UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Incremental change

Q1. Under India's CAFE norms, the M1 category of passenger vehicles to which the standards apply is defined as motor vehicles designed to carry a maximum of how many persons (including the driver)?

  • A. Seven
  • B. Eight
  • C. Nine
  • D. Twelve

Q2. Which one of the following best describes what India's Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms regulate?

  • A. A per-model tailpipe emission limit that every individual vehicle variant must meet before sale
  • B. The sales-weighted fleet-average fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of all vehicles sold by a manufacturer in a fiscal year
  • C. A cap on the total number of internal-combustion vehicles a manufacturer may sell in a year
  • D. The maximum permissible in-use emissions measured during periodic pollution-under-control testing

Q3. The Indian CAFE standard is often described as 'weight-based'. Which one of the following correctly captures what this means?

  • A. The permissible fleet CO2 target rises with the manufacturer's corporate average kerb weight, so a heavier average fleet is allowed a higher CO2 limit
  • B. Only vehicles above a specified kerb weight are required to comply with the norms
  • C. The penalty for non-compliance is calculated purely on the total tonnage of vehicles sold
  • D. Each vehicle is taxed in proportion to its kerb weight at the time of registration

Q4. India's Corporate Average Fuel Efficiency (CAFE) norms for passenger vehicles were notified under the provisions of which one of the following statutes?

  • A. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
  • B. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
  • C. The Energy Conservation Act, 2001
  • D. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988

Q5. With reference to the revised CAFE-III draft on which automakers reached agreement in April 2026, as compared with the earlier draft, consider the following statements: 1. The earlier draft had proposed a weight-based concession for small petrol cars, which the revised draft removed. 2. The revised draft completely eliminated every form of compliance flexibility that the earlier draft had contained. 3. Under the revised draft, manufacturers can no longer use any credit-based compliance mechanism whatsoever. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The earlier draft had proposed a weight-based concession for small petrol cars, which the revised draft removed.
  2. The revised draft completely eliminated every form of compliance flexibility that the earlier draft had contained.
  3. Under the revised draft, manufacturers can no longer use any credit-based compliance mechanism whatsoever.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q6. The CAFE-III fuel-efficiency norms, on which automakers reached agreement in 2026, are framed and operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power
  • B. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  • C. The Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • D. The Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment

Q7. The 2025 vote in which most carmakers rejected the proposed weight-based exemption for small cars under the CAFE norms was taken at the CEOs Council of which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM)
  • B. Automotive Component Manufacturers Association (ACMA)
  • C. Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA)
  • D. International Centre for Automotive Technology (ICAT)

Q8. With reference to the November 2025 SIAM CEOs Council vote on the proposed weight-based small-car exemption under the CAFE norms, consider the following statements: 1. Maruti Suzuki India voted in favour of the small-car exemption. 2. Renault voted against the small-car exemption. 3. Hyundai voted against the small-car exemption. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Maruti Suzuki India voted in favour of the small-car exemption.
  2. Renault voted against the small-car exemption.
  3. Hyundai voted against the small-car exemption.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. Consider the following statements regarding transport-sector emissions and their regulation in India: 1. Transport is India's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions. 2. Within the transport sector, road transport accounts for the overwhelming majority of emissions. 3. The CAFE norms apply uniformly to all categories of road vehicles, including heavy trucks and buses. 4. Passenger-vehicle fuel-efficiency regulation is regarded as a key lever for decarbonising transport. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Transport is India's third-largest source of greenhouse gas emissions.
  2. Within the transport sector, road transport accounts for the overwhelming majority of emissions.
  3. The CAFE norms apply uniformly to all categories of road vehicles, including heavy trucks and buses.
  4. Passenger-vehicle fuel-efficiency regulation is regarded as a key lever for decarbonising transport.
  • A. 3 only
  • B. 1 and 3
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 3 and 4

Q10. With reference to greenhouse gas emissions from India's transport sector, consider the following statements: 1. Transport is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in India, exceeding every other sector. 2. Road transport contributes the vast majority of transport-sector emissions, far exceeding rail or aviation. 3. All sub-modes of transport contribute in roughly equal share to India's transport-sector emissions. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Transport is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in India, exceeding every other sector.
  2. Road transport contributes the vast majority of transport-sector emissions, far exceeding rail or aviation.
  3. All sub-modes of transport contribute in roughly equal share to India's transport-sector emissions.
  • A. 2 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. Under the Bureau of Energy Efficiency's Standards and Labelling programme, appliances are rated on an energy-efficiency scale running up to a maximum of how many stars?

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