UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — What is the India-Pakistan conflict at sea about?

Q1. The India-Pakistan agreement obliging each side to give advance notice of military exercises, manoeuvres and troop movements was concluded in which month and year?

  • A. July 1972, at the close of the post-war negotiations at Simla
  • B. December 1988, alongside the understanding on nuclear installations
  • C. April 1991, alongside the understanding on air space violations
  • D. February 1999, alongside the documents adopted at Lahore

Q2. Which one of the following most accurately describes the principal obligation created by Article 10 of the April 1991 India-Pakistan Agreement?

  • A. Naval ships and submarines of the two sides must stay outside a stipulated minimum distance from each other while in international waters
  • B. Naval ships of either side must obtain prior clearance from the other side before entering any part of the Arabian Sea
  • C. All naval exercises conducted anywhere at sea must be notified to the other side and may be vetoed by it
  • D. Warships of either side are permanently barred from operating beyond their own exclusive economic zones

Q3. Which one of the following statements about the vessels involved in the September 2026 North Arabian Sea naval incident is correct?

  • A. The Indian vessel was the first ship of the Navy's Project 15A destroyers, and the Pakistani vessel an offshore patrol vessel
  • B. The Indian vessel was the first ship of the Navy's Project 15B destroyers, and the Pakistani vessel a guided-missile frigate
  • C. Both vessels involved were the lead ships of their respective classes of guided-missile frigates
  • D. The Indian vessel was an offshore patrol vessel, and the Pakistani vessel a submarine transiting on the surface

Q4. The formal Indian protest to Pakistan over the September 2026 North Arabian Sea collision was lodged through which channel?

  • A. The Ministry of External Affairs, by summoning the acting head of Pakistan's mission in New Delhi
  • B. The Ministry of Defence, by conveying a démarche through the Defence Adviser at the mission in Islamabad
  • C. The Indian Coast Guard, through its standing hotline with the Pakistan Maritime Security Agency
  • D. The Directorate General of Shipping, through the dispute machinery of the International Maritime Organization

Q5. With reference to the confidence-building architecture between India and Pakistan, consider the following statements: 1. The Lahore Declaration and the accompanying Memorandum of Understanding were signed in February 1999. 2. The bilateral arrangement on pre-notification of missile flight tests covers every category of missile held by the two sides, including cruise missiles. 3. The Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements dates to April 1991. 4. Lists of nuclear installations and facilities are exchanged by the two countries on 1 January each year. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Lahore Declaration and the accompanying Memorandum of Understanding were signed in February 1999.
  2. The bilateral arrangement on pre-notification of missile flight tests covers every category of missile held by the two sides, including cruise missiles.
  3. The Agreement on Advance Notice on Military Exercises, Manoeuvres and Troop Movements dates to April 1991.
  4. Lists of nuclear installations and facilities are exchanged by the two countries on 1 January each year.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q6. Under the India-Pakistan arrangement on pre-notification of flight testing of ballistic missiles, notice must be given not less than how many days before the launch window begins, and the notified launch window runs for how many days?

  • A. Three days before; a five-day window
  • B. Five days before; a three-day window
  • C. Seven days before; a ten-day window
  • D. Two days before; a seven-day window

Q7. The Project 15A guided-missile destroyers of the Indian Navy were conceived and drawn up in-house by which of the following?

  • A. The Directorate of Naval Design of the Indian Navy
  • B. The Warship Design Bureau of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd
  • C. The Naval Systems design cluster of the DRDO
  • D. The Centre for Marine Engineering Design, Visakhapatnam

Q8. With reference to the Kolkata-class (Project 15A) destroyers, consider the following statements: 1. INS Kolkata was the first ship of the Project 15A programme. 2. The ships of the class are named after major port cities of India — Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai. 3. The class carries the MF-STAR multi-function active phased array radar. 4. The ships were built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. INS Kolkata was the first ship of the Project 15A programme.
  2. The ships of the class are named after major port cities of India — Kolkata, Kochi and Chennai.
  3. The class carries the MF-STAR multi-function active phased array radar.
  4. The ships were built at Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers, Kolkata.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q9. With reference to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961, consider the following statements: 1. Apart from matters of precedence and etiquette, the Convention makes no distinction between heads of mission belonging to the same class. 2. The class to which the heads of their missions are to be assigned is to be agreed between the States concerned. 3. A chargé d'affaires ad interim acts provisionally as head of the mission. 4. A chargé d'affaires accredited to the Minister for Foreign Affairs falls outside the classes of heads of mission recognised by the Convention. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Apart from matters of precedence and etiquette, the Convention makes no distinction between heads of mission belonging to the same class.
  2. The class to which the heads of their missions are to be assigned is to be agreed between the States concerned.
  3. A chargé d'affaires ad interim acts provisionally as head of the mission.
  4. A chargé d'affaires accredited to the Minister for Foreign Affairs falls outside the classes of heads of mission recognised by the Convention.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q10. With reference to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, consider the following statements: 1. The Convention was adopted at Vienna in April 1961. 2. Notification of a chargé d'affaires ad interim is addressed to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State. 3. A chargé d'affaires ad interim can be appointed only by the Foreign Ministry of the receiving State. 4. Where a sending State accredits its head of mission to more than one State, it may establish in the other States missions headed by a chargé d'affaires ad interim. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Convention was adopted at Vienna in April 1961.
  2. Notification of a chargé d'affaires ad interim is addressed to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of the receiving State.
  3. A chargé d'affaires ad interim can be appointed only by the Foreign Ministry of the receiving State.
  4. Where a sending State accredits its head of mission to more than one State, it may establish in the other States missions headed by a chargé d'affaires ad interim.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q11. With reference to the Arabian Sea and its adjoining waters, consider the following statements: 1. Socotra, lying off the Horn of Africa, is a part of Yemen. 2. The Gulf of Oman connects with the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz. 3. Eritrea is among the political units bordering the Arabian Sea. 4. Lakshadweep consists of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Socotra, lying off the Horn of Africa, is a part of Yemen.
  2. The Gulf of Oman connects with the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
  3. Eritrea is among the political units bordering the Arabian Sea.
  4. Lakshadweep consists of the Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi islands.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q12. With reference to the regime of the high seas under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, consider the following statements: 1. Freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight are among the freedoms of the high seas expressly enumerated in the Convention. 2. After a collision on the high seas, penal proceedings against the persons in charge of a ship may be instituted by the coastal State nearest to the incident. 3. Warships on the high seas have complete immunity from the jurisdiction of any State other than the flag State. 4. The master of a ship is bound to render assistance to the other ship after a collision, so far as he can without serious danger to his own vessel. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Freedom of navigation and freedom of overflight are among the freedoms of the high seas expressly enumerated in the Convention.
  2. After a collision on the high seas, penal proceedings against the persons in charge of a ship may be instituted by the coastal State nearest to the incident.
  3. Warships on the high seas have complete immunity from the jurisdiction of any State other than the flag State.
  4. The master of a ship is bound to render assistance to the other ship after a collision, so far as he can without serious danger to his own vessel.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4 only