UPSC Prelims 2026 Q79: DHRUV64 Microprocessor and DIR-V — Explained
Which of the following statements about DHRUV64 is/are correct?
1. It is the third chip fabricated under the DIR-V Programme with an overall aim to enable the creation of microprocessors for India.
2. It is India's first homegrown 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor.
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — PIB's backgrounder of 15 December 2025 says DHRUV64 is the third chip fabricated under the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Programme, whose overall aim is to enable the creation of microprocessors for the future in India. The first chip, THEJAS32, was fabricated at the Silterra facility in Malaysia. The second, THEJAS64, was made in India at the Semiconductor Laboratory (SCL), Mohali. That makes DHRUV64 the third.
- 2: correct — The same PIB backgrounder describes DHRUV64 as India's first homegrown 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core microprocessor. C-DAC developed it under MeitY's Microprocessor Development Programme, using the open RISC-V architecture. The earlier THEJAS32 and THEJAS64 chips run at about 100 MHz on a single core, so DHRUV64 is the first Indian chip to reach 1 GHz with two cores.
- I: correct — Placeholder removed.
How to eliminate
This question can only be solved by knowing the fact. Both statements are copied almost word for word from PIB's December 2025 backgrounder, and neither uses an absolute word like 'only' or 'always' that would give it away. Two clues help a little. First, the name DHRUV64 itself points to a 64-bit chip. Second, Statement 2 narrows its 'first' claim to a very specific combination (homegrown, 1.0 GHz, 64-bit, dual-core). UPSC usually copies such narrow claims from an official source rather than making them up. Statement 1 is riskier because the word 'third' could easily have been changed. Remember the sequence: THEJAS32 (Malaysia), then THEJAS64 (SCL Mohali), then DHRUV64, with DHANUSH64 and DHANUSH64+ under development. With that order memorised, both statements check out.
Know more
Indigenous processors and the DIR-V Programme
A microprocessor is the 'brain' of phones, cars, satellites and defence systems. PIB says India consumes about 20% of the world's microprocessors. Owning processor design reduces dependence on imports.
RISC-V is an open instruction-set architecture, meaning anyone can design chips to it. Unlike proprietary designs such as ARM or x86, it charges no licence fee. MeitY launched the Digital India RISC-V (DIR-V) Programme in April 2022 to build a family of RISC-V processors for industry, strategic sectors and consumer devices. C-DAC's processors are sold under the VEGA brand. The chips are designed under the Microprocessor Development Programme (MDP).
| Chip | Developer / Year | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| THEJAS32 | C-DAC | 1st DIR-V chip; 32-bit, ~100 MHz; fabricated at Silterra, Malaysia |
| THEJAS64 | C-DAC, 2025 | 2nd DIR-V chip; 64-bit; fabricated at SCL Mohali; for industrial automation |
| DHRUV64 | C-DAC, Dec 2025 | 3rd DIR-V chip; 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core; superscalar, out-of-order execution |
| DHANUSH / DHANUSH+ | C-DAC | Next-generation SoCs, under development |
Other indigenous processors to know:
- SHAKTI (IIT Madras, 2018): for strategic, space and defence uses
- AJIT (IIT Bombay, 2018): for industrial and robotics uses
- VIKRAM (ISRO–SCL, 2025): a space-grade processor for navigation and guidance
Related MeitY schemes:
- Chips to Startup (C2S), 2022: ₹250 crore over five years, target of 85,000 industry-ready engineers
- Design Linked Incentive (DLI), 2021: incentives for chip design
- India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), December 2021: support for fabs and assembly units
In the news
MeitY and C-DAC launched DHRUV64 in December 2025, and PIB published a backgrounder titled 'DHRUV64: India's First 1.0 GHz, 64-bit dual-core Microprocessor' on 15 December 2025, about five months before Prelims. Both statements in the question are lifted from that backgrounder.