UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC to take up plea for SOP on freezing bank accounts
Q1. With reference to the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs in January 2026 governing freezing and de-freezing of bank accounts in cyber-fraud cases, consider the following statements:
1. The SOP permits refund of defrauded amounts up to Rs 50,000 to victims without requiring a court order.
2. If no court order or restoration order is passed, banks are required to lift the freeze on such accounts within 90 days.
3. The SOP has been notified through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
4. Refund of amounts exceeding Rs 50,000 has also been exempted from any judicial order under the new SOP.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The SOP permits refund of defrauded amounts up to Rs 50,000 to victims without requiring a court order.
- If no court order or restoration order is passed, banks are required to lift the freeze on such accounts within 90 days.
- The SOP has been notified through the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C).
- Refund of amounts exceeding Rs 50,000 has also been exempted from any judicial order under the new SOP.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q2. With reference to the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), consider the following statements:
1. It functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. It operates the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS).
3. It has launched a Suspect Registry of cyber-criminal identifiers in collaboration with banks and financial institutions.
4. It is the statutory regulator that licenses payment system operators in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- It operates the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System (CFCFRMS).
- It has launched a Suspect Registry of cyber-criminal identifiers in collaboration with banks and financial institutions.
- It is the statutory regulator that licenses payment system operators in India.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q3. Under the Ministry of Home Affairs' Standard Operating Procedure (2026) on cyber financial frauds, within how many days must a bank lift the freeze on an account if no court order or restoration order has been issued?
- A. 30 days
- B. 60 days
- C. 90 days
- D. 180 days
Q4. The Standard Operating Procedure (2026) governing freezing and de-freezing of bank accounts in cyber-fraud investigations has been operationalised through which one of the following bodies?
- A. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
- B. Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) under the Ministry of Home Affairs
- C. Computer Emergency Response Team-India (CERT-In) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- D. Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance
Q5. Under which one of the following provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 may a police officer seize property suspected to be connected with the commission of an offence, subject to mandatory reporting to the jurisdictional magistrate?
- A. Section 41
- B. Section 102
- C. Section 106
- D. Section 173