UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Caught in the middle
Q1. The term 'Golden Triangle' for the Southeast Asian opium zone was coined in 1971 by which one of the following?
- A. Marshall Green, then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
- B. Harry J. Anslinger, U.S. Commissioner of Narcotics
- C. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- D. The International Narcotics Control Board
Q2. Under the NDPS Act, 1985, the thresholds determining whether a seized quantity is a 'small quantity' or a 'commercial quantity' are specified by whom?
- A. The Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette
- B. The Narcotics Control Bureau
- C. The respective State Government
- D. The Central Bureau of Narcotics
Q3. Under which section of the NDPS Act, 1985 are offences made cognizable and non-bailable, subject to stringent twin conditions for the grant of bail in commercial-quantity cases?
- A. Section 37
- B. Section 27A
- C. Section 21
- D. Section 8
Q4. Which one of the following is the central nodal agency mandated to coordinate all drug law-enforcement actions across India?
- A. Narcotics Control Bureau
- B. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- C. Central Bureau of Narcotics
- D. Border Security Force
Q5. In the context of synthetic-drug trafficking from the Golden Triangle, the term 'yaba' refers to:
- A. A tablet combining methamphetamine and caffeine
- B. A refined grade of heroin processed from Myanmar opium
- C. A plant-derived synthetic cannabinoid
- D. A precursor chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine
Q6. According to the BSF, drone interceptions along the Punjab stretch of the India–Pakistan border in 2024 doubled to an unprecedented figure of approximately how many?
Q7. When India is described as a drug 'transit corridor', the expression most precisely means that India is:
- A. A territory through which narcotics pass en route from producing regions to consumer markets elsewhere
- B. The principal end-consumer market for opiates produced in its neighbourhood
- C. A major licit producer of opium for pharmaceutical use
- D. A territory where precursor chemicals are manufactured for export
Q8. Which one of the following is the independent, quasi-judicial body that monitors the implementation of the UN international drug-control conventions?
- A. International Narcotics Control Board
- B. Commission on Narcotic Drugs
- C. UN Office on Drugs and Crime
- D. WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding India's 2024 drug-seizure data. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- 1. The total value of narcotics seized in 2024 was about ₹25,330 crore.
- 2. The 2024 seizure value was over 55% higher than that of 2023.
- 3. Methamphetamine (ATS) seizures more than doubled, from 34 quintals in 2023 to 80 quintals in 2024.
- 4. Cocaine seizures fell sharply from 1,426 kg in 2023 to 292 kg in 2024.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 3 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 4 only