UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Kimberley Process Intersessional 2026 Concludes in Mumbai Under India’s Chairship with Focus on Future of Natural Diamond Sector

Q1. Which one of the following is the designated Importing and Exporting Authority for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in India?

  • A. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
  • B. Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
  • C. Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO)
  • D. Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Limited (MECL)

Q2. The creation of an international certification scheme for rough diamonds, which later evolved into the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, was endorsed by which one of the following United Nations General Assembly resolutions?

  • A. Resolution 55/56 of 2000
  • B. Resolution 56/263 of 2002
  • C. Resolution 60/182 of 2005
  • D. Resolution 78/L.54 of 2024

Q3. With reference to the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), consider the following statements: 1. The scope of the KPCS is restricted to rough diamonds and it does not certify cut and polished diamonds. 2. 'Conflict diamonds', under the KPCS, refer to rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments. 3. The KPCS additionally certifies that diamonds have not been mined under conditions involving environmental degradation or human rights abuses by sovereign governments. 4. The KPCS is a tripartite initiative involving participating governments, the international diamond industry and civil society. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The scope of the KPCS is restricted to rough diamonds and it does not certify cut and polished diamonds.
  2. 'Conflict diamonds', under the KPCS, refer to rough diamonds used by rebel movements or their allies to finance conflict aimed at undermining legitimate governments.
  3. The KPCS additionally certifies that diamonds have not been mined under conditions involving environmental degradation or human rights abuses by sovereign governments.
  4. The KPCS is a tripartite initiative involving participating governments, the international diamond industry and civil society.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. Who serves as the Chair of the Kimberley Process for the year 2026, under whose stewardship the Intersessional Meeting was held in Mumbai in May 2026?

  • A. Sunil Barthwal
  • B. Rajesh Agrawal
  • C. Suchindra Misra
  • D. Amardeep Singh Bhatia

Q5. In India, which one of the following is designated as the Importing and Exporting Authority for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)?

  • A. Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
  • B. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
  • C. Minerals and Metals Trading Corporation of India (MMTC)
  • D. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Q6. In the context of India's diamond sector, the Diamond Imprest Authorisation (DIA) Scheme, operationalised from 2025, primarily provides for which one of the following?

  • A. Duty-free import of rough (uncut and unassorted) diamonds against a mandatory export obligation on polished diamonds
  • B. Duty-free import of natural cut and polished diamonds of less than ¼ carat against an export obligation with mandatory value addition
  • C. A direct cash export incentive for lab-grown polished diamond exporters, calculated on FOB value of shipments
  • D. Interest equalisation on pre-shipment rupee export credit extended to MSME diamond cutters and polishers

Q7. Which one of the following has been designated as the Importing and Exporting Authority for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in India?

  • A. Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT)
  • B. MMTC Limited
  • C. Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
  • D. Bharat Diamond Bourse

Q8. Which one of the following African countries currently accounts for the largest share of the continent's diamond output by value and derives over 90 percent of its export earnings from diamonds?

  • A. Sierra Leone
  • B. Botswana
  • C. Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • D. Liberia

Q9. With reference to the African origins of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, consider the following statements: 1. In Sierra Leone, control over diamond fields was a central driver of the civil war whose financing the Kimberley Process was designed to halt. 2. In Angola, the rebel UNITA movement sustained itself for years through illegal mining and sale of rough diamonds. 3. The Kimberley Process derives its name from a town in Botswana where southern African producing states first met in 2000 to draft the scheme. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In Sierra Leone, control over diamond fields was a central driver of the civil war whose financing the Kimberley Process was designed to halt.
  2. In Angola, the rebel UNITA movement sustained itself for years through illegal mining and sale of rough diamonds.
  3. The Kimberley Process derives its name from a town in Botswana where southern African producing states first met in 2000 to draft the scheme.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. The peer review mechanism of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, operated through its Working Group on Monitoring, rests on how many distinct pillars?

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

Q11. With reference to the institutional architecture for implementing the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS) in India as compared with KPCS norms internationally, consider the following statements: 1. In India, the Department of Commerce is the nodal Department for the KPCS. 2. The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is designated as the Importing and Exporting Authority for issuing Kimberley Process Certificates in India. 3. Under KPCS rules, rough diamonds may be traded with non-participant countries provided the shipment is accompanied by a validated KP Certificate issued by the exporting authority. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. In India, the Department of Commerce is the nodal Department for the KPCS.
  2. The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) is designated as the Importing and Exporting Authority for issuing Kimberley Process Certificates in India.
  3. Under KPCS rules, rough diamonds may be traded with non-participant countries provided the shipment is accompanied by a validated KP Certificate issued by the exporting authority.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3