UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Great Nicobar Project: FAQs

Q1. With reference to the Great Nicobar Project, the proposed International Container Transshipment Port (ICTP) is being developed at which one of the following locations?

  • A. Campbell Bay
  • B. Galathea Bay
  • C. Indira Point
  • D. Car Nicobar

Q2. With reference to the Great Nicobar Project, consider the following items proposed as project components: 1. International Container Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay 2. Greenfield International Airport 3. 220 MVA hydroelectric power plant 4. Township development Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a component of the project?

  1. International Container Transshipment Port at Galathea Bay
  2. Greenfield International Airport
  3. 220 MVA hydroelectric power plant
  4. Township development
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q3. With reference to the Great Nicobar Project, consider the following statements: 1. The project was originally conceived by NITI Aayog. 2. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is the nodal implementing agency. 3. Phase I of the project, comprising the International Container Transshipment Port and the international airport, is targeted for commissioning by 2028. 4. The International Container Transshipment Port is being developed at Indira Point, India's southernmost tip. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The project was originally conceived by NITI Aayog.
  2. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO) is the nodal implementing agency.
  3. Phase I of the project, comprising the International Container Transshipment Port and the international airport, is targeted for commissioning by 2028.
  4. The International Container Transshipment Port is being developed at Indira Point, India's southernmost tip.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. With reference to the indigenous communities of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which one of the following is the only Scheduled Tribe that is NOT classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

  • A. Shompen
  • B. Onge
  • C. Nicobarese
  • D. Great Andamanese

Q5. With reference to the Shompen and the Nicobarese of Great Nicobar Island, consider the following statements: 1. Both the Shompen and the Nicobarese are recognised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). 2. The Shompen are primarily hunter-gatherers, whereas the Nicobarese live mostly in coastal settlements and depend mainly on fishing. 3. The Shompen and the Nicobarese are ethnologically classified under the Mongoloid group, unlike the Jarawa and the Onge who belong to the Negrito group. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Both the Shompen and the Nicobarese are recognised as Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).
  2. The Shompen are primarily hunter-gatherers, whereas the Nicobarese live mostly in coastal settlements and depend mainly on fishing.
  3. The Shompen and the Nicobarese are ethnologically classified under the Mongoloid group, unlike the Jarawa and the Onge who belong to the Negrito group.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve is internationally recognised as part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves under which one of the following programmes of UNESCO?

  • A. World Heritage Programme
  • B. Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
  • C. International Hydrological Programme
  • D. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission

Q7. Galathea National Park, which forms part of the Great Nicobar Biosphere Reserve and is a major nesting site of the giant leatherback turtle, covers an area of approximately how many square kilometres?

  • A. 85 sq km
  • B. 110 sq km
  • C. 140 sq km
  • D. 170 sq km

Q8. In the context of the Forest Clearance granted for the Great Nicobar Project under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, what does a 'Stage-I Forest Clearance' precisely mean?

  • A. An in-principle approval recommending diversion of forest land subject to compliance with stipulated conditions, prior to the final (Stage-II) approval that permits actual diversion
  • B. A final approval that immediately permits tree-felling and physical possession of forest land by the user agency
  • C. A No-Objection Certificate issued by the State Forest Department before the user agency files its diversion proposal
  • D. A compensatory-afforestation completion certificate issued after the diverted forest land has been handed over

Q9. As per the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, how many specific conditions are stipulated in the Environmental Clearance granted on 11 November 2022 for the Great Nicobar Project?

  • A. 28
  • B. 35
  • C. 42
  • D. 56

Q10. Which one of the following is the implementing agency of the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay under the Great Nicobar Project?

  • A. Andaman & Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO)
  • B. Indian Ports Global Limited (IPGL)
  • C. Sagarmala Development Company Limited (SDCL)
  • D. Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)

Q11. With reference to the International Container Transhipment Port (ICTP) at Galathea Bay (Great Nicobar) and the Vizhinjam International Seaport, consider the following statements: 1. Vizhinjam has become India's first dedicated container transshipment port to commence commercial operations, whereas Phase 1 of the Galathea Bay ICTP is targeted for commissioning only in 2028. 2. Both the Vizhinjam International Seaport and the Galathea Bay ICTP were dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister in 2025. 3. The Galathea Bay ICTP site lies about 40 nautical miles from the East-West international shipping route, whereas Vizhinjam lies on the south-western (Kerala) coast close to international shipping lanes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Vizhinjam has become India's first dedicated container transshipment port to commence commercial operations, whereas Phase 1 of the Galathea Bay ICTP is targeted for commissioning only in 2028.
  2. Both the Vizhinjam International Seaport and the Galathea Bay ICTP were dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister in 2025.
  3. The Galathea Bay ICTP site lies about 40 nautical miles from the East-West international shipping route, whereas Vizhinjam lies on the south-western (Kerala) coast close to international shipping lanes.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. Under the Indian Tsunami Early Warning Centre (ITEWC) initiative aimed at characterising the tsunamigenic potential of earthquakes along the Sunda subduction zone, how many strong motion accelerometers and GNSS receivers is the Centre establishing across the Andaman and Nicobar Islands?

  • A. 15
  • B. 25
  • C. 35
  • D. 50

Q13. In how many States of the Indian Union are the provisions of the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution currently applied for the administration of Scheduled Areas?

  • A. Eight
  • B. Nine
  • C. Ten
  • D. Eleven

Q14. In the context of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, the term 'tribal reserve' is best defined as:

  • A. An area notified by the Administration where the entry, residence and activities of non-tribals are restricted in order to protect the aboriginal tribes inhabiting it
  • B. A Scheduled Area declared by the President under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution for the welfare and advancement of Scheduled Tribes
  • C. An autonomous tribal area administered by an Autonomous District Council constituted under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution
  • D. A protected forest area notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 in which customary tribal rights of hunting and gathering are co-managed with the forest department