UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Highlights of Telecom Subscription Data at the end of March 2026

Q1. As per TRAI's "Highlights of Telecom Subscription Data at the end of March 2026", the total number of telephone subscribers in India stood closest to which one of the following figures?

  • A. 1065.88 million
  • B. 1185.60 million
  • C. 1282.33 million
  • D. 1330.58 million

Q2. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) was established as a statutory authority under which one of the following provisions?

  • A. Section 3 of the TRAI Act, 1997
  • B. Section 11 of the TRAI Act, 1997
  • C. Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885
  • D. Section 3 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023

Q3. The BharatNet project, aimed at narrowing the rural-urban connectivity gap by providing broadband to Gram Panchayats, is executed by which one of the following?

  • A. Bharat Broadband Network Limited (BBNL), a special purpose vehicle under the Department of Telecommunications
  • B. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
  • C. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)
  • D. The Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT)

Q4. As per TRAI's March 2026 data, which one of the following recorded the highest tele-density?

  • A. Urban tele-density
  • B. Rural tele-density
  • C. Overall tele-density
  • D. Wireline tele-density

Q5. Which one of the following was the first policy to introduce the revenue-sharing (Adjusted Gross Revenue based) licensing regime in place of fixed licence fees in India?

  • A. New Telecom Policy, 1999
  • B. National Telecom Policy, 1994
  • C. National Digital Communications Policy, 2018
  • D. Telecommunications Act, 2023

Q6. As per TRAI's March 2026 data, how many wireless service providers individually held a market share exceeding 15% of the wireless subscriber base?

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

Q7. The Indian Telecom Services Performance Indicator Report (PIR) published by TRAI is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A quarterly (and annual) report presenting key parameters and growth trends of telecom services along with Cable TV, DTH and Radio Broadcasting services
  • B. A monthly snapshot restricted only to wireless and wireline subscriber additions
  • C. An annual report auctioning spectrum bands to telecom operators
  • D. A daily bulletin monitoring real-time quality-of-service complaints