UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — What has govt. laid down on AI labelling?

Q1. Under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026, what is the minimum registered user threshold in India above which a social media intermediary is classified as a 'Significant Social Media Intermediary' (SSMI) and therefore subject to the heightened SGI labelling obligations?

• A. 10 lakh users
• B. 50 lakh users
• C. 1 crore users
• D. 5 crore users

Q2. With reference to how the final Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2026 differ from the October 2025 draft on synthetically generated information (SGI), consider the following statements: 1. The October 2025 draft proposed that SGI labels occupy at least 10% of the visual display or audio duration, a quantitative threshold that the final rules replaced with a qualitative 'prominent and easily noticeable' standard. 2. The final rules were notified on 10 February 2026 and came into force on the very same day. 3. The final rules retain the requirement that SGI carry permanent, non-removable metadata identifying the computer resource used to generate or alter it. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The October 2025 draft proposed that SGI labels occupy at least 10% of the visual display or audio duration, a quantitative threshold that the final rules replaced with a qualitative 'prominent and easily noticeable' standard.
2. The final rules were notified on 10 February 2026 and came into force on the very same day.
3. The final rules retain the requirement that SGI carry permanent, non-removable metadata identifying the computer resource used to generate or alter it.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1 and 3 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. With reference to the obligations cast on intermediaries that enable creation, display or publication of Synthetically Generated Information (SGI) under the IT Amendment Rules, 2026, consider the following: 1. Require users to declare whether information being uploaded is SGI. 2. Deploy reasonable and appropriate technical measures to verify the accuracy of such user declarations. 3. Ensure that the SGI label and the embedded permanent metadata are non-removable. 4. Mandatorily delete every piece of identified SGI from the platform within 24 hours of upload, irrespective of its content. Which of the above is/are correctly identified as obligations under the Rules?

1. Require users to declare whether information being uploaded is SGI.
2. Deploy reasonable and appropriate technical measures to verify the accuracy of such user declarations.
3. Ensure that the SGI label and the embedded permanent metadata are non-removable.
4. Mandatorily delete every piece of identified SGI from the platform within 24 hours of upload, irrespective of its content.

• A. 1 and 2 only
• B. 1, 2 and 3 only
• C. 2, 3 and 4 only
• D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Amendment Rules, 2026 governing the labelling of synthetically generated information have been framed by the Central Government in exercise of powers conferred under which one of the following provisions?

• A. Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000
• B. Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000
• C. Section 87 of the Information Technology Act, 2000
• D. Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000

Q5. As per the Information Technology Amendment Rules, 2026, which one of the following best describes the term 'Synthetically Generated Information' (SGI)?

• A. Any digital content that is stored, hosted or transmitted on the computer resource of an intermediary on behalf of a user.
• B. Any information that is artificially or algorithmically created, generated, modified or altered using a computer resource, in a manner that appears reasonably real, authentic or true.
• C. Any personal data that is processed wholly or partly by automated means as defined under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
• D. Any electronic communication transmitted across digital platforms using end-to-end encryption that conceals the identity of the originator.