UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — CSIR-NPL Strengthens National Quality Infrastructure with Inauguration of Two Apex Calibration Facilities
Q1. CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, designated India's National Metrology Institute, functions under the administrative control of which one of the following?
- A. The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research under the Ministry of Science and Technology
- B. The Bureau of Indian Standards under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- C. The Department of Legal Metrology under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
- D. The Quality Council of India under the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
Q2. In describing CSIR-NPL as India's National Metrology Institute (NMI), the term most precisely denotes an institution that:
- A. Realises, maintains and disseminates the national measurement standards (SI units) for the country
- B. Formulates and publishes the Indian Standards specifications for products and services
- C. Grants accreditation to testing and calibration laboratories as competent conformity-assessment bodies
- D. Enforces penalties on non-standard weighing and measuring instruments used in trade
Q3. With reference to CSIR-National Physical Laboratory, consider the following statements:
1. It is the National Metrology Institute of India.
2. It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
3. It is the national standards body responsible for formulating Indian Standards specifications.
4. It marked its 80th Foundation Day in January 2026.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It is the National Metrology Institute of India.
- It is a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
- It is the national standards body responsible for formulating Indian Standards specifications.
- It marked its 80th Foundation Day in January 2026.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 3 only
- D. 3 and 4
Q4. CSIR-NPL is one of how many constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)?
Q5. With reference to the two apex calibration facilities inaugurated at CSIR-NPL, consider the following statements:
1. The National Environmental Standard Laboratory is the world's second such facility.
2. The National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration is the world's fifth such facility.
3. The National Environmental Standard Laboratory was built using a laser-based Differential Spectral Responsivity system developed with PTB, Germany.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The National Environmental Standard Laboratory is the world's second such facility.
- The National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration is the world's fifth such facility.
- The National Environmental Standard Laboratory was built using a laser-based Differential Spectral Responsivity system developed with PTB, Germany.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q6. Which one of the following facilities inaugurated at CSIR-NPL's 80th Foundation Day made India a member of the elite global league in solar metrology?
- A. National Primary Standard Facility for Solar Cell Calibration
- B. National Environmental Standard Laboratory
- C. National Timescale Facility
- D. National Facility for Bharatiya Nirdeshak Dravya
Q7. The term 'National Quality Infrastructure (NQI)', which CSIR-NPL anchors, is best defined as the system comprising which of the following four pillars?
- A. Metrology, standardization, accreditation and conformity assessment
- B. Metrology, standardization, certification and patent protection
- C. Measurement, verification, inspection and market surveillance
- D. Standards, quality control, licensing and audit
Q8. With reference to the pillars of India's National Quality Infrastructure and their custodian institutions, consider the following statements:
1. CSIR-NPL is the custodian of the metrology pillar as India's National Metrology Institute.
2. The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body underpinning the standardization pillar.
3. The accreditation boards under the Quality Council of India support the accreditation pillar.
4. Conformity assessment is the only pillar that has no institutional custodian anywhere in India.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- CSIR-NPL is the custodian of the metrology pillar as India's National Metrology Institute.
- The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national standards body underpinning the standardization pillar.
- The accreditation boards under the Quality Council of India support the accreditation pillar.
- Conformity assessment is the only pillar that has no institutional custodian anywhere in India.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q9. With reference to the January 2026 inauguration of two apex calibration facilities at CSIR-NPL, consider the following statements:
1. The facilities were inaugurated on the occasion of CSIR-NPL's 80th Foundation Day.
2. The event was held at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi.
3. The facilities were inaugurated by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
4. The facilities inaugurated were the world's second environmental standard laboratory and the world's fifth solar cell calibration facility.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The facilities were inaugurated on the occasion of CSIR-NPL's 80th Foundation Day.
- The event was held at CSIR-NPL, New Delhi.
- The facilities were inaugurated by the Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- The facilities inaugurated were the world's second environmental standard laboratory and the world's fifth solar cell calibration facility.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q10. With its new solar cell calibration facility, CSIR-NPL became one of how many World Photovoltaic Scale laboratories in the world?
- A. Two
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Seven
Q11. Consider the following institutions:
1. CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune
2. CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur
3. CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow
4. Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
Which of the above are correctly identified as constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research?
- CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune
- CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), Nagpur
- CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI), Lucknow
- Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q12. With reference to the significance of the two CSIR-NPL facilities for clean-air regulation and solar PV, consider the following statements:
1. The National Environmental Standard Laboratory supports enforcement under the National Clean Air Programme by calibrating air-pollution monitoring instruments under Indian conditions.
2. The National Clean Air Programme was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
3. The solar cell calibration facility establishes a complete domestic traceability chain, reducing dependence on foreign calibration for photovoltaic metrology.
4. The National Clean Air Programme targets up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels by 2025-26.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The National Environmental Standard Laboratory supports enforcement under the National Clean Air Programme by calibrating air-pollution monitoring instruments under Indian conditions.
- The National Clean Air Programme was launched by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy.
- The solar cell calibration facility establishes a complete domestic traceability chain, reducing dependence on foreign calibration for photovoltaic metrology.
- The National Clean Air Programme targets up to a 40% reduction in PM10 levels by 2025-26.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 3 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4