UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Govt., exporters review West Asia crisis disruption
Q1. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait, repeatedly cited in India's reviews of West Asia shipping disruption, connects which of the following water bodies?
- A. The Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden
- B. The Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea
- C. The Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman
- D. The Arabian Sea with the Indian Ocean
Q2. With reference to Indian exporters' shift from the Red Sea–Suez route to the Cape of Good Hope route during the West Asia crisis, consider the following statements:
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Industry estimates in 2025 placed the additional transit time on the Cape of Good Hope route at roughly 15–20 days compared with the Suez–Red Sea route.
- Vessels using the Cape of Good Hope route from India to Europe still have to transit the Bab el-Mandeb chokepoint.
- By mid-2025, about 96 per cent of India's container traffic had already shifted away from the Red Sea to the Cape of Good Hope route.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), which issues procedural relaxations for exporters during shipping disruptions such as the West Asia crisis, functions under which Union Ministry?
- A. Ministry of External Affairs
- B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- C. Ministry of Finance
- D. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Q4. According to industry estimates reported in 2025, approximately how many additional transit days does the Cape of Good Hope reroute add for India–Europe container shipments compared with the Red Sea–Suez route?
- A. 5–7 days
- B. 10–12 days
- C. 15–20 days
- D. 25–30 days