UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Dr Jitendra Singh interacts with journalists at Media Round Table

Q1. Which one of the following organisations is primarily responsible for the design, quality assurance, construction and operation of India's commercial nuclear power reactors under the Department of Atomic Energy?

  • A. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
  • B. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
  • C. Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)
  • D. NTPC Limited

Q2. According to the Minister, exactly how many reactors — totalling about 8,000 MW — are to be constructed and commissioned across six States to raise India's nuclear capacity to 22,480 MW by 2031-32?

  • A. Five
  • B. Ten
  • C. Twenty
  • D. Twenty-eight

Q3. Which one of the following institutions is developing India's indigenous Small Modular Reactor designs such as the BSMR-200 and SMR-55 under the Nuclear Energy Mission?

  • A. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
  • B. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL)
  • C. Indian Rare Earths Limited (IREL)
  • D. NTPC Limited

Q4. In the context of India's nuclear programme, the term 'Bharat Small Reactor (BSR)' most precisely refers to:

  • A. A 220 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor, based on proven PHWR technology, suited for captive deployment near energy-intensive industries
  • B. A fast breeder reactor fuelled by plutonium-uranium mixed oxide
  • C. A high-temperature gas-cooled reactor dedicated to hydrogen generation
  • D. An imported light-water reactor of capacity below 100 MW

Q5. Which one of the following is designated as the first uncrewed orbital flight of the Gaganyaan programme, intended to qualify systems ahead of the crewed mission?

  • A. G1
  • B. TV-D1
  • C. TV-D2
  • D. G3

Q6. The overarching strategic direction to the ₹1 lakh crore Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) Scheme is provided by the Governing Board of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation, which is chaired by:

  • A. The Prime Minister
  • B. The Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India
  • C. The Union Minister of Science and Technology
  • D. The Vice-Chairman of NITI Aayog

Q7. Under the two-tiered funding mechanism of the RDI Scheme, the 'Special Purpose Fund (SPF)' is best described as:

  • A. A fund set up within the ANRF that acts as custodian of the corpus and channels capital to second-level fund managers rather than investing directly in firms
  • B. A fund that directly disburses grants to individual startups and industries
  • C. A sovereign wealth fund managed by the Reserve Bank of India for strategic sectors
  • D. A venture capital fund operated jointly by the Technology Development Board and BIRAC