UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Delayed honour

Q1. During Operation Sindoor in May 2025, Indian armed forces carried out precision strikes on how many terror infrastructure targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir?

  • A. Four
  • B. Six
  • C. Nine
  • D. Twelve

Q2. With reference to Operation Sindoor (2025), consider the following statements: 1. It was launched on 7 May 2025. 2. The strikes were carried out exclusively by the Indian Air Force. 3. The understanding to cease all firing took effect from 1700 hours IST on 10 May 2025. 4. The targets included terror camps at Bahawalpur and Muridke. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It was launched on 7 May 2025.
  2. The strikes were carried out exclusively by the Indian Air Force.
  3. The understanding to cease all firing took effect from 1700 hours IST on 10 May 2025.
  4. The targets included terror camps at Bahawalpur and Muridke.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Indian security officials identified The Resistance Front (TRF), which initially claimed the April 2025 Pahalgam attack, as an offshoot of which parent terrorist organisation?

  • A. Jaish-e-Mohammed
  • B. Lashkar-e-Taiba
  • C. Hizbul Mujahideen
  • D. Al-Badr

Q4. With reference to the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack, consider the following statements: 1. It took place on 22 April 2025. 2. Forty civilians were killed in the attack. 3. It occurred in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir. 4. The attackers were later neutralised in a follow-up operation codenamed Operation Mahadev. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. It took place on 22 April 2025.
  2. Forty civilians were killed in the attack.
  3. It occurred in the Anantnag district of Jammu and Kashmir.
  4. The attackers were later neutralised in a follow-up operation codenamed Operation Mahadev.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. Which one of the following best describes the office of the Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) in India?

  • A. A senior Army officer who plans and oversees military operations and is the designated point of contact for military-to-military communication with the adversary's counterpart
  • B. The single-point military adviser to the Cabinet who heads the Department of Military Affairs
  • C. The four-star tri-service chief who exercises operational command over the Army, Navy and Air Force
  • D. The constitutional Supreme Commander of the armed forces

Q6. Regarding the conduct of the 11 May 2025 Operation Sindoor briefing, consider the following statements: 1. The DGMO who briefed was an officer of the Indian Army, while air operations were presented by the Director General Air Operations. 2. The briefing was addressed jointly by the DGMO together with Air Force and Navy representatives. 3. The DGMO at the time held the rank of a full (four-star) General. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The DGMO who briefed was an officer of the Indian Army, while air operations were presented by the Director General Air Operations.
  2. The briefing was addressed jointly by the DGMO together with Air Force and Navy representatives.
  3. The DGMO at the time held the rank of a full (four-star) General.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. With reference to the acknowledgment of Indian casualties in Operation Sindoor, consider the following statements: 1. At the 11 May 2025 DGMO briefing, tribute was paid to personnel who made the supreme sacrifice without disclosing their names. 2. The fallen soldiers were cremated with full military honours. 3. All six soldiers were publicly named by the government at the same 11 May 2025 briefing. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. At the 11 May 2025 DGMO briefing, tribute was paid to personnel who made the supreme sacrifice without disclosing their names.
  2. The fallen soldiers were cremated with full military honours.
  3. All six soldiers were publicly named by the government at the same 11 May 2025 briefing.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. More than a year after Operation Sindoor, the government formally acknowledged that how many Indian soldiers had been killed during the operation?

  • A. Four
  • B. Six
  • C. Eight
  • D. Twelve

Q9. Under Section 24 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, where information concerning allegations of human rights violations is sought from an exempted intelligence or security organisation, within how many days must such information be provided after the requisite approval?

  • A. 30 days
  • B. 45 days
  • C. 60 days
  • D. 90 days

Q10. In the context of the 'delayed honour' debate over Operation Sindoor casualties, consider the following statements: 1. The editorial criticism held that the delay in acknowledging casualties served partisan political interest rather than national interest. 2. The state's duty to publicly honour those who die in its service is regarded as a foundational ethical obligation. 3. It is the Director General of Military Operations, rather than the political executive, who bears the constitutional responsibility for the public acknowledgment of war casualties. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The editorial criticism held that the delay in acknowledging casualties served partisan political interest rather than national interest.
  2. The state's duty to publicly honour those who die in its service is regarded as a foundational ethical obligation.
  3. It is the Director General of Military Operations, rather than the political executive, who bears the constitutional responsibility for the public acknowledgment of war casualties.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. With reference to India's cross-border counter-terror operations, consider the following statements: 1. The 2016 surgical strikes were launched in response to the Uri attack. 2. The Balakot air strike was carried out in 2019. 3. Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 2025 Pahalgam attack. 4. Operation Sindoor was carried out solely by ground forces crossing the Line of Control. Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?

  1. The 2016 surgical strikes were launched in response to the Uri attack.
  2. The Balakot air strike was carried out in 2019.
  3. Operation Sindoor was launched in response to the April 2025 Pahalgam attack.
  4. Operation Sindoor was carried out solely by ground forces crossing the Line of Control.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q12. Regarding constitutional command over India's armed forces, consider the following statements: 1. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces. 2. The supreme command of the armed forces is part of the executive power of the Union vested in the President under Article 53. 3. The President exercises this supreme command independently of, and without being bound by, the advice of the Council of Ministers. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces.
  2. The supreme command of the armed forces is part of the executive power of the Union vested in the President under Article 53.
  3. The President exercises this supreme command independently of, and without being bound by, the advice of the Council of Ministers.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3
  • 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