Defence & Internal Security MCQs for UPSC Prelims — June 2026

Q1. Consider the following appointments held by General Dhiraj Seth before he became Chief of the Army Staff. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command
  2. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, South Western Command
  3. Vice Chief of the Army Staff
  4. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q2. Within the Indian Army's own chain of command, which one of the following is the senior-most officer, to whom the Vice Chief of the Army Staff is immediately subordinate?

  • A. Chief of the Army Staff
  • B. Chief of Defence Staff
  • C. General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of a Command
  • D. Deputy Chief of the Army Staff

Q3. Among the decorations held by General Dhiraj Seth, the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) is awarded for which one of the following?

  • A. A high degree of distinguished service in a wartime (operational) context
  • B. The most exceptional distinguished service rendered during peacetime
  • C. Individual acts of conspicuous gallantry in the presence of the enemy
  • D. Long, meritorious and dedicated service by junior commissioned officers and other ranks

Q4. General Dhiraj Seth holds the decorations PVSM, UYSM and AVSM. Consider the following statements about them. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. PVSM stands for Param Vishisht Seva Medal.
  2. UYSM stands for Uttam Yudh Seva Medal.
  3. AVSM stands for Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
  4. All three are gallantry awards conferred specifically for acts of bravery in the face of the enemy.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. In which year was General Dhiraj Seth commissioned into the Armoured Corps?

  • A. 1986
  • B. 1984
  • C. 1989
  • D. 1991

Q6. With reference to the early leadership of the Indian Army, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. K.M. Cariappa was the first Indian Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army.
  2. He was instrumental in raising the Brigade of the Guards and the Parachute Regiment.
  3. He is one of only two Indian Army officers to have held the rank of Field Marshal.
  4. He succeeded General K.S. Thimayya as head of the Indian Army.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2 and 4

Q7. With reference to Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. He took over command of the Indian Army on 15 January 1949, the day now observed annually as Army Day.
  2. He succeeded General Sir F.R.R. Bucher, the last British Commander-in-Chief.
  3. He was the first Indian Army officer to be conferred the rank of Field Marshal.
  4. He led Indian forces on the Western Front during the 1947–48 war with Pakistan.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 1 and 3

Q8. Which one of the following correctly describes the office that General Dhiraj Seth assumed on 30 June 2026?

  • A. 31st Chief of the Army Staff
  • B. 30th Chief of the Army Staff
  • C. 31st Chief of Defence Staff
  • D. 31st Vice Chief of the Army Staff

Q9. With reference to the change of command in the Indian Army on 30 June 2026, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. General Dhiraj Seth assumed charge as Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026.
  2. He succeeded General Upendra Dwivedi.
  3. He belongs to the Armoured Corps.
  4. Immediately before becoming Chief of the Army Staff, he was serving as the Chief of Defence Staff.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q10. Consider the following statements regarding India's 2024 drug-seizure data. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. 1. The total value of narcotics seized in 2024 was about ₹25,330 crore.
  2. 2. The 2024 seizure value was over 55% higher than that of 2023.
  3. 3. Methamphetamine (ATS) seizures more than doubled, from 34 quintals in 2023 to 80 quintals in 2024.
  4. 4. Cocaine seizures fell sharply from 1,426 kg in 2023 to 292 kg in 2024.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q11. When India is described as a drug 'transit corridor', the expression most precisely means that India is:

  • A. A territory through which narcotics pass en route from producing regions to consumer markets elsewhere
  • B. The principal end-consumer market for opiates produced in its neighbourhood
  • C. A major licit producer of opium for pharmaceutical use
  • D. A territory where precursor chemicals are manufactured for export

Q12. According to the BSF, drone interceptions along the Punjab stretch of the India–Pakistan border in 2024 doubled to an unprecedented figure of approximately how many?

  • A. 200
  • B. 107
  • C. 22
  • D. 350

Q13. In the context of synthetic-drug trafficking from the Golden Triangle, the term 'yaba' refers to:

  • A. A tablet combining methamphetamine and caffeine
  • B. A refined grade of heroin processed from Myanmar opium
  • C. A plant-derived synthetic cannabinoid
  • D. A precursor chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine

Q14. Which one of the following is the central nodal agency mandated to coordinate all drug law-enforcement actions across India?

  • A. Narcotics Control Bureau
  • B. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
  • C. Central Bureau of Narcotics
  • D. Border Security Force

Q15. Under which section of the NDPS Act, 1985 are offences made cognizable and non-bailable, subject to stringent twin conditions for the grant of bail in commercial-quantity cases?

  • A. Section 37
  • B. Section 27A
  • C. Section 21
  • D. Section 8

Q16. Under the NDPS Act, 1985, the thresholds determining whether a seized quantity is a 'small quantity' or a 'commercial quantity' are specified by whom?

  • A. The Central Government by notification in the Official Gazette
  • B. The Narcotics Control Bureau
  • C. The respective State Government
  • D. The Central Bureau of Narcotics

Q17. The term 'Golden Triangle' for the Southeast Asian opium zone was coined in 1971 by which one of the following?

  • A. Marshall Green, then U.S. Assistant Secretary of State
  • B. Harry J. Anslinger, U.S. Commissioner of Narcotics
  • C. The UN Office on Drugs and Crime
  • D. The International Narcotics Control Board

Q18. According to Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) data, approximately how much money did Indians lose to cyber/financial frauds during the year 2025?

  • A. About ₹8,189 crore
  • B. About ₹19,812 crore
  • C. About ₹22,845 crore
  • D. About ₹52,976 crore

Q19. As per the Ministry of Home Affairs, what was the approximate value of narcotics seized across India in 2024 — a figure more than 55% higher than the previous year?

  • A. ₹16,100 crore
  • B. ₹25,330 crore
  • C. ₹6,000 crore
  • D. ₹1,17,284 crore

Q20. The Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029) lists priority challenges and measures for the next three years. Considering the following as stated objectives of the Document, which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. 1. Tackling the emerging challenge of synthetic drugs.
  2. 2. Countering darknet-enabled drug trafficking.
  3. 3. Expanding the reach of treatment and rehabilitation centres for drug users.
  4. 4. Decriminalising the personal consumption of all narcotic drugs.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q21. With reference to the Vision Document on Narcotics Control (2026-2029), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1. It is a three-year roadmap that simultaneously addresses supply-reduction, demand-reduction and harm-reduction.
  2. 2. It was released at the 9th Apex-Level NCORD meeting held in 2025.
  3. 3. It envisages a 'network-centric enforcement approach' and sets measurable targets and timelines for stakeholders.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q22. With reference to the institutional architecture of the Narco-Coordination Centre (NCORD), consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?

  1. 1. NCORD is a four-tier coordination mechanism established by the Ministry of Home Affairs, operating from the Apex to the District level.
  2. 2. The Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF) in each State/UT functions as the NCORD Secretariat for that State/UT.
  3. 3. The Joint Coordination Committee set up to monitor the investigation of significant seizures is chaired by the Director General of the Narcotics Control Bureau.
  4. 4. The Apex-Level NCORD meetings are, by mandate, chaired by the Cabinet Secretary.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 and 3
  • C. 3 and 4
  • D. 4 only

Q23. In the context of Atmanirbhar Bharat in defence, the 'SRIJAN' portal is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. A portal on which DPSUs, OFB and Service Headquarters display items they import so that Indian industry, MSMEs and start-ups can develop them for import substitution
  • B. A portal through which foreign OEMs register their End-User certificates before exporting weapon systems to India
  • C. A DRDO portal that releases AESA radar and avionics source code to private firms for licensed production
  • D. A SEBI-regulated platform on which defence DPSUs raise capital for indigenisation projects

Q24. Which one of the following is India's first indigenously developed Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system?

  • A. Netra
  • B. Phalcon
  • C. Netra Mk2 (AEW&C Mk-2)
  • D. Swordfish

Q25. With reference to airborne surveillance platforms, which one of the following statements correctly distinguishes an 'Airborne Early Warning and Control' (AEW&C) system such as Netra from an 'Airborne Warning and Control System' (AWACS)?

  • A. An AEW&C is generally mounted on a smaller aircraft with a dorsal antenna giving limited (sub-360°) radar coverage, whereas an AWACS uses a larger platform providing full 360° coverage
  • B. An AEW&C always operates fully autonomously without any link to ground control, whereas an AWACS is invariably controlled remotely from the ground
  • C. An AEW&C can detect only sea-surface targets, whereas an AWACS detects exclusively airborne targets
  • D. An AEW&C is always unarmed and surveillance-only, whereas every AWACS necessarily carries air-to-air weapons

Q26. With reference to the indigenous Netra Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) system, consider the following statements: 1. Its nodal developing laboratory is the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) of DRDO. 2. It is a programme under the Ministry of Defence. 3. It was granted Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in 2017. 4. Its mission systems are integrated on the Ilyushin Il-76 heavy-lift platform. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its nodal developing laboratory is the Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS) of DRDO.
  2. It is a programme under the Ministry of Defence.
  3. It was granted Initial Operational Clearance (IOC) in 2017.
  4. Its mission systems are integrated on the Ilyushin Il-76 heavy-lift platform.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 4 only

Q27. Netra AEW&C system led design, system integration and testing was carried out by which one of the following DRDO laboratories acting as the nodal lab?

  • A. Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), Bengaluru
  • B. Electronics and Radar Development Establishment (LRDE), Bengaluru
  • C. Defence Avionics Research Establishment (DARE), Bengaluru
  • D. Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE), Bengaluru

Q28. The indigenous 'Netra' AEW&C system, which received Final Operational Clearance in 2026, was developed with which one of the following as the sole nodal development agency?

  • A. Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL)
  • B. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL)
  • C. Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)
  • D. Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO)

Q29. The narcotics-producing regions historically called the 'Golden Triangle' and 'Golden Crescent' were officially rechristened as the 'Death Triangle' and 'Death Crescent' at the initiative of which authority?

  • A. Union Home Minister (Ministry of Home Affairs)
  • B. Director General, Narcotics Control Bureau
  • C. Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare
  • D. Director General, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence

Q30. With reference to global narcotics geography, the term 'Golden Crescent' refers to the opium-producing region comprising which one of the following sets of countries?

  • A. Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan
  • B. Myanmar, Laos and Thailand
  • C. Afghanistan, Pakistan and Tajikistan
  • D. Iran, Iraq and Turkey
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