Infrastructure MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Q1. Consider the following assertion: Modified UDAN marks a shift in emphasis from demand-side to supply-side intervention in regional aviation. Which of the statements given above support/supports the assertion?

  1. It earmarks capital expenditure to develop airports from unserved airstrips.
  2. It funds the construction of modern helipads for areas with difficult terrain.
  3. It funds the procurement of Indian-built aircraft for public-sector regional operators.
  4. It caps airfares on supported routes to keep air travel affordable for passengers.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q2. With reference to the design of the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. Support under the scheme is tied to specific routes that connect unserved or underserved airports.
  2. Airlines that receive support accept caps on airfares on the supported routes.
  3. Concessions under the scheme come only from the Union Government, and State Governments have no financial role in it.
  4. The scheme expects airlines to run supported routes at a loss as a public-service obligation.
  • A. 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q3. With reference to Viability Gap Funding (VGF) under the Regional Connectivity Scheme (UDAN), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It bridges the gap between the cost of operating a route and the revenue that route can earn at affordable fares.
  2. It is paid to airport operators to finance construction works on unserved airstrips.
  3. It is a one-time capital grant released before the first flight, after which the route receives no further support.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 only

Q4. With reference to the constitutional and statutory framework for developing hydro and pumped storage projects in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 'Water storage and water power' fall in the State List, subject to the Union's power over inter-State rivers to the extent declared by Parliament.
  2. Under the Electricity Act, 2003, a hydro-generating scheme above a capital-cost threshold notified by the Central Government requires the concurrence of the Central Electricity Authority.
  3. While concurring with a hydro scheme, the Central Electricity Authority must consider whether the proposed river-works will prejudice the best ultimate development of the river.
  4. Because pumped storage serves the national grid, State governments have no role in allotting sites for such projects.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q5. Consider the following assertion: 'A storage technology being viable on a levelised-cost basis does not by itself ensure that its capacity gets built quickly.' Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?

  1. India's operational pumped storage capacity rose only from about 4.7 GW in March 2023 to about 7.4 GW in August 2026, though the government held that PSP storage costs were viable without VGF.
  2. Pumped storage projects have long gestation periods and depend on the availability of suitable sites and on environmental clearance.
  3. The CEA projects that pumped storage will meet over a third of India's total storage requirement in 2031–32.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q6. With reference to pumped storage projects (PSPs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in India's power system, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. PSPs are suited to long-duration bulk storage, whereas BESS is typically deployed for short-duration needs.
  2. Reliance on imported battery cells is an energy-security concern for BESS that PSPs, built mainly with domestic civil works, largely avoid.
  3. Because batteries respond faster, the CEA's projection of storage needs for 2031–32 relies on BESS alone.
  4. PSPs can provide peaking support, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel plants to meet peak demand.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q7. With reference to the working of a pumped storage hydropower plant, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Because the same water is recycled between its two reservoirs, a pumped storage plant is a net producer of electricity over a full pumping-and-generating cycle.
  2. A single reversible machine can work as a pump when rotated in one direction and as a turbine when rotated in the other.
  3. Its value to the grid lies mainly in shifting energy from periods of surplus or low demand to periods of peak demand.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. With reference to the constitutional and statutory framework for developing hydro and pumped storage projects in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 'Water storage and water power' fall in the State List, subject to the Union's power over inter-State rivers to the extent declared by Parliament.
  2. Under the Electricity Act, 2003, a hydro-generating scheme above a capital-cost threshold notified by the Central Government requires the concurrence of the Central Electricity Authority.
  3. While concurring with a hydro scheme, the Central Electricity Authority must consider whether the proposed river-works will prejudice the best ultimate development of the river.
  4. Because pumped storage serves the national grid, State governments have no role in allotting sites for such projects.
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q9. Consider the following assertion: 'A storage technology being viable on a levelised-cost basis does not by itself ensure that its capacity gets built quickly.' Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?

  1. India's operational pumped storage capacity rose only from about 4.7 GW in March 2023 to about 7.4 GW in August 2026, though the government held that PSP storage costs were viable without VGF.
  2. Pumped storage projects have long gestation periods and depend on the availability of suitable sites and on environmental clearance.
  3. The CEA projects that pumped storage will meet over a third of India's total storage requirement in 2031–32.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q10. With reference to pumped storage projects (PSPs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in India's power system, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. PSPs are suited to long-duration bulk storage, whereas BESS is typically deployed for short-duration needs.
  2. Reliance on imported battery cells is an energy-security concern for BESS that PSPs, built mainly with domestic civil works, largely avoid.
  3. Because batteries respond faster, the CEA's projection of storage needs for 2031–32 relies on BESS alone.
  4. PSPs can provide peaking support, reducing reliance on fossil-fuel plants to meet peak demand.
  • A. 1, 2 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q11. With reference to the working of a pumped storage hydropower plant, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Because the same water is recycled between its two reservoirs, a pumped storage plant is a net producer of electricity over a full pumping-and-generating cycle.
  2. A single reversible machine can work as a pump when rotated in one direction and as a turbine when rotated in the other.
  3. Its value to the grid lies mainly in shifting energy from periods of surplus or low demand to periods of peak demand.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q12. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Under the unified tariff regime for the National Gas Grid, every consumer pays the same transportation charge regardless of distance from the gas source.
  2. Under an additive tariff system, consumers far from the gas source pay more for transport because the tariffs of each pipeline the gas passes through are added together.
  • 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

Q13. With reference to the Pradhan Mantri Urja Ganga (Jagdishpur–Haldia & Bokaro–Dhamra) pipeline project, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Its cost was met partly by a capital grant from the Union government, in addition to investment by the executing company.
  2. Its originally approved coverage included Chhattisgarh along with Jharkhand and Odisha.
  3. Its Bokaro–Angul section was designed to carry the trunk line from Jharkhand into Odisha.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 2 only

Q14. With reference to strategic and commercial crude oil stocks in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The days of crude demand covered by the strategic reserves are in addition to the inventory that oil refining companies hold for their own operations.
  2. Oil refining companies can draw crude from the strategic reserve caverns whenever their own inventories fall below operating requirements, without any decision of the Government.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. Both 1 and 2
  • D. Neither 1 nor 2

Q15. With reference to India's Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The reserves are held in above-ground steel storage tanks located within refinery premises.
  2. Crude stored in the SPR caverns by a foreign national oil company becomes the property of the Government of India once it is stored.
  3. In an emergency, the Government of India has the first right over the entire crude stored in the caverns, including crude stored by commercial lessees.
  4. Phase II reserves are planned under a public-private partnership model rather than being built wholly with public funds.
  • A. 3 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q16. With reference to the Bharatiya Vayuyan Adhiniyam, 2024, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It replaced the Aircraft Rules, 1937, while the Aircraft Act, 1934 continues to govern matters of aviation safety.
  2. The Central Government may modify or cancel orders of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, and its directions to the DGCA are binding.
  3. It reconstitutes the DGCA as a regulator independent of government control, on the lines of the Airports Economic Regulatory Authority.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q17. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India is empowered to cap the domestic airfares that airlines charge passengers during festive demand peaks.
  2. The Airports Economic Regulatory Authority of India determines tariffs for aeronautical services such as air traffic management, landing and parking of aircraft and ground handling at major airports.
  • 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

Q18. With reference to the framework that has governed domestic airfares in India since tariff fixation was deregulated, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Airlines are free to fix reasonable tariffs having regard to factors such as cost of operation, characteristics of service, reasonable profit and the generally prevailing tariff.
  2. The Tariff Monitoring Unit of the DGCA approves each airline's fares before those fares can be offered for sale.
  3. Where the DGCA is satisfied that an airline has fixed an excessive or predatory tariff, it may issue directions to that airline.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1 only

Q19. India's strategic crude oil reserve at Padur in Karnataka is an example of which type of storage?

  • A. Depleted offshore oil and gas fields
  • B. Excavated underground rock caverns
  • C. Above-ground steel tanks at refineries
  • D. Solution-mined underground salt domes

Q20. With reference to the Commission of Railway Safety in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. It inspects new railway lines before they are opened for passenger traffic.
  2. Its statutory functions extend to metro railways as well.
  3. It adjudicates the compensation claims of passengers injured in train accidents.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q21. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A 9 MW hydroelectric plant commissioned in Ladakh falls within India's small hydro category.
  2. In India, a hydro project is classified as small hydro on the basis of the height of its dam, covering projects whose dams are lower than 15 metres.
  • 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

Q22. Planners of an industrial corridor place manufacturing nodes along a high-capacity freight spine and give each node integrated utilities and common facilities. What is the main economic rationale for this design?

  • A. It rewards firms with cash payouts linked to growth in their incremental sales
  • B. It transfers ownership of industrial land in the nodes from the States to the Union
  • C. It reserves the nodes' output mainly for export markets under duty concessions
  • D. It lowers transport and transaction costs for firms and their co-located suppliers

Q23. With reference to the National Industrial Corridor Development Programme (NICDP), consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The corporation that now anchors the programme began as a special purpose vehicle for a single corridor before its mandate was widened to a national programme.
  2. Its nodes are planned as greenfield industrial cities with integrated utilities, logistics and multimodal connectivity rather than as standalone industrial estates.
  3. In project SPVs under the programme, the State's equity usually comes as land, while central funds come as equity or debt.
  4. Its industrial nodes are notified as SEZs, so every unit in a node is deemed outside the customs territory of India.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q24. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The Indian Ports Act, 2025, enacted by Parliament, contains provisions that govern non-major ports, such as requiring State governments to set up dispute resolution committees for disputes involving them.
  2. Ports other than major ports are a Concurrent List subject, which makes Parliament competent to legislate on them.
  • 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

Q25. Consider the following interventions for improving logistics efficiency in India: Which of the above fall primarily within the domain of the National Logistics Policy, 2022 rather than the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan?

  1. Integrated network planning of rail, road and port connectivity to economic clusters
  2. Digitisation and integration of logistics-related digital systems
  3. Human resource development and skilling of the logistics workforce
  4. Process reforms and improvement of logistics services
  • A. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1, 3 and 4 only

Q26. A proposed highway alignment passes through a forest patch and crosses the route of a gas pipeline that another ministry has planned. Under siloed planning, such conflicts usually come to light only during execution. Which feature of the PM GatiShakti approach is designed to address this problem most directly?

  • A. Transferring execution powers of line ministries to a single central implementing agency
  • B. Overlaying the spatial data of different ministries on a common base before project approval
  • C. Pooling the budgets of infrastructure ministries into one consolidated fund before sanction
  • D. Mandating post-completion impact audits of every project by an independent statutory regulator

Q27. With reference to the institutional framework for implementing the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The apex group of Secretaries can prescribe the framework and norms for making subsequent amendments to the National Master Plan.
  2. The Network Planning Group, made up of Secretaries of the member Ministries, is the apex body to which the Empowered Group of Secretaries reports.
  3. The Technical Support Unit brings in domain expertise from sectors such as aviation, maritime, rail and roads to support project evaluation.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q28. Consider the following assertion: Adding road and rail capacity by itself is unlikely to bring India's logistics costs down to global benchmarks. Which of the statements given below support(s) the above assertion?

  1. The seven engines of PM GatiShakti include mass transport alongside logistics infrastructure.
  2. When transport modes are planned in separate silos, existing assets remain underused and links between modes are missed.
  3. A part of logistics cost arises from processes, regulation, skills and services, which the National Logistics Policy treats as soft infrastructure.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q29. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. The National Transport Data Repository proposed under ITLA is expected to support origin–destination analysis of freight movement.
  2. The repository is to integrate records generated as goods and vehicles actually move, such as GSTN e-way bills and FASTag toll transactions, along with Vahan vehicle registration data.
  • 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

Q30. Suppose projects under Bharatmala, Sagarmala, inland waterways and UDAN, which were earlier planned separately by their respective Ministries, are now examined together on a common geospatial platform. Which of the outcomes given above is/are likely to follow?

  1. Fewer cases of an asset built by one agency having to be dug up or realigned for another agency's later project
  2. Better use of existing port and airport capacity through planned road, rail or waterway links to them
  3. Earlier identification of points where cargo must change mode, such as dry ports or logistics parks
  4. Transfer of the execution of these programmes from the sectoral Ministries to the Network Planning Group
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4