UPSC CSE Prelims 2025
General Studies (Paper 1)
Consider the following countries:
Answer & Explanation
Click "Check Answer" to reveal
Correct Answer:
Option B —
Only three
Among the five countries listed, only the United Arab Emirates, France, and Singapore have officially launched and made UPI (Unified Payments Interface) merchant payments (Person-to-Merchant or P2M) operational for Indian travelers.Status Analysis of the CountriesCountryUPI Status (as of 2026)DetailsI. UAEAcceptedOne of the largest networks; accepted at over 60,000 outlets including Dubai Mall, airports, and through partnerships with Mashreq (NeoPay) and Network International.II. FranceAcceptedThe first European country to adopt UPI. It is live at the Eiffel Tower and is being expanded to other merchant locations via the Lyra network.III. GermanyNot AcceptedWhile there are broad discussions regarding UPI expansion in Europe (through Worldline), Germany does not currently have live merchant acceptance for UPI.IV. SingaporeAcceptedUPI is linked with Singapore's PayNow system. While primarily known for P2P (Peer-to-Peer) transfers, merchant (QR) payments are also widely supported.V. BangladeshNot AcceptedDespite MoUs regarding digital cooperation and cross-border connectivity, merchant-level UPI payment is not currently live for Indian tourists in Bangladesh.Global UPI Acceptance MapAs of early 2026, UPI merchant payments are live in at least 8 countries outside of India:Bhutan (First to adopt)SingaporeUnited Arab Emirates (UAE)NepalFranceMauritiusSri LankaQatarNote: Acceptance usually requires the traveler to enable "UPI Global" or international payments within their UPI app (like BHIM, PhonePe, or Google Pay) and involves a currency conversion fee determined by the bank.
Answer verified by Quintessence Classes faculty — Karan Nagar, Srinagar.
More General Studies (Paper 1) questions
From across UPSC, JKPSC, and JKSSB papers — same subject, different years.
Fruits stored in a cold chamber exhibit longer storage life because
Due to improper/indiscriminate disposal of old and used computers or their parts, which of the following are released into the environmen...
Consider the following minerals:1. Calcium
2. Iron
3. Sodium Which of the minerals given above is/are required by human body for the cont...
With reference to investments, consider the following: Bonds Hedge Funds Stocks Venture Capital How many of the above are treated as...
Recombinant DNA technology (Genetic Engineering) allows genes to be transferred:1. Across different species of plants
2. From animals to ...