Question 1

The Trade and Technology Council (TTC) is a formal Free Trade Agreement.

Accepted Answer

The TTC is a strategic coordination mechanism for technology, security, and supply chains; the FTA is being negotiated concurrently but as a separate, legally binding treaty.

Question 2

The EUR 60 million Horizon Europe budget allocated at the TTC was purely European financial aid to India.

Accepted Answer

The budget requires matching financial contributions from India, functioning as an equal, co-funded joint research initiative.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the India-EU Trade and Technology Council (TTC):
1. India is the first country in the world with which the European Union established a Trade and Technology Council.
2. The second ministerial meeting of the TTC in February 2025 established a joint research budget under the Horizon Europe programme.
3. The TTC serves as the primary legal mechanism for determining tariff reductions in India-EU bilateral trade.

How many of the above statements are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is incorrect: India is the second country (after the US) to have a TTC with the EU. Statement 2 is correct: A joint budget of EUR 60 million was agreed upon under the Horizon Europe programme (with matching Indian funds) for green tech. Statement 3 is incorrect: The TTC is a strategic coordination platform; tariff reductions are negotiated separately under the Free Trade Agreement (FTA).

Question 4

Match the TTC Working Groups (List I) with their specific focus areas discussed in the 2025 meeting (List II):

List I (Working Groups)
A. Working Group 1
B. Working Group 2
C. Working Group 3
D. Special Horizon Europe Initiative

List II (Focus Areas)
1. Trade, Investment and Resilient Value Chains
2. EV Battery Recycling and Waste-to-Hydrogen
3. Strategic Technologies, Digital Governance and DPI
4. Clean and Green Technologies

Select the correct code:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2 — Working Group 1 handles Strategic Technologies and Digital Governance (including DPI and semiconductors). Working Group 2 covers Clean and Green Technologies. Working Group 3 covers Trade, Investment, and Resilient Value Chains. The Special Horizon Europe initiative specifically targeted EUR 60 million for EV battery recycling and waste-to-hydrogen research.

Question 5

Assertion (A): The visit of the EU College of Commissioners to India in February 2025 was considered a historic shift in the EU's traditional diplomatic engagement strategy.
Reason (R): It was the first time the EU College of Commissioners traveled as a collective delegation outside the European continent since the start of their new mandate.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

Accepted Answer

(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — The assertion is true as the visit marked a high-priority pivot towards the Global South and India specifically for strategic 'de-risking'. The reason is also factually true and correctly explains why the visit was unprecedented - 22 of the 27 Commissioners traveling together outside Europe is a highly unusual diplomatic maneuver reflecting the enhanced status of the EU-India Strategic Partnership.

EU Commission President Visit to India and TTC Meeting

First-Ever Visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia