UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Govt. plans guidelines on books by veterans
Q1. With reference to the existing legal framework governing publication of books by armed forces personnel in India, which of the following are correctly identified?
- Official Secrets Act, 1923 — imposes a lifelong obligation of confidentiality that continues to bind armed forces personnel even after retirement.
- Army Act, 1950 — governs the conduct of serving Army personnel, including provisions invoked for unauthorised disclosures during service.
- Right to Information Act, 2005 — mandates a compulsory pre-publication manuscript clearance for retired armed forces officers.
- Defence Service Regulations — require a serving military person to obtain prior written permission before publishing a literary work.
- A. 1, 2 and 4 only
- B. 1, 3 and 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q2. In the context of recent news regarding the Ministry of Defence's move to frame publication guidelines for armed forces personnel, the term 'Four Stars of Destiny' refers to which one of the following?
- A. A bilateral tri-service military exercise recently held between India and France
- B. An unpublished memoir of a former Chief of Army Staff which triggered the policy review
- C. A four-tier manuscript clearance mechanism proposed by the Ministry of Defence
- D. A new constellation of military reconnaissance satellites launched by ISRO for the armed forces
Q3. Under Section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, the maximum term of imprisonment prescribed for the wrongful communication or retention of official information is:
- A. One year
- B. Two years
- C. Three years
- D. Seven years