UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Make Data Protection Board active in 8 weeks: HC tells Centre

Q1. With reference to the Data Protection Board of India under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Board is a constitutional body, so its composition can be altered only through an amendment of the Constitution.
  2. Members of the Board hold office for a fixed term with eligibility for re-appointment, a feature that has been criticised as capable of affecting the Board's independence.
  3. The Board can direct a Data Fiduciary to take necessary measures after a personal data breach and can hear grievances from affected persons.
  • A. 2 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 3 only

Q2. With reference to the roles defined under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The entity that determines the purpose and means of processing personal data is treated as the Data Fiduciary.
  2. The rights to seek correction and erasure of personal data vest in the Data Fiduciary, which exercises them on behalf of its users.
  3. The Act places duties on Data Principals as well, such as the duty not to register a false or frivolous complaint.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 only

Q3. With reference to the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A Data Principal may nominate another person to exercise her rights under the Act in the event of her death or incapacity.
  2. The Act can apply to processing of personal data carried out outside India if such processing is for offering goods or services in India.
  3. The Act grants Data Principals a right to data portability modelled on the EU's General Data Protection Regulation.
  4. Government agencies can never be exempted from the Act's provisions, since the State is the largest Data Fiduciary.
  • A. 1, 3 and 4 only
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q4. With reference to the right to privacy in India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The word 'privacy' does not appear in the text of Article 21; the right has been recognised through judicial interpretation.
  2. Since privacy is a fundamental right, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 covers all personal data, including records kept only on paper and never digitised.
  3. Being a fundamental right, the right to privacy can be enforced through writ jurisdiction before a High Court as well as the Supreme Court.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1 and 3 only

Q5. Consider the following statements: Which of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. Because privacy is a fundamental right, the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 does not permit processing of personal data without the individual's consent in any circumstance.
  2. The Supreme Court has held that any infringement of the right to privacy should be proportionate to the need for such interference.
  • A. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II explains Statement-I
  • B. Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct, but Statement-II does not explain Statement-I
  • C. Statement-I is correct, but Statement-II is incorrect
  • D. Statement-I is incorrect, but Statement-II is correct

Q6. A private airport-boarding service requires every passenger to authenticate through Aadhaar before entry. With reference to the legal framework on Aadhaar after the Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. Use of the Aadhaar number to establish identity is designed to be voluntary for the Aadhaar number holder.
  2. Aadhaar authentication for a service can be made mandatory by an executive order of the ministry administering that service.
  3. Any private company may use Aadhaar to establish its customers' identity merely on the basis of a contract with them.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3 only

Q7. With reference to the writ jurisdiction of High Courts under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, consider the following statements: Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A High Court cannot entertain a writ petition for enforcement of a fundamental right if the petitioner could have approached the Supreme Court under Article 32.
  2. A High Court can issue writs not only for enforcing Part III rights but also 'for any other purpose', such as enforcing a statutory duty.
  3. Writs under Article 226 may, in appropriate cases, be issued to a Government itself and not merely to its subordinate officers.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 3 only
  • C. 1 and 2 only
  • D. 1 only

Q8. Which one of the following is the most appropriate use of a writ of mandamus by a High Court under Article 226?

  • A. Requiring Parliament to enact a data-protection law within a time limit fixed by the court
  • B. Requiring a private individual to honour the terms of a personal contract with a neighbour
  • C. Requiring the Union to operationalise a regulator that a law in force obliges it to set up
  • D. Requiring the President to give assent to a Bill that both Houses have passed and sent