UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Union Minister of Communications Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia announces Launch of Drone-Based Mail Transmission Service by Department of Posts in Himachal Pradesh

Q1. With reference to the drone-based mail transmission service launched by the Department of Posts in Himachal Pradesh in June 2026, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. The service was inaugurated on the route between Mandi Head Post Office and Rehardhar Branch Post Office.
2. The Department of Posts functions under the Union Ministry of Communications.
3. The launch was announced by the Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways.
4. Prior to this launch, the Department of Posts had conducted a proof-of-concept of drone-based mail transmission in Arunachal Pradesh.

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

Q2. In the context of the drone-based mail transmission service operationalised between Mandi HPO and Rehardhar BPO in June 2026, the term 'Branch Post Office' (BPO) most appropriately refers to which one of the following?

• A. A small rural post office, typically staffed by a Gramin Dak Sevak, that depends on a parent (account) post office for its accounting and supply of stamps and stationery
• B. A post office that is the sole point of mail delivery for every village in an entire development block
• C. A post office that exclusively handles international mail and customs clearance in rural areas
• D. A post office that has been entirely converted into a drone-only operations hub with no counter services

Q3. With reference to the evolution of India Post's drone-based mail delivery experiments prior to the June 2026 Himachal Pradesh launch, consider the following statements: 1. The May 2022 pilot in Gujarat involved drone-based mail delivery from Habay village in Bhuj taluka to Ner village in Bhachau taluka of Kutch district. 2. The October 2024 proof of concept between Chowkham Post Office and Wakro Branch Post Office in Arunachal Pradesh was carried out in partnership with Skye Air Mobility. 3. Both the Gujarat (2022) pilot and the Arunachal Pradesh (2024) proof of concept were executed in partnership with TechEagle as the drone technology provider. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The May 2022 pilot in Gujarat involved drone-based mail delivery from Habay village in Bhuj taluka to Ner village in Bhachau taluka of Kutch district.
2. The October 2024 proof of concept between Chowkham Post Office and Wakro Branch Post Office in Arunachal Pradesh was carried out in partnership with Skye Air Mobility.
3. Both the Gujarat (2022) pilot and the Arunachal Pradesh (2024) proof of concept were executed in partnership with TechEagle as the drone technology provider.

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

Q4. Mission 'Drone Shakti', announced in the Union Budget 2022-23 and frequently cited as the policy backdrop for India Post's drone-based mail trials, is primarily intended to promote which one of the following?

• A. Drone-as-a-Service (DrAAS), wherein drone-based operations are offered to clients — including government departments — by certified operators, without the client being required to own or operate the drones
• B. Subsidised acquisition of agricultural drones by women's Self-Help Groups for providing crop-spraying services to farmers
• C. A Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for domestic manufacturing of drones and drone components
• D. Demarcation of Indian airspace into green, yellow and red zones for drone operations through an online interactive map

Q5. The wage structure and allowances of Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS) revised by the Union Cabinet in 2018 was based on the recommendations of which one of the following committees?

• A. Kamlesh Chandra Committee
• B. T.S.R. Subramanian Committee
• C. Shyamala Gopinath Committee
• D. Sam Pitroda Committee

Q6. With reference to the organisational structure of the Department of Posts, consider the following statements: 1. A Branch Post Office is typically headed by a Gramin Dak Sevak designated as Branch Postmaster, whereas a Head Post Office is headed by a regular departmental Postmaster. 2. Following the 2018 wage revision, Gramin Dak Sevaks have been brought under just two categories — Branch Postmasters (BPMs) and Assistant Branch Postmasters (ABPMs). 3. The majority of Branch Post Offices in India are located in urban areas to serve dense urban populations. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A Branch Post Office is typically headed by a Gramin Dak Sevak designated as Branch Postmaster, whereas a Head Post Office is headed by a regular departmental Postmaster.
2. Following the 2018 wage revision, Gramin Dak Sevaks have been brought under just two categories — Branch Postmasters (BPMs) and Assistant Branch Postmasters (ABPMs).
3. The majority of Branch Post Offices in India are located in urban areas to serve dense urban populations.

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

Q7. The interactive airspace map for drone operations in India, classifying the airspace into green, yellow and red zones, is hosted on the 'Digital Sky' platform. This platform is operated by which one of the following authorities?

• A. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
• B. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
• C. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
• D. Ministry of Civil Aviation directly through its e-governance wing

Q8. With reference to the regulatory framework governing drones in India, consider the following statements: 1. Under the Drone Rules, 2021, the yellow zone around airport perimeters was reduced from 45 km to 12 km as compared to the earlier regulations. 2. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components prescribes a minimum value addition norm of 40% of net sales, lower than the 50% norm generally applicable under other PLI schemes. 3. The incentive rate payable to manufacturers under the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is 20% of the value addition, spread over five financial years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Under the Drone Rules, 2021, the yellow zone around airport perimeters was reduced from 45 km to 12 km as compared to the earlier regulations.
2. The Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for drones and drone components prescribes a minimum value addition norm of 40% of net sales, lower than the 50% norm generally applicable under other PLI schemes.
3. The incentive rate payable to manufacturers under the PLI scheme for drones and drone components is 20% of the value addition, spread over five financial years.

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

Q9. The Pandoh Dam on the Beas River in Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, which diverts a part of the Beas waters to the Sutlej basin, is owned and operated by which one of the following statutory bodies?

• A. Bhakra Beas Management Board
• B. Central Water Commission
• C. National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited
• D. Damodar Valley Corporation

Q10. With reference to the Pandoh Dam on the Beas River in Mandi district, which one of the following best describes the nature and primary function of the dam?

• A. A diversion dam that transfers a part of the Beas waters through a tunnel system into the Sutlej basin for hydropower generation
• B. A large multipurpose storage reservoir built primarily to meet drinking water needs of the Kangra Valley
• C. A run-of-the-river barrage built primarily as a navigation and fish-ladder facility on the Beas
• D. An earthen flood-moderation embankment without any hydropower or inter-basin transfer component

Q11. As of 2026, in addition to the Ministry of Communications, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia concurrently holds the Union Cabinet portfolio of which one of the following Ministries?

• A. Ministry of Civil Aviation
• B. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
• C. Ministry of Steel
• D. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Q12. The 'Medicine from the Sky' project, India's first Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone-based experimental delivery of vaccines launched in 2021 from Vikarabad, Telangana, was launched under the aegis of which one of the following Union Ministries?

• A. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
• B. Ministry of Civil Aviation
• C. Ministry of Science and Technology
• D. Ministry of Communications