UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

Q1. The ground segment of GAGAN comprises Indian Reference Stations (INRES), Indian Master Control Centres (INMCC) and Indian Land Uplink Stations (INLUS). Which one of these categories of ground facilities is the largest in number?

  • A. Indian Reference Stations (INRES)
  • B. Indian Master Control Centres (INMCC)
  • C. Indian Land Uplink Stations (INLUS)
  • D. Geostationary uplink terminals

Q2. GAGAN navigation payloads have been carried on how many GSAT geostationary satellites (GSAT-8, GSAT-10 and GSAT-15)?

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

Q3. GAGAN has been developed jointly by ISRO and which one of the following bodies, which also operates it for civil aviation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation?

  • A. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
  • B. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • C. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS)
  • D. Indian Air Force (IAF)

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the institutional roles behind GAGAN: 1. Its core technical development was led by ISRO, while its civil-aviation deployment is handled by the Airports Authority of India. 2. GAGAN was developed wholly indigenously without the involvement of any foreign contractor. 3. The Airports Authority of India functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its core technical development was led by ISRO, while its civil-aviation deployment is handled by the Airports Authority of India.
  2. GAGAN was developed wholly indigenously without the involvement of any foreign contractor.
  3. The Airports Authority of India functions under the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. GAGAN signals were certified for APV-1 (Approach with Vertical Guidance, Level 1) precision approach services by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)
  • B. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
  • C. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • D. Airports Authority of India (AAI)

Q6. GAGAN holds the global distinction of being the first Satellite-Based Augmentation System certified for Approach with Vertical Guidance (APV) operations in which one of the following regions?

  • A. Polar region
  • B. Mid-latitude region
  • C. Equatorial ionospheric region
  • D. Arctic auroral region

Q7. The June 2026 GAGAN milestone widely reported in the news marked India's first of which one of the following?

  • A. Satellite-based landing on a commercial aircraft using GAGAN
  • B. Launch of a dedicated GAGAN navigation satellite
  • C. Installation of an indigenous ground-based Instrument Landing System
  • D. Export of the GAGAN signal to a foreign flight information region

Q8. Consider the following statements comparing GAGAN-based LPV approaches with conventional precision approaches: 1. GAGAN-enabled LPV approaches allow aircraft to land without a ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS). 2. GAGAN-based LPV approaches can lower the decision height to as low as 250 ft. 3. GAGAN-based approach procedures are designed and published by ISRO rather than by the Airports Authority of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. GAGAN-enabled LPV approaches allow aircraft to land without a ground-based Instrument Landing System (ILS).
  2. GAGAN-based LPV approaches can lower the decision height to as low as 250 ft.
  3. GAGAN-based approach procedures are designed and published by ISRO rather than by the Airports Authority of India.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. Among GAGAN's identified non-aviation applications, lane guidance, traffic management and speed control are envisaged primarily for which one of the following sectors?

  • A. Railways
  • B. Road transport
  • C. Maritime navigation
  • D. Precision agriculture

Q10. Consider the following statements about global Satellite-Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) with which GAGAN is inter-operable: 1. WAAS is the SBAS operated by the United States. 2. EGNOS is the SBAS serving Europe. 3. MSAS is the SBAS operated by Russia. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. WAAS is the SBAS operated by the United States.
  2. EGNOS is the SBAS serving Europe.
  3. MSAS is the SBAS operated by Russia.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. The ionospheric correction model (ISRO GIVE Model–Multi-Layer Data Fusion, IGM-MLDF) that underpins GAGAN's integrity in the equatorial region was developed by which one of the following?

  • A. Airports Authority of India (AAI)
  • B. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • C. Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)
  • D. Raytheon

Q12. GAGAN, India's indigenous SBAS, was developed at an estimated cost of how many crore rupees?

  • A. Rs. 574 crore
  • B. Rs. 674 crore
  • C. Rs. 774 crore
  • D. Rs. 874 crore
  • 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