UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia

Question 1

The Inter-Ministerial Briefings on Recent Developments in West Asia, convened to update citizens on the energy and supply-chain response to the conflict, are anchored (nodally led) by which Union ministry?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Answer

Ministry of External Affairs

Answer

Ministry of Home Affairs

Answer

Ministry of Information & Broadcasting

Question 2

With reference to the Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia, consider the following ministries:
1. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
2. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
3. Ministry of Home Affairs
4. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
Which of the above are correctly identified as ministries that delivered the briefing?

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 4

Answer

1, 3 and 4

Answer

2 and 3 only

Answer

1, 2, 3 and 4

Question 3

During the West Asia crisis, domestic refiners were mandated to divert what percentage of their EXPORTED petrol to the domestic market?

Accepted Answer

50%

Answer

30%

Answer

40%

Answer

70%

Question 4

The statement in Parliament detailing the package of measures (including the domestic-supply obligation on refiners) to counter energy-supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict was made by which Union Minister?

Accepted Answer

Shri Hardeep Singh Puri

Answer

Shri S. Jaishankar

Answer

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

Answer

Shri Rajnath Singh

Question 5

With reference to India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves, consider the following statements:
1. The Phase-I strategic reserves comprise facilities at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur with a combined capacity of 5.33 MMT.
2. Under the Phase-II expansion, additional reserve facilities were approved at Chandikhol (Odisha) and Bikaner (Rajasthan).
3. ISPRL, which builds and manages these reserves, is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

1 and 3 only

Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

2 and 3 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3

Question 6

In the context of India's energy-security architecture, the 'Strategic Petroleum Reserves' built by ISPRL are best described as which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

Underground rock-cavern stockpiles of crude oil held for release during supply disruptions

Answer

Above-ground depots of refined petrol and diesel maintained for retail distribution

Answer

Bulk LPG storage maintained to meet seasonal household demand

Answer

A commercial trading buffer of petroleum products operated by oil marketing companies for price arbitrage

Question 7

Approximately what share of the world's crude oil flows transits through the Strait of Hormuz?

Accepted Answer

About 20%

Answer

About 10%

Answer

About 35%

Answer

About 50%

Question 8

Which one of the following is regarded as the world's most critical maritime oil-transit chokepoint, being the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf with no feasible reroute?

Accepted Answer

Strait of Hormuz

Answer

Strait of Malacca

Answer

Bab-el-Mandeb

Answer

Suez Canal

Question 9

The Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) constituted to monitor the West Asia situation and India's preparedness is chaired by which Union Minister?

Accepted Answer

The Minister of Defence (Raksha Mantri)

Answer

The Minister of External Affairs

Answer

The Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Answer

The Minister of Home Affairs

Question 10

Which of the following is the flagship piped clean-cooking alternative being scaled up to ease household LPG demand, with its connections having grown from 25 lakh to over 1.5 crore?

Accepted Answer

Piped Natural Gas (PNG)

Answer

Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)

Answer

Biogas under the GOBARdhan scheme

Answer

Induction/electric cooking

Question 11

The Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) — the principal levy applied on exports of diesel and ATF to moderate domestic availability — is imposed by which authority?

Accepted Answer

The Central (Union) Government

Answer

The respective State Governments

Answer

The GST Council

Answer

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia

Q1. The Inter-Ministerial Briefings on Recent Developments in West Asia, convened to update citizens on the energy and supply-chain response to the conflict, are anchored (nodally led) by which Union ministry?

Q3. During the West Asia crisis, domestic refiners were mandated to divert what percentage of their EXPORTED petrol to the domestic market?

Q4. The statement in Parliament detailing the package of measures (including the domestic-supply obligation on refiners) to counter energy-supply disruptions from the West Asia conflict was made by which Union Minister?

Q6. In the context of India's energy-security architecture, the 'Strategic Petroleum Reserves' built by ISPRL are best described as which one of the following?

Q7. Approximately what share of the world's crude oil flows transits through the Strait of Hormuz?

Q8. Which one of the following is regarded as the world's most critical maritime oil-transit chokepoint, being the only sea route out of the Persian Gulf with no feasible reroute?

Q9. The Informal Group of Ministers (IGoM) constituted to monitor the West Asia situation and India's preparedness is chaired by which Union Minister?

Q10. Which of the following is the flagship piped clean-cooking alternative being scaled up to ease household LPG demand, with its connections having grown from 25 lakh to over 1.5 crore?

Q11. The Special Additional Excise Duty (SAED) — the principal levy applied on exports of diesel and ATF to moderate domestic availability — is imposed by which authority?