UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Coerced consent

Q1. The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 — which replaced the Indian Penal Code and its sedition provision with a new offence under Section 152 — was piloted in Parliament exclusively by which one of the following ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment

Q2. Section 124A on sedition was not part of the original Indian Penal Code as enacted in 1860. In which year was it first inserted into the Code?

  • A. 1860
  • B. 1870
  • C. 1837
  • D. 1898

Q3. Which one of the following correctly names the case in which the Supreme Court, in May 2026, permitted Section 124A trials to proceed where the accused 'has no objection'?

  • A. Kamran v. State of Madhya Pradesh
  • B. S.G. Vombatkere v. Union of India
  • C. Kedar Nath Singh v. State of Bihar
  • D. Romesh Thappar v. State of Madras

Q4. The May 2026 Supreme Court order permitting Section 124A trials to proceed on the accused's 'no objection' was passed when the office of Chief Justice of India was held by whom?

  • A. Surya Kant
  • B. N.V. Ramana
  • C. D.Y. Chandrachud
  • D. Hima Kohli

Q5. Under Section 14 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, consent is said to be 'free' when it is not caused by certain vitiating factors. Which one of the following best defines 'coercion' in this context?

  • A. Committing or threatening to commit any act forbidden by the Indian Penal Code, or unlawfully detaining or threatening to detain property, to induce a person to agree
  • B. Using a dominant position in a relationship to obtain an unfair advantage over another
  • C. Active concealment of a fact by one having knowledge or belief of the fact
  • D. A false statement made innocently, without any intent to deceive

Q6. Under Section 14 of the Indian Contract Act, 1872, consent is not regarded as 'free' if it is caused by how many enumerated vitiating factors?

  • A. 3
  • B. 4
  • C. 5
  • D. 6

Q7. Article 19(2) of the Constitution enumerates the grounds on which reasonable restrictions may be imposed on the freedom of speech and expression. How many such grounds are enumerated?

  • A. 6
  • B. 7
  • C. 8
  • D. 9

Q8. The 1962 ruling in Kedar Nath Singh that upheld the constitutional validity of Section 124A, while narrowing its scope to incitement to violence or public disorder, was delivered by which one of the following?

  • A. A five-judge Bench of the Supreme Court of India
  • B. A Constitution Bench of the Federal Court of India
  • C. The Judicial Committee of the Privy Council
  • D. A Full Bench of the Patna High Court

Q9. With reference to the 2026 developments on the sedition law, consider the following statements. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. In February 2026, CJI Surya Kant orally observed that the Centre's 2022 assurance to reconsider Section 124A cannot bind Parliament.
  2. The May 2026 order in Kamran v. State of Madhya Pradesh permits Section 124A trials to proceed where the accused has no objection.
  3. The 2026 orders were passed while Surya Kant held the office of Chief Justice of India.
  4. Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita retains the term 'sedition' in its statutory heading.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 1 and 4 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4