UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Internet curbs in Manipur’s Ukhrul after houses burnt

Q1. Which one of the following is the primary statutory instrument currently in force that governs orders for temporary suspension of telecommunication (including internet) services in India, such as the suspension imposed in Ukhrul district of Manipur in February 2026?

  • A. Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Blocking for Access of Information by Public) Rules, 2009
  • B. Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017
  • C. Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024
  • D. Code of Criminal Procedure (Section 144) Orders, as standardised in 2020

Q2. With reference to the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 vis-à-vis the earlier Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017, consider the following statements: 1. The 2024 Rules are made under Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, whereas the 2017 Rules were made under Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. 2. Unlike the 2017 Rules, the 2024 Rules empower the competent authority to issue a suspension order without recording any reasons in writing. 3. Both the 2024 Rules and the 2017 Rules require every suspension order to be examined by a Review Committee and limit the operation of any single order to a maximum of fifteen days. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2024 Rules are made under Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023, whereas the 2017 Rules were made under Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885.
  2. Unlike the 2017 Rules, the 2024 Rules empower the competent authority to issue a suspension order without recording any reasons in writing.
  3. Both the 2024 Rules and the 2017 Rules require every suspension order to be examined by a Review Committee and limit the operation of any single order to a maximum of fifteen days.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the legal architecture invoked to impose internet curbs such as the one in Ukhrul district of Manipur in 2026, consider the following pairings of an entity / provision with its role: 1. Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 — parent statutory provision for the 2024 Suspension Rules 2. Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 — parent statutory provision currently in force for the 2024 Suspension Rules 3. An officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India — the minimum rank empowered to issue a suspension order in an unavoidable circumstance, subject to confirmation by the competent authority within 24 hours 4. The Director General of Telecommunications — the competent authority who ordinarily issues suspension orders at the State level Which of the pairings given above is/are NOT correctly identified?

  1. Section 20 of the Telecommunications Act, 2023 — parent statutory provision for the 2024 Suspension Rules
  2. Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 — parent statutory provision currently in force for the 2024 Suspension Rules
  3. An officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary to the Government of India — the minimum rank empowered to issue a suspension order in an unavoidable circumstance, subject to confirmation by the competent authority within 24 hours
  4. The Director General of Telecommunications — the competent authority who ordinarily issues suspension orders at the State level
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q4. Under the Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024, in the context of a suspension order being issued at the State level — as in the case of Ukhrul district of Manipur — the expression 'competent authority' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The Chief Minister of the State
  • B. The Director General of Police of the State
  • C. The Secretary to the State Government in charge of the Home Department
  • D. The Chief Secretary of the State Government

Q5. The Telecommunications (Temporary Suspension of Services) Rules, 2024 — the rules under which internet services were suspended in Ukhrul district of Manipur in February 2026 — were notified by which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • C. Ministry of Communications
  • D. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

    • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore