UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — In the presence of Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, a tripartite MoU signed between Government of India, Assam and Nagaland for facilitating mineral oil operations in the Assam–Nagaland boundary areas
Q1. In the context of the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2026 between the Government of India, the Government of Assam and the Government of Nagaland for facilitating mineral oil operations, the expression 'Disputed Area Belt (DAB)' refers to which one of the following?
- A. The contested tract along the Assam–Nagaland inter-state boundary where hydrocarbon exploration and production had remained stalled for decades
- B. The forested corridor along the Assam–Arunachal Pradesh border earmarked for joint elephant conservation
- C. The strip of land along the Assam–Meghalaya border covered under the inter-state boundary agreement of March 2022
- D. The maritime zone in the Bay of Bengal contested between India and Bangladesh before the 2014 UNCLOS award
Q2. With reference to the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2026 in the presence of the Union Home Minister for facilitating mineral oil operations in the Assam–Nagaland boundary areas, consider the following statements:
1. The MoU is a tripartite instrument among the Union Government, the Government of Assam and the Government of Nagaland.
2. It provides for a 50:50 resource-sharing arrangement between Assam and Nagaland in respect of hydrocarbons extracted from the disputed area belt.
3. It covers an inter-state boundary tract of more than 1,000 square kilometres believed to hold substantial hydrocarbon reserves.
4. It legally re-demarcates the Assam–Nagaland inter-state boundary by invoking Article 3 of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The MoU is a tripartite instrument among the Union Government, the Government of Assam and the Government of Nagaland.
- It provides for a 50:50 resource-sharing arrangement between Assam and Nagaland in respect of hydrocarbons extracted from the disputed area belt.
- It covers an inter-state boundary tract of more than 1,000 square kilometres believed to hold substantial hydrocarbon reserves.
- It legally re-demarcates the Assam–Nagaland inter-state boundary by invoking Article 3 of the Constitution.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q3. Which one of the following constitutional provisions is the primary authority under which Parliament created the State of Nagaland in 1963 by separating territory from the then State of Assam?
- A. Article 3
- B. Article 246 read with Entry 53 of the Union List
- C. Article 263
- D. Article 371A
Q4. With reference to Oil India Limited (OIL), consider the following statements:
1. It is currently a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
2. Its registered/field headquarters is located at Duliajan in the State of Assam.
3. It is the largest crude oil producing company in India, ahead of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
4. It has been awarded several exploration blocks in the Northeast under the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP).
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- It is currently a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.
- Its registered/field headquarters is located at Duliajan in the State of Assam.
- It is the largest crude oil producing company in India, ahead of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).
- It has been awarded several exploration blocks in the Northeast under the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP).
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q5. With reference to the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and Oil India Limited (OIL), consider the following statements:
1. ONGC was the first Indian Exploration & Production company to trade domestic natural gas on the Indian Gas Exchange.
2. Oil India Limited was conferred Maharatna status by the Government of India earlier than the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
3. Both ONGC and Oil India Limited are upstream operators engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the Assam–Nagaland boundary belt.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- ONGC was the first Indian Exploration & Production company to trade domestic natural gas on the Indian Gas Exchange.
- Oil India Limited was conferred Maharatna status by the Government of India earlier than the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
- Both ONGC and Oil India Limited are upstream operators engaged in hydrocarbon exploration in the Assam–Nagaland boundary belt.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. In the context of the 2020 Bodo Accord, the 'Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR)' refers to which one of the following?
- A. An autonomous tribal area administered under the Fifth Schedule of the Constitution of India
- B. An autonomous region administered through a Territorial Council under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India
- C. A Union Territory carved out of the State of Assam under Article 3
- D. A statutorily separate full-fledged State created by Parliament under Article 4
Q7. Which one of the following is the nodal Union Ministry that operationalised the Northeast peace and boundary settlements (Bodo Accord 2020, Bru-Reang Agreement 2020, Karbi Anglong Agreement 2021 and the Assam–Meghalaya boundary agreement 2022)?
- A. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER)
- B. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
- C. Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. Ministry of External Affairs
Q8. With reference to the North East Natural Gas Pipeline Grid (NEGG) being implemented by Indradhanush Gas Grid Limited, which one of the following has been designated as the priority section under Phase-I of the project?
- A. Guwahati–Numaligarh
- B. Guwahati–Itanagar
- C. Guwahati–Agartala
- D. Numaligarh–Dimapur
Q9. Which one of the following was the first State of the North-East from which the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958, was completely withdrawn?
- A. Meghalaya
- B. Mizoram
- C. Tripura
- D. Arunachal Pradesh
Q10. Under the Ministry of Home Affairs notification extending the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 for six months with effect from 1 October 2025, the 'disturbed area' declaration in Nagaland was extended to how many districts (in addition to 21 police-station areas in five other districts)?
- A. Seven districts
- B. Eight districts
- C. Nine districts
- D. Eleven districts
Q11. Which one of the following is a statutory body, established under an Act of Parliament, that levies a cess on indigenously produced crude oil from pre-NELP blocks and provides financial assistance for the development of the oil and gas industry in India?
- A. Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH)
- B. Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)
- C. Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB)
- D. Petroleum Planning and Analysis Cell (PPAC)
Q12. With reference to the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP) and the Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP) regime in India, consider the following statements:
1. It replaced the earlier Production Sharing Contract regime with a Revenue Sharing Contract model.
2. A single licence is granted to explore and produce both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons from a contracted block.
3. Under HELP, the royalty rate for crude oil produced from shallow water blocks has been raised to 12.5% of well-head value.
4. State Governments continue to grant petroleum mining leases and receive royalty on crude oil and natural gas produced.
Which of the above are correctly identified?
- It replaced the earlier Production Sharing Contract regime with a Revenue Sharing Contract model.
- A single licence is granted to explore and produce both conventional and unconventional hydrocarbons from a contracted block.
- Under HELP, the royalty rate for crude oil produced from shallow water blocks has been raised to 12.5% of well-head value.
- State Governments continue to grant petroleum mining leases and receive royalty on crude oil and natural gas produced.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1, 2 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 3 and 4 only