UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Raksha Mantri inaugurates an Advanced Weapon System Complex at DRDL, Hyderabad

Q1. Within the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Missile Complex at Hyderabad, which one of the following DRDO laboratories is primarily mandated with research and development of avionics systems for missiles and guided weapons?

  • A. Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL)
  • B. Research Centre Imarat (RCI)
  • C. Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL)
  • D. Defence Electronics Research Laboratory (DLRL)

Q2. The Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), anchored at the Defence Research and Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad, was launched under the leadership of Dr APJ Abdul Kalam in which one of the following years?

  • A. 1958
  • B. 1972
  • C. 1983
  • D. 1998

Q3. How many missile systems were originally sanctioned for indigenous development under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP) launched in 1983?

  • A. Four
  • B. Five
  • C. Six
  • D. Seven

Q4. Under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP), which one of the following was conceived as the long-range surface-to-surface technology demonstrator missile?

  • A. Prithvi
  • B. Trishul
  • C. Agni
  • D. Akash

Q5. With reference to 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra', announced by the Prime Minister in 2025, consider the following statements: 1. It was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2025. 2. It envisages providing a comprehensive national security shield for strategic and civilian assets by the year 2035. 3. One of its declared goals is that the entire system be researched, developed and manufactured indigenously in India. 4. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Central Armed Police Forces. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It was announced by the Prime Minister in his Independence Day address on 15 August 2025.
  2. It envisages providing a comprehensive national security shield for strategic and civilian assets by the year 2035.
  3. One of its declared goals is that the entire system be researched, developed and manufactured indigenously in India.
  4. It is being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs through the Central Armed Police Forces.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q6. As announced by the Prime Minister in 2025, within how many years from its announcement is 'Mission Sudarshan Chakra' targeted to provide a comprehensive multi-layered security shield for India's strategic and civilian assets?

  • A. 5 years
  • B. 10 years
  • C. 15 years
  • D. 25 years

Q7. Which one of the following was the primary indigenous surface-to-air missile system deployed by India in the layered air defence grid during Operation Sindoor (May 2025)?

  • A. Akash
  • B. Barak-8
  • C. QRSAM
  • D. Spyder

Q8. In the context of India's indigenous missile programme, the 'Astra' missile is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile launched from fighter aircraft
  • B. A quick-reaction surface-to-air missile designed to protect moving armoured columns
  • C. A supersonic cruise missile jointly developed with Russia for naval and land platforms
  • D. A canisterised two-stage solid-propellant intermediate-range ballistic missile

Q9. With reference to indigenous missile systems developed by DRDO, consider the following statements: 1. The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia. 2. The Astra missile is a short-range surface-to-air system specifically designed to protect moving armoured columns. 3. The QRSAM weapon system is mounted on highly mobile platforms and uses active array radars providing 360-degree coverage with search-on-move and track-on-move capability. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The BrahMos is a supersonic cruise missile jointly developed by India and Russia.
  2. The Astra missile is a short-range surface-to-air system specifically designed to protect moving armoured columns.
  3. The QRSAM weapon system is mounted on highly mobile platforms and uses active array radars providing 360-degree coverage with search-on-move and track-on-move capability.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. DRDO functions exclusively under which one of the following departments of the Ministry of Defence, Government of India?

  • A. Department of Defence Production
  • B. Department of Military Affairs
  • C. Department of Defence Research and Development
  • D. Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare

Q11. With reference to the technology cluster structure of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), consider the following: 1. Missiles and Strategic Systems Cluster 2. Naval Systems and Materials Cluster 3. Atomic Energy Systems Cluster 4. Aeronautical Systems Cluster Which of the above is/are correctly identified as DRDO technology clusters?

  1. Missiles and Strategic Systems Cluster
  2. Naval Systems and Materials Cluster
  3. Atomic Energy Systems Cluster
  4. Aeronautical Systems Cluster
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. Which of the following is/are correctly identified as a component or feature of India's indigenous Ballistic Missile Defence (BMD) Programme developed by DRDO?

  1. Prithvi Air Defence (PAD) – an exo-atmospheric interceptor developed indigenously by DRDO.
  2. Advanced Air Defence (AAD), also called Ashwin – an endo-atmospheric interceptor developed indigenously by DRDO.
  3. S-400 Triumf – a long-range surface-to-air missile system that is, in all respects, an indigenous DRDO product developed solely under the BMD Programme.
  4. AD-1 – a Phase-II interceptor designed exclusively to defend against sub-sonic cruise missiles only, and not against ballistic missiles.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q13. The Scramjet Connect Test Facility, where DRDO achieved a long-duration (over 1,000 seconds) ground test of an actively cooled scramjet combustor for the hypersonic cruise missile programme in 2025, is housed at which one of the following DRDO laboratories?

  • A. Research Centre Imarat (RCI), Hyderabad
  • B. Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL), Hyderabad
  • C. Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad
  • D. Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), Hyderabad

Q14. With reference to India's hypersonic technology development by DRDO, consider the following statements: 1. The Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), flight-tested in 2020, used a liquid-propellant rocket booster to carry the cruise vehicle to its launch altitude. 2. Unlike the HSTDV which demonstrated scramjet combustion in flight, the April 2025 demonstration of over 1,000 seconds of actively cooled scramjet combustor operation was a ground-based test conducted at DRDL, Hyderabad. 3. India's first long-range hypersonic missile was flight-tested off the Odisha coast in November 2024 and is reportedly designed to deliver payloads to ranges exceeding 1,500 km. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV), flight-tested in 2020, used a liquid-propellant rocket booster to carry the cruise vehicle to its launch altitude.
  2. Unlike the HSTDV which demonstrated scramjet combustion in flight, the April 2025 demonstration of over 1,000 seconds of actively cooled scramjet combustor operation was a ground-based test conducted at DRDL, Hyderabad.
  3. India's first long-range hypersonic missile was flight-tested off the Odisha coast in November 2024 and is reportedly designed to deliver payloads to ranges exceeding 1,500 km.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3