UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Prime Minister to Launch Nationwide HPV Vaccination Drive for 14-Year-Old Girls from Ajmer Tomorrow
Q1. India's indigenously developed CERVAVAC is classified as a quadrivalent HPV vaccine. Against how many distinct HPV genotypes does it confer protection?
- A. Two
- B. Four
- C. Seven
- D. Nine
Q2. India's first indigenously developed quadrivalent HPV vaccine, CERVAVAC, was formally announced in 2022 by which Union Minister?
- A. The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
- B. The Union Minister of Science and Technology
- C. The Union Minister of Finance
- D. The Union Minister of Women and Child Development
Q3. With reference to the WHO Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer, consider the following statements:
1. It was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2020.
2. Elimination as a public health problem is defined as an incidence below 4 per 100,000 women.
3. The 90-70-90 targets are set to be achieved by the year 2030.
4. The strategy mandates a uniform two-dose HPV schedule in all member states.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It was adopted by the World Health Assembly in 2020.
- Elimination as a public health problem is defined as an incidence below 4 per 100,000 women.
- The 90-70-90 targets are set to be achieved by the year 2030.
- The strategy mandates a uniform two-dose HPV schedule in all member states.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. The nationwide free HPV vaccination programme launched in 2026 is operationalised through India's public health system by which ministry?
- A. Ministry of Women and Child Development
- B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- C. Ministry of Science and Technology (Department of Biotechnology)
- D. Ministry of Ayush
Q5. The nationwide HPV vaccination drive was first launched by the Prime Minister on 28 February 2026 from which single city, with States and UTs holding simultaneous events thereafter?
- A. Jaipur
- B. Ajmer
- C. Udaipur
- D. Jodhpur
Q6. Consider the following milestones in the evolution of HPV vaccine policy in India:
1. HPV vaccines first became available in India's private market in 2008.
2. India's indigenous quadrivalent vaccine CERVAVAC was announced in 2022.
3. The Interim Budget 2024-25 encouraged HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14.
4. HPV vaccination was added to the Universal Immunization Programme in 2016.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- HPV vaccines first became available in India's private market in 2008.
- India's indigenous quadrivalent vaccine CERVAVAC was announced in 2022.
- The Interim Budget 2024-25 encouraged HPV vaccination for girls aged 9-14.
- HPV vaccination was added to the Universal Immunization Programme in 2016.
- A. 1 and 2
- B. 4 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q7. With reference to the history of HPV vaccination in India, consider the following statements:
1. HPV vaccines entered India's private market in 2008.
2. CERVAVAC was indigenously developed by the Serum Institute of India.
3. The Interim Budget 2024-25 targeted girls in the 9-14 age group.
4. The 2026 nationwide programme targets about 1.15 crore girls aged 14 annually.
Which of the statements given above is/are correctly stated?
- HPV vaccines entered India's private market in 2008.
- CERVAVAC was indigenously developed by the Serum Institute of India.
- The Interim Budget 2024-25 targeted girls in the 9-14 age group.
- The 2026 nationwide programme targets about 1.15 crore girls aged 14 annually.
- A. 1, 2, 3 and 4
- B. 1, 3 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1 and 3 only
Q8. The estimate of 1,23,907 new cervical cancer cases in India in 2022 is derived from the GLOBOCAN database, which is compiled by which agency?
- A. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of WHO
- B. The National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB)
- C. The ICMR–National Centre for Disease Informatics and Research
- D. The WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia (SEARO)
Q9. In the epidemiology of cervical cancer, HPV is described as a 'necessary cause'. This term most precisely means that:
- A. Persistent HPV infection is present in virtually all cervical cancers, though not every infection progresses to cancer
- B. HPV infection is sufficient on its own to cause cancer in every infected woman
- C. HPV is only one among several equally weighted and independent causes
- D. HPV causes cervical cancer only when combined with tobacco use
Q10. The HPV vaccination initiative first flagged in the Interim Budget 2024-25 is operationally executed as a public-health immunisation activity by which ministry?
- A. Ministry of Finance
- B. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
- C. Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology
- D. Ministry of Women and Child Development
Q11. CERVAVAC was developed with DBT-BIRAC support, in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, under which specific programme?
- A. Grand Challenges India
- B. Mission COVID Suraksha
- C. National Biopharma Mission
- D. Ind-CEPI Mission