UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The alarming rise of medicalisation in India

Q1. In his seminal critique of modern medicine, Ivan Illich described 'iatrogenesis' (harm caused by medical intervention) as operating at how many distinct levels?

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

Q2. The critique of medicalisation is closely associated with the work 'Medical Nemesis: The Expropriation of Health', which was authored by Ivan Illich and first published in which year?

  • A. 1961
  • B. 1968
  • C. 1975
  • D. 1982

Q3. With reference to the Body Mass Index (BMI)-based medical fitness norms applied to aircraft cabin crew in India, consider the following statements: 1. The normal BMI band prescribed for male cabin crew is 18-25. 2. A cabin crew member found overweight is immediately and irreversibly deemed 'permanently unfit'. 3. The medical fitness standards for cabin crew are laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). 4. A member carrying the 'temporarily unfit' tag may continue flying duty for up to 19 months. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. The normal BMI band prescribed for male cabin crew is 18-25.
  2. A cabin crew member found overweight is immediately and irreversibly deemed 'permanently unfit'.
  3. The medical fitness standards for cabin crew are laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
  4. A member carrying the 'temporarily unfit' tag may continue flying duty for up to 19 months.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q4. Which single authority is the principal regulator that prescribes Body Mass Index and medical fitness standards for aircraft cabin crew in India?

  • A. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • B. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
  • C. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
  • D. Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)

Q5. In September 2025 the World Health Organization added certain incretin-based medicines to its Model List of Essential Medicines. Consider the following statements: 1. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. 2. Tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1/GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor agonist. 3. Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist. 4. Metformin is a GLP-1 receptor agonist newly added to the list in 2025. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
  2. Tirzepatide is a dual GLP-1/GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) receptor agonist.
  3. Liraglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.
  4. Metformin is a GLP-1 receptor agonist newly added to the list in 2025.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q6. Following the expiry of Novo Nordisk's semaglutide patent in India in March 2026, over how many branded generic versions of the drug were launched by Indian drugmakers in that month?

  • A. About 10
  • B. About 25
  • C. About 50
  • D. About 100

Q7. In reports on India's non-communicable disease burden, 'dyslipidaemia' — found in over 80% of Indians in the ICMR-INDIAB study — most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An abnormal imbalance of blood lipids such as cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein
  • B. Persistently elevated fasting blood glucose above the diabetic threshold
  • C. Excess deposition of visceral fat around the abdomen
  • D. Chronically raised arterial blood pressure

Q8. The national 'INDIAB' study, which generated India's headline estimates of diabetes, prediabetes and obesity prevalence, was conducted primarily under the aegis of which body?

  • A. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
  • B. National Sample Survey Office (NSSO)
  • C. International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS)
  • D. National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)

Q9. With reference to the regulation of new drugs in India, consider the following statements: 1. New drugs are approved by the CDSCO, which functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. 2. Under the 2025 amendments, certain low-risk bioavailability/bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies may be initiated on a simple online intimation instead of prior permission. 3. The New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 require fresh clinical trials in India in every case, with no waiver permitted even where a drug is already approved abroad. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. New drugs are approved by the CDSCO, which functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
  2. Under the 2025 amendments, certain low-risk bioavailability/bioequivalence (BA/BE) studies may be initiated on a simple online intimation instead of prior permission.
  3. The New Drugs and Clinical Trials Rules, 2019 require fresh clinical trials in India in every case, with no waiver permitted even where a drug is already approved abroad.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. Under the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases (NP-NCD), population-based screening for common NCDs such as hypertension and diabetes covers all individuals of what age and above?

  • A. 18 years
  • B. 25 years
  • C. 30 years
  • D. 45 years

Q11. The proposed 'Indian Nutrition Rating' (INR) star-based system for front-of-pack nutrition labelling of packaged foods is being framed under the authority of which statutory body?

  • A. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
  • B. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)
  • C. National Institute of Nutrition (NIN)
  • D. Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)

Q12. The standard classification of Body Mass Index that fixes a value of 25 kg/m² and above as 'overweight' and 30 kg/m² and above as 'obese' is laid down by which body?

  • A. World Health Organization (WHO)
  • B. Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
  • C. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI)
  • D. US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)