UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India, Pak. exchange lists of prisoners and nuclear installations

Q1. The annual exchange of lists of nuclear installations between India and Pakistan on 1 January each year is mandated under which one of the following bilateral instruments?

  • A. The Simla Agreement, 1972
  • B. The Agreement on the Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, 1988
  • C. The Lahore Declaration, 1999
  • D. The Agreement on Consular Access, 2008

Q2. With reference to the 1988 India-Pakistan Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities and the 2008 India-Pakistan Agreement on Consular Access, consider the following statements: 1. The 1988 Agreement requires a list exchange only once a year (on 1 January), whereas the 2008 Agreement requires list exchanges twice a year (on 1 January and 1 July). 2. Both agreements entered into force in the same calendar year in which they were signed. 3. The 1988 Agreement prohibits attacks on the other party's nuclear facilities, while the 2008 Agreement provides for consular access to nationals detained in the other country. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 1988 Agreement requires a list exchange only once a year (on 1 January), whereas the 2008 Agreement requires list exchanges twice a year (on 1 January and 1 July).
  2. Both agreements entered into force in the same calendar year in which they were signed.
  3. The 1988 Agreement prohibits attacks on the other party's nuclear facilities, while the 2008 Agreement provides for consular access to nationals detained in the other country.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the 1988 India-Pakistan Agreement on Prohibition of Attacks against Nuclear Installations and Facilities, which of the following are expressly covered within the agreement's definition of 'nuclear installations and facilities'? 1. Nuclear power and research reactors 2. Uranium enrichment facilities 3. Isotope separation and reprocessing facilities 4. Ballistic missile storage and launch sites Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Nuclear power and research reactors
  2. Uranium enrichment facilities
  3. Isotope separation and reprocessing facilities
  4. Ballistic missile storage and launch sites
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. The exchange of nuclear-installation lists between India and Pakistan on 1 January 2026 was which consecutive annual exchange under the 1988 bilateral agreement?

  • A. 30th
  • B. 33rd
  • C. 35th
  • D. 38th

Q5. In the context of the 2008 India-Pakistan Agreement on Consular Access, the term 'consular access' is best defined as:

  • A. The right of either country's consular officers to visit, communicate with and render assistance to their nationals who are arrested, detained or imprisoned in the other country
  • B. The unconditional right of either country to extradite its nationals held in the other country irrespective of the offence
  • C. The right of either country's diplomats to physically inspect the other country's declared nuclear installations on a reciprocal basis
  • D. The right of nationals of either country to enter the other country visa-free for short-stay consular purposes
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

  • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore