UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — India’s Drone Ecosystem

Q1. With reference to the regulatory and institutional framework for drones in India, which of the following are correctly identified?

  1. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) is the regulator for civil drones.
  2. The Ministry of Civil Aviation is the nodal ministry for the Drone Rules, 2021.
  3. The first Type Certificate under the Drone Rules, 2021 was awarded to IoTechWorld Avigation.
  4. Registration and Unique Identification Numbers for drones are issued through the mParivahan portal.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4

Q2. As per the PIB backgrounder on India's drone ecosystem (February 2026), how many DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisations (RPTOs) were operating in India?

  • A. 244
  • B. 344
  • C. 144
  • D. 288

Q3. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for drones and drone components is operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of Civil Aviation
  • B. Ministry of Commerce and Industry (DPIIT)
  • C. Ministry of Heavy Industries
  • D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q4. Under the PLI Scheme for drones and drone components, the minimum value addition required to be eligible for the incentive is what percentage of net sales?

  • A. 40%
  • B. 20%
  • C. 50%
  • D. 60%

Q5. The 'Namo Drone Didi' scheme approved by the Union Cabinet is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A Central Sector Scheme
  • B. A Centrally Sponsored Scheme
  • C. A sub-scheme under PM-KISAN
  • D. A component of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)

Q6. As per the position in February 2026, how many villages had been surveyed using drones under the SVAMITVA scheme?

  • A. About 3.28 lakh villages
  • B. About 1.82 lakh villages
  • C. About 2.76 lakh villages
  • D. About 5.28 lakh villages

Q7. In the context of India's drone ecosystem, the term 'UIN' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A Unique Identification Number issued for the registration of an individual drone
  • B. A licence certifying a person as a qualified remote drone pilot
  • C. A certificate of manufacturing and airworthiness issued to a drone manufacturer
  • D. An authorisation permitting Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations

Q8. The Digital Sky Platform, marking India's first structured civil drone regime (CAR 1.0), became operational in which year?

  • A. 2018
  • B. 2021
  • C. 2016
  • D. 2019