UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Raksha Mantri Addresses Participants of Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 at Jodhpur, Emphasises Self-Reliance in Defence and International Cooperation

Q1. With reference to the classification of expenditure in India's defence budget, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Pensions paid to retired defence personnel are a recurring obligation that creates no new asset, and so they are not part of defence capital outlay.
  2. If the defence budget stays the same and the share going to salaries and pensions rises, less money is left for capital outlay on new weapons and aircraft.
  3. Spending on maintaining and operating existing aircraft fleets is classified as capital outlay because it extends the service life of long-term assets.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

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

  1. How fast the Indian Air Force receives its Tejas Mk1A aircraft depends closely on deliveries of engines from a foreign manufacturer.
  2. The Tejas Mk1A is built under licence to an airframe design owned by a foreign firm, so the licensor sets its rate of production.
  • 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. India's defence budget for 2026-27 is estimated at 2.0% of GDP, and at a lower figure when pensions are excluded. With reference to such measures, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Excluding pensions lowers the defence-to-GDP ratio because pensions form part of total defence expenditure.
  2. Defence spending as a percentage of GDP can fall in a year even when the defence budget rises in absolute rupee terms.
  3. The Standing Committee's benchmark of 3% of GDP concerns the overall level of spending, which is separate from the 60:40 revenue-to-capital composition it also recommends.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q4. During a conflict, an adversary floods the receivers of an air force's ground radars and airborne datalinks with powerful noise signals, so that they can neither detect targets nor pass data. Among the domains of modern warfare named by the Raksha Mantri, in which is this contest primarily fought?

  • A. Outer space and satellites
  • B. The electromagnetic spectrum
  • C. Information and perception
  • D. Cyberspace and computer networks