UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Great Nicobar Project

Q1. In the context of India's maritime geography, the term 'Six Degree Channel' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The channel separating Great Nicobar Island from the northwestern tip of Sumatra (Indonesia)
  • B. The channel separating Little Andaman from Car Nicobar
  • C. The channel separating Minicoy Island from the main Lakshadweep group
  • D. The channel separating Lakshadweep from the Maldives

Q2. With reference to the geographic location and features of Great Nicobar Island, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Indira Point, the southernmost tip of India's territory, lies on Great Nicobar Island.
  2. Galathea Bay, the proposed site of the International Container Transhipment Port, is located on Great Nicobar Island.
  3. Great Nicobar Island lies approximately 40 nautical miles from the East-West international shipping route.
  4. Great Nicobar is the only island in the Andaman & Nicobar group that lies south of the Equator.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q3. As per the 2026 Press Information Bureau backgrounder, the total area of the township notified for the Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project is closest to which one of the following?

  • A. 130 sq km
  • B. 166 sq km
  • C. 248 sq km
  • D. 325 sq km

Q4. The Shompen of Great Nicobar Island are categorised as a 'Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)'. Which one of the following correctly describes this category?

  • A. A sub-category within Scheduled Tribes identified on criteria such as pre-agricultural level of technology, stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy and a subsistence economy.
  • B. A community granted Scheduled Tribe status under Article 342 exclusively for residence in a Union Territory administered directly by the President.
  • C. A tribal community placed under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution for self-governance through an Autonomous District Council.
  • D. A community notified under the Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 for exercising customary control over minor forest produce.

Q5. With reference to the Environmental Clearance accorded to the Great Nicobar 'Holistic Development' project, which of the following are correctly identified as features of the clearance framework?

  1. The Environmental Clearance has been granted subject to 42 specific compliance conditions covering, inter alia, marine ecology, air and water quality, and disaster management.
  2. The Phase-I compensatory afforestation for the project has been identified exclusively within the state of Haryana, with no land identified in any other state.
  3. The Stage-1 forest clearance accorded by the Centre provides for the diversion of 130.75 sq km of forest land on Great Nicobar Island.
  4. More than half of the forest area proposed for diversion — about 65.99 sq km — is to be retained as a green zone where no tree felling is envisaged.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. With reference to the biodiversity of Great Nicobar Island, the term 'Nicobar Megapode' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A ground-dwelling bird that incubates its eggs in mounds of decomposing vegetation
  • B. A burrowing rodent endemic to the tropical evergreen forests of Great Nicobar
  • C. A flightless coastal seabird that nests in colonies on offshore rocky outcrops
  • D. A nocturnal arboreal mammal that feeds primarily on Pandanus fruits

Q7. In which year was the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve included in the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves under the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme?

  • A. 1989
  • B. 2001
  • C. 2013
  • D. 2018

Q8. Which one of the following has been designated as the project proponent for the Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island, including the International Container Transhipment Port at Galathea Bay?

  • A. Indian Ports Rail and Ropeway Corporation Limited (IPRRCL)
  • B. Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO)
  • C. Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL)
  • D. Indian Port Association (IPA)

Q9. Which one of the following is India's first dedicated deep-water international container transhipment port, dedicated to the nation in May 2025?

  • A. Galathea Bay International Container Transhipment Port, Great Nicobar
  • B. Jawaharlal Nehru Port, Nhava Sheva
  • C. Vizhinjam International Seaport, Kerala
  • D. Vadhavan Port, Maharashtra

Q10. With reference to India's seismic zoning, which one of the following best describes 'Seismic Zone V'?

  • A. A zone of very low seismic activity where damaging earthquakes are not anticipated and no special design provisions are required
  • B. A zone of moderate seismic risk corresponding broadly to intensity VI on the MSK scale, covering most of peninsular India
  • C. The zone of highest seismic risk, corresponding to MSK intensity IX and above, which includes the Andaman and Nicobar Islands
  • D. A coastal hazard zone notified solely on the basis of tsunami inundation history, irrespective of earthquake intensity

Q11. Which one of the following has been designated as the project proponent for the Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island Project?

  • A. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port Authority, Kolkata
  • B. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO)
  • C. NITI Aayog
  • D. Indian Ports Association