UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Inter-Ministerial Briefing on Recent Developments in West Asia

Q1. The 5th Inter-Group of Ministers (IGoM) on West Asia, which reviewed India's petroleum stock position during the 2026 crisis, was chaired by which one of the following?

  • A. Minister of External Affairs
  • B. Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • C. Raksha Mantri (Defence Minister)
  • D. Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways

Q2. As reported by the 5th IGoM on West Asia, how many days of LPG rolling stock did India hold?

  • A. 30 days
  • B. 45 days
  • C. 60 days
  • D. 90 days

Q3. The Directorate General of Shipping, which activated a 24x7 control room for the protection of Indian-flagged vessels and seafarers during the West Asia crisis, functions as an attached office under which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of External Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Defence
  • C. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • D. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Q4. During the West Asia crisis, consider the following functions attributed to the Directorate General of Shipping and its control room. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Operating a 24x7 control room monitoring Indian-flagged vessels
  2. Monitoring the safety of Indian seafarers in the western Persian Gulf
  3. Facilitating the safe repatriation of Indian seafarers from the Gulf region
  4. Chairing the Inter-Group of Ministers on West Asia
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q5. The excise duty cuts and the export levies on petroleum products during the 2022 energy disruption were notified and operationalised by which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas
  • B. Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue)
  • C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. NITI Aayog

Q6. The Strait of Hormuz, central to India's energy security during the West Asia crisis, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. The sea channel linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden
  • B. The only sea channel linking the Persian Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea
  • C. The channel connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea
  • D. The strait connecting the Black Sea with the Aegean Sea

Q7. The inter-ministerial briefing on West Asia held at the National Media Centre was conducted by senior officers drawn from how many Union ministries?

  • A. Four
  • B. Five
  • C. Six
  • D. Seven

Q8. With reference to India's evacuation of nationals during the 2026 West Asia crisis (Operation Sindhu), consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. It was launched to evacuate Indian nationals from Iran and Israel.
  2. Indian embassies in Tehran, Yerevan and Ashgabat coordinated land-border movement.
  3. After Iran reopened its airspace, evacuation flights operated via Mashhad.
  4. It evacuated Indian nationals primarily from Yemen and Sudan.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4

Q9. With reference to India's fertiliser stock position assessed during the West Asia crisis, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The fertiliser requirement for Kharif 2026 was assessed at 390.54 LMT.
  2. The opening stock of about 180 LMT (46% of requirement) was higher than the usual pre-season level of about 33%.
  3. DAP availability stood at 22.78 LMT against a requirement of 5.90 LMT.
  4. These fertiliser stock assessments were made for the Rabi 2026-27 season.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4