UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — EXERCISE TARANG SHAKTI 2026: POWER IN PARTNERSHIP, STRENGTH IN SELF-RELIANCE

Q1. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A large share of salaries and pensions in the defence budget limits the funds available for acquiring new fighter aircraft.
  2. Salaries and pensions are booked as capital outlay because they sustain the fighting capacity of the armed forces.
  • 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

Q2. With reference to the composition of India's defence budget and its parliamentary scrutiny, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Of the two broad heads of defence spending, only capital outlay directly funds the creation of assets such as equipment, machinery and construction works.
  2. A larger total defence budget necessarily raises the share of capital outlay within it.
  3. Since salaries and pensions are revenue expenditure, a Pay Commission award is expected to ease pressure on defence capital outlay.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. Consider the following facts: India's defence exports reached a record ₹23,622 crore in 2024-25, of which ₹15,233 crore came from the private sector and ₹8,389 crore from DPSUs. India was the world's second-largest arms importer in 2020–2024. The government reports Tejas as being in export discussions, with no signed sale. HAL's Tejas Mk1A output is committed to the IAF's 97-aircraft order, with deliveries starting in 2027-28 and running over six years. Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above facts?

  1. Private firms accounted for more than three-fifths of India's defence exports in 2024-25.
  2. HAL can promise early Tejas deliveries to a foreign buyer without affecting the IAF's own order.
  3. India's defence-industrial base has become self-sufficient enough to end its dependence on arms imports.
  4. Record export earnings do not by themselves show that India has become an exporter of fighter aircraft.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only