Geography MCQs for UPSC Prelims — January 2026

Q1. Greenland, which figured in US President Donald Trump's January 2026 Davos call for ‘immediate negotiations’, is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. The world's largest island
  • B. The world's largest archipelago
  • C. The world's largest peninsula
  • D. The northernmost sovereign state

Q2. Greenland, which has been at the centre of a recent US–EU tariff dispute, is which one of the following with respect to global geography?

  • A. The world's largest island
  • B. The world's largest archipelago
  • C. The world's largest non-continental landmass entirely north of the Arctic Circle
  • D. The world's largest sub-national autonomous territory by population

Q3. The detained Indian seafarers from MT Valiant Roar were lodged in prison at which Iranian port — the country's largest commercial port and the principal IRGC Navy base on the Persian Gulf?

  • A. Bandar-e Bushehr
  • B. Bandar-e Anzali
  • C. Bandar Abbas
  • D. Chabahar

Q4. Which one of the following countries is the single largest source of refined copper imports into the United States, accounting for the bulk of the over 90% supplied by three American-continent producers?

  • A. Chile
  • B. Canada
  • C. Peru
  • D. Mexico

Q5. In the context of Assam's wetland ecology, the term 'beel' most precisely refers to which one of the following?

  • A. An ox-bow lake or floodplain wetland formed by a former channel of a river such as the Brahmaputra
  • B. A tidal mangrove creek along the Bay of Bengal coast
  • C. A salt-pan depression in a semi-arid alluvial plain
  • D. A high-altitude glacial tarn of the Eastern Himalaya

Q6. The uniform definition of the Aravalli Hills accepted by the Supreme Court in November 2025 applies across how many States/Union Territories of India?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Six
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    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

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    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

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    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

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    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

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    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

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