UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Street vendors asked not to put up stalls along BRICS routes

Q1. The Bill that was enacted as the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014 was introduced in Parliament in 2012 by which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. The Ministry of Labour and Employment, Government of India
  • B. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Government of India
  • C. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation, Government of India
  • D. The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India

Q2. With reference to the Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, consider the following statements: 1. Not less than 40 per cent of the members of a Town Vending Committee are to be street vendors chosen through election, of whom one-third shall be women. 2. The street vending plan prepared for a local authority is to be reviewed and updated once every five years. 3. Representatives of the local police are kept out of the Town Vending Committee so as to preserve its impartiality towards vendors. 4. The independent dispute redressal mechanism for street vendors is to be headed by the serving Municipal Commissioner of the local authority. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Not less than 40 per cent of the members of a Town Vending Committee are to be street vendors chosen through election, of whom one-third shall be women.
  2. The street vending plan prepared for a local authority is to be reviewed and updated once every five years.
  3. Representatives of the local police are kept out of the Town Vending Committee so as to preserve its impartiality towards vendors.
  4. The independent dispute redressal mechanism for street vendors is to be headed by the serving Municipal Commissioner of the local authority.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q3. The restructured PM SVANidhi scheme, whose lending period has been extended to 31 March 2030, sets a coverage target of how many street vendor beneficiaries in all?

  • A. 50 lakh street vendors in all
  • B. 1.15 crore street vendors in all
  • C. 1.12 crore street vendors in all
  • D. 75.5 lakh street vendors in all

Q4. Implementation of the restructured PM SVANidhi scheme is the joint responsibility of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs and which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance
  • B. The Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance
  • C. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. The Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Finance

Q5. Which one of the following statements regarding the 18th BRICS Summit held at New Delhi is correct?

  • A. It was the first BRICS Summit ever hosted by India, Bharat Mandapam having been designated the permanent venue for the grouping.
  • B. India assumed the BRICS Chairship on 1 January 2026, this being the fourth occasion on which India has chaired the grouping.
  • C. The BRICS Chairship rotates exclusively among the five founding members, all subsequently admitted members being permanently ineligible to chair.
  • D. Every BRICS Summit hosted in Asia has necessarily been convened under a common standing theme of Global South solidarity.

Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the 18th BRICS Summit with the immediately preceding edition: 1. The 17th Summit was convened at Rio de Janeiro under Brazil's chairship in July 2025, whereas the 18th Summit was convened at New Delhi in September 2026. 2. Indonesia took part as a full member of BRICS at both these Summits, having joined the grouping in January 2025. 3. The theme of India's 2026 Chairship, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', was carried forward unchanged from the motto adopted for the preceding chairship. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 17th Summit was convened at Rio de Janeiro under Brazil's chairship in July 2025, whereas the 18th Summit was convened at New Delhi in September 2026.
  2. Indonesia took part as a full member of BRICS at both these Summits, having joined the grouping in January 2025.
  3. The theme of India's 2026 Chairship, 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability', was carried forward unchanged from the motto adopted for the preceding chairship.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. Indonesia formally joined BRICS as a full member in January 2025. The BRICS Chairship for that year was held by which one of the following member countries?

  • A. Brazil
  • B. The Russian Federation
  • C. South Africa
  • D. India

Q8. With reference to the Certificate of Vending (CoV) and the Letter of Recommendation (LoR), consider the following statements: 1. The Certificate of Vending is issued by the Town Vending Committee to eligible street vendors after obtaining an undertaking from them. 2. The Letter of Recommendation route was created for vendors who possess neither an identity card nor a Certificate of Vending and do not figure in the surveyed list. 3. The Letter of Recommendation is issued by the lending bank branch after it completes credit appraisal of the applicant vendor. 4. Holding either a Certificate of Vending or a Letter of Recommendation is a precondition for applying for a loan under PM SVANidhi. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Certificate of Vending is issued by the Town Vending Committee to eligible street vendors after obtaining an undertaking from them.
  2. The Letter of Recommendation route was created for vendors who possess neither an identity card nor a Certificate of Vending and do not figure in the surveyed list.
  3. The Letter of Recommendation is issued by the lending bank branch after it completes credit appraisal of the applicant vendor.
  4. Holding either a Certificate of Vending or a Letter of Recommendation is a precondition for applying for a loan under PM SVANidhi.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q9. Under the Street Vendors Act, 2014, the eviction or relocation of street vendors is barred until which one of the following conditions has been satisfied?

  • A. The street vending plan for the local authority has been notified in the Official Gazette
  • B. The grievance redressal committee has disposed of all complaints pending before it
  • C. The survey of street vendors has been completed and certificates of vending issued to all eligible vendors
  • D. The local authority has allotted alternative vending sites of equivalent commercial value

Q10. With reference to the legal position of street vendors when temporary restrictions are imposed on vending for security reasons, consider the following statements: 1. The right of street vendors to carry on trade on street pavements, if properly regulated, is traceable to the freedom guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Constitution. 2. Representatives of the local police are among the constituents of the Town Vending Committee set up under the Street Vendors Act, 2014. 3. The Street Vendors Act, 2014 provides for payment of statutory compensation to certificate-holding vendors for income lost during temporary closures ordered on security grounds. 4. The protection of the Street Vendors Act, 2014 extends only to vendors already holding a Certificate of Vending, surveyed vendors awaiting certificates having no protection against removal. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The right of street vendors to carry on trade on street pavements, if properly regulated, is traceable to the freedom guaranteed under Article 19(1) of the Constitution.
  2. Representatives of the local police are among the constituents of the Town Vending Committee set up under the Street Vendors Act, 2014.
  3. The Street Vendors Act, 2014 provides for payment of statutory compensation to certificate-holding vendors for income lost during temporary closures ordered on security grounds.
  4. The protection of the Street Vendors Act, 2014 extends only to vendors already holding a Certificate of Vending, surveyed vendors awaiting certificates having no protection against removal.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q11. The Agreement establishing the New Development Bank was signed by the BRICS member states at which one of the following summits?

  • A. The 5th BRICS Summit held at Durban, South Africa, in March 2013
  • B. The 6th BRICS Summit held at Fortaleza, Brazil, in July 2014
  • C. The 7th BRICS Summit held at Ufa, Russia, in July 2015
  • D. The 4th BRICS Summit held at New Delhi, India, in March 2012