UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Cabinet approves two more semiconductor manufacturing units with cumulative investment of more than Rs. 3,900 crore

Q1. Under which of the following organisations is the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) set up as an Independent Business Division?

  • A. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
  • B. Digital India Corporation
  • C. Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)
  • D. National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT)

Q2. What is the total financial outlay of the Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem, under which the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) operates?

  • A. Rs. 50,000 crore
  • B. Rs. 76,000 crore
  • C. Rs. 1,00,000 crore
  • D. Rs. 1,60,000 crore

Q3. With reference to the 'Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India', which one of the following is the nodal implementing agency for the programme?

  • A. Semiconductor Complex Limited
  • B. India Semiconductor Mission, an Independent Business Division within Digital India Corporation
  • C. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
  • D. Software Technology Parks of India (STPI)

Q4. With reference to the Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem in India and its subsequent modification, consider the following statements: 1. The programme was approved by the Union Cabinet with a total financial outlay of Rs. 76,000 crore. 2. Under the modified programme, a uniform fiscal support of 50% of project cost is provided across all technology nodes for setting up Semiconductor Fabs. 3. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) functions as an independent statutory body established under an Act of Parliament. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The programme was approved by the Union Cabinet with a total financial outlay of Rs. 76,000 crore.
  2. Under the modified programme, a uniform fiscal support of 50% of project cost is provided across all technology nodes for setting up Semiconductor Fabs.
  3. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM) functions as an independent statutory body established under an Act of Parliament.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Which one of the following companies has been approved by the Union Cabinet (May 2026) to set up India's first commercial Mini/Micro-LED display fabrication unit under the India Semiconductor Mission?

  • A. Tata Electronics Private Limited
  • B. Crystal Matrix Limited
  • C. Kaynes Semicon Private Limited
  • D. CG Power and Industrial Solutions Limited

Q6. With reference to the Crystal Matrix Limited unit recently approved under the India Semiconductor Mission, the term 'compound semiconductor' is best defined as:

  • A. A semiconductor material formed from two or more chemical elements, such as gallium nitride (GaN) or gallium arsenide (GaAs)
  • B. A semiconductor wafer produced by stacking multiple silicon dies vertically inside a single chip package
  • C. A silicon wafer that has been doped only with germanium to enhance its electron mobility
  • D. A composite of silicon and a flexible polymer substrate used in bendable display electronics

Q7. With reference to Gallium Nitride (GaN), a compound semiconductor that has recently been in the news in the context of India Semiconductor Mission, consider the following statements: 1. GaN has a wider band gap than silicon, enabling it to operate at higher temperatures and breakdown voltages. 2. GaN is a compound semiconductor exclusively used in blue light-emitting diodes and has no application in power electronics. 3. Owing to its high electron mobility, GaN is well-suited for radio-frequency (RF) and high-power applications such as 5G base stations and radar. 4. All GaN-based devices are fabricated only on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. GaN has a wider band gap than silicon, enabling it to operate at higher temperatures and breakdown voltages.
  2. GaN is a compound semiconductor exclusively used in blue light-emitting diodes and has no application in power electronics.
  3. Owing to its high electron mobility, GaN is well-suited for radio-frequency (RF) and high-power applications such as 5G base stations and radar.
  4. All GaN-based devices are fabricated only on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrates.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q8. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), which has cleared the country's first commercial GaN-based Mini/Micro-LED display fab, has been set up as an Independent Business Division within which one of the following organisations?

  • A. Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali, under the Department of Space
  • B. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) under MeitY
  • C. Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Department of Heavy Industry under the Ministry of Heavy Industries

Q9. How many distinct schemes are notified under the Modified Programme for Development of Semiconductors and Display Manufacturing Ecosystem (Semicon India Programme)?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q10. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), under which semiconductor manufacturing units have been sanctioned across Gujarat, Assam, Odisha, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is set up as an independent business division under which one of the following?

  • A. NITI Aayog
  • B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • C. Digital India Corporation under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Department of Science and Technology

Q11. With reference to the geographic spread of semiconductor manufacturing units approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), consider the following statements: 1. The two units cleared by the Union Cabinet in May 2026 are both located in Gujarat. 2. The batch of units approved in May 2025 included a semiconductor facility in Assam. 3. With the May 2026 approval, the cumulative number of ISM-approved semiconductor units in India stands at twelve. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The two units cleared by the Union Cabinet in May 2026 are both located in Gujarat.
  2. The batch of units approved in May 2025 included a semiconductor facility in Assam.
  3. With the May 2026 approval, the cumulative number of ISM-approved semiconductor units in India stands at twelve.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. The India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), which appraises and recommends proposals under the Semicon India Programme, functions as an independent business division under which one of the following organisations?

  • A. Digital India Corporation
  • B. National Informatics Centre
  • C. Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC)
  • D. Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC)

Q13. With reference to projects approved under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), consider the following pairings of project and location: 1. Tata Electronics–PSMC semiconductor fab — Dholera, Gujarat 2. CG Power–Renesas–Stars Microelectronics semiconductor unit — Sanand, Gujarat 3. Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT) facility — Sanand, Gujarat 4. Kaynes Semicon OSAT facility — Sanand, Gujarat Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Tata Electronics–PSMC semiconductor fab — Dholera, Gujarat
  2. CG Power–Renesas–Stars Microelectronics semiconductor unit — Sanand, Gujarat
  3. Tata Semiconductor Assembly and Test (TSAT) facility — Sanand, Gujarat
  4. Kaynes Semicon OSAT facility — Sanand, Gujarat
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q14. The Dholera Special Investment Region (DSIR), the largest investment node of the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and the site of India's first commercial semiconductor fab, encompasses how many villages of Dholera Taluka in Ahmedabad district?

  • A. 12 villages
  • B. 18 villages
  • C. 22 villages
  • D. 38 villages

Q15. With reference to Dholera Industrial City Development Limited (DICDL), the Special Purpose Vehicle developing the Dholera Special Investment Region's semiconductor cluster, the Government of India's equity stake in DICDL is held through which of the following?

  • A. National Industrial Corridor Development and Implementation Trust (NICDIT)
  • B. National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF)
  • C. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
  • D. Invest India under DPIIT