UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The Iran war, India’s strategic autonomy challenges

Q1. The 2024 Long-Term Main Contract for developing the Shahid Beheshti Port Terminal at Chabahar was signed by India Ports Global Ltd with which Iranian counterpart body?

  • A. Ports and Maritime Organization (PMO) of Iran
  • B. National Iranian Oil Company
  • C. Iranian Offshore Oil Company
  • D. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy

Q2. How many statesmen are conventionally credited as the founding leaders of the Non-Aligned Movement at its first (Belgrade, 1961) conference — the doctrinal root of India's strategic autonomy?

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

Q3. In India's foreign-policy usage, 'strategic autonomy' most precisely denotes:

  • A. Independence of decision-making, preferring partnerships while shunning binding military alliances
  • B. Permanent neutrality requiring India to stay silent on every international conflict
  • C. Complete self-sufficiency in domestic defence manufacturing
  • D. A policy of declining to enter any bilateral or regional trade agreement

Q4. As per 2025 government data, away from which single maritime chokepoint has India most sharply reduced its crude-import routing, with about 70% of imports now bypassing it (up from ~55% earlier)?

  • A. Strait of Hormuz
  • B. Strait of Malacca
  • C. Bab-el-Mandeb
  • D. Suez Canal

Q5. India stopped importing Iranian crude oil in 2019 primarily as a direct consequence of which decision?

  • A. The United States discontinued the Significant Reduction Exemption (waiver) on Iranian crude purchases
  • B. A binding oil embargo imposed by the UN Security Council on Iran
  • C. A production quota cut imposed on India by OPEC+
  • D. An EU-wide sanctions regulation barring Indian refiners from Iranian crude

Q6. Which of the following are correctly identified as figures stated by the Government regarding India during the 2026 West Asia conflict?

  1. India held roughly 60 days of crude-oil rolling stock.
  2. Nearly 10 million Indians live and work in the Gulf countries.
  3. India's daily crude consumption is about 55 lakh barrels.
  4. India sources its crude from only about 15 countries.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q7. The conclusion of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement was jointly announced by PM Modi and EC President Ursula von der Leyen at which forum?

  • A. The 16th India-EU Summit
  • B. The G20 New Delhi Summit
  • C. The 15th India-EU Summit
  • D. A WTO Ministerial Conference