In February, 2023 India's biggest helicopter manufacturing plant was inaugurated in which one of the following places?
- (a)Tumkuru, Karnataka
- (b)Chakeri, Uttar Pradesh
- (c)Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
- (d)Nasik, Maharashtra
Correct — A, Tumkuru, Karnataka. On 6 February 2023 the Prime Minister dedicated the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru (Tumkur), Karnataka — India's largest helicopter manufacturing facility, set up to build Light Utility Helicopters (LUH). So the plant was inaugurated at Tumkuru, Karnataka in February 2023.
- (b)Chakeri, Uttar Pradesh — Chakeri (Kanpur) is an air-force/aviation site in UP, but India's biggest helicopter factory of February 2023 was not opened here — it was at Tumakuru, Karnataka.
- (c)Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu — Coimbatore is an industrial city in Tamil Nadu, but it is not the location of the HAL helicopter factory inaugurated in February 2023.
- (d)Nasik, Maharashtra — HAL does run an aircraft division at Nasik (fighter production), but the new helicopter manufacturing plant of February 2023 was inaugurated at Tumakuru, Karnataka, not Nasik.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is India's defence-aerospace public sector undertaking. Its greenfield Helicopter Factory at Tumakuru, Karnataka — inaugurated on 6 February 2023 — is the country's largest dedicated helicopter manufacturing facility, planned to produce the Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) and later other rotary-wing platforms.
This is a current-affairs place-fact from early 2023. The distractors are all genuine industrial/aviation locations, so elimination needs the specific news that HAL's flagship helicopter plant is at Tumakuru in Karnataka (not the UP, TN or Maharashtra options).
- HAL Helicopter Factory, Tumakuru (Karnataka) — dedicated to the nation on 6 February 2023.
- It is India's largest helicopter manufacturing facility, built by HAL.
- It is set up to produce Light Utility Helicopters (LUH) and support rotary-wing self-reliance.
- HAL is India's defence-aerospace PSU, headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- Confusing HAL's Nasik aircraft division with the new Tumakuru helicopter plant
- Associating helicopters with the UP/TN defence corridors instead of Karnataka
UPSC/UPPSC ask 'where was X plant/institute inaugurated' and to match defence facilities with their locations or products.
In the context of the Indian defence, what is 'Dhruv'?
- (a) Aircraft-carrying warship
- (b) Missile-carrying submarine
- (c) Advanced light helicopter
- (d) Intercontinental ballistic missile
Answer(c) Advanced light helicopter
Same maker — Dhruv is HAL's indigenous helicopter; HAL is the PSU whose largest helicopter factory opened at Tumakuru.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The HAL Helicopter Factory inaugurated in February 2023, India's largest, is set up mainly to manufacture which aircraft?
- (a)Tejas fighter jet
- (b)Light Utility Helicopter (LUH)
- (c)Do-228 transport aircraft
- (d)Sukhoi Su-30
Answer(b) Light Utility Helicopter (LUH) — the plant's flagship product.
- practice — not a real PYQ
In the context of Indian defence, 'Dhruv' is:
- (a)an aircraft carrier
- (b)an advanced light helicopter
- (c)a ballistic missile
- (d)a submarine
Answer(b) an advanced light helicopter — HAL's indigenously developed ALH.