UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Updates on Key Sectors in View of Developments in West Asia

Q1. The Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 2000 — recently amended in 2026 to enable domestic consumers shifting to piped natural gas (PNG) to surrender their LPG connection — derives its statutory force primarily from which one of the following parent enactments?

  • A. The Essential Commodities Act, 1955
  • B. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board Act, 2006
  • C. The Petroleum Act, 1934
  • D. The Consumer Protection Act, 2019

Q2. The following are cited as categories of households eligible for an LPG connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana. Which of the above is NOT correctly identified as an eligible category?

  1. Scheduled Tribe households
  2. Beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Gramin)
  3. Any urban household paying income tax
  4. Tea garden and ex-tea garden tribe households
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q3. With reference to Operation Sindhu, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It was launched in June 2025 to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran amid the West Asia conflict.
  2. It is coordinated by the Ministry of External Affairs.
  3. Its scope was extended to bring back Indian nationals from Israel as well.
  4. It was conducted primarily by moving evacuees overland across the direct India–Iran land border.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. India's first dedicated Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC) terminal, inaugurated in 2026, came up at Mundra Port in Gujarat. Under whose ownership/operation does Mundra Port function?

  • A. Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd.
  • B. Deendayal Port Authority
  • C. Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority
  • D. Shipping Corporation of India Ltd.

Q5. With reference to Mundra Port and India's crude-import logistics, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Mundra Port lies on the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat.
  2. It is India's first private port.
  3. India's first dedicated VLCC terminal at Mundra is linked by pipeline to the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery at Barmer.
  4. Mundra Port is located on India's eastern coast along the Bay of Bengal.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q6. As emphasised in 2025-26 official statements on energy security amid West Asia developments, approximately what share of India's crude oil imports is now routed OUTSIDE the Strait of Hormuz, reflecting supply diversification?

  • A. About 55%
  • B. About 70%
  • C. About 40%
  • D. About 88%

Q7. In the whole-of-government contingency response to the 2026 West Asia developments — involving inter-ministerial briefings with the MEA, the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and the MHA — which Ministry acts as the nodal authority for energy-supply (LPG and crude) measures?

  • A. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • B. Ministry of External Affairs
  • C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. NITI Aayog

Q8. With reference to Murban crude oil, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Murban is produced from onshore fields in Abu Dhabi (UAE) and is marketed by ADNOC.
  2. Murban is classified as a heavy, high-sulphur (sour) crude with an API gravity below 25°.
  3. Murban is the underlying grade for futures traded on ICE Futures Abu Dhabi, with physical delivery FOB Fujairah.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

  • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore