UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Haj Policy 2027 announced; Haj Committee of India invites applications from prospective pilgrims

Q1. The Haj Policy 2027, released in June 2026 along with the opening of Haj-2027 applications, was announced by which Union Minister?

  • A. Kiren Rijiju, Minister of Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs
  • B. Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Minister of Minority Affairs
  • C. Virendra Kumar, Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • D. Smriti Irani, Minister of Minority Affairs

Q2. Under the 70:30 quota retained in the Haj Policy 2027, how many of India's Haj seats are allotted to the Haj Committee of India (government channel)?

  • A. 1,22,518 seats
  • B. 1,75,025 seats
  • C. 52,507 seats
  • D. 87,500 seats

Q3. The Haj Committee of India, which administers the annual Haj pilgrimage arrangements, derives its statutory status from which one of the following enactments?

  • A. The Haj Committee Act, 2002
  • B. The Wakf Act, 1995
  • C. The National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992
  • D. The Pilgrimage Committee Act, 1932

Q4. With reference to the institutional framework governing Haj arrangements in India, consider the following statements: 1. The Haj Committee of India is a statutory body established under the Haj Committee Act, 2002. 2. Administrative responsibility for Haj-related matters was transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs with effect from 1 October 2016. 3. The entire Haj quota allotted to India is managed exclusively by the Haj Committee of India, with no seats earmarked for private tour operators. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Haj Committee of India is a statutory body established under the Haj Committee Act, 2002.
  2. Administrative responsibility for Haj-related matters was transferred from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs with effect from 1 October 2016.
  3. The entire Haj quota allotted to India is managed exclusively by the Haj Committee of India, with no seats earmarked for private tour operators.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. For Haj 2026, out of India's total quota of 1,75,025 pilgrims, how many seats are managed by the Haj Committee of India (HCoI)?

  • A. 1,22,518
  • B. 1,40,020
  • C. 52,507
  • D. 35,005

Q6. Each year, the total number of Haj seats allotted to India (1,75,025 in the latest cycle) is fixed by which one of the following?

  • A. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, through the annual bilateral Haj Agreement
  • B. The Haj Committee of India under the Haj Committee Act, 2002
  • C. The Union Ministry of Minority Affairs
  • D. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Q7. A directive of which authority, issued in 2012, mandated the gradual reduction and complete elimination of the Haj subsidy within a ten-year period?

  • A. The Supreme Court of India
  • B. The Sachar Committee
  • C. The Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. The Haj Committee of India

Q8. In the context of the now-abolished 'Haj subsidy', the subsidy primarily referred to which of the following?

  • A. Concessional airfare provided to pilgrims travelling on special Haj flights through the Haj Committee of India
  • B. A cash grant transferred to every pilgrim's bank account to meet expenses in Saudi Arabia
  • C. Free accommodation arranged for pilgrims at Mecca and Madina during the pilgrimage
  • D. A waiver of the visa and service fees charged by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Q9. The 'Nai Manzil' scheme implemented by the Ministry of Minority Affairs is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An integrated education-cum-skilling programme aimed at school dropouts and youth educated in community institutions such as Madrasas
  • B. An infrastructure-development programme creating socio-economic assets in minority concentration areas
  • C. A post-matric scholarship scheme for meritorious students belonging to notified minority communities
  • D. A concessional credit and self-employment scheme routed through the National Minorities Development and Finance Corporation

Q10. Among the centrally notified minority communities in India, which one was the most recent (sixth) to be accorded notified minority status?

  • A. Jains
  • B. Buddhists
  • C. Parsis
  • D. Sikhs

Q11. Haj, described by the Government of India as one of the Five Pillars of Islam, is a pilgrimage undertaken to which one of the following cities?

  • A. Mecca
  • B. Medina
  • C. Jerusalem
  • D. Karbala

Q12. In the context of Islam, the term 'Haj' refers precisely to which one of the following?

  • A. The obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca performed in a fixed month of the Islamic calendar, counted as the fifth Pillar of Islam
  • B. The lesser, non-obligatory pilgrimage to Mecca that may be performed at any time of the year
  • C. The obligatory annual charity consisting of a fixed share of one's accumulated wealth
  • D. The five daily ritual prayers offered facing the Kaaba

Q13. With reference to the institutional and digital framework governing the Haj pilgrimage from India, which of the following is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Haj Committee of India is a statutory body constituted under the Haj Committee Act, 2002.
  2. The Haj Suvidha mobile application enables end-to-end online registration, payments and health document uploads for pilgrims.
  3. Applications received in excess of the quota allotted to a State/UT are settled through a draw of lots known as 'Qurrah'.
  4. The entire Indian Haj quota is allocated exclusively to the Haj Committee of India, with no share reserved for private tour operators.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4