UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Digital Public Infrastructure Strengthens Inclusive Governance by Expanding Access to Digital Services, Financial Inclusion and Last-Mile Service Delivery
Q1. Approximately how many bank accounts were opened on the single inauguration day of the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the banking pillar of the JAM trinity?
- A. About 75 lakh accounts
- B. About 1 crore accounts
- C. About 1.5 crore accounts
- D. About 2.5 crore accounts
Q2. Which one of the following administers the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, the National Mission for Financial Inclusion?
- A. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India
- B. The Department of Expenditure under the Ministry of Finance
- C. The Department of Financial Services under the Ministry of Finance
- D. The Department of Rural Development under the Ministry of Rural Development
Q3. With reference to the Government of India's 2026 statements on Digital Public Infrastructure, consider the following platform-figure pairs:
1. Aadhaar numbers generated — over 144 crore
2. DigiLocker registered users — over 67 crore
3. Common Service Centres delivering digital services — over 6.5 lakh
4. Post offices delivering digital services — over 15 lakh
Which of the above are correctly identified?
- Aadhaar numbers generated — over 144 crore
- DigiLocker registered users — over 67 crore
- Common Service Centres delivering digital services — over 6.5 lakh
- Post offices delivering digital services — over 15 lakh
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding India's digital transaction data as reported by the Government in 2026:
1. UPI processed over 21 billion transactions in January 2026.
2. UPI accounts for about 49 per cent of global real-time payment transaction volume.
3. About 81 per cent of India's retail payment transactions by volume are processed on UPI rails.
4. Aadhaar authentication transactions numbered about 270 crore in 2024-25.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- UPI processed over 21 billion transactions in January 2026.
- UPI accounts for about 49 per cent of global real-time payment transaction volume.
- About 81 per cent of India's retail payment transactions by volume are processed on UPI rails.
- Aadhaar authentication transactions numbered about 270 crore in 2024-25.
- A. 1 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 2 and 3
- D. 3 and 4
Q5. Which one of the following is the Special Purpose Vehicle set up as the lead executing entity for the BharatNet project?
- A. Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, the state-owned telecom service provider
- B. Telecommunications Consultants India Limited, a public sector consultancy enterprise
- C. ITI Limited, the public sector telecom equipment manufacturing enterprise
- D. Bharat Broadband Network Limited
Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the phases of BharatNet with the Amended BharatNet Programme:
1. Phase I, completed in December 2017, covered about 1 lakh Gram Panchayats, while Phase II extended coverage to an additional 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.
2. Unlike Phase I, which relied on laying optical fibre over existing infrastructure, Phase II also used radio and satellite media to reach Gram Panchayats.
3. The Amended BharatNet Programme approved in 2023 replaced ring topology with a linear point-to-point topology for Gram Panchayat connectivity.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Phase I, completed in December 2017, covered about 1 lakh Gram Panchayats, while Phase II extended coverage to an additional 1.5 lakh Gram Panchayats.
- Unlike Phase I, which relied on laying optical fibre over existing infrastructure, Phase II also used radio and satellite media to reach Gram Panchayats.
- The Amended BharatNet Programme approved in 2023 replaced ring topology with a linear point-to-point topology for Gram Panchayat connectivity.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan, which one of the following describes the benchmark used to treat a person as digitally literate?
- A. Completion of formal schooling up to class VIII together with ownership of a smartphone having an active data connection
- B. Holding an Aadhaar-seeded bank account and using it for at least one electronic transaction every month
- C. Ability to operate digital access devices, send and receive e-mails, browse the internet, access government services and undertake cashless transactions
- D. Certification by a Common Service Centre in basic hardware repair and maintenance of computers and digital access devices
Q8. Consider the following statements about the design and outcomes of the Pradhan Mantri Gramin Digital Saksharta Abhiyan:
1. It sought to cover one member from every eligible household in which no member was digitally literate.
2. It targeted six crore persons in rural areas across States and Union Territories.
3. Its coverage was designed to reach around 40 per cent of rural households.
4. Against the target, about 4.78 crore persons were trained, of whom 6.39 crore were certified.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- It sought to cover one member from every eligible household in which no member was digitally literate.
- It targeted six crore persons in rural areas across States and Union Territories.
- Its coverage was designed to reach around 40 per cent of rural households.
- Against the target, about 4.78 crore persons were trained, of whom 6.39 crore were certified.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 4 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q9. The G20 Digital Economy Working Group, through which India advanced the global Digital Public Infrastructure agenda during its 2023 Presidency, was chaired on India's behalf by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India
- B. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
- C. The Department of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Communications
- D. NITI Aayog, the Government's apex public policy think tank
Q10. In January 2026, transactions processed on the Unified Payments Interface were worth approximately how much in value terms?
- A. Rs 18.33 lakh crore
- B. Rs 23.33 lakh crore
- C. Rs 28.33 lakh crore
- D. Rs 33.83 lakh crore
Q11. Consider the following statements comparing the Common Service Centre network with other last-mile digital delivery channels in India:
1. The Special Purpose Vehicle implementing CSC 2.0 was incorporated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, whereas BharatNet is funded through Digital Bharat Nidhi under the Department of Telecommunications.
2. Each Common Service Centre is run by a Village Level Entrepreneur on a self-sustaining entrepreneurship model, and the network has over 5.8 lakh such entrepreneurs.
3. Post offices delivering digital services outnumber Common Service Centres in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The Special Purpose Vehicle implementing CSC 2.0 was incorporated by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, whereas BharatNet is funded through Digital Bharat Nidhi under the Department of Telecommunications.
- Each Common Service Centre is run by a Village Level Entrepreneur on a self-sustaining entrepreneurship model, and the network has over 5.8 lakh such entrepreneurs.
- Post offices delivering digital services outnumber Common Service Centres in India.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. Consider the following statements about the concept of Digital Public Infrastructure:
1. DPI is commonly described as resting on three foundational layers — digital identity, digital payments and data exchange.
2. The United Nations' Universal DPI Safeguards Framework requires DPI to be people-centric and to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
3. By definition, DPI systems are owned and operated exclusively by government agencies, private entities being barred from building services on them.
4. Interoperability and open standards are core design principles of DPI.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- DPI is commonly described as resting on three foundational layers — digital identity, digital payments and data exchange.
- The United Nations' Universal DPI Safeguards Framework requires DPI to be people-centric and to respect human rights and fundamental freedoms.
- By definition, DPI systems are owned and operated exclusively by government agencies, private entities being barred from building services on them.
- Interoperability and open standards are core design principles of DPI.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 3 only
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4