With reference to the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, consider the following statements: 1. The Congress aims to address global issues like climate change and AI ethics. 2. The next Congress is scheduled to be held in 2025. 3. The Congress was initiated in Astana in 2003. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

India joins Kazakhstan secretariat meeting to prepare for 2028 Congress of Religions

GS2Polity · Governance · IR· India's bilateral relations· Prelims· 28 October 2026

Spiritual diplomacy and interfaith dialogue as tools for soft power and counter-extremism in GS2.

Why in news

India joined a Kazakhstan secretariat meeting to prepare for the 2028 Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, an initiative aimed at spiritual diplomacy and countering extremism.

Background

The Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was initiated in Astana in 2003 under former President Nur Sultan Nazarbayev. The 2028 Congress will address global issues including climate change, AI ethics, and child rights.

Facts for Prelims

PlaceAstana: The city in Kazakhstan where the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions is hosted.
Fact2028: The target year for the next Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.
Fact2003: The year the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions was initiated.

Prelims practice question

With reference to the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions, consider the following statements:

The Congress aims to address global issues like climate change and AI ethics.
The next Congress is scheduled to be held in 2025.
The Congress was initiated in Astana in 2003.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)3 only
(b)1 and 2 only
(c)1 and 3 only
(d)1, 2 and 3

Show answer

Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only — Statements 1 and 3 are correct. Statement 2 is incorrect: The target year for the next Congress is 2028.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the role of 'spiritual diplomacy' as a tool for fostering interfaith dialogue and countering global extremism in the contemporary geopolitical landscape.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

Soft power leverage: Utilizing religious and cultural diplomacy to build non-traditional alliances
Extremism mitigation: Addressing radicalization through interfaith cooperation and shared ethical frameworks
Global governance: Integrating AI ethics and climate change into multi-faith diplomatic agendas

Keywords: spiritual diplomacy · interfaith dialogue · counter-extremism · soft power · multilateralism

Read the full news →Report a mistake in this note How notes are made Source: NDTV ↗Also: GS2 · Vulnerable sections (SC/ST, minorities, disabled, elderly, children)Also: GS3 · IT, AI, semiconductors & computing

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