UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Perilous retreat

Q1. The stipulation that recognised forest rights in critical wildlife habitats may be modified or the rights-holders resettled only after the Gram Sabha has given its free informed consent to the proposed resettlement and alternative package is contained in which one of the following?

  • A. Section 3(2) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
  • B. Section 5 of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
  • C. Section 4(2) of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006
  • D. Rule 4 of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2007

Q2. The recommendation to reduce the gram sabha consent requirement for hydropower project clearance from 100% to 70-75% was made in a report presented to Parliament in August 2026 by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. The Public Accounts Committee, which scrutinises the appropriation accounts and the audit reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General
  • B. The Committee on Public Undertakings, which examines the reports, accounts and autonomy of public sector enterprises
  • C. The Estimates Committee, which examines the estimates in the budget and suggests economies in public expenditure
  • D. The Departmentally Related Standing Committee on Energy, which examines the demands for grants of the Ministry of Power

Q3. In the four-tier machinery through which claims to forest rights are processed, the body that gives final approval to the record of forest rights is:

  • A. The Forest Rights Committee constituted by the village assembly
  • B. The Sub-Divisional Level Committee constituted by the State Government
  • C. The State Level Monitoring Committee constituted by the State Government
  • D. The District Level Committee constituted by the State Government

Q4. The law that extends Part IX of the Constitution relating to Panchayats to the Fifth Schedule areas, with exceptions and modifications, is administered at the Union level — including through a dedicated cell created for oversight and coordination — by which one of the following?

  • A. The Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which is also the nodal ministry for the recognition of forest rights
  • B. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which handles Centre-State relations and internal security in tribal districts
  • C. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj, which also conducts the annual observance marking the law's anniversary
  • D. The Ministry of Rural Development, which implements land records and rural livelihoods programmes

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the approval of proposals for diversion of forest land: 1. Stage-I approval is an in-principle approval that stipulates conditions such as identification of land for compensatory afforestation and payment of net present value, whereas Stage-II is the final approval granted upon compliance with those conditions. 2. Proposals involving diversion of up to 40 hectares of forest land are decided by the Forest Advisory Committee, while proposals above that limit are decided by the Regional Empowered Committees in the regional offices. 3. The amending Act of 2023 renamed the parent legislation of 1980 as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Stage-I approval is an in-principle approval that stipulates conditions such as identification of land for compensatory afforestation and payment of net present value, whereas Stage-II is the final approval granted upon compliance with those conditions.
  2. Proposals involving diversion of up to 40 hectares of forest land are decided by the Forest Advisory Committee, while proposals above that limit are decided by the Regional Empowered Committees in the regional offices.
  3. The amending Act of 2023 renamed the parent legislation of 1980 as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. A user agency submits a proposal seeking diversion of 25 hectares of forest land for a non-forest purpose. Which authority takes the decision on such a proposal?

  • A. The Forest Advisory Committee at the headquarters of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • B. The Regional Empowered Committee at the concerned regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • C. The State Level Monitoring Committee constituted under the Forest Rights Act, 2006
  • D. The District Level Committee headed by the District Collector under the Forest Rights Rules, 2007

Q7. The Teesta-IV Hydroelectric Project of NHPC, a run-of-the-river scheme in the North district of Sikkim whose forest diversion remains contested, has a proposed installed capacity of 520 MW to be generated through how many units?

  • A. 2 units
  • B. 4 units
  • C. 6 units
  • D. 8 units

Q8. Under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, land recognised as being under the occupation of an individual or family for the purpose of vesting individual forest rights is restricted to the area under actual occupation, and shall in no case exceed:

  • A. One hectare
  • B. Two hectares
  • C. Four hectares
  • D. Ten hectares