UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Dibrugarh Sends First International Cargo from Bogibeel to Bangladesh Since Independence

Q1. With reference to the constitutional and statutory framework for National Waterways in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A river stretch becomes a National Waterway only through a law made by Parliament; an executive notification by the Union Government is not sufficient.
  2. The Union List entry on National Waterways covers shipping and navigation on them by mechanically propelled vessels.
  3. Declaring a river stretch a National Waterway brings the use of its waters for irrigation and hydropower under the Union's control.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q2. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. An Indian barge can carry cargo from Kolkata to Pandu in Assam by sailing through Bangladeshi rivers.
  2. Under the India–Bangladesh Protocol on Inland Water Transit and Trade, inland vessels of one country may transit through specified routes of the other country.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q3. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A river tends to develop a braided pattern where the sediment load it carries is low relative to its capacity to transport that sediment.
  2. In Assam, the Brahmaputra is highly braided, with multiple channels separated by sand bars and islands.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the consequences of the Brahmaputra being a braided, sediment-laden river in a seismically active basin: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Because a braided river spreads its flow over several channels, each channel is usually deeper than a single channel carrying the same discharge would be.
  2. Since channels shift with deposition, keeping a waterway navigable needs recurring maintenance dredging rather than a one-time effort.
  3. Earthquakes in the basin can alter the riverbed and impair navigability at riverside ports.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. On National Waterway-2, the least available depth maintained for navigation is greatest in the lower reach between Dhubri and Neamati and smallest in the upper reach between Dibrugarh and Sadiya. Which of the following best explains this pattern?

  • A. Sediment load is highest downstream, and it scours the bed to greater depth
  • B. Tidal flow from the Bay of Bengal deepens the main channel up to Dhubri
  • C. Barrages on the main stem in Upper Assam divert flow out of the channel
  • D. Discharge rises downstream as tributaries join, sustaining deeper channels

Q6. Suppose a substantial share of freight between the Northeast and the rest of India or Bangladesh shifts from road to the Brahmaputra and the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol routes. Consider the following statements as possible consequences: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Fuel burnt per tonne of cargo moved would fall.
  2. Truck traffic on the land corridor through Siliguri would ease.
  3. Freight reliability would become more sensitive to the upkeep of navigable depth in shifting river channels.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 2 and 3 only