Fact-Checking a Defence-Technology Handout
A study circle preparing for CEPTAM STA-B circulates a one-page 'DRDO achievements' handout. Five claims are printed: (1) BrahMos is a subsonic cruise missile developed jointly by India and Russia. (2) Agni-V is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a stated range of more than 5,000 km. (3) Tejas is a twin-engine light combat aircraft designed by the Aeronautical Development Agency. (4) Astra is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. (5) Akash is a man-portable anti-tank guided missile. A teammate says all five are 'close enough' and wants to memorise them as they are because the exam is only a week away. You have one official DRDO press release, a newspaper graphic, and the handout. You must decide which claims are safe to learn, which must be corrected, and how to handle a claim that is partly true. The group has 30 minutes before the next mock test.
1. Classify the five claims as correct or incorrect, giving the correction where needed.
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1 is incorrect: BrahMos is supersonic, not subsonic. 2 is correct: Agni-V is a surface-to-surface ballistic missile with a stated range of more than 5,000 km. 3 is incorrect: Tejas is a single-engine light combat aircraft; the Aeronautical Development Agency is associated with its design, but 'twin-engine' is wrong. 4 is correct: Astra is a beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile. 5 is incorrect: Akash is a surface-to-air missile, not a man-portable anti-tank guided missile.
2. Claim 1 is partly true: BrahMos is a cruise missile and has Russian collaboration. Why should it still be marked wrong in an exam, and what study habit does this suggest?
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In a one-mark factual item, 'partly true' is still wrong because the qualifier changes the technical claim. BrahMos is a cruise missile with Russian collaboration, but its defining speed is supersonic; a subsonic BrahMos would be a different system. The study habit is to memorise the discriminating adjective or number, not just the topic name.
3. A newspaper graphic says Agni-V's range is 5,000 km, while an official release says 'more than 5,000 km'. Which wording should you memorise, and why?
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Use the official wording, 'more than 5,000 km', rather than the newspaper's rounded '5,000 km'. The official release is the primary source, and the exam usually tests the accepted public figure with its qualifier. If an option says exactly '5,000 km' and another says 'more than 5,000 km', the qualified official wording is the safer choice.