UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Exim data for FY26 likely by mid-April: Rajesh Agrawal

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal in relation to his predecessor: 1. Rajesh Agrawal, a 1994-batch IAS officer, took charge as Commerce Secretary in October 2025. 2. He succeeded Sunil Barthwal, who vacated the post on being elevated to Cabinet Secretary. 3. Before this appointment he had served as Chief Negotiator for the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Rajesh Agrawal, a 1994-batch IAS officer, took charge as Commerce Secretary in October 2025.
  2. He succeeded Sunil Barthwal, who vacated the post on being elevated to Cabinet Secretary.
  3. Before this appointment he had served as Chief Negotiator for the India–US Bilateral Trade Agreement.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Which one of the following is the principal official organisation responsible for the collection, compilation and dissemination of India's foreign trade statistics?

  • A. Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCI&S)
  • B. Reserve Bank of India (RBI)
  • C. National Statistical Office under MoSPI
  • D. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC)

Q3. In the context of India's trade statistics compiled by DGCI&S, the term 'Daily Trade Returns (DTRs)' refers to:

  • A. Daily returns of export and import transactions received from Customs formations and SEZs, from which trade statistics are compiled
  • B. Daily foreign-exchange settlement statements filed by exporters with the Reserve Bank of India
  • C. Daily customs duty collection reports submitted to the CBIC
  • D. Daily shipping manifests filed by ports with the Directorate General of Shipping

Q4. With reference to India's provisional trade figures, consider the following: 1. FY26 cumulative exports (merchandise + services) — US$860.09 billion 2. FY26 growth in cumulative exports over FY25 — 4.22% 3. FY25 cumulative exports — US$825.26 billion 4. FY26 merchandise trade deficit — US$283.50 billion. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. FY26 cumulative exports (merchandise + services) — US$860.09 billion
  2. FY26 growth in cumulative exports over FY25 — 4.22%
  3. FY25 cumulative exports — US$825.26 billion
  4. FY26 merchandise trade deficit — US$283.50 billion
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. Consider the following statements comparing India's external trade in FY25 and FY26: 1. India's cumulative exports rose from US$825.26 billion in FY25 to US$860.09 billion in FY26. 2. The merchandise trade deficit widened from US$283.50 billion in FY25 to US$333.19 billion in FY26. 3. Between FY25 and FY26, cumulative exports grew at a faster rate than the widening of the merchandise trade deficit. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. India's cumulative exports rose from US$825.26 billion in FY25 to US$860.09 billion in FY26.
  2. The merchandise trade deficit widened from US$283.50 billion in FY25 to US$333.19 billion in FY26.
  3. Between FY25 and FY26, cumulative exports grew at a faster rate than the widening of the merchandise trade deficit.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. According to Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal's April 2026 statement, exports to which one of the following was singled out as the market most likely to decline as a direct consequence of the West Asia crisis?

  • A. West Asia
  • B. European Union
  • C. ASEAN
  • D. United States

Q7. In his April 2026 statement, the Commerce Secretary flagged how many principal channels through which the West Asia crisis was expected to affect India's FY26 external trade?

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

Q8. India's Strategic Petroleum Reserve facilities at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru and Padur are built and maintained by which one of the following entities?

  • A. Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Limited (ISPRL)
  • B. Oil Industry Development Board (OIDB)
  • C. Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL)
  • D. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC)

Q9. In the context of India's energy security, the term 'Strategic Petroleum Reserve' is best defined as:

  • A. Emergency stockpiles of crude oil maintained solely to cushion against supply disruptions
  • B. Commercial refined-product inventories held by oil marketing companies for routine domestic sale
  • C. Offshore natural gas fields reserved exclusively for defence use
  • D. Foreign-exchange reserves earmarked only for financing oil imports

Q10. India's total exports (merchandise plus services) in April 2026 registered a year-on-year growth of approximately what percentage?

  • A. 13.59%
  • B. 4.22%
  • C. 8.71%
  • D. 0.93%

Q11. In India's foreign trade statistics, the term 'merchandise exports' is most precisely defined as:

  • A. Exports of tangible, physical goods such as manufactured products and commodities
  • B. Exports of physical goods and IT-enabled services taken together
  • C. Exports of software and cross-border business services only
  • D. Re-exports of imported goods carried out without any value addition