UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Prime Minister inaugurates the first Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) of the northeast in Dibrugarh, Assam
Q1. In the context of recent defence infrastructure, an 'Emergency Landing Facility (ELF)' on a national highway is best described as which one of the following?
- A. A designated, specially reinforced stretch of an operational national highway or expressway engineered to serve as an alternative runway for landing and take-off of military and civil aircraft during contingencies, war or disasters
- B. A dedicated military airbase constructed immediately adjacent to a national highway so that fighter aircraft can be quickly moved onto the road
- C. A network of reserved emergency helipads built at fixed intervals along national highways exclusively for casualty evacuation
- D. A civil diversion airport notified by the DGCA to receive commercial flights when a scheduled destination airport is closed
Q2. With reference to how an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on a highway differs from a conventional airfield, consider the following statements:
1. An ELF is a stretch of an operational national highway that reverts to normal road traffic during peacetime.
2. Unlike a conventional airfield, the runway stretch of an ELF is built without a road median and uses reinforced pavement.
3. An ELF is intended to replace civil airports as the primary base for scheduled commercial flights in its region.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- An ELF is a stretch of an operational national highway that reverts to normal road traffic during peacetime.
- Unlike a conventional airfield, the runway stretch of an ELF is built without a road median and uses reinforced pavement.
- An ELF is intended to replace civil airports as the primary base for scheduled commercial flights in its region.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. The Emergency Landing Facility at Moran (Dibrugarh), inaugurated in February 2026, was constructed by which one of the following bodies in coordination with the Indian Air Force?
- A. National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)
- B. National Highways Authority of India (NHAI)
- C. Border Roads Organisation (BRO)
- D. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
Q4. With reference to the Moran (Dibrugarh) ELF as compared to India's first purpose-built ELF at Satta-Gandhav (Barmer), consider the following statements:
1. The Moran ELF is a 4.2 km four-lane stretch, whereas the Barmer ELF was a stretch of about 3 km.
2. The Moran ELF was constructed by NHIDCL, while the Barmer ELF was developed by NHAI.
3. Both the Moran and the Barmer ELFs lie on the same national highway, NH-925A.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Moran ELF is a 4.2 km four-lane stretch, whereas the Barmer ELF was a stretch of about 3 km.
- The Moran ELF was constructed by NHIDCL, while the Barmer ELF was developed by NHAI.
- Both the Moran and the Barmer ELFs lie on the same national highway, NH-925A.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. Consider the following pairs of milestones in India's highway emergency-landing programme:
1. Yamuna Expressway — first IAF fighter landing, 2015
2. Agra–Lucknow Expressway — IAF landing operations, 2016
3. Satta-Gandhav, Barmer — first purpose-built ELF, 2021
4. Moran, Dibrugarh — first ELF of the Northeast, 2024
Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?
- Yamuna Expressway — first IAF fighter landing, 2015
- Agra–Lucknow Expressway — IAF landing operations, 2016
- Satta-Gandhav, Barmer — first purpose-built ELF, 2021
- Moran, Dibrugarh — first ELF of the Northeast, 2024
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q6. In India's highway-runway programme, the NH-925A facility at Satta-Gandhav (Barmer, 2021) is described as the country's first 'purpose-built' Emergency Landing Facility. In this context, 'purpose-built' most precisely means that it was:
- A. A highway section engineered as an aircraft runway from its construction stage, rather than an existing expressway later activated for a one-off landing
- B. The first highway stretch on which an IAF fighter aircraft ever carried out a landing
- C. The first ELF built under the Bharatmala Pariyojana funding programme
- D. The first highway strip cleared for aircraft landings during night-time
Q7. While the Moran ELF was funded and physically constructed by MoRTH's highway agency, which one of the following bodies specifies its operational parameters (pavement strength, runway marking, lighting) and operates it during activation?
- A. Indian Air Force
- B. National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL)
- C. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
- D. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
Q8. The strategic rationale for the Northeast ELF is often expressed in terms of enabling 'dispersed air operations'. In this context, the term most precisely refers to:
- A. Operating combat and transport aircraft from multiple alternative surfaces such as highway strips so that operations can continue even if principal forward air bases are degraded
- B. Permanently relocating existing air bases closer to the international border to reduce reaction time
- C. Distributing civilian air traffic across several regional airports to decongest a major hub
- D. Spreading air-defence radar and missile units across a wider area to improve early warning
Q9. With reference to the disaster-response role of the Moran ELF in the Brahmaputra valley, consider the following statements:
1. 'HADR', the operational role cited for such facilities, stands for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
2. The Brahmaputra valley in which the ELF is located falls in the highest earthquake-risk category, Seismic Zone V.
3. The Moran ELF is authorised for relief sorties only during wartime and cannot be used during peacetime natural disasters.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 'HADR', the operational role cited for such facilities, stands for Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief.
- The Brahmaputra valley in which the ELF is located falls in the highest earthquake-risk category, Seismic Zone V.
- The Moran ELF is authorised for relief sorties only during wartime and cannot be used during peacetime natural disasters.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. NHIDCL, which executed the Moran ELF, was incorporated in 2014 and functions under which one of the following Union ministries?
- A. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
- B. Ministry of Defence
- C. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
- D. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
Q11. Which one of the following was India's first purpose-built Emergency Landing Facility on a national highway?
- A. Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A, Barmer (Rajasthan)
- B. Moran Bypass on NH-127, Dibrugarh (Assam)
- C. Addanki stretch of NH-16, Bapatla (Andhra Pradesh)
- D. Sultanpur stretch of the Purvanchal Expressway (Uttar Pradesh)
Q12. At the inauguration of the Northeast's first ELF at Moran on 14 February 2026, it was reiterated that the Indian Air Force has identified about how many stretches of national highways/expressways across India for development as Emergency Landing Facilities?
- A. About 12
- B. About 19
- C. About 28
- D. About 40