UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Celebrating the Power of Vaccines

Q1. With reference to the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) in India, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. The programme that became UIP was first launched in 1978 as the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI).
2. Under UIP, free vaccines are provided only to families living below the poverty line.
3. EPI was renamed the Universal Immunisation Programme in 1985.
4. UIP is implemented by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

• A. 2 only
• B. 1 and 3
• C. 4 only
• D. 2 and 4

Q2. Approximately how many newborns/infants are vaccinated free of cost every year under India's Universal Immunisation Programme?

• A. About 2.54 crore
• B. About 1.15 crore
• C. About 5.46 crore
• D. About 1.32 crore

Q3. With reference to Mission Indradhanush, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

1. It was launched on 25 December 2014.
2. It was launched exclusively as a vaccination drive for adults above 60 years of age.
3. It targets unvaccinated and partially vaccinated children and pregnant women.
4. Intensified Mission Indradhanush 5.0 had a special focus on Measles and Rubella vaccination.

• A. 1, 3 and 4
• B. 1 and 2
• C. 2, 3 and 4
• D. 1, 2 and 4

Q4. Mission Indradhanush is operationalised by which one of the following Union ministries?

• A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• B. Ministry of Women and Child Development
• C. Ministry of Science and Technology
• D. Ministry of AYUSH

Q5. In 2014, India was officially certified as polio-free by which one of the following?

• A. World Health Organization
• B. United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
• C. Indian Council of Medical Research
• D. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Q6. Through vaccination, India has so far achieved the eradication or elimination of how many of the following diseases — smallpox, poliomyelitis and maternal & neonatal tetanus?

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

Q7. Which one of the following correctly describes the implementation of the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign launched in 2026?

• A. It is delivered free of cost through the Universal Immunisation Programme by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
• B. It is implemented exclusively through private hospitals on a paid basis.
• C. It is run solely by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.
• D. It is funded entirely by the World Health Organization.

Q8. With reference to the 2026 nationwide HPV vaccination campaign, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. The campaign was launched from Ajmer, Rajasthan.
2. It targets girls who are 14 years of age.
3. It targets both boys and girls in the eligible cohort.
4. Vaccines are provided free of cost at government facilities.

• A. 3 only
• B. 1 and 2
• C. 4 only
• D. 2 and 3

Q9. With reference to the indigenously manufactured Tetanus & Adult Diphtheria (Td) vaccine introduced in 2026, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

1. It was launched at the Central Research Institute, Kasauli.
2. It protects against tetanus and adult diphtheria.
3. The National Technical Advisory Group on Immunization recommended replacing the TT vaccine with the Td vaccine.
4. It is intended only for male adolescents.

• A. 1, 2 and 3
• B. 1 and 4
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q10. With reference to the U-WIN platform, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

1. It maintains digital vaccination records for children from birth to 17 years of age.
2. It is a platform exclusively for recording COVID-19 vaccinations.
3. It generates a QR-based eVaccination Certificate.
4. It covers pregnant women under the Universal Immunisation Programme.

• A. 2 only
• B. 1 and 4
• C. 3 only
• D. 2 and 3

Q11. Which one of the following best describes the significance of immunisation being made one of the five National Technology Missions in 1986?

• A. Immunisation was accorded mission status with defined goals of improving coverage using existing antigens and building self-sufficiency in domestic vaccine production.
• B. It declared access to immunisation a Fundamental Right under Part III of the Constitution.
• C. It transferred the entire responsibility for immunisation exclusively to the State governments.
• D. It created the Universal Immunisation Programme for the first time, replacing EPI in 1986.

Q12. Consider the following vaccine–disease pairs in the context of India's Universal Immunisation Programme. Which of the pairs given above is/are NOT correctly matched?

1. BCG vaccine — severe childhood Tuberculosis
2. Oral Polio Vaccine — Poliomyelitis
3. Measles-Rubella vaccine — Measles and Rubella
4. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine — Rotavirus diarrhoea

• A. 4 only
• B. 1 and 2
• C. 3 only
• D. 2 and 4