Ministry Of Defence
Official policy releases, schemes, circulars, and Prelims practice questions from Ministry Of Defence distilled for UPSC Civil Services Examination.
🎯 Ministry Of Defence UPSC Practice Questions
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to the 'Tri-Services Future Warfare Course' conducted in New Delhi, consider the following statements: 1. It is conducted under the guidance of the Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff (HQ IDS) in coordination with the Centre for Joint Warfare Studies (CENJOWS). 2. The curriculum addresses emerging combat domains, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, space operations, and gray-zone operations. 3. Participation in the course is strictly restricted to serving officers of the Indian Army, Navy, and Air Force. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 2 and 3 only
- [C] 1 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. The course is conducted under the guidance of HQ Integrated Defence Staff and coordinated by CENJOWS, analyzing future warfare trends like AI, quantum tech, space, and gray-zone operations. Statement 3 is incorrect because participation is not restricted solely to armed forces officers; it also includes representatives from government organizations, academia, the defense industry, and strategic think tanks.
🎯 UPSC Prelims Practice Drill
With reference to India's economic and industrial initiatives, consider the following statements: 1. The 'Sapta Dhara' reform framework focuses on seven key areas, including logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power, to make India a developed nation by 2047. 2. Exactly half of the twelve approved semiconductor plants in India are being set up in Gujarat. 3. The theme of the 11th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit is 'Viksit Gujarat - Shaping Global Future'. Which of the statements given above are correct?
- [A] 1 and 2 only
- [B] 2 and 3 only
- [C] 1 and 3 only
- [D] 1, 2 and 3
▶ Reveal Official Answer & Analytical Explanation
Statement 1 is correct as the 'Sapta Dhara' framework focuses on manufacturing, agro-food production, technology, logistics, defence, green and blue economy, and soft power to achieve the 2047 developed nation goal. Statement 2 is correct because 6 out of the 12 approved semiconductor plants in India (exactly half) are being set up in Gujarat. Statement 3 is also correct as 'Viksit Gujarat - Shaping Global Future' is the designated theme for the 11th Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit scheduled for January 2027.
Official Policy Notifications & Dossiers
16 Briefs-
PIB
The 33rd Edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) Commences in Visakhapatnam to Enhance Regional Maritime Security
- The 33rd edition of the Singapore-India Maritime Bilateral Exercise (SIMBEX-2026) is being held from October 21 to 26, 2026, in Visakhapatnam.
- First initiated in 1994 as 'Exercise Lion King', SIMBEX is conducted in two phases: a Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam followed by a Sea Phase in the Bay of Bengal.
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PIB
Indian Air Force to Engage Defense Industry on Unmanned and Autonomous Systems Roadmap on October 21, 2026
- The Indian Air Force organized an industry outreach program in New Delhi to apprise MSMEs, startups, and industry partners of its long-term requirements in unmanned and autonomous systems.
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LIVEMINT
Govt plans to expand services index to cover 80% of sector output
- The Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI) plans to expand the monthly Index of Services Production (ISP) to cover roughly 80% of India's services-sector GVA, up from about 60%.
- The proposed expansion incorporates education, healthcare, residential care, public administration, and defence by using a hybrid framework combining transaction indicators for market activities and cost-of-production measures for non-market public services.
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THE HINDU
Accommodating dissent: On the TVK government’s actions - The Hindu
- The TVK government in Tamil Nadu has been criticized for its handling of dissent, with at least 10 people arrested or facing police action for speaking out against the Chief Minister or his cabinet colleagues.
- Over 10 individuals have been subject to police action in the first couple of months of the TVK government, with cases ranging from arrest to police searches and filing of charges.
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THE HINDU
Export gains: On India’s trade data for June - The Hindu
- India's trade deficit jumped 430% in June due to increased imports of crude oil, gold, fertilizers, and electronic goods.
- The value of crude oil imports rose 40% in June, while gold import duties doubled in May, leading to a significant increase in prices.
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THE HINDU
Union Cabinet approves ₹30,000 crore additional investment in NIIF for new fund creation - The Hindu
- The Union Cabinet has approved an additional investment of ₹30,000 crore in the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF) to support its new fund creation.
- This investment brings the government's total commitment to NIIF to ₹60,000 crore, with the fund currently managing ₹40,000 crore in capital commitments across its various funds and strategies.
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THE HINDU
Politics over people: On India’s High-Level Committee on Demographic Change - The Hindu
- The Indian government has established a High-Level Committee on Demographic Change to assess and address demographic shifts affecting sovereignty and national security.
- The committee is expected to examine patterns of abnormal population shifts among religious and social communities, with a focus on illegal infiltration and its impact on public service delivery and social cohesion.
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INDIAN EXPRESS
Third IAF AN-32 crash in 10 years: All about the Soviet-origin military transport aircraft
- The Indian Air Force (IAF) has reported its third AN-32 crash in the past decade, highlighting ongoing safety concerns with the Soviet-origin military transport aircraft.
- The IAF has a total of 80 AN-32 transport aircraft in its fleet, with a total of over 10 billion rupees spent on acquiring and maintaining these aircraft since 1984.
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INDIAN EXPRESS
Zojila tunnel breakthrough: Why the project is crucial for India's defence
- The Indian government has made a significant breakthrough in the Zojila tunnel project, connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country by providing an all-weather road link through the treacherous Himalayan mountains.
- The project is expected to cost around 6,800 crore rupees and is set to reduce the current travel time of approximately 3.5 hours to just 15 minutes.
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THE HINDU
Concrete fever: On India and heat management - The Hindu
- The Indian government has decided to prioritize urban design changes to mitigate the effects of heatwaves, focusing on reflective materials and green cover in building construction.
- The frequency of heatwaves in India's Core Heatwave Zone has increased by 30% over the past six decades, with a rise of 0.1 days per decade since 1961, and their maximum duration has increased by 0.55 days per decade.
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LIVEMINT
How have crude oil prices behaved during the West Asia war?
- International crude oil prices have remained elevated above $100 per barrel for most of the past three months since the West Asia war began on 28 February.
- Elevated oil prices have been sustained above $100 per barrel despite moderation since the benchmark Brent crude hit a four-year high of $126.41 a barrel on 30 April.
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BUSINESS STANDARD
Rupee defence lifts RBI's net short dollar book past $110 billion mark
- The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has successfully defended the rupee, achieving a net short dollar book of over $110 billion.
- This significant milestone translates to a dollar-denominated asset portfolio of approximately $110 billion, underscoring the RBI's efforts to manage foreign exchange reserves.
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LIVEMINT
Centre plans to allow PE firms, sovereign wealth funds to directly participate in all greenfield infra projects
- The Centre plans to introduce a new public-private partnership model allowing private equity firms, sovereign wealth funds, and pension funds to directly invest in greenfield infrastructure projects.
- This move is expected to unlock investments worth over $22 billion in the next five years, mainly in transportation and energy sectors.
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LIVEMINT
War and weather force RBI into a wait-and-watch mode as risks to growth, inflation loom
- The Reserve Bank of India's monetary policy committee decided to pause interest rate adjustments due to uncertainties surrounding the West Asia war and weather forecasts.
- The RBI's wait-and-watch approach will likely impact monetary policy decisions affecting the growth and inflation trajectories of the Indian economy.
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LIVEMINT
‘So what? 100 is just a number’: PM Modi's EAC member dismisses alarm over rupee’s potential fall to triple digits
- The Indian rupee's potential fall to 100 against the US dollar has been downplayed by Shamika Ravi, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Economic Advisory Council.
- The Indian rupee's value relative to the US dollar is not viewed as a critical metric by Ravi, who does not consider a rate of 100 to be significant.
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THE HINDU
Baby bait: on the Andhra Pradesh government’s proposed incentives for families - The Hindu
- The Andhra Pradesh government has proposed new incentives for families to have three or more children, reversing decades of family-planning policies in India.
- The proposed incentives include a one-time payment of ₹30,000 for a third child and ₹40,000 for a fourth, ₹1,000 monthly for five years, and other benefits such as free education and enhanced funding for childcare schemes.