UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Ram Temple donation case: SC seeks report

Q1. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which manages the Ayodhya Ram Temple, was brought into existence in February 2020 through which one of the following?

  • A. A dedicated Act of Parliament enacted exclusively for the management of the temple
  • B. Approval accorded by the Union Government to the proposal, on the basis of the Supreme Court's direction
  • C. A resolution passed by the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly and assented to by the Governor
  • D. A notification issued by the Allahabad High Court while disposing of the title suits

Q2. With reference to the constitution and mandate of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, consider the following statements: 1. The Union Government announced the creation of the Trust on 5 February 2020. 2. About 67.703 acres of acquired land was to be transferred to the Trust. 3. The five acres of land for a mosque was allotted by the Union Ministry of Culture out of central government land. 4. Nritya Gopal Das was elected President of the Trust and Champat Rai its General Secretary. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Union Government announced the creation of the Trust on 5 February 2020.
  2. About 67.703 acres of acquired land was to be transferred to the Trust.
  3. The five acres of land for a mosque was allotted by the Union Ministry of Culture out of central government land.
  4. Nritya Gopal Das was elected President of the Trust and Champat Rai its General Secretary.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q3. The Special Investigation Team constituted by the Uttar Pradesh Government in June 2026 to probe the alleged misappropriation of Ram temple donations had a defined three-member composition. Consider the following: 1. Vijay Vishwas Pant — Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow 2. Kiran S — Inspector General of Police 3. Neel Ratan — Special Secretary (Finance) 4. Champat Rai — Investigating Officer nominated by the Trust Which of the above is/are correctly identified as members of that SIT?

  1. Vijay Vishwas Pant — Divisional Commissioner, Lucknow
  2. Kiran S — Inspector General of Police
  3. Neel Ratan — Special Secretary (Finance)
  4. Champat Rai — Investigating Officer nominated by the Trust
  • A. 1 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1, 2 and 3
  • D. 1, 3 and 4

Q4. With reference to the sequence of events in the Uttar Pradesh SIT's probe into the Ram temple donations case in 2026, consider the following statements: 1. The SIT was constituted before it submitted its preliminary report to the State Government. 2. The FIR in the case was registered before the SIT was constituted. 3. The SIT found that CCTV footage of the donation-counting process had been retained for a period shorter than the mandated retention period. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The SIT was constituted before it submitted its preliminary report to the State Government.
  2. The FIR in the case was registered before the SIT was constituted.
  3. The SIT found that CCTV footage of the donation-counting process had been retained for a period shorter than the mandated retention period.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q5. Among the petitions taken up by the Supreme Court in the Ram temple donations case, which one of the following petitioners sought a Supreme Court-monitored CBI probe coupled with a forensic audit of the Trust's entire finances?

  • A. Narendra Kumar Goswami
  • B. Ajay Kumar Rai
  • C. Sudhakar Singh, Member of Parliament (RJD)
  • D. Dinesh Kumar Yadav

Q6. One of the pleas before the Supreme Court in the Ram temple donations case sought, in addition to a CBI investigation, an audit of the Trust's finances by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. The Comptroller and Auditor General of India
  • B. The Central Vigilance Commission
  • C. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office
  • D. The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India

Q7. The Supreme Court Bench which, in July 2026, issued notice to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and sought a status report from the Uttar Pradesh SIT in the donations case was headed by which one of the following?

  • A. Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi
  • B. Chief Justice Surya Kant
  • C. Justice Joymalya Bagchi
  • D. Justice V Mohana

Q8. With reference to the Supreme Court's order of July 2026 in the Ram temple donations matter, consider the following: 1. Notice was issued to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. 2. The Special Investigation Team formed by the Uttar Pradesh Government was directed to submit a status report. 3. The Court immediately transferred the investigation to the CBI, thereby terminating the SIT's role altogether. 4. Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana were part of the Bench. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as elements of that order?

  1. Notice was issued to the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.
  2. The Special Investigation Team formed by the Uttar Pradesh Government was directed to submit a status report.
  3. The Court immediately transferred the investigation to the CBI, thereby terminating the SIT's role altogether.
  4. Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana were part of the Bench.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q9. In the context of the Central Bureau of Investigation's jurisdiction, the requirement of a State's 'consent' under Section 6 of the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946 means which one of the following?

  • A. Members of the establishment cannot exercise powers and jurisdiction in a State (not being a Union Territory or railway area) without that State's consent, although a constitutional court may still entrust an investigation to the agency without such consent
  • B. The agency must obtain the consent of the Governor of the State concerned before registering any first information report anywhere in India
  • C. The agency, having been created by its own dedicated Act of Parliament, needs consent only for offences punishable under State laws and not for those under central laws
  • D. Where a State withdraws its consent, all cases already registered by the agency in that State stand automatically abated

Q10. Which one of the following is the nodal Ministry that administers the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act, 2010, under which an association or trust must be registered before it may accept foreign donations?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Finance
  • C. Ministry of Corporate Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Culture

Q11. Under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the audio-video recording of a search and seizure conducted by a police officer is required to be forwarded, without delay, principally to which one of the following?

  • A. The District Magistrate
  • B. The Director General of Police of the State concerned
  • C. The National Crime Records Bureau
  • D. The nearest Central Forensic Science Laboratory

Q12. In its Ayodhya title judgment of 9 November 2019, the Supreme Court directed the Central Government to formulate a scheme and set up a trust for the construction of the temple within which one of the following periods?

  • A. One month
  • B. Three months
  • C. Six months
  • D. One year

Q13. The Special Investigation Team currently investigating the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement was constituted under the authority of which one of the following?

  • A. The Supreme Court of India, while entertaining the writ petitions
  • B. The Government of Uttar Pradesh
  • C. The Allahabad High Court, in its supervisory jurisdiction
  • D. The Central Bureau of Investigation, under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946

Q14. Consider the following statements regarding the creation of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Which one of the above is NOT correct?

  1. Its creation was announced by the Prime Minister in Parliament on 5 February 2020.
  2. It was set up pursuant to a direction contained in the Supreme Court's Ayodhya title-suit judgment delivered in November 2019.
  3. About 67.703 acres of acquired land was transferred to it for construction and management of the temple.
  4. The five acres directed to be allotted to the Sunni Waqf Board were also vested in this Trust.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 2 only
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 4 only

Q15. With reference to office-bearers of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, consider the following pairs of person and office. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Nritya Gopal Das — President/Chairman of the Trust
  2. Champat Rai — Treasurer of the Trust until his resignation in July 2026
  3. Swami Govind Dev Giri — Treasurer of the Trust
  4. Krishna Mohan — interim General Secretary appointed in July 2026
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 1, 3 and 4
  • C. 2 and 3
  • D. 3 and 4 only

Q16. The Supreme Court bench hearing the petitions relating to the alleged Ram Temple donation embezzlement is headed by which one of the following?

  • A. Chief Justice Surya Kant
  • B. Justice Joymalya Bagchi
  • C. Justice V. Mohana
  • D. Justice Vikram Nath

Q17. The petitioners in the Ram Temple donation case invoked the Supreme Court's writ jurisdiction under Article 32. The same writ remedy for enforcement of Fundamental Rights is exercisable at the level of a State by which one of the following forums?

  • A. The High Court, under Article 226 of the Constitution
  • B. The Court of Session, under the criminal procedure law
  • C. The State Human Rights Commission, under the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993
  • D. The Lokayukta of the State concerned

Q18. How many kinds of writs is the Supreme Court expressly empowered to issue for the enforcement of the rights conferred by Part III of the Constitution?

  • A. Three
  • B. Four
  • C. Five
  • D. Six

Q19. One of the petitioners has sought a CAG audit of the Trust's finances. Under the Comptroller and Auditor-General's (Duties, Powers and Conditions of Service) Act, 1971, a body or authority is 'substantially financed' from Union or State revenues — and therefore auditable under Section 14 — when which one of the following conditions is met?

  • A. Any grant or loan whatsoever has been given to it from the Consolidated Fund in the financial year
  • B. Grants or loans to it in a financial year are not less than a prescribed amount and constitute not less than seventy-five per cent of its total expenditure
  • C. It receives voluntary public donations exceeding the prescribed threshold, whatever their source
  • D. A majority of its governing body is nominated by the Union or a State Government

Q20. The Standard Operating Procedures for the counting of temple offerings — whose 'blatant violation' the SIT has flagged, including retention of CCTV footage for only 45 days against the mandated 180 days — were finalised in 2025 by the Trust jointly with which one of the following?

  • A. The Reserve Bank of India
  • B. The State Bank of India
  • C. The Comptroller and Auditor-General of India
  • D. The Dharmarth Karya Vibhag of the Government of Uttar Pradesh

Q21. Consider the following statements comparing the Sabarimala missing-gold case and the Ram Temple donation case. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Sabarimala shrine is administered by the Travancore Devaswom Board, several of whose officials are among the accused in the missing-gold case.
  2. The Sabarimala case concerns loss of gold from the plating of the Dwarapalaka idols and the Sreekovil door frame.
  3. In the Sabarimala case the Special Investigation Team was constituted by the Kerala High Court, whereas in the Ram Temple case it was constituted by the state government.
  4. The Special Investigation Team in the Sabarimala case has been filing its progress reports in sealed cover before the Supreme Court.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1 and 4 only