UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Digital India Nears 11 Years, Driving India's Next Phase of Technology-Led Growth through Artificial Intelligence, Semiconductor Manufacturing, Digital Public Infrastructure and Affordable Digital Connectivity

Q1. The IndiaAI Mission is structured around seven pillars. Which of the following are correctly identified as pillars of the Mission?

  1. IndiaAI Compute Capacity
  2. IndiaAI Semiconductor Fabrication Fund
  3. Safe and Trusted AI
  4. IndiaAI FutureSkills
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Consider the following pairings of an IndiaAI Mission pillar with its focus. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly matched?

  1. IndiaAI Innovation Centre — development of indigenous foundational models and Large Multimodal Models
  2. IndiaAI Datasets Platform — streamlining access to quality non-personal datasets for AI innovation
  3. IndiaAI FutureSkills — providing concessional import loans to purchasers of AI hardware
  4. Safe and Trusted AI — responsible-AI projects, governance frameworks and self-assessment checklists
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q3. As of 2025-26, how many semiconductor projects have been approved under the Semicon India Programme, entailing a cumulative investment of about ₹1.64 lakh crore?

  • A. 6
  • B. 10
  • C. 12
  • D. 15

Q4. In which year was the India Semiconductor Mission approved by the Union Cabinet, with an initial outlay of ₹76,000 crore?

  • A. 2019
  • B. 2021
  • C. 2023
  • D. 2024

Q5. UPI was described as the world's largest retail fast-payment system by transaction volume in a June 2025 Fintech Note published by which institution?

  • A. World Bank
  • B. Bank for International Settlements
  • C. International Monetary Fund
  • D. Financial Stability Board

Q6. In the context of India's digital payments, the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A real-time, interoperable system enabling instant inter-bank fund transfers via mobile devices using virtual payment addresses
  • B. A card-based payment network operated by the RBI for point-of-sale transactions
  • C. A centralised digital wallet maintained by NPCI that itself stores customers' funds
  • D. A cross-border messaging network for settlement between central banks

Q7. The Global DPI Repository, to which India contributed the largest number of solutions, was launched during India's presidency of which grouping?

  • A. BRICS
  • B. G20
  • C. Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
  • D. Quad

Q8. Startups that had generated over 23 lakh direct jobs by 2026 are recognised and registered under the Startup India initiative by which authority?

  • A. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises
  • B. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. NITI Aayog

Q9. BharatNet, which aims to provide broadband connectivity to all gram panchayats, is funded primarily through which of the following?

  • A. The Universal Service Obligation Fund, now renamed the Digital Bharat Nidhi
  • B. Solely from the central government's annual spectrum-auction proceeds
  • C. The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development
  • D. State governments' own broadband corpora alone

Q10. With reference to India's e-governance platforms for digital service delivery, which of the following statements is/are correctly identified?

  1. UMANG provides a single-window platform to access central, state and local government services.
  2. DigiLocker enables the issuance and verification of authentic digital documents and certificates.
  3. Common Service Centres operate exclusively as urban broadband cafés with no presence at the gram-panchayat level.
  4. CoWIN was the digital platform built for COVID-19 vaccination management.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4