UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s First Riverine Lighthouses to Come Up on Brahmaputra (NW-2) as Sarbananda Sonowal Lays Foundation Stones
Q1. In which year was the river Brahmaputra (Dhubri–Sadiya stretch) formally declared as National Waterway-2 (NW-2)?
- A. 1985
- B. 1988
- C. 2008
- D. 2016
Q2. What is the approximate length of National Waterway-2 (Brahmaputra) between Dhubri and Sadiya?
- A. 891 km
- B. 1078 km
- C. 1380 km
- D. 1620 km
Q3. With reference to the agencies executing the riverine lighthouse project on NW-2, consider the following statements:
1. The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) is the lead agency while the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the collaborating agency.
2. Both DGLL and IWAI function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
3. IWAI is India's apex maritime aids-to-navigation regulator extending its mandate to inland waters for the first time.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL) is the lead agency while the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) is the collaborating agency.
- Both DGLL and IWAI function under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways.
- IWAI is India's apex maritime aids-to-navigation regulator extending its mandate to inland waters for the first time.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Which one of the following best describes the Directorate General of Lighthouses and Lightships (DGLL)?
- A. The apex body for general aids to marine navigation (lighthouses, lightships, buoys, beacons) functioning under the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- B. A wing of the Indian Coast Guard under the Ministry of Defence responsible for coastal patrolling
- C. A division of the Ministry of Tourism that operates lighthouse-tourism circuits
- D. The terminal-operations arm of the Inland Waterways Authority of India
Q5. Foundation stones for how many riverine lighthouses were laid on the Brahmaputra (NW-2)?
Q6. The foundation stones for India's first riverine lighthouses were laid by the Union Minister heading which one of the following ministries?
- A. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
- B. Ministry of Jal Shakti
- C. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- D. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Q7. With reference to the 2022 maiden foodgrain cargo run that connected NW-1 and NW-2, consider the following statements:
1. The vessel sailed from Patna and docked at Pandu carrying foodgrains for the Food Corporation of India.
2. It passed through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route across Bangladesh before entering National Waterway-2.
3. National Waterway-1 corresponds to the Brahmaputra and National Waterway-2 to the Ganga.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The vessel sailed from Patna and docked at Pandu carrying foodgrains for the Food Corporation of India.
- It passed through the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) Route across Bangladesh before entering National Waterway-2.
- National Waterway-1 corresponds to the Brahmaputra and National Waterway-2 to the Ganga.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Consider the following place–route pairings on the Patna–Pandu inland-water voyage:
1. Haldia — National Waterway-1
2. Chilmari — Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (in Bangladesh)
3. Dhubri — National Waterway-2
4. Sadiya — Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route
Which of the above pairs is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Haldia — National Waterway-1
- Chilmari — Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route (in Bangladesh)
- Dhubri — National Waterway-2
- Sadiya — Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 only
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 4 only
Q9. With reference to the riverine lighthouses on NW-2 and how they differ from India's existing lighthouse regime, consider the following statements:
1. They are designed to serve the dual purpose of navigational safety for inland vessels and promotion of river tourism.
2. They mark the first application of lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in India, a regime hitherto confined to maritime/coastal locations.
3. They were introduced because lighthouse tourism in India had been steadily declining over the previous decade.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- They are designed to serve the dual purpose of navigational safety for inland vessels and promotion of river tourism.
- They mark the first application of lighthouse infrastructure on an inland waterway in India, a regime hitherto confined to maritime/coastal locations.
- They were introduced because lighthouse tourism in India had been steadily declining over the previous decade.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. Under the ₹474 crore comprehensive development plan for NW-2 (2020-21 to 2024-25), consider the following:
1. Construction of the Jogighopa Terminal
2. Ship repair facility at Pandu
3. Tourist jetties at Biswanath Ghat, Jogighopa, Pandu and Neamati
4. Construction of a navigation barrage at Farakka
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as components of the plan?
- Construction of the Jogighopa Terminal
- Ship repair facility at Pandu
- Tourist jetties at Biswanath Ghat, Jogighopa, Pandu and Neamati
- Construction of a navigation barrage at Farakka
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. Comparing India's national waterways, consider the following statements:
1. NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly) runs from Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Haldia and is about 1620 km long.
2. NW-2 (Brahmaputra) runs from Dhubri to Sadiya and is about 891 km long.
3. A total of 106 national waterways were declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- NW-1 (Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly) runs from Prayagraj (Allahabad) to Haldia and is about 1620 km long.
- NW-2 (Brahmaputra) runs from Dhubri to Sadiya and is about 891 km long.
- A total of 106 national waterways were declared under the National Waterways Act, 2016.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. With reference to the recent inland-waterways infrastructure inaugurated on NW-2 in the Northeast, consider the following statements:
1. A Customs and Immigration Complex at Bogibeel was among the facilities inaugurated.
2. A Customs and Immigration Complex at Dhubri on NW-2 was also inaugurated.
3. A newly constructed IWAI Heritage Building at Guwahati formed part of the same set of projects.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A Customs and Immigration Complex at Bogibeel was among the facilities inaugurated.
- A Customs and Immigration Complex at Dhubri on NW-2 was also inaugurated.
- A newly constructed IWAI Heritage Building at Guwahati formed part of the same set of projects.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3