UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Centre orders X to check use of Grok to morph images

Q1. The directive issued in January 2026 to X (formerly Twitter), ordering a comprehensive technical, procedural and governance-level review of its AI chatbot Grok over its misuse to morph images of women, was issued by which one of the following Union Ministries?

  • A. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
  • B. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • C. Ministry of Home Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Women and Child Development

Q2. In the context of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the 'safe harbour' provision for intermediaries refers to which one of the following?

  • A. A statutory exemption of an intermediary from liability for third-party information hosted or transmitted, subject to observance of due-diligence obligations
  • B. A mandatory data-localisation regime requiring intermediaries to store Indian user data only within India
  • C. A government-backed indemnity insuring intermediaries against cyber-attacks originating from foreign jurisdictions
  • D. A reduced-tariff zone permitting intermediaries to offer services without GST on digital advertising revenue

Q3. With reference to the due-diligence obligations imposed on Significant Social Media Intermediaries (SSMIs) under the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, consider the following: 1. Appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer who is a resident of India. 2. Removal of content in the nature of non-consensual intimate imagery within a stipulated time-frame on receipt of a complaint. 3. Mandatory pre-publication approval from the Union Government for all AI-generated visual content hosted on the platform. 4. Appointment of a Resident Grievance Officer to receive and dispose of user complaints. Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as an obligation under the said Rules?

  1. Appointment of a Chief Compliance Officer who is a resident of India.
  2. Removal of content in the nature of non-consensual intimate imagery within a stipulated time-frame on receipt of a complaint.
  3. Mandatory pre-publication approval from the Union Government for all AI-generated visual content hosted on the platform.
  4. Appointment of a Resident Grievance Officer to receive and dispose of user complaints.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 3 only
  • D. 2 and 3

Q4. The conditional 'safe harbour' immunity available to internet intermediaries — which the Union IT Minister warned could be withdrawn from X over the Grok controversy in January 2026 — is granted under which one of the following provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000?

  • A. Section 66A
  • B. Section 67
  • C. Section 69A
  • D. Section 79

Q5. With reference to the statutory and regulatory architecture invoked in the MeitY action against X over Grok, consider the following statements: 1. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules were notified in 2021 under the Information Technology Act, 2000. 2. Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 penalises publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts in electronic form. 3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act was enacted in the year 2023. 4. Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 continues to be a valid penal provision invoked by law-enforcement agencies for prosecuting offensive online speech. Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules were notified in 2021 under the Information Technology Act, 2000.
  2. Section 67A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 penalises publishing or transmitting material containing sexually explicit acts in electronic form.
  3. The Digital Personal Data Protection Act was enacted in the year 2023.
  4. Section 66A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 continues to be a valid penal provision invoked by law-enforcement agencies for prosecuting offensive online speech.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • B. 2 and 4 only
  • C. 1 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
  • 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