UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Govt. doesn’t foresee any requirement for importing petrol or diesel, says Ministry

Q1. As of January 2025, India ranked as which one of the following in terms of being an exporter of petroleum products worldwide?

  • A. Fourth largest exporter
  • B. Fifth largest exporter
  • C. Seventh largest exporter
  • D. Tenth largest exporter

Q2. Which one of the following is the sole nodal Union Ministry for India's crude oil refining sector and marketing of petroleum products?

  • A. Ministry of Coal
  • B. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • C. Ministry of Power
  • D. Ministry of Commerce and Industry

Q3. India's installed refining capacity is officially expressed as about 258 'MMTPA'. This unit denotes exactly:

  • A. Million Metric Tonnes Per Annum
  • B. Million Metric Barrels Per Annum
  • C. Metric Million Tonnes of Petroleum Aggregate
  • D. Maximum Monthly Throughput of Petroleum Assets

Q4. Amid the 2026 West Asia crisis, PSU oil marketing companies were reported to be absorbing daily losses of approximately how much on the retail sale of petrol, diesel and domestic LPG?

  • A. Rs 250 crore per day
  • B. Rs 550 crore per day
  • C. Rs 1,000 crore per day
  • D. Rs 1,500 crore per day

Q5. Under the temporary 2026 order regulating fuel supply through retail outlets, diesel supply to a single customer or vehicle was capped at how many litres per day?

  • A. 100 litres
  • B. 200 litres
  • C. 500 litres
  • D. 1,000 litres

Q6. Under the Motor Spirit and High-Speed Diesel (Temporary Regulation of Supply through Retail Outlets) Order, 2026, the primary responsibility for ensuring compliance and preventing circumvention at the pump was placed on which one of the following?

  • A. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB)
  • B. Oil Marketing Companies and their Retail Outlet Dealers
  • C. State police departments
  • D. District Magistrates under the Disaster Management Act

Q7. With reference to India's crude oil situation as reported in 2025-26, which of the following are correctly stated?

  1. India depends on imports for roughly 87% of its crude oil requirement.
  2. Following diversification, about 70% of India's crude imports now arrive via routes outside the Strait of Hormuz.
  3. India currently sources crude oil from around 40 countries.
  4. India has recently become a net exporter of crude oil.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q8. India's Phase-I Strategic Petroleum Reserves, managed by ISPRL, are located at exactly how many sites?

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

Q9. As reported at the 5th Inter-Governmental Group of Ministers on West Asia (2026), which of the following rolling-stock positions were correctly stated?

  1. About 60 days of crude oil.
  2. About 90 days of petrol.
  3. About 60 days of natural gas.
  4. About 45 days of LPG.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4