Indian Economy: Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals PYQ.
UPSC Prelims previous year questions on Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals (Indian Economy) — real questions with answers and explanations.
4 questions · sorted by year
2026Current AffairsMulti-statement (Traditional Style)Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals
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:
A.1 only
B.1 and 2
C.2 and 3
D.3 only
Explanation: * 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.
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📌 Foreign Exchange and Trade PolicyRelevance 60%
2025Current AffairsMulti-statement (Traditional Style)Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals
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?
A.I and II only
B.II and III only
C.I and III only
D.I, II and III
Explanation: * 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.
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📌 Industrial Policy and PSEsRelevance 40%
2025Multi-statement (How Many Style)Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals
Consider the following activities:
I. Production of crude oil
II. Refining, storage and distribution of petroleum
III. Marketing and sale of petroleum products
IV. Production of natural gas
How many of the above activities are regulated by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board in our country?
A.Only one
B.Only two
C.Only three
D.All the four
Explanation: * The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) was established under a statutory Act of 2006 to protect consumer interests and monitor downstream networks. * As mandated by the Act, the board regulates the refining, processing, storage, transport, distribution, marketing, and commercial sale of petroleum, petroleum products, and natural gas. This validates Activities II and III. * The statutory framework explicitly excludes the core upstream extraction and production of crude oil (Activity I) and natural gas (Activity IV) from the board's regulatory domain. * Therefore, exactly two activities are regulated.
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📌 Power and Energy SectorRelevance 40%
2024Current AffairsMulti-statement (Traditional Style)Infrastructure, Industry & Minerals
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:
A.1 and 2 only
B.2 and 3 only
C.1 and 3 only
D.1, 2 and 3
Explanation: * 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.
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📌 Investment Models and PPPRelevance 70%
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