UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Guardians of India's Maritime Frontiers
Q1. The Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau, the in-house authority that designs India's indigenous warships, began in 1964 as an organisation that was subsequently restructured in 1970. Under which one of the following designations did it function from 1970?
- A. Central Design Office
- B. Directorate of Naval Design
- C. Naval Construction Wing
- D. Directorate of Indigenisation
Q2. Consider the following statements about the design and construction arrangements of three indigenous Indian Navy ship classes:
1. The Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigates are being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
2. The Sandhayak-class Survey Vessels (Large) were designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
3. The Arnala-class ASW Shallow Water Craft were constructed through a partnership between the public-sector shipyard GRSE and the private shipyard L&T Shipbuilding.
4. The Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigates were designed by a foreign design house and licence-built in Indian shipyards.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigates are being built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
- The Sandhayak-class Survey Vessels (Large) were designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
- The Arnala-class ASW Shallow Water Craft were constructed through a partnership between the public-sector shipyard GRSE and the private shipyard L&T Shipbuilding.
- The Nilgiri-class (Project 17A) frigates were designed by a foreign design house and licence-built in Indian shipyards.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q3. The Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) frigates are powered by two CODOG main propulsion plants. In this context, CODOG denotes a propulsion arrangement in which:
- A. a diesel engine and a gas turbine drive the propeller shaft alternately — one or the other, but not both together
- B. a diesel engine and a gas turbine are coupled to drive the propeller shaft simultaneously for maximum combined power
- C. diesel generators produce electricity that powers electric motors turning the propeller shafts
- D. a gas turbine drives a waterjet while a diesel engine drives a separate conventional propeller
Q4. Consider the following statements comparing the Project 17A (Nilgiri-class) frigates with their predecessor class:
1. Project 17A frigates are a follow-on class of the Project 17 (Shivalik-class) frigates, incorporating improved stealth features and more advanced weapons and sensors.
2. Seven Project 17A frigates are under construction, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and three at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
3. Unlike the Shivalik class, the Project 17A frigates are propelled by a diesel engine–waterjet combination instead of a shaft-driven propeller.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Project 17A frigates are a follow-on class of the Project 17 (Shivalik-class) frigates, incorporating improved stealth features and more advanced weapons and sensors.
- Seven Project 17A frigates are under construction, four at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited and three at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers.
- Unlike the Shivalik class, the Project 17A frigates are propelled by a diesel engine–waterjet combination instead of a shaft-driven propeller.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. With reference to INS Mahendragiri, consider the following:
1. It is the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, commissioned in July 2026 at Visakhapatnam.
2. It was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
3. On commissioning it was inducted into the Indian Navy's Western Fleet.
4. It was designed in-house by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It is the sixth Project 17A stealth frigate, commissioned in July 2026 at Visakhapatnam.
- It was built by Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai.
- On commissioning it was inducted into the Indian Navy's Western Fleet.
- It was designed in-house by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q6. The Survey Vessel (Large) project of the Sandhayak class was contracted by the Ministry of Defence to a single prime shipyard, which built the first ship in-house and sub-contracted the remaining three hulls up to the outfitting stage to L&T Shipbuilding, Kattupalli. Which one of the following is that prime shipyard?
- A. Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited, Mumbai
- B. Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers, Kolkata
- C. Cochin Shipyard Limited, Kochi
- D. Hindustan Shipyard Limited, Visakhapatnam
Q7. How many ships were contracted under the Indian Navy's Survey Vessel (Large) project of the Sandhayak class, the last of which was delivered in March 2026?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Six
- D. Eight
Q8. Among the roles assigned to the Arnala-class ships is 'Low Intensity Maritime Operations (LIMO)'. In this context, LIMO is best understood as:
- A. constabulary and lower-end maritime tasks such as coastal patrol, policing and maritime security duties short of full-scale war
- B. operations conducted exclusively at night and in low-visibility conditions using passive sensors alone
- C. submarine operations restricted solely to shallow littoral waters where a submarine cannot dive to full depth
- D. minelaying missions that are invariably carried out only in international waters during peacetime
Q9. With reference to the Arnala-class Anti-Submarine Warfare Shallow Water Craft, consider the following:
1. The first-of-class INS Arnala was commissioned in June 2025 at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
2. The class is intended to replace the in-service Abhay-class ASW corvettes of the Indian Navy.
3. The contract for eight such craft was signed by the Ministry of Defence with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in April 2019.
4. INS Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship propelled by a gas turbine driving a controllable pitch propeller.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The first-of-class INS Arnala was commissioned in June 2025 at the Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam.
- The class is intended to replace the in-service Abhay-class ASW corvettes of the Indian Navy.
- The contract for eight such craft was signed by the Ministry of Defence with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers in April 2019.
- INS Arnala is the largest Indian naval warship propelled by a gas turbine driving a controllable pitch propeller.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q10. Delivery of which one of the following warships on 01 July 2025 was marked as the 100th warship designed by the Indian Navy's Warship Design Bureau and delivered to the nation?
- A. INS Nilgiri
- B. INS Udaygiri
- C. INS Himgiri
- D. INS Dunagiri
Q11. As per the Indian Navy's stated Aatmanirbhar Bharat position, how many large ships are presently under construction in Indian shipyards, at a value of roughly Rs 90,000 crore?