UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Rahul meets Nicobarese community, promises to fight against infra project

Q1. Consider the following communities. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as aboriginal tribes protected under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956?

  1. Sentinelese
  2. Onge
  3. Shom Pen
  4. Chenchu
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Which one of the following sets of characteristics best describes the criteria used to identify a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

  • A. Pre-agricultural level of technology, stagnant or declining population, extremely low literacy and a subsistence economy
  • B. Any Scheduled Tribe whose total population is below one lakh in a given State
  • C. Every tribal community residing exclusively within a notified Scheduled Area under the Fifth Schedule
  • D. All nomadic and de-notified tribes recognised under a single central legislation

Q3. Under the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Protection of Aboriginal Tribes) Regulation, 1956, a 'tribal reserve' is best described as—

  • A. An area declared by notification as predominantly inhabited by aboriginal tribes, within which entry, land acquisition and trade by outsiders are restricted or prohibited
  • B. An area where tribes displaced by natural disasters are permanently resettled with full ownership titles
  • C. A forest area set aside solely for afforestation and eco-tourism managed by the tribes
  • D. An autonomous territory governed by an elected tribal council under the Sixth Schedule

Q4. The environmental clearance granted in November 2022 for the Great Nicobar project was accorded by the Expert Appraisal Committee of which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • B. Ministry of Tribal Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • D. Ministry of Home Affairs

Q5. The Great Nicobar transshipment port site is stated to lie approximately how many nautical miles from the East-West international shipping route?

  • A. 20
  • B. 40
  • C. 90
  • D. 145

Q6. With reference to Rahul Gandhi's April 2026 visit to Great Nicobar and its context, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. He undertook the visit in his capacity as the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha.
  2. He met members of the Nicobarese community at Rajiv Nagar in Campbell Bay.
  3. Many Nicobarese families had been displaced following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
  4. The Nicobarese, whose grievances he heard, are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 4 only