UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — PARLIAMENT QUESTION: OPERATIONALISATION OF DEEP TECH FUND OF FUNDS

Q1. In the context of the RDI Scheme, the term 'Deep-Tech Fund of Funds' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A fund that does not invest directly in startups but contributes capital to other (second-level) funds which in turn finance deep-tech enterprises
  • B. A direct grant window that disburses one-time cash awards to individual deep-tech researchers
  • C. A sovereign fund managed by the Reserve Bank of India for importing strategic technologies
  • D. A tax-exempt endowment maintained by universities exclusively for basic research

Q2. Under the RDI Scheme's two-tier structure, the first-tier Special Purpose Fund (SPF), which acts as custodian of the corpus, is established within which one of the following?

  • A. Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
  • B. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
  • C. NITI Aayog
  • D. Technology Development Board (TDB)

Q3. The Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), nominated as a Second-Level Fund Manager under the RDI Scheme, functions under which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Biotechnology
  • B. Department of Science and Technology
  • C. Department of Scientific and Industrial Research
  • D. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

Q4. Which one of the following statements about the appointment of TDB and BIRAC as Second-Level Fund Managers under the RDI Scheme is correct?

  • A. They were approved on a nomination basis and each allotted ₹2,000 crore in the first iteration
  • B. They are the only entities that can ever serve as Second-Level Fund Managers under the scheme
  • C. They were selected exclusively through the call for additional SLFMs that closed on 31 January 2026
  • D. Each was allotted the entire ₹20,000 crore FY 2025-26 outlay of the scheme

Q5. The Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), which hosts the Special Purpose Fund for the RDI Scheme, has which one of the following as its administrative Department?

  • A. Department of Science and Technology
  • B. Ministry of Education
  • C. Department of Biotechnology
  • D. Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser

Q6. Under the Anusandhan National Research Foundation Act, 2023, the Governing Board of the Foundation is chaired by which one of the following?

  • A. The Prime Minister
  • B. The Union Minister of Science and Technology
  • C. The Principal Scientific Adviser
  • D. The President of India

Q7. Which one of the following was the first Second-Level Fund Manager to launch a Call for Proposals under the RDI Scheme in 2026?

  • A. Technology Development Board (TDB)
  • B. Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)
  • C. Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI)
  • D. Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) Special Purpose Fund

Q8. The operationalisation of the Deep-Tech Fund of Funds, as detailed in the February 2026 reply tabled in Parliament, falls under which one of the following Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Science and Technology
  • B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. Ministry of Finance

Q9. Which one of the following is the nodal Department for the implementation of the RDI Scheme?

  • A. Department of Science and Technology
  • B. Anusandhan National Research Foundation
  • C. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
  • D. NITI Aayog