UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Tourism and trade

Q1. With reference to the phased development of the Great Nicobar Island project, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Phase I (2025-35) covers an area of 72.12 sq. km.
  2. Phase II (2036-41) covers a larger area than Phase III (2042-47).
  3. The total project area across all three phases is 166.10 sq. km.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. With reference to India's dependence on foreign ports for transhipment cargo, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. About 75% of India's transhipment cargo is currently handled at foreign ports.
  2. Colombo, Singapore and Port Klang together handle more than 85% of India's transhipped cargo.
  3. Among these, Port Klang alone handles about 45% of India's transhipped cargo.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Regarding the ports involved in handling India's transhipment cargo, which of the following is/are correctly identified?

  1. Colombo — handles the largest single share, about 45%, of India's transhipped cargo handled abroad.
  2. Singapore — one of the three foreign hubs handling the bulk of India's transhipment cargo.
  3. Port Klang — a Malaysian port among the major transhipment hubs for Indian cargo.
  4. Galathea Bay — the port currently handling the largest share of India's transhipped cargo.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q4. With reference to the environmental aspects of the Great Nicobar Island project, which of the following statements is/are correctly identified?

  1. Galathea Bay is India and Southeast Asia's largest known leatherback turtle nesting site.
  2. The environmental clearance for the project was granted in November 2022 with 42 specific conditions.
  3. Coral colonies in the port construction area are proposed to be translocated.
  4. The National Green Tribunal quashed the project's environmental clearance in February 2026.
  • A. 1 and 4
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. How many specific conditions were attached to the environmental clearance granted to the Great Nicobar Island project in November 2022?

  • A. 22
  • B. 32
  • C. 42
  • D. 52

Q6. Regarding the indigenous communities and tribal reserve affected by the Great Nicobar Island project, which of the following statements is/are correctly identified?

  1. The Shompen are classified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG).
  2. The Nicobarese are a Scheduled Tribe.
  3. About 84.10 sq. km of tribal reserve was denotified for the project.
  4. The entire Great Nicobar tribal reserve of 751.01 sq. km was denotified for the project.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q7. Which one of the following best describes the basis on which a community, such as the Shompen, is identified as a Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Group (PVTG)?

  • A. A sub-category of Scheduled Tribes identified on the basis of a pre-agricultural level of technology, low literacy, and a stagnant or declining population
  • B. A sub-category of Scheduled Castes identified on the basis of manual scavenging occupations and landlessness
  • C. A category of religious minorities identified on the basis of linguistic distinctiveness
  • D. A category of Other Backward Classes identified on the basis of a nomadic lifestyle and low income

Q8. Which one of the following, located on Great Nicobar Island, is the southernmost point of India's territory?

  • A. Indira Point
  • B. Point Calimere
  • C. Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin)
  • D. Dhanushkodi

Q9. With reference to the strategic geography of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Six Degree Channel separates Great Nicobar Island from Sumatra, Indonesia.
  2. The Ten Degree Channel separates the Andaman group of islands from the Nicobar group.
  3. The port at Galathea Bay lies close to the Malacca Strait, a key East–West shipping route.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. With reference to the draft master plan notified for Great Nicobar Island, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The plan projects the island's population to reach 3.36 lakh by 2055.
  2. The plan projects an annual tourist inflow of over one million.
  3. The plan envisages over 70% of direct employment in manufacturing and heavy industry.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. The 'Holistic Development of Great Nicobar Island' project was conceived by which one of the following bodies?

  • A. NITI Aayog
  • B. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • C. Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation (ANIIDCO)
  • D. Sagarmala Development Company Limited