dispute body, and inter-state disputes are generally referred to international tribunals or resolved diplomatically.
Q14. Pakistan's participation in the SCO Peace Mission military exercises demonstrates cooperation in which specific operational domain?
Answer: Joint counter-terrorism ground operations
Explanation: SCO Peace Mission exercises are joint counter-terrorism ground operations where member states conduct simulated anti-terrorist operations together; Pakistan has participated in these exercises as both a full member since 2017 and earlier as an observer.
Q15. The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) admitted Pakistan as a full member in 2017. From a Pakistani foreign policy perspective, the MOST significant long-term implication of this membership is which of the following?
Answer: Membership provides Pakistan a multilateral platform engaging both China and Russia while maintaining policy flexibility vis-à-vis the West
Explanation: SCO membership provides Pakistan a formal multilateral platform that includes both China and Russia - counterbalancing Western pressure on issues like Afghanistan and Kashmir - while preserving Pakistan's ability to maintain separate relationships with the United States and Europe.
Q16. Where is the headquarters of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) located?
Answer: Beijing
Explanation: The SCO Secretariat is headquartered in Beijing, China, which as a founding member and the bloc's largest economy hosts the organisation's permanent administrative and coordination body.
Q17. Which city hosted the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in October 2024?
Answer: Islamabad
Explanation: Islamabad hosted the SCO Council of Heads of State summit in October 2024, marking a significant diplomatic milestone as Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif chaired the meeting attended by regional leaders including Indian External Affairs Minister Jaishankar.
Q18. Who is the current Secretary-General of the SCO (as of 2024-25)?
Answer: Zhang Ming
Explanation: Zhang Ming, a Chinese diplomat and former Vice Foreign Minister, has served as SCO Secretary-General since 2023, succeeding Vladimir Norov of Uzbekistan for the 2023-2026 term.
Q19. At which summit did Pakistan formally join the SCO as a full member in 2017?
Answer: Astana Summit
Explanation: Pakistan and India were formally admitted as full members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation at the Astana Summit in Kazakhstan in June 2017.
Q20. The SCO was founded in 2001. Which of the following was NOT among its six founding member states?
Answer: India
Explanation: The SCO was founded in Shanghai in June 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan; India and Pakistan were admitted as full members only in 2017, so India was not among the six original founding states.