UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Bengaluru engineer among 23 designated as terrorists by govt.
Q1. In the context of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, the term 'Fourth Schedule' refers to which one of the following?
- A. The list of individuals designated as terrorists by the Central Government
- B. The list of terrorist organisations banned by the Central Government
- C. The list of scheduled offences that may be investigated by a central agency
- D. The list of associations declared unlawful under the Act
Q2. The power to designate an individual as a terrorist by adding the name to the Fourth Schedule of the UAPA is exercised exclusively by which one of the following?
- A. The Central Government, operationalised through the Union Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. The National Investigation Agency
- C. The Union Ministry of Law and Justice
- D. A designated Special Court under the NIA Act
Q3. Under the UAPA, the Review Committee constituted to consider the de-notification of a designated individual terrorist is always headed by which one of the following?
- A. A sitting or retired judge of a High Court
- B. A sitting judge of the Supreme Court
- C. The Union Home Secretary
- D. A retired Director General of the National Investigation Agency
Q4. Under the UAPA, an application by a designated individual to the Central Government seeking removal of the name from the Fourth Schedule is made under which one of the following provisions?
- A. Section 36
- B. Section 35
- C. Section 37
- D. Section 43D
Q5. The July 2026 designation of 23 individuals as terrorists derives its statutory authority from an amendment to the UAPA enacted in which year?
- A. 2019
- B. 2004
- C. 2008
- D. 2012
Q6. The 2026 batch of 23 individual terrorist designations was formally notified by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs largely on the basis of investigations conducted by which one of the following agencies?
- A. National Investigation Agency
- B. Central Bureau of Investigation
- C. Enforcement Directorate
- D. Intelligence Bureau
Q7. With reference to the Rameshwaram Cafe blast, consider the following statements:
1. The blast occurred at the cafe's Whitefield branch in Bengaluru in 2024.
2. The National Investigation Agency registered the case on the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
3. The explosion was caused by a car-borne suicide bombing.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The blast occurred at the cafe's Whitefield branch in Bengaluru in 2024.
- The National Investigation Agency registered the case on the direction of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The explosion was caused by a car-borne suicide bombing.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q8. Among the 23 individuals designated in July 2026, the Bengaluru-origin engineer alleged to be the online handler of the module behind the Rameshwaram Cafe blast is which one of the following?
- A. Mohammed Shahid Faisal
- B. Mohammed Shariq
- C. Abdul Mateen Taha
- D. Mussavir Hussain Shazib
Q9. With reference to the National Investigation Agency, consider the following statements:
1. It was constituted under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
2. It can investigate scheduled offences across States without requiring the consent of the State Government.
3. Offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are among its scheduled offences.
4. It requires the prior consent of the concerned State Government before taking up any investigation within that State.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It was constituted under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
- It can investigate scheduled offences across States without requiring the consent of the State Government.
- Offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act are among its scheduled offences.
- It requires the prior consent of the concerned State Government before taking up any investigation within that State.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q10. In the context of the UAPA, which of the following are correctly identified as banned terrorist organisations listed in the First Schedule of the Act?
1. Lashkar-e-Taiba
2. Al-Qaeda
3. Islamic State (ISIS)
4. Mohammed Shahid Faisal
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Lashkar-e-Taiba
- Al-Qaeda
- Islamic State (ISIS)
- Mohammed Shahid Faisal
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q11. With reference to the Mangaluru cooker blast case, consider the following statements:
1. It involved a pressure-cooker IED that exploded inside an autorickshaw.
2. Its main accused was linked to an ISIS-inspired module.
3. The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation rather than the NIA.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It involved a pressure-cooker IED that exploded inside an autorickshaw.
- Its main accused was linked to an ISIS-inspired module.
- The case was investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation rather than the NIA.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. At the international level, the UN Security Council committee that imposes an assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo on individuals and entities associated with ISIL (Da'esh) and Al-Qaida was originally established under which one of the following resolutions?
- A. Resolution 1267 (1999)
- B. Resolution 1373 (2001)
- C. Resolution 1540 (2004)
- D. Resolution 2253 (2015)