UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC to study what constitutes ‘personal data’ in DPDP laws

Q1. Consider the following statements regarding the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules, 2025: 1. They prescribe an eighteen-month phased compliance window for organisations. 2. They establish a Data Protection Board of India consisting of four members. 3. They cast an obligation on Data Fiduciaries to respond to data principal requests within ninety days. 4. They mandate compulsory localisation of all categories of personal data within Indian territory. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. They prescribe an eighteen-month phased compliance window for organisations.
  2. They establish a Data Protection Board of India consisting of four members.
  3. They cast an obligation on Data Fiduciaries to respond to data principal requests within ninety days.
  4. They mandate compulsory localisation of all categories of personal data within Indian territory.
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q2. Section 44(3) of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — the provision presently under examination by the Supreme Court for its impact on transparency — amends which one of the following provisions of the Right to Information Act, 2005?

  • A. Section 6(1)
  • B. Section 8(1)(j)
  • C. Section 8(1)(h)
  • D. Section 11(1)

Q3. Which one of the following is the nodal Union Ministry for administering the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and notifying the DPDP Rules, 2025?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Ministry of Communications

Q4. With reference to the Digital Personal Data Protection framework in India, consider the following statements: 1. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act was enacted in 2023. 2. The DPDP Rules were notified in November 2025. 3. The Data Protection Board of India, as established under the DPDP Rules, 2025, has four members. 4. The Act is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act was enacted in 2023.
  2. The DPDP Rules were notified in November 2025.
  3. The Data Protection Board of India, as established under the DPDP Rules, 2025, has four members.
  4. The Act is administered by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q5. Which one of the following is the landmark judgment of the Supreme Court that, for the first time, declared the Right to Privacy a Fundamental Right under Article 21 of the Constitution — the doctrinal foundation now invoked while interpreting 'personal data' under the DPDP framework?

  • A. M.P. Sharma v. Satish Chandra (1954)
  • B. Kharak Singh v. State of Uttar Pradesh (1962)
  • C. K.S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (2017)
  • D. Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978)
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