UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Government Exempts IFSC GIFT City Units from Licensing Requirement under the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025

Q1. The Coastal Shipping Act, 2025 replaces the coasting-trade provisions previously contained in which one of the following?

  • A. Part XIV of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958
  • B. Part V of the Indian Ports Act, 1908
  • C. Part XI of the Major Port Authorities Act, 2021
  • D. Part IX of the Inland Vessels Act, 2021

Q2. IFSC units in GIFT City have been exempted from the licensing requirement for chartering foreign vessels under which Section of the Coastal Shipping Act, 2025?

  • A. Section 3
  • B. Section 11
  • C. Section 24
  • D. Section 39

Q3. The Coastal Shipping Act, 2025 is organised into how many chapters?

  • A. Four
  • B. Six
  • C. Eight
  • D. Ten

Q4. In the passage of the Coastal Shipping Bill, which one of the following was the first House of Parliament to pass it?

  • A. Lok Sabha, on 3 April 2025
  • B. Rajya Sabha, on 7 August 2025
  • C. Rajya Sabha, on 3 April 2025
  • D. Lok Sabha, on 7 August 2025

Q5. The notification exempting IFSC GIFT City units from the coastal-shipping licensing requirement was issued by which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways
  • B. Ministry of Finance
  • C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
  • D. Ministry of Corporate Affairs

Q6. Under India's coasting-trade regime, the licence permitting a foreign-flag vessel to engage in coastal trade is granted by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. Director General of Shipping
  • B. International Financial Services Centres Authority
  • C. Directorate General of Foreign Trade
  • D. Indian Register of Shipping

Q7. Which one of the following is the flagship programme of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, launched in 2015 for port-led development?

  • A. Sagarmala
  • B. Maritime India Vision 2030
  • C. Bharatmala Pariyojana
  • D. Maritime Amrit Kaal Vision 2047