Practice Test 22

India's defence forces, comprising the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, and the Indian Air Force, are among the largest and most capable in the world, responsible for safeguarding the country's territorial integrity, protecting its maritime interests, defending its airspace, and contributing to regional peace and stability through participation in United Nations peacekeeping operations and bilateral and multilateral security cooperation with friendly nations. The Indian Army, with an active strength of approximately fourteen lakh soldiers, defends the country's vast land borders of over fifteen thousand kilometres, maintains operational readiness along the line of actual control with China in the west and north, the line of control with Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir, and the international borders with Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Bhutan, and other neighbours, while also contributing to internal security operations in states affected by insurgency or terrorism. The Indian Navy, guarding a coastline of over seven thousand five hundred kilometres and an exclusive economic zone of more than two million square kilometres, operates aircraft carriers, nuclear-powered submarines, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, submarines, and a large fleet of maritime patrol aircraft and helicopters to ensure freedom of navigation in the Indian Ocean region, protect sea lines of communication vital to India's trade, and project power in support of national interests. The Indian Air Force operates a fleet of combat aircraft, transport aircraft, and helicopters and is undergoing major capability enhancement through the induction of Rafale multi-role fighters acquired from France, the indigenous development of the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas, and planned acquisitions of fifth-generation fighters, advanced helicopters, and unmanned aerial vehicles. Modernisation of the armed forces is being pursued on a broad front with a strong emphasis on indigenisation through the Defence Acquisition Procedure, which prioritises procurement from domestic manufacturers and imposes local content requirements on foreign suppliers to develop India's domestic defence industrial base. The Defence Research and Development Organisation, known as DRDO, is at the forefront of developing advanced weapons systems including ballistic missiles under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme, nuclear-capable submarine-launched ballistic missiles, advanced main battle tanks, naval warships, electronic warfare systems, and a range of military electronics, cybersecurity tools, and soldier protection equipment that enhance the operational capabilities of the armed forces. The Agniveer scheme, introduced in 2022, modified the military recruitment system for other rank personnel with a four-year service model followed by options for permanent retention, civilian employment, or further education, aiming to reduce the age profile of the armed forces while creating a trained manpower pool for national security tasks.