UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Regularisation of Unauthorised Colonies in Delhi on ‘As-is Where-is’ Basis
Q1. The April 2026 decision to regularise unauthorised colonies in Delhi on an 'as-is where-is' basis was announced and is being operationalised as the nodal ministry by which one of the following?
- A. Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
- B. Ministry of Urban Development
- C. Ministry of Home Affairs
- D. Ministry of Rural Development
Q2. In the context of the April 2026 regularisation, the expression 'as-is where-is' basis most precisely means which one of the following?
- A. Qualifying colonies are regularised in their existing physical form without requiring an approved layout plan
- B. Colonies are regularised only after residents surrender the entire deficiency in the road right-of-way
- C. Colonies are regularised only if an approved building plan already exists for each plot
- D. Only those colonies that were fully mapped by satellite imagery before 2019 are regularised
Q3. With reference to the PM-UDAY scheme (2019), which one of the following statements best describes what the scheme does?
- A. It confers or recognises ownership, mortgage and transfer rights to residents on the basis of possession documents such as GPA, Will and Agreement to Sell
- B. It automatically makes every resident of a covered colony eligible for building plan approval
- C. It grants ownership rights only to residents who hold a registered freehold title predating 2019
- D. It transfers full ownership of all colony land to the Delhi Development Authority
Q4. When PM-UDAY was launched in October 2019, how many unauthorised colonies in Delhi were identified as covered by the scheme?
- A. 1,731
- B. 1,511
- C. 1,639
- D. 1,797
Q5. With reference to the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, consider the following statements:
1. The Act was enacted by Parliament in 2019.
2. A 'resident' under the Act includes tenants, licensees and permissive users in physical possession of the property.
3. The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, regularise transactions to confer ownership, transfer or mortgage rights.
4. The Act recognises documents such as Power of Attorney, Will and Agreement to Sale as the basis for recognising rights.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Act was enacted by Parliament in 2019.
- A 'resident' under the Act includes tenants, licensees and permissive users in physical possession of the property.
- The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, regularise transactions to confer ownership, transfer or mortgage rights.
- The Act recognises documents such as Power of Attorney, Will and Agreement to Sale as the basis for recognising rights.
- A. 2 only
- B. 1 and 3
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q6. Under the National Capital Territory of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019, an 'unauthorised colony' is defined as which one of the following?
- A. A colony or development comprising a contiguous area where no permission for approval of layout plan or building plans has been obtained
- B. A cluster of temporary jhuggis set up on public land by squatters without title
- C. A peripheral colony where the government has allotted developed plots to eligible slum dwellers
- D. A planned residential area developed by a cooperative group housing society with sanctioned plans
Q7. With reference to the administrative architecture for regularising unauthorised colonies in Delhi, consider the following:
1. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is the nodal ministry.
2. The PM-UDAY online portal for submission and processing of applications is managed by the Delhi Development Authority.
3. Conveyance Deeds are issued for built-up properties on Government land.
4. Authorisation Slips are issued for properties on Government land.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs is the nodal ministry.
- The PM-UDAY online portal for submission and processing of applications is managed by the Delhi Development Authority.
- Conveyance Deeds are issued for built-up properties on Government land.
- Authorisation Slips are issued for properties on Government land.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q8. The power of the Central Government to regularise property transactions and confer ownership rights on residents of Delhi's unauthorised colonies derives its statutory basis from which one of the following?
- A. The NCT of Delhi (Recognition of Property Rights of Residents in Unauthorised Colonies) Act, 2019
- B. The NCT of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Act, 2007
- C. The Delhi Development Act, 1957
- D. The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957
Q9. With reference to attempts at regularising and classifying settlements in Delhi before 2019, consider the following statements:
1. Ahead of the 2008 Delhi Assembly elections, provisional regularisation certificates were issued to over 1,639 unauthorised colonies.
2. The Delhi High Court characterised unauthorised colonies as normally 'born out of greed', in contrast to JJ clusters 'born out of need'.
3. The 2008 policy defined an unauthorised colony by the absence of any permission for approval of layout or building plans over a contiguous area.
4. Under the pre-2019 framework, unauthorised colonies could be regularised only after residents obtained an approved building plan for each plot.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Ahead of the 2008 Delhi Assembly elections, provisional regularisation certificates were issued to over 1,639 unauthorised colonies.
- The Delhi High Court characterised unauthorised colonies as normally 'born out of greed', in contrast to JJ clusters 'born out of need'.
- The 2008 policy defined an unauthorised colony by the absence of any permission for approval of layout or building plans over a contiguous area.
- Under the pre-2019 framework, unauthorised colonies could be regularised only after residents obtained an approved building plan for each plot.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 3 and 4
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q10. With reference to the issuance of Conveyance Deeds (CDs) and Authorisation Slips (AS) under PM-UDAY, consider the following statements:
1. By mid-2021, a total of 7,576 CDs/AS had been issued to residents of unauthorised colonies.
2. By 31 March 2026, the cumulative number of CDs/AS issued had risen to about 40,000.
3. Conveyance Deeds are issued for properties on private land, while Authorisation Slips are issued for properties on Government land.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- By mid-2021, a total of 7,576 CDs/AS had been issued to residents of unauthorised colonies.
- By 31 March 2026, the cumulative number of CDs/AS issued had risen to about 40,000.
- Conveyance Deeds are issued for properties on private land, while Authorisation Slips are issued for properties on Government land.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q11. The preparation of Delhi's Master Plan and the online portal-based processing of ownership applications for unauthorised colonies are functions primarily discharged by which one of the following bodies?
- A. Delhi Development Authority
- B. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board
- C. New Delhi Municipal Council
- D. Delhi Jal Board
Q12. Described by the Delhi Chief Minister as 'a new chapter of relief, dignity and rights' for 45 lakh people, the April 2026 'as-is where-is' decision differs from PM-UDAY (2019) primarily in that it does which one of the following?
- A. It adds regularisation of the colonies themselves — treating qualifying plots as deemed residential without approved layout plans — to the ownership rights already recognised under PM-UDAY
- B. It confers ownership and transfer rights on colony residents for the very first time
- C. It extends the benefit to tenants and permissive users who were previously excluded
- D. It replaces nominal registration charges with a full market-rate conversion fee