UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — EC takes action against 11,000 ‘unlawful’ posts

Q1. Article 324 provides that the Chief Election Commissioner shall not be removed from office 'except in like manner and on the like grounds as a Judge of the Supreme Court.' In practical terms, this protection means that the Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only —

  • A. by an order of the President following a motion passed by both Houses of Parliament with the requisite special majority
  • B. by an order of the President on the sole recommendation of the Chief Justice of India
  • C. by the Selection Committee that had recommended the appointment
  • D. by an order of the President at any time, on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers

Q2. The Model Code of Conduct, though lacking statutory backing, is enforced during the election period exclusively by which one of the following authorities?

  • A. The Election Commission of India
  • B. The Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. The Ministry of Home Affairs
  • D. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

Q3. Under the Election Commission's directive for the 2026 Assembly elections, the maximum time allowed to political parties/platforms to remove flagged unlawful or AI-manipulated content after it is brought to their notice is —

  • A. 100 minutes
  • B. 3 hours
  • C. 24 hours
  • D. 48 hours

Q4. In the context of election-time regulation of social media, the 'Voluntary Code of Ethics' (2019) is best described as —

  • A. a self-regulatory framework drawn up by social media intermediaries to enable expeditious action on violations notified by the ECI
  • B. a statutory code notified by the Central Government under the Information Technology Act, 2000
  • C. a legally binding chapter of the Model Code of Conduct applicable to political parties
  • D. a set of mandatory rules framed by the ECI under the Representation of the People Act, 1951

Q5. The 2019 'Voluntary Code of Ethics' for social media during elections was drawn up and presented to the Election Commission by the platforms acting through which one of the following bodies?

  • A. Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI)
  • B. National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM)
  • C. Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI)
  • D. Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In)

Q6. The normal five-year term of a State Legislative Assembly, whose expiry necessitates general elections such as those held in 2026, is fixed under which Article of the Constitution?

  • A. Article 83
  • B. Article 172
  • C. Article 174
  • D. Article 356

Q7. During elections, the monitoring of social media content and coordination with platforms for takedown of unlawful material is primarily operationalised through which of the following functionaries?

  • A. State IT Nodal Officers notified under the Information Technology Act, 2000
  • B. Returning Officers appointed under the Representation of the People Act, 1951
  • C. Booth Level Officers under the electoral roll machinery
  • D. District Magistrates acting under the Code of Criminal Procedure

Q8. Under the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, the Selection Committee that recommends candidates for appointment as CEC and ECs is chaired by —

  • A. the Prime Minister
  • B. the Chief Justice of India
  • C. the President of India
  • D. the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha