UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India, Germany sign pact to shore up defence industrial cooperation
Q1. With reference to the agreements/Joint Declarations of Intent exchanged during the visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India in January 2026, consider the following sectors:
1. Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap
2. Semiconductor ecosystem partnership
3. Critical Minerals cooperation
4. Civil Nuclear Energy cooperation
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as sectors covered by the MoUs/Declarations signed during the visit?
- Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap
- Semiconductor ecosystem partnership
- Critical Minerals cooperation
- Civil Nuclear Energy cooperation
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q2. With reference to the outcomes of the January 2026 visit of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India, consider the following:
1. A Joint Declaration of Intent on Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap
2. MoU on cooperation in telecommunications
3. Agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation
4. MoU on migration/recruitment of skilled professionals
Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as outcomes of this visit?
- A Joint Declaration of Intent on Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap
- MoU on cooperation in telecommunications
- Agreement on civil nuclear energy cooperation
- MoU on migration/recruitment of skilled professionals
- A. 3 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 2 and 3 only
Q3. How many MoUs/agreements were exchanged between India and Germany during the visit of Chancellor Friedrich Merz to India on 12-13 January 2026?
Q4. With reference to how the January 2026 Modi-Merz summit advanced India-Germany ties compared to the framework that existed before it, consider the following statements:
1. The summit upgraded the 2024 Joint Declaration of Intent into a full Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
2. A new bilateral consultation mechanism specifically on the Indo-Pacific was announced for the first time.
3. The summit replaced the Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) mechanism with a fresh Heads-of-Government dialogue, since the IGC had earlier operated only at the ministerial level.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The summit upgraded the 2024 Joint Declaration of Intent into a full Defence Industrial Cooperation Roadmap.
- A new bilateral consultation mechanism specifically on the Indo-Pacific was announced for the first time.
- The summit replaced the Inter-Governmental Consultations (IGC) mechanism with a fresh Heads-of-Government dialogue, since the IGC had earlier operated only at the ministerial level.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. The agreement on 'Strengthening the Bilateral Defence Industrial Cooperation' signed during the January 2026 Modi-Merz summit was concluded on the Indian side by which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of External Affairs
- B. Ministry of Defence
- C. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
- D. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)