UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The Defence Decade

Q1. Who functions as the Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee in India?

  • A. The senior-most among the three Service Chiefs, on rotation
  • B. The Chief of Defence Staff
  • C. The Defence Secretary, Government of India
  • D. The National Security Advisor

Q2. With reference to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) and the Department of Military Affairs (DMA), consider the following statements: 1. Unlike the earlier Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, who was the senior-most among the three Service Chiefs holding the post by rotation, the CDS is a permanent appointment. 2. Unlike the three Service Chiefs, the CDS exercises direct operational military command over the tri-Service commands of the Armed Forces. 3. Unlike the Department of Defence, which is headed by the Defence Secretary, the Department of Military Affairs is headed by the CDS as its Secretary. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Unlike the earlier Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, who was the senior-most among the three Service Chiefs holding the post by rotation, the CDS is a permanent appointment.
  2. Unlike the three Service Chiefs, the CDS exercises direct operational military command over the tri-Service commands of the Armed Forces.
  3. Unlike the Department of Defence, which is headed by the Defence Secretary, the Department of Military Affairs is headed by the CDS as its Secretary.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Under the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020, which one of the following categories of capital acquisition is accorded the topmost priority?

  • A. Buy (Indian-IDDM)
  • B. Buy (Indian)
  • C. Buy and Make (Indian)
  • D. Buy (Global – Manufacture in India)

Q4. The Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 was unveiled and brought into effect under the chairship/authority of which one of the following?

  • A. Raksha Mantri (Chairman, Defence Acquisition Council)
  • B. National Security Advisor (Chairman, Strategic Policy Group)
  • C. Chief of Defence Staff (Permanent Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee)
  • D. Cabinet Secretary (Chairman, Defence Planning Committee)

Q5. The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) framework functions under the aegis of which one of the following organisations?

  • A. Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)
  • B. Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)
  • C. Directorate General of Quality Assurance (DGQA)
  • D. Department of Military Affairs (DMA)

Q6. In which year was the ADITI (Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX) scheme, aimed at promoting critical and strategic defence technologies, launched by the Raksha Mantri?

  • A. 2018
  • B. 2020
  • C. 2022
  • D. 2024

Q7. Within the Ministry of Defence, the Agnipath Scheme for enrolment of Agniveers into the three Services is operationalised under which one of the following?

  • A. Department of Defence Production
  • B. Department of Military Affairs
  • C. Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare
  • D. Department of Defence Research and Development

Q8. As per official figures for FY 2025-26, how many Indian entities/exporters were engaged in the export of defence items?

  • A. 100
  • B. 128
  • C. 145
  • D. 165

Q9. Within the Ministry of Defence, which one of the following is the authority that notifies the Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs) applicable to Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs)?

  • A. Department of Defence Production
  • B. Department of Military Affairs
  • C. Defence Acquisition Council chaired by the Raksha Mantri
  • D. Defence Research and Development Organisation

Q10. Which one of the following cities is NOT one of the notified nodes of the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor (UPDIC)?

  • A. Chitrakoot
  • B. Jhansi
  • C. Meerut
  • D. Aligarh

Q11. Which of the following is the nodal implementing agency for the Uttar Pradesh Defence Industrial Corridor?

  • A. Uttar Pradesh State Industrial Development Authority (UPSIDA)
  • B. Uttar Pradesh Expressways Industrial Development Authority (UPEIDA)
  • C. Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA)
  • D. New Okhla Industrial Development Authority (NOIDA)

Q12. With reference to the Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Act received the assent of the President on 15 August 2023.
  2. The Act was brought into force with effect from 10 May 2024.
  3. The Rules framed under the Act came into effect from 27 May 2025.
  4. The Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha in March 2022.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q13. The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, Control and Discipline) Act, 2023 empowers which one of the following authorities to exercise disciplinary and administrative control over all service personnel serving in or attached to an Inter-Services Organisation, irrespective of their parent service?

  • A. The Chief of Defence Staff, in his capacity as Permanent Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee
  • B. The Commander-in-Chief or Officer-in-Command of the Inter-Services Organisation concerned
  • C. The respective Service Chief (Army, Navy or Air Force) to which the personnel belong
  • D. The Secretary, Department of Military Affairs, Ministry of Defence
  • 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