UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Draft Telecommunication Rules Related to Television, Radio and Associated Services – Published for Public Consultation

Question 1

With reference to the Telecommunications Act, 2023, consider the following statements:
1. It repeals the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
2. It repeals the Indian Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1933.
3. It repeals the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997.
4. The Digital Bharat Nidhi established under it subsumes the Universal Service Obligation Fund.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

1, 2 and 4

Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

2, 3 and 4

Answer

1, 3 and 4

Question 2

In the context of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the term 'Digital Bharat Nidhi' refers to which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

A statutory fund, succeeding the Universal Service Obligation Fund, meant to support telecommunication services and related R&D in underserved areas

Answer

A regulatory sandbox notified under the Act to test emerging telecom technologies before commercial roll-out

Answer

A sovereign infrastructure pool created to compensate existing licensees during their migration to the new authorisation regime

Answer

A spectrum-assignment corpus into which administratively allocated spectrum charges are deposited for re-auction

Question 3

Which one of the following is the nodal authority that released the Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 for public consultation, framed as subordinate legislation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023?

Accepted Answer

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Answer

Department of Telecommunications, Ministry of Communications

Answer

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Answer

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Question 4

With reference to the Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026, consider the following services:
1. Direct-to-Home (DTH) Service
2. Head-end-in-the-Sky (HITS) Service
3. Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) Service
4. Community Radio Stations
Which of the above are correctly identified as services proposed to be brought under the unified service-authorisation framework of the draft Rules?

Accepted Answer

1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3 only

Answer

2, 3 and 4 only

Question 5

With reference to the eligibility to apply for a Community Radio Station (CRS) licence under the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting's Revised Policy Guidelines, consider the following:
1. Krishi Vigyan Kendras
2. State Agricultural Universities
3. Individuals with a proven record of three years of service to the local community
4. Political parties and organisations affiliated to them
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as eligible applicants?

Accepted Answer

1 and 2 only

Answer

1, 2 and 3 only

Answer

2 and 4 only

Answer

1, 2, 3 and 4

Question 6

Under the Revised Policy Guidelines for Community Radio Stations, transmitter power above 100 Watts and up to 250 Watts may be permitted on a case-to-case basis subject to approval of an Inter-Ministerial Committee. This Committee is constituted under the chairmanship of which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Answer

Secretary, Department of Telecommunications

Answer

Chairman, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

Answer

Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology

Question 7

In the context of broadcasting services in India, the term 'Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS)' refers to which one of the following?

Accepted Answer

A service in which television channels are downlinked at a central hub teleport within India, encrypted at a single headend, and then re-uplinked to a satellite for onward distribution to cable operators.

Answer

A satellite-based service that distributes multi-channel television programmes in Ku Band directly to a subscriber's dish antenna without any intermediary.

Answer

Delivery of multi-channel television programmes in addressable mode by using Internet Protocol over a closed network.

Answer

Terrestrial digital transmission of television signals through a network of ground-based transmitters operated by the public service broadcaster.

Question 8

Under which provision of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 did the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seek TRAI's recommendations on the 'Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023'?

Accepted Answer

Section 11(1)(a)

Answer

Section 11(1)(b)

Answer

Section 11(1)(d)

Answer

Section 13

Question 9

In its February 2025 Recommendations on the Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, how many distinct categories of broadcasting service authorisations did TRAI propose to be granted?

Accepted Answer

Nine

Answer

Six

Answer

Seven

Answer

Eleven

Question 10

The 2022 amendments to the FM Radio Phase-III Policy guidelines — which removed the 15% national cap on channel holding and the 3-year window for restructuring of permissions within the licence period — were approved by which one of the following authorities?

Accepted Answer

Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, on the proposal of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting

Answer

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, through binding recommendations under the TRAI Act, 1997

Answer

Ministry of Information and Broadcasting unilaterally, through an executive order in exercise of powers under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885

Answer

Parliament, through an amendment to the Prasar Bharati (Broadcasting Corporation of India) Act, 1990

Question 11

Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011, the mandatory switch-over of analogue cable TV networks to the Digital Addressable System (DAS) was implemented in how many phases across the country?

Accepted Answer

Four

Answer

Two

Answer

Three

Answer

Five

Question 12

Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which one of the following is the prescribed 'registering authority' for a Local Cable Operator (LCO)?

Accepted Answer

The head Post Office having jurisdiction over the area in which the cable network is operated

Answer

The District Magistrate of the district in which the cable network is operated

Answer

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)

Answer

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting through its regional office

Question 13

Which one of the following is the landmark Supreme Court ruling that first laid down the principle that allocation of scarce natural resources such as spectrum should ordinarily be made through auction, the principle to which the First Schedule of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 operates as a statutory exception?

Accepted Answer

Centre for Public Interest Litigation v. Union of India (2G Spectrum case), 2012

Answer

Natural Resources Allocation, In Re (Special Reference No. 1 of 2012)

Answer

Manohar Lal Sharma v. Principal Secretary (Coal Block Allocation case), 2014

Answer

Vodafone International Holdings v. Union of India, 2012

UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Draft Telecommunication Rules Related to Television, Radio and Associated Services – Published for Public Consultation

Q2. In the context of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, the term 'Digital Bharat Nidhi' refers to which one of the following?

Q3. Which one of the following is the nodal authority that released the Draft Telecommunications (Television, Radio and Associated Services) Rules, 2026 for public consultation, framed as subordinate legislation under the Telecommunications Act, 2023?

Q7. In the context of broadcasting services in India, the term 'Headend-in-the-Sky (HITS)' refers to which one of the following?

Q8. Under which provision of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Act, 1997 did the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting seek TRAI's recommendations on the 'Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023'?

Q9. In its February 2025 Recommendations on the Framework for Service Authorisations for provision of Broadcasting Services under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, how many distinct categories of broadcasting service authorisations did TRAI propose to be granted?

Q10. The 2022 amendments to the FM Radio Phase-III Policy guidelines — which removed the 15% national cap on channel holding and the 3-year window for restructuring of permissions within the licence period — were approved by which one of the following authorities?

Q11. Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Amendment Act, 2011, the mandatory switch-over of analogue cable TV networks to the Digital Addressable System (DAS) was implemented in how many phases across the country?

Q12. Under the Cable Television Networks (Regulation) Act, 1995, which one of the following is the prescribed 'registering authority' for a Local Cable Operator (LCO)?