UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India–Oman CEPA

Q1. Which one of the following was the first Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member country with which India concluded a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)?

  • A. United Arab Emirates
  • B. Oman
  • C. Bahrain
  • D. Saudi Arabia

Q2. The India–Oman CEPA was signed on India's behalf by the Union Minister heading which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. Ministry of External Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Finance
  • D. Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Q3. In the context of the tariff schedules referred to in the India–Oman CEPA (e.g. India's 12,556 tariff lines), the term 'tariff line' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A specific product entry, typically at the HS-code level, in a country's customs tariff schedule
  • B. The rate of customs duty levied on a particular imported product
  • C. The maximum quantity of a product that may be imported at a concessional duty
  • D. A category of exporters eligible for preferential market access

Q4. With reference to the tariff concessions under the India–Oman CEPA, consider the following statements: 1. Oman offers zero-duty access on 98.08% of its tariff lines. 2. Oman's tariff concession covers 99.38% of India's export value to Oman. 3. India offers tariff liberalisation on 77.79% of its tariff lines. 4. India's tariff concession covers 94.81% of India's export value to Oman. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Oman offers zero-duty access on 98.08% of its tariff lines.
  2. Oman's tariff concession covers 99.38% of India's export value to Oman.
  3. India offers tariff liberalisation on 77.79% of its tariff lines.
  4. India's tariff concession covers 94.81% of India's export value to Oman.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4

Q5. Among the following trade agreements concluded by India, which one grants Indian exporters zero-duty access on the highest share of the partner country's tariff lines?

  • A. India–Oman CEPA
  • B. India–UAE CEPA
  • C. India–Australia ECTA
  • D. India–Mauritius CECPA

Q6. A Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), of the kind India has signed with the UAE and Oman, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. An agreement covering trade in goods, services, investment and wider economic cooperation
  • B. An arrangement extending tariff preferences on a limited, agreed list of goods only
  • C. An agreement that establishes a common external tariff among its members
  • D. A pact confined solely to the elimination of tariffs on merchandise goods

Q7. With reference to India's tariff offer to Oman under the CEPA, consider the following statements: 1. India excluded dairy products from its tariff concessions to Oman. 2. India applied a Tariff Rate Quota mechanism to certain sensitive items instead of full elimination. 3. India granted full duty elimination on every agricultural product imported from Oman. 4. India's exclusion list was designed to safeguard domestic farmers. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. India excluded dairy products from its tariff concessions to Oman.
  2. India applied a Tariff Rate Quota mechanism to certain sensitive items instead of full elimination.
  3. India granted full duty elimination on every agricultural product imported from Oman.
  4. India's exclusion list was designed to safeguard domestic farmers.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 2 only

Q8. Comparing the tariff concessions exchanged under the India–Oman CEPA, consider the following statements: 1. Oman extends duty-free access on 98.08% of its tariff lines, a higher share than the 77.79% India extends to Oman. 2. India's concessions cover 94.81% of its imports from Oman by value, whereas Oman's concessions cover 99.38% of India's exports by value. 3. Both India and Oman maintained identical dairy exclusion lists under the CEPA. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Oman extends duty-free access on 98.08% of its tariff lines, a higher share than the 77.79% India extends to Oman.
  2. India's concessions cover 94.81% of its imports from Oman by value, whereas Oman's concessions cover 99.38% of India's exports by value.
  3. Both India and Oman maintained identical dairy exclusion lists under the CEPA.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. With reference to Oman and its economic ties with India, consider the following: 1. Oman is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council. 2. India–Oman bilateral trade was about USD 10.61 billion in FY 2024–25. 3. Oman is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association. 4. Oman is a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Oman is a member of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
  2. India–Oman bilateral trade was about USD 10.61 billion in FY 2024–25.
  3. Oman is a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association.
  4. Oman is a founding member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q10. Within the Government of India, the nodal agency responsible for negotiating and operationalising the India–Oman CEPA is which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • B. Directorate General of Foreign Trade
  • C. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • D. Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance

Q11. Under the India–Oman CEPA, Oman has undertaken market-access commitments in services. Which of the following are correctly identified as service sectors covered by Oman's commitments? 1. Computer-related services 2. Research and development services 3. Education services 4. Public administration and defence services Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Computer-related services
  2. Research and development services
  3. Education services
  4. Public administration and defence services
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q12. With reference to the diplomatic history underlying the India–Oman CEPA, consider the following statements: 1. India and Oman established diplomatic relations in 1955. 2. Bilateral relations were elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership in 2008. 3. The India–Oman CEPA, signed in December 2025, coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations. 4. Oman joined the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1955, the same year it established diplomatic ties with India. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. India and Oman established diplomatic relations in 1955.
  2. Bilateral relations were elevated to the level of a Strategic Partnership in 2008.
  3. The India–Oman CEPA, signed in December 2025, coincided with the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations.
  4. Oman joined the Gulf Cooperation Council in 1955, the same year it established diplomatic ties with India.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 3 and 4