UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Lowering the age of juvenility for crimes is a step back

Q1. With reference to the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The Act defines a 'child' as a person who has not completed eighteen years of age.
  2. A 'heinous offence' is one for which the minimum punishment prescribed under any law in force is imprisonment for seven years or more.
  3. A Juvenile Justice Board consists of one Metropolitan/Judicial Magistrate of the first class and two social workers, of whom at least one shall be a woman.
  4. The transfer system permitting trial as an adult applies to all children aged 14-18 years accused of heinous offences.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q2. Under which section of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 does the Juvenile Justice Board conduct a preliminary assessment of a child in conflict with law aged 16-18 years for possible transfer for trial as an adult?

  • A. Section 14
  • B. Section 15
  • C. Section 18
  • D. Section 19

Q3. Under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which one of the following is the designated forum to which a child in conflict with law aged 16-18 years may be transferred from the Juvenile Justice Board for trial in respect of a heinous offence?

  • A. The High Court of the State concerned
  • B. The Court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate
  • C. The Children's Court (a Court of Session designated as such)
  • D. A Special Court constituted under the POCSO Act, 2012

Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, as amended in 2021. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly stated?

  1. The District Magistrate (including Additional District Magistrate) is empowered to issue adoption orders under Section 61.
  2. A 'serious offence' is one for which the minimum punishment is more than three years and the maximum does not exceed seven years.
  3. A 'place of safety' is a facility where a child in conflict with law may be kept up to the age of twenty-five years.
  4. The Children's Court for trial of a transferred child is a Court of Session designated as such.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 2 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 4 only

Q5. Which one of the following is the nodal Ministry of the Union Government for the administration and implementation of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015?

  • A. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • B. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • C. Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
  • D. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam
    NRAA-Funded Wild Rice Conservation Project Secures Major Milestone in Assam

    The notification of Borjuli site in Sonitpur, Assam as a Biodiversity Heritage Site under an NRAA-funded wild rice conservation project is a named, verifiable fact. Biodiversity Heritage Sites and wild crop genetic resource conservation are tested Prelims topics.

  • India Advances Global Green Hydrogen Leadership under National Green Hydrogen Mission

    Under the National Green Hydrogen Mission (NGHM), a landmark commercial deal for green ammonia and methanol export to Japan (IHI Corporation named) is a concrete outcome. India's green hydrogen ambitions and NGHM are recurring Prelims themes; this adds a factual export-deal hook.

  • NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"
    NITI Aayog launches report on "Strategic Roadmap for Making Ayurveda Global"

    A named NITI Aayog report on Ayurveda's global expansion is testable as a policy document. NITI Aayog reports, AYUSH sector initiatives, and traditional medicine diplomacy are recurring Prelims themes; the report's launch date and authoring body are clean factual hooks.

  • INDIAN NAVAL SHIP TRIKAND RESPONDS TO PIRACY ATTEMPT ON MV GOLDEN ARSENAL IN THE GULF OF ADEN

    A named Indian Navy anti-piracy operation with specific ship (INS Trikand — identified as a stealth frigate), vessel flag state (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), and location (Gulf of Aden) offers testable facts. India's maritime security operations are plausible Prelims hooks but appear occasionally, not frequently.

  • Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches nationwide ‘Viksit Bharat – G-Ram G Act’ from Andhra Pradesh with Chief Minister Shri Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Shri Pawan Kalyan

    A newly named nationwide scheme launched by the Rural Development ministry that explicitly positions itself as moving 'beyond MGNREGA' is potentially testable. However, the excerpt lacks concrete numbers or statutory grounding, keeping it at 3 rather than 4.

  • MANAS: A Digital Shield Against Drugs

    MANAS is a named government digital initiative (national narcotics helpline) with a specific mandate under Nasha Mukt Bharat. Named government portals/helplines with specific functions are tested in Prelims, though this release is a backgrounder without new launch data.

  • VB-G RAM G Act comes into force across the country from today; “A historic day for rural India”: Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    The VB-G RAM G Act (likely a renamed/revised MGNREGA or rural employment guarantee framework) came into force across India from July 1, 2026. Key facts: national launch in Tirupati on July 2; revised wage rates notified with no daily wage below ₹300; national average wage increased by over 10%. A new central Act coming into force with specific wage figures is high-priority Prelims material.

  • India Achieves Major Milestone with Approval of Country’s First PinS Instrument Approach Procedure for Helicopter Operations

    DGCA approved India's first Private Point-in-Space (PinS) Instrument Approach Procedure for helicopter operations, implemented at Undavalli Heliport (developed by AAI). This is a named first in Indian aviation with a specific location and implementing body — classic Prelims material for science/tech and aviation sections.

  • 11 Years of Digital India: Better Healthcare & Digital Markets Making Lives Easier

    This release contains high-quality testable data: Greece is named as the 10th country to adopt UPI; every second real-time digital transaction globally is processed via India's UPI; 13 lakh Anganwadi workers connected via Poshan Tracker covering 9 crore beneficiaries. Multiple concrete facts that are prime Prelims material.

  • India, EU Advance Cooperation on Sustainable Ship Recycling; Three Indian Yards Ready for EU Recognition

    India has a 35.4% global market share in sustainable ship recycling. Three Indian ship-recycling yards are ready for EU recognition. India committed $8 billion to strengthen shipbuilding and recycling, with a target of recycling 16,000 ships. These are specific, verifiable figures in a sector where India leads globally — strong Prelims material on maritime/shipping sector.

  • GAGAN: Navigating India’s Skies with Precision

    Detailed backgrounder on GAGAN (GPS Aided GEO Augmented Navigation), India's Satellite-Based Augmentation System developed jointly by ISRO and Airports Authority of India (AAI). It enhances GPS accuracy for aviation, is certified to international standards, and supports satellite-based landing approaches. GAGAN is a recurring Prelims topic and this backgrounder consolidates key testable facts about its developers, purpose, and certification status.

    • The Hindu

    Latest PIB

    Latest from The Hindu

    Explore