UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Centre eases norms for defence exports, licences

Q1. For the export of parts and components of small arms and ammunition, which one of the following has been designated as the single point of contact for Indian exporters?

  • A. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. The Directorate General of Quality Assurance under the Ministry of Defence
  • C. The Department of Defence Production under the Ministry of Defence
  • D. The Department of Military Affairs under the Ministry of Defence

Q2. When the Open General Export Licence mechanism was first rolled out as a 'major push for defence exports', how many OGELs were approved by the Raksha Mantri?

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

Q3. The widening of Open General Export Licence country coverage from 41 specified countries to all countries other than negative/sensitive destinations and those under United Nations Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes was effected in which year and by which authority?

  • A. 2017, by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. 2020, by the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence
  • C. 2026, by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. 2026, by the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence

Q4. Under the revised Open General Export Licence framework, the special provision made for Indian firms holding long-term contracts with Foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers permits such a firm to obtain an OGEL whose validity is:

  • A. co-terminus with the validity period of the long-term contract itself
  • B. fixed at three years, irrespective of the duration of that contract
  • C. linked to the export licence held by that manufacturer in its home country
  • D. renewable every year upon submission of an internal compliance plan

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding the change made in 2026 to the requirement of inter-ministerial stakeholder consultation for Indian defence exports: 1. Before the revision, exports of non-lethal defence items attracted mandatory stakeholder consultation; this requirement has now been dispensed with for most destinations. 2. The consultation requirement has also been removed for exports of items meant for international tenders and exhibitions. 3. The revision extends the dispensation to every destination, including countries under United Nations Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Before the revision, exports of non-lethal defence items attracted mandatory stakeholder consultation; this requirement has now been dispensed with for most destinations.
  2. The consultation requirement has also been removed for exports of items meant for international tenders and exhibitions.
  3. The revision extends the dispensation to every destination, including countries under United Nations Security Council sanctions or arms embargoes.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. With reference to the 2026 revision of India's Defence Export Standard Operating Procedure, consider the following categories of export: 1. Non-lethal defence items destined for countries other than sensitive/negative destinations 2. Items sent abroad for participation in international tenders 3. Items sent abroad for display at international exhibitions 4. Lethal major platforms exported to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries Which of the above is/are correctly identified as categories for which mandatory inter-ministerial stakeholder consultation has been dispensed with?

  1. Non-lethal defence items destined for countries other than sensitive/negative destinations
  2. Items sent abroad for participation in international tenders
  3. Items sent abroad for display at international exhibitions
  4. Lethal major platforms exported to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 3 only

Q7. The Standard Operating Procedure governing the export of items falling in Category 6 (Munitions List) of the SCOMET list is issued by which one of the following?

  • A. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. The Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence
  • C. The Disarmament and International Security Affairs Division, Ministry of External Affairs
  • D. The Department of Defence Research and Development, Ministry of Defence

Q8. The Department of Defence Production functions as the licensing authority for export of Category 6 (Munitions List) items by virtue of which one of the following?

  • A. A delegation of authority by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade through a Public Notice issued in 2017
  • B. A licensing power conferred directly upon it by the Arms Act, 1959, as subsequently amended
  • C. A delegation of authority by the Ministry of External Affairs under India's Wassenaar Arrangement commitments
  • D. A provision of the Defence Acquisition Procedure, 2020, notified by the Ministry of Defence

Q9. India's defence exports touched their highest-ever annual level in the financial year 2025-26. Which one of the following correctly states that figure together with its growth over the preceding financial year?

  • A. Rs 23,622 crore, a growth of about 12 per cent
  • B. Rs 38,424 crore, a growth of about 63 per cent
  • C. Rs 38,424 crore, a growth of about 12 per cent
  • D. Rs 50,000 crore, a growth of about 63 per cent

Q10. In the financial year 2025-26, one segment of India's defence industry registered a year-on-year export surge of about 151 per cent. That surge was recorded by which one of the following?

  • A. Private sector defence manufacturing companies
  • B. Micro, small and medium enterprises in the defence sector
  • C. Technology-transfer licensees of the DRDO
  • D. Defence Public Sector Undertakings

Q11. In the context of India's defence industrial policy, a 'positive indigenisation list' notified by the Ministry of Defence is a list of items:

  • A. reserved exclusively for manufacture by Defence Public Sector Undertakings
  • B. permitted for export under an Open General Export Licence without prior authorisation
  • C. on which an embargo on import operates beyond the timeline indicated against each item
  • D. in which foreign direct investment is allowed through the automatic route

Q12. With reference to end-use assurance requirements in India's defence export control regime, which one of the following statements is correct?

  • A. A Government-signed end-use certificate is required for every export of Munitions List items, without any exception whatsoever.
  • B. For civil-end-use export of systems or platforms to Wassenaar Arrangement member countries, an end-use certificate or equivalent import certificate issued by the importing country's government is required.
  • C. End-use certificates for all Indian defence exports are issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on behalf of the exporting Indian company.
  • D. The requirement of any end-use assurance has been entirely done away with for all exports made under an Open General Export Licence.