Why tanks still matter in modern warfare

✅ Statement I: Correct
Rare earth elements like europium, terbium, and yttrium are essential in flat TV screens and monitors due to their role in producing vibrant colors and enhancing display quality. ✅ Statement II: Correct
These elements exhibit phosphorescence—absorbing energy and slowly emitting light—which is key to their use in color reproduction and brightness in displays. Relationship:
Statement II explains why rare earth elements are crucial in displays, confirming the reason behind Statement I. Therefore, both statements are correct and related.

Statement 1 is Correct: Mission Sudarshan Chakra is designed as a multi-domain security umbrella. It explicitly aims to enhance India's air defence, ballistic missile defence, and aerial offensive capabilities, acting as both a defensive shield and an offensive sword. Statement 2 is Correct: The mission integrates advanced technologies like AI, space-based sensors, and directed energy weapons to ensure rapid, precise, and powerful defence responses. This indigenous development (incorporating projects like Project Kusha) is specifically aimed at reinforcing India's strategic autonomy and self-reliance in the defence sector. Statement 3 is Correct: A major distinguishing feature of this initiative is its expanded scope. Announced as a 10-year national security initiative, a stated goal of the mission is to bring all public places (including hospitals, railways, and religious/cultural sites) under an expanded nationwide security shield by 2035, moving beyond the conventional protection of just military and strategic installations. Therefore, the correct option is A.

✅ Statement I: Correct
*GAGAN is an Indian SBAS developed by ISRO and AAI to enhance GPS accuracy and integrity, crucial for aviation safety.* ✅ Statement II: Correct
*It improves GPS reliability and accuracy, enabling better air traffic management and safer, efficient navigation.* ❌ Statement III: Incorrect
*GAGAN’s benefits extend beyond aviation to railways, roadways, maritime, agriculture, and disaster management.* Correct Answer: Only Statements I and II are correct.

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a satellite-based navigation system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth. It has a wide range of applications. Statement 1 is correct. GPS is used in mobile phones for various purposes such as location tracking, navigation, and location-based services. Statement 2 is correct. GPS is used in banking operations for ATM location services and for time-stamping transactions, which is crucial for maintaining accurate records. Statement 3 is correct. GPS is used for time-stamping power system measurements, which is vital for grid stability and synchronization. Therefore, GPS technology can be used in all the three areas mentioned.

Statement 1 is Correct: The primary goal of stealth technology is to minimize an object's Radar Cross-Section (RCS), making it appear as small as a bird or insect on enemy screens. This is achieved through geometric shaping (to deflect waves away from the source) and by coating the surface with Radar Absorbing Materials (RAM), which absorb electromagnetic radar energy and dissipate it as heat. Statement 2 is Correct: Stealth objects are not completely invisible. Their shapes and RAM coatings are typically optimized to defeat high-frequency radars (like X-band) used for precise weapons targeting. However, they can often be detected by low-frequency radars (such as VHF and UHF bands). The longer wavelengths of these specific frequencies resonate with the aircraft's physical dimensions, allowing detection, though they lack the resolution required for a missile lock. Statement 3 is Incorrect: Metamaterials are artificially engineered structures with unique electromagnetic properties. In advanced stealth applications, they are used to decrease or eliminate radar scattering, not increase it. They achieve this by either perfectly absorbing the electromagnetic radiation or by bending and redirecting the waves smoothly around the object (electromagnetic cloaking) so that no signal scatters back to the radar receiver. Increasing scattering would make the object highly visible, defeating the purpose of stealth. Therefore, the correct option is C.

Statement 1 is Correct: Rare Earth Elements (REEs) are indispensable for modern technological innovations. Their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical properties make them critical for artificial intelligence hardware, robotics, space exploration, electric vehicles, and advanced defense systems. Statement 2 is Incorrect: While China dominates global REE mining, accounting for roughly 69% of global production, the second-largest producer is the United States, followed by Myanmar and Australia. India ranks much lower globally and is not the second-largest producer. Statement 3 is Correct: The Government of India officially launched the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) in January 2025. The mission is a strategic blueprint designed to secure domestic and global supply chains, reduce import dependence, and establish a robust framework for self-reliance in critical minerals essential for clean energy and technology. Statement 4 is Incorrect: Rare Earth Elements are a set of 17 metallic elements, not 13. This group comprises the 15 lanthanides on the periodic table, along with scandium and yttrium, which share similar chemical properties and are typically found in the same ore deposits. Therefore, the correct option is A.

* THAAD is a missile defense system developed by the United States to intercept and destroy short, medium, and intermediate-range ballistic missiles during their terminal phase of flight. * It is designed to defend against threats both within and outside the Earth's atmosphere, providing protection against potential missile attacks. * THAAD has been deployed by the United States military and has also been sold to allied countries such as South Korea and Saudi Arabia.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: Drones typically communicate with ground command centres using standard Radio Frequency (RF) bands (e.g., UHF, S-band, L-band) or Satellite Communications (SATCOM) to ensure reliable, long-range connectivity. The Terahertz (THz) band is an emerging, highly experimental frequency envisioned for future 6G networks. Because THz waves suffer from severe atmospheric attenuation and have a very short range, they are currently being researched for high-speed inter-drone (drone-to-drone) communication at close proximity, not for long-range links to a command centre. Statement 2 is Correct: The defining characteristic of a drone swarm is decentralized collective intelligence. Individual drones actively communicate with one another (often via ad-hoc mesh networks) to coordinate formations, share sensor data, avoid collisions, and adapt to real-time environmental changes without relying on a central controller. Statement 3 is Correct: Electronic Warfare (EW) is a primary defense against drone swarms. GPS Spoofing is a standard and commonly used countermeasure. It involves broadcasting fake satellite signals to deceive the drones' navigation systems, forcing them off course, causing mid-air collisions, or triggering forced landings. Therefore, option B is the correct answer.

Statement 1 is Correct: The Su-30 MKI Fighter Jets are manufactured in India. They are produced by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at its Nashik facility under a licensing and technology-transfer agreement with Russia's Sukhoi. Recent contracts for the jets feature over 60% indigenous content. Statement 2 is Correct: The T-90 MK-III Tanks (Bhishma) are manufactured in India. These main battle tanks are produced by the state-owned Armoured Vehicles Nigam Limited (AVNL) at the Heavy Vehicles Factory (HVF) in Avadi, Tamil Nadu, under a Russian license. The Indian Army recently began receiving the latest Mk-III variants from HVF. Statement 3 is Incorrect: The Akula Class Submarine is not manufactured in India. The Akula-class is a series of nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs) designed and built entirely in Russia. India does not manufacture them; rather, the Indian Navy has historically leased them from Russia (e.g., INS Chakra, leased in 2012 and returned in 2021) to train its crew and bolster its underwater capabilities. Therefore, the correct option is A.

Statement 1 is Correct: In December 2025, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) notified India's first dedicated national standard for bomb disposal systems, officially designated as IS 19445:2025. Statement 2 is Correct: The standard establishes comprehensive guidelines for evaluating bomb disposal equipment (such as bomb blankets, baskets, and inhibitors) against blast loads and splinter effects. A primary objective is to bring uniformity to testing and procurement, thereby improving the safety, reliability, and interoperability of equipment across various deploying agencies (e.g., Armed Forces, CAPFs, NSG, and State Police). Statement 3 is Incorrect: The standard was developed indigenously by BIS at the request of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) and the DRDO’s Terminal Ballistic Research Laboratory (TBRL). There is no record of collaboration with Russian entities (such as the 30th Central Scientific Research Institute). In fact, the standard was specifically created to reduce reliance on foreign norms, as existing international standards were either restricted in access or misaligned with the specific threat profiles and operational realities faced by Indian forces. Therefore, the correct option is C.

The article states that the Zorawar is an 'indigenous' 25-tonne, 'air-transportable combat vehicle' designed for 'rapid deployment in high-altitude regions' along the LAC, jointly developed by DRDO and L&T Defence.

The article explicitly states that 'drones, missiles, air power and cyber warfare... cannot occupy territory, enforce surrender or establish political control' and that 'ground forces, supported by armoured vehicles, remain indispensable for achieving decisive military objectives.' Options A, B, and C are all lessons highlighted in the article regarding the conflict.

The article states: 'While drones, missiles, air power and cyber warfare can inflict heavy damage on military assets and infrastructure, they cannot occupy territory, enforce surrender or establish political control. History consistently shows that long-term military and political success requires ground forces.'