UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — DAC clears Rs 3.60 lakh crore worth of capital acquisition proposals to enhance the combat readiness of defence forces

Q1. Under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which one of the following is the most prioritised (highest-preference) procurement category?

  • A. Buy (Global)
  • B. Buy (Indian – Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured)
  • C. Buy and Make (Indian)
  • D. Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)

Q2. With reference to the evolution from the Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) to DAP 2020, which of the following statements are correct?

  1. The DPP was issued in successive editions in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2013 and 2016 before being replaced.
  2. DAP 2020 came into effect on 1 October 2020.
  3. DAP 2020 was the first-ever Indian procurement framework to embody any element of the 'Make in India' thrust.
  4. DAP 2020 applies only to revenue procurement and not to capital acquisition.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 1 only

Q3. In the context of the February 2026 DAC clearance, 'Acceptance of Necessity (AoN)' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The first-stage, in-principle approval that also fixes the categorisation (procurement route) of a capital case
  • B. The final financial sanction accorded by the Competent Financial Authority just before contract signature
  • C. The stage at which the Request for Proposal is formally floated to shortlisted vendors
  • D. The certification that a platform has successfully cleared all field-evaluation trials

Q4. With reference to Air-Ship Based High Altitude Pseudo Satellite (AS-HAPS) platforms, which of the following statements are correctly identified?

  1. They are designed to operate in the stratosphere, at altitudes of about 20 km and above.
  2. Being solar-powered, they can provide persistent surveillance for far longer durations than conventional drones.
  3. They are placed in low-Earth orbit, functioning like conventional reconnaissance satellites.
  4. A DRDO stratospheric-airship test in 2025 validated the concept at an altitude of about 17 km.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. With reference to the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme, which of the following statements is/are NOT correct?

  1. The programme envisages the acquisition of 114 fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
  2. The IAF's current fighter-squadron strength is below its authorised strength of 42 squadrons.
  3. The MRFA aircraft are to be procured entirely in fly-away condition with no domestic manufacture.
  4. The MRFA programme is being pursued by the Indian Navy to equip its aircraft carriers.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 2 and 3

Q6. The India-France Strategic Partnership — described as India's first strategic partnership with a Western nation — was launched in which one of the following years?

  • A. 1995
  • B. 1998
  • C. 2001
  • D. 2008

Q7. Under the draft Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2026 that is proposed to replace DAP 2020, the number of prioritised procurement categories is proposed to be reduced from five to how many?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Six