Question 1

In what way(s) does the Vizhinjam International Seaport represent a structural shift in India's maritime trade and logistics policy?
1. By functioning exclusively as a domestic cargo hub to reduce reliance on coastal shipping and eliminate the need for foreign collaborations.
2. By focusing primarily on passenger cruise tourism and heritage shipping to increase Kerala's profile as a maritime heritage destination.
3. By leveraging its natural deep draft and strategic location to reduce dependence on foreign trans-shipment ports, enhance revenue retention, and reposition India in regional maritime trade.
Select the answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

2 and 3. * Statement 1 is incorrect: Vizhinjam Seaport (located in Kerala) is explicitly being developed as an international transshipment deep-water hub, not a domestic-only hub. * Statement 2 is incorrect: Its strategic role is focused on international container cargo and transshipment logistics, not cruise tourism or heritage shipping. * Statement 3 is correct: Gifted with a natural deep draft of 20–24 meters close to the shore requiring no capital dredging, Vizhinjam can host ultra-large next-generation container mother ships, allowing India to significantly reduce its dependence on foreign transshipment ports like Colombo and Singapore.

Question 2

Consider the following statements with reference to the Sagarmala Programme of the Government of India:
I. The Sagarmala Programme seeks to achieve port-led economic growth through cost-effective and sustainable coastal infrastructure.
II. The success of the Sagarmala Programme is reflected in significant growth in coastal and inland waterway shipping, along with improved global port rankings.
III. Sagarmala 2.0 aims to position India as a global maritime innovation hub aligned with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047 visions.
Which of the following relationships among the above statements is/are correct?
1. Statement II validates the effectiveness of the strategies envisioned in statement I.
2. Statement III extends the objectives of statement I by embedding them into a future-oriented innovation framework.
3. Statement I contradicts statement III by focusing only on traditional infrastructure instead of modern innovation.
Select the answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

1 only. * Relationship 1 is correct: Statement I outlines the infrastructure framework, while Statement II validates it with measurable outcomes (118% increase in coastal shipping, 700% increase in inland waterway cargo, and 9 Indian ports placing in the global top 100). * Relationship 2 is correct: Statement III details "Sagarmala 2.0," which incorporates technological innovation and startups (S212) to align with Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047, effectively extending the physical targets of Statement I. * Relationship 3 is incorrect: There is no contradiction. Sagarmala 2.0 serves as a complementary, modern extension of the foundational framework.

Question 3

Consider the following statements:
I. The Reserve Bank of India mandates all the listed companies in India to submit a Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR).
II. In India, a company submitting a BRSR makes disclosures in the report that are largely non-financial in nature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Accepted Answer

I only. * Statement I is not correct: The reporting requirements on ESG parameters called the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Report (BRSR) were introduced by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), not the RBI. * Statement II is correct: The BRSR is intended to mandate quantitative, standardized disclosures on ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) parameters to support comparisons, making the disclosures largely non-financial in nature.

Question 4

Consider the following statements:
I. India has joined the Minerals Security Partnership as a member.
II. India is a resource-rich country in all the 30 critical minerals that it has identified.
III. The Parliament in 2023 has amended the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining lease and composite license for certain critical minerals.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

II and III only. * Statement I is correct: India became the 14th member of the Minerals Security Partnership (MSP) in June 2023 alongside countries like the US, Australia, and Japan. * Statement II is incorrect: India's Ministry of Mines identified 30 critical minerals, but the country does not have proven domestic reserves for all 30 and remains dependent on imports for many (such as lithium, cobalt, and nickel). * Statement III is correct: The Parliament amended the MMDR Act, 1957 in 2023, empowering the Central Government to exclusively auction mining leases and composite licenses for specified critical and strategic minerals.

Question 5

Consider the following statements:
I. India accounts for a very large portion of all equity option contracts traded globally thus exhibiting a great boom.
II. India's stock market has grown rapidly in the recent past even overtaking Hong Kong's at some point of time.
III. There is no regulatory body either to warn the small investors about the risks of options trading or to act on unregistered financial advisors in this regard.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

I and II only. * Statement I is correct: India has safely emerged as a dominant global player in equity options; in early 2024, over 84% of all equity option contracts traded globally were executed on Indian exchanges. * Statement II is correct: In January 2024, the combined value of shares listed on Indian exchanges reached $4.33 trillion, briefly surpassing Hong Kong's market value to make India the world's fourth-largest stock market. * Statement III is not correct: India has an active regulatory body, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which actively monitors options risks, issues public warnings, and regulates unregistered investment platforms or financial advisors.

Question 6

Consider the following countries:
I. France
II. United Arab Emirates
III. Germany
IV. Singapore
V. Bangladesh

How many countries amongst the above are there other than India where international merchant payments are accepted under UPI?

Accepted Answer

Only two. * Unified Payments Interface (UPI) merchant payments are active internationally at specific merchant venues outside India. * Item I (UAE), Item II (France—officially launched at the iconic Eiffel Tower), and Item IV (Singapore) are countries where international merchant acceptance is live. * Item III (Germany) and Item V (Bangladesh) do not currently support UPI international merchant payment frameworks. * Therefore, exactly three countries on the list are valid merchant acceptance territories.

Question 7

Consider the following airports:
1. Donyi Polo Airport
2. Kushinagar International Airport
3. Vijayawada International Airport

In the recent past, which of the above have been constructed as Greenfield projects?
Select the answer using the code given below:

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 only. * Project 1 is a Greenfield project: Donyi Polo Airport (located in Hollongi, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh) was built completely from scratch as a new Greenfield facility under the GFA Policy. * Project 2 is a Greenfield project: Kushinagar International Airport in Uttar Pradesh was cleared and operationalized as a new Greenfield airport development. * Project 3 is not a Greenfield project: Vijayawada International Airport in Andhra Pradesh is a pre-existing, brownfield airport facility that underwent modernization and expansion, not an entirely new project built from scratch. * Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Question 8

Consider the following statements:
Statement-I: India does not import apples from the United States of America.
Statement-II: In India, the law prohibits the import of Genetically Modified food without the approval of the competent authority.

Accepted Answer

Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect. * Statement I is incorrect: India actively imports apples from the United States; following bilateral adjustments, India scrapped its 20 per cent retaliatory tariffs on American agricultural goods, leading to a major surge in US apple imports. * Statement II is correct: Under India's import and food safety policies, the import of any Genetically Modified (GM) foods or Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) strictly requires mandatory prior clearance from the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) alongside a No Objection Certificate from the FSSAI. Thus, option (d) is correct.

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