UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — CDSCO Approves India's First Dengue Vaccine, Strengthening National Dengue Prevention Efforts

Q1. The marketing authorisation for India's first dengue vaccine was granted by the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Which one of the following statements correctly describes CDSCO's position in India's drug regulatory architecture?

  • A. It functions under the Directorate General of Health Services in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and is India's National Regulatory Authority.
  • B. It functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers as India's National Regulatory Authority.
  • C. It functions under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, with the licensing of drug manufacture vested exclusively in it.
  • D. It functions under the Indian Council of Medical Research as the apex drug-approval body of the Union Government.

Q2. Within CDSCO, which one of the following is the Central Licensing Authority that heads the organisation and approves new drugs and vaccines for import and marketing in India?

  • A. The Drugs Controller General (India), who heads CDSCO and acts as the Central Licensing Authority for approval of new drugs and vaccines.
  • B. The Drugs Controller General (India), who heads CDSCO but may approve a new drug only after ratification by all State Drugs Controllers.
  • C. The Director General of Health Services, who is the Central Licensing Authority for import and approval of new drugs.
  • D. The Chairman of the Drugs Technical Advisory Board, who is the statutory head of CDSCO.

Q3. In approximately how many countries had Qdenga® received regulatory approval prior to its marketing authorisation in India?

  • A. 42
  • B. 24
  • C. 18
  • D. 60

Q4. The Phase 3 clinical trial of India's indigenous dengue vaccine candidate DengiAll was conducted across how many States and Union Territories?

  • A. 18
  • B. 19
  • C. 28
  • D. 10

Q5. The parent vaccine strain (TV003/TV005) underlying India's indigenous DengiAll dengue vaccine was originally developed by which one of the following institutions?

  • A. The National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA
  • B. Panacea Biotec, India
  • C. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
  • D. Takeda GmbH, Germany

Q6. Which one of the following is the nodal agency that operationalises surveillance and control of dengue and other vector-borne diseases in India?

  • A. The National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control (NCVBDC)
  • B. The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
  • C. The ICMR-National Institute of Virology (NIV), Pune
  • D. The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI)

Q7. Which one of the following is the principal vector responsible for the transmission of dengue in India?

  • A. Aedes aegypti
  • B. Anopheles culicifacies
  • C. Culex quinquefasciatus
  • D. Phlebotomus argentipes

Q8. In India's dengue surveillance programme, what does a 'Sentinel Surveillance Hospital' precisely refer to?

  • A. A designated hospital with laboratory facilities that provides free dengue diagnostic testing (NS1/IgM ELISA) and reports confirmed cases to the surveillance network.
  • B. A hospital reserved exclusively for the isolation and treatment of confirmed severe dengue (haemorrhagic fever/shock syndrome) patients.
  • C. An apex reference laboratory that supplies dengue diagnostic test kits to all districts within a State.
  • D. A hospital tasked with carrying out entomological monitoring and vector-control fogging operations in its catchment area.

Q9. With reference to year-wise dengue data reported in India, consider the following statements: 1. Within the 2021–2024 period, India recorded its highest annual dengue caseload in 2023, with about 2,89,235 cases. 2. Dengue-related deaths reported in 2024 (297) were fewer than those reported in 2022 (303). 3. The dengue caseload of 2024 (about 2,33,519) marked an increase over that of 2023. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Within the 2021–2024 period, India recorded its highest annual dengue caseload in 2023, with about 2,89,235 cases.
  2. Dengue-related deaths reported in 2024 (297) were fewer than those reported in 2022 (303).
  3. The dengue caseload of 2024 (about 2,33,519) marked an increase over that of 2023.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q10. CERVAVAC, India's first indigenously developed HPV vaccine, received CDSCO manufacturing permission in 2022. Which one of the following statements about it is correct?

  • A. It is a quadrivalent vaccine (against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18) developed by the Serum Institute of India with DBT-BIRAC support.
  • B. It is the world's first HPV vaccine and the only HPV vaccine approved for use in India.
  • C. It provides lifelong protection against all strains of the human papillomavirus.
  • D. It was developed entirely by the Indian Council of Medical Research without any external partnership.