UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — HC orders removal of deepfake videos targeting Gadkari

Q1. In the Gadkari deepfake proceedings, the principal operative direction issued by the Bombay High Court on 5 August 2026 was to:

  • A. Direct the Nagpur police to register a first information report against the unidentified account holders
  • B. Award interim damages of ₹11 crore jointly against the intermediary platforms impleaded in the suit
  • C. Require the impleaded platforms to forthwith take down the flagged deepfake and defamatory posts
  • D. Refer the dispute to the Grievance Appellate Committee constituted under the IT Rules, 2021

Q2. The Ethanol Blended Petrol (EBP) Programme, whose administration was the jurisdictional point pressed in Gadkari's plea, is best described as an arrangement under which:

  • A. Sugar mills are obliged to divert a fixed proportion of their cane crush to distilleries producing fuel-grade ethanol
  • B. Public sector oil marketing companies procure ethanol and market petrol blended with it up to a notified proportion
  • C. Vehicles already in use are retrofitted at subsidised cost so as to run on undenatured ethanol of 100 per cent purity
  • D. Bulk consumers of high speed diesel are required to lift a notified share of their fuel as ethanol-blended diesel

Q3. The Ethanol Blending Programme and the E20 policy are administered by which one of the following?

  • A. Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
  • B. Ministry of Road Transport and Highways
  • C. Department of Food and Public Distribution, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
  • D. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Q4. India's installed ethanol production capacity in 2026 was approximately how many times its level in 2014?

  • A. About two times
  • B. About five times
  • C. About nine times
  • D. About thirteen times

Q5. In the official data series on the ethanol programme, the expression 'ethanol procurement' for a given year denotes:

  • A. The total installed capacity of molasses-based and grain-based distilleries available in the country in that year
  • B. The volume of ethanol allotted to the chemical and potable liquor sectors after blending requirements have been met
  • C. The volume of ethanol contracted for export by distilleries under the open general licence during that year
  • D. The volume of ethanol supplied to public sector oil marketing companies for blending during that supply year

Q6. The requirement that a takedown intimation to an intermediary be issued only by an officer not below the rank of Joint Secretary, or by a police officer not below the rank of Deputy Inspector General, was introduced in October 2025 by amending:

  • A. Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000
  • B. Rule 3(1)(d) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021
  • C. Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000
  • D. Rule 4(2) of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021

Q7. Under the National Policy on Biofuels, 2018, the use of surplus foodgrains for producing ethanol requires the approval of:

  • A. The National Biofuel Coordination Committee constituted under the policy
  • B. The Central Pollution Control Board under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
  • C. The Food Corporation of India under the Department of Food and Public Distribution
  • D. The Bureau of Energy Efficiency under the Ministry of Power