UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — SC seeks meeting to discuss CCTV funds for police stations
Q1. In Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh (2020), the Supreme Court directed the constitution of 'Oversight Committees'. Which one of the following most accurately describes these committees as envisaged in the judgment?
- A. State-Level and District-Level bodies tasked with reviewing CCTV functioning and footage and reporting on its use for redressal of custodial violence
- B. A single national committee under the Union Home Ministry to procure and install CCTV equipment in all police stations
- C. Judicial committees of sitting High Court judges empowered to try cases of custodial death
- D. Committees of Station House Officers responsible only for the physical maintenance of cameras within their own police station
Q2. The 2020 Supreme Court judgment in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh extended the mandatory CCTV directive to the offices of certain central investigating agencies. Consider the following agencies:
1. Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
2. Enforcement Directorate (ED)
3. Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
4. Intelligence Bureau (IB)
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as agencies whose offices were brought under the mandatory CCTV directive?
- Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)
- Enforcement Directorate (ED)
- Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO)
- Intelligence Bureau (IB)
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q3. Regarding the Centre-State cost-sharing pattern for CCTV installation in police stations, as placed before the Supreme Court in 2026, consider the following statements:
1. For Union Territories, the Centre bears 100% of the cost.
2. For hilly States, the Centre bears 90% and the State bears the remaining 10%.
3. For other (non-hilly) States, the Centre bears 40% while the State bears 60%.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- For Union Territories, the Centre bears 100% of the cost.
- For hilly States, the Centre bears 90% and the State bears the remaining 10%.
- For other (non-hilly) States, the Centre bears 40% while the State bears 60%.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. Under the CCTV funding pattern for police stations disclosed before the Supreme Court in 2026, what percentage of the installation cost is borne by a non-hilly (ordinary) State government?
- A. 10 per cent
- B. 40 per cent
- C. 50 per cent
- D. 60 per cent
Q5. With reference to the 2026 Supreme Court proceedings on utilisation of funds for CCTVs in police stations, consider the following statements:
1. The proceedings arose from the Court's suo motu cognisance of non-functional CCTVs in police stations.
2. The Bench directed the amicus curiae to convene a meeting of the Centre, States and Union Territories on fund utilisation.
3. Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave was assisting the Court as amicus curiae in the matter.
4. The Court in these proceedings freshly fixed the minimum CCTV footage retention period at six months.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The proceedings arose from the Court's suo motu cognisance of non-functional CCTVs in police stations.
- The Bench directed the amicus curiae to convene a meeting of the Centre, States and Union Territories on fund utilisation.
- Senior Advocate Siddhartha Dave was assisting the Court as amicus curiae in the matter.
- The Court in these proceedings freshly fixed the minimum CCTV footage retention period at six months.
- A. 1 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q6. The Supreme Court Bench that, in 2026, directed the amicus curiae to convene the stakeholders' meeting on CCTV fund utilisation comprised how many judges?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. Five
Q7. Clauses (1) and (2) of Article 22 of the Constitution together guarantee how many procedural safeguards to a person arrested and detained under an ordinary law?
- A. Two
- B. Three
- C. Four
- D. Five
Q8. At the Union level, matters of police modernisation and prison administration — central to operationalising custodial safeguards under Articles 21 and 22 — fall within the administrative purview of which Ministry?
- A. Ministry of Home Affairs
- B. Ministry of Law and Justice
- C. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
- D. Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Q9. In its 2015 order in the D.K. Basu proceedings, the Supreme Court first made CCTV installation mandatory within a fixed time-frame in which one of the following, before the mandate was later extended to police stations?
- A. Prisons/jails
- B. Trial courts
- C. Offices of central investigating agencies
- D. State Human Rights Commission offices
Q10. Comparing the 2015 Supreme Court directive with the 2020 judgment in Paramvir Singh Saini v. Baljit Singh, consider the following statements:
1. The 2015 directive made CCTV mandatory in prisons but only asked States to 'consider' cameras in police stations.
2. The 2020 judgment made CCTV installation mandatory in every police station across India.
3. Unlike the 2015 directive, the 2020 judgment expressly excluded central investigating agencies from its ambit.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The 2015 directive made CCTV mandatory in prisons but only asked States to 'consider' cameras in police stations.
- The 2020 judgment made CCTV installation mandatory in every police station across India.
- Unlike the 2015 directive, the 2020 judgment expressly excluded central investigating agencies from its ambit.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q11. Under the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution, 'Police' and 'Public Order' are enumerated primarily in which one of the following, giving that legislature exclusive competence over them?
- A. State List (List II)
- B. Union List (List I)
- C. Concurrent List (List III)
- D. Residuary powers of Parliament