UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — MHA declares Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organization under UAPA, says Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah
Q1. Under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, where an application seeking removal of an organisation from the Schedule of terrorist organisations is refused, the applicant may take the refusal for review to which one of the following?
- A. The Review Committee constituted by the Central Government under the Act
- B. The Tribunal constituted by the Central Government under the Act to confirm declarations
- C. The Special Court designated under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008
- D. The Advisory Board constituted under Article 22 of the Constitution of India
Q2. With reference to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, consider the following provisions and the subject matter attributed to each:
1. Section 35 — power of the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to add to or remove from the Schedule the name of an organisation.
2. Section 36 — application for removal of the name of an organisation or an individual from the relevant Schedule.
3. Section 37 — constitution of a Review Committee by the Central Government.
4. Section 15 — definition of an 'unlawful association'.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Section 35 — power of the Central Government, by notification in the Official Gazette, to add to or remove from the Schedule the name of an organisation.
- Section 36 — application for removal of the name of an organisation or an individual from the relevant Schedule.
- Section 37 — constitution of a Review Committee by the Central Government.
- Section 15 — definition of an 'unlawful association'.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q3. Consider the following statements comparing the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act as it stood before the 2019 amendment with the position after that amendment:
1. Before the amendment only organisations could be designated as being involved in terrorism; the amendment extended the same criteria to individuals.
2. Before the amendment, offences under the Act could be investigated by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police and above; the amendment additionally empowered officers of the National Investigation Agency of the rank of Inspector and above to investigate.
3. Before the amendment, seizure of property connected with terrorism required the prior approval of the Director General of Police; the amendment dispensed with the requirement of any such approval where the investigation is conducted by the National Investigation Agency.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Before the amendment only organisations could be designated as being involved in terrorism; the amendment extended the same criteria to individuals.
- Before the amendment, offences under the Act could be investigated by officers of the rank of Deputy Superintendent of Police or Assistant Commissioner of Police and above; the amendment additionally empowered officers of the National Investigation Agency of the rank of Inspector and above to investigate.
- Before the amendment, seizure of property connected with terrorism required the prior approval of the Director General of Police; the amendment dispensed with the requirement of any such approval where the investigation is conducted by the National Investigation Agency.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q4. With reference to the changes made to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by its 2019 amendment, consider the following:
1. It added the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) to the Act's schedule of treaties.
2. The names of individuals designated as terrorists are entered in the Fourth Schedule of the Act.
3. Where the National Investigation Agency conducts the investigation, approval of its Director General is required for seizure of property representing proceeds of terrorism.
4. It transferred the power to designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation from the Central Government to the National Investigation Agency.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- It added the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) to the Act's schedule of treaties.
- The names of individuals designated as terrorists are entered in the Fourth Schedule of the Act.
- Where the National Investigation Agency conducts the investigation, approval of its Director General is required for seizure of property representing proceeds of terrorism.
- It transferred the power to designate an organisation as a terrorist organisation from the Central Government to the National Investigation Agency.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 2 only
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q5. The declaration of the Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 was made by which one of the following?
- A. The Ministry of Home Affairs, exercising the Central Government's power under the Act
- B. The National Investigation Agency, which alone may proscribe entities it has charge-sheeted
- C. The Narcotics Control Bureau, which exclusively handles every entity with narcotics links
- D. The Multi-Agency Centre of the Intelligence Bureau, which notifies all such entities
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the Shahzad Bhatti Network:
1. It has been placed in the Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 that lists terrorist organisations, a category distinct from the Fourth Schedule in which individuals designated as terrorists are listed.
2. It is described as a network backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and engaged in cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics as well as in radicalising youth and petty criminals.
3. Like Lashkar-e-Taiba, it was proscribed by the Narcotics Control Bureau on account of its narcotics links.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It has been placed in the Schedule of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 that lists terrorist organisations, a category distinct from the Fourth Schedule in which individuals designated as terrorists are listed.
- It is described as a network backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and engaged in cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics as well as in radicalising youth and petty criminals.
- Like Lashkar-e-Taiba, it was proscribed by the Narcotics Control Bureau on account of its narcotics links.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. With reference to the coordinated multi-State operation of 12 August against the Shahzad Bhatti Network, consider the following:
1. Grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings were among the items recovered.
2. More than 200 operatives of the network were arrested.
3. The operation was confined exclusively to the States sharing a land border with Pakistan.
4. Every one of the FIRs registered in the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency for investigation.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings were among the items recovered.
- More than 200 operatives of the network were arrested.
- The operation was confined exclusively to the States sharing a land border with Pakistan.
- Every one of the FIRs registered in the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency for investigation.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q8. The multi-State crackdown on the Shahzad Bhatti Network and the network's subsequent proscription were announced by the Union Home Minister, who at the time also held which one of the following portfolios?
- A. Ministry of Jal Shakti
- B. Ministry of Panchayati Raj
- C. Ministry of Cooperation
- D. Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region
Q9. The statutory charter of the Narcotics Control Bureau requires it to coordinate action by officers, State Governments and other authorities under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 and, besides that Act, under how many other Central Acts that are expressly named in the charter?
- A. One
- B. Two
- C. Three
- D. Four
Q10. Consider the following statements about central agencies dealing with terrorism and narcotics:
1. The Narcotics Control Bureau functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
2. The Narcotics Control Bureau was created in 1986 in terms of Section 4(3) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
3. Offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 are scheduled offences under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
4. The Joint Coordination Committee set up to monitor the investigation of significant drug cases, including cases of narco-terrorism, is chaired by the Director General of the National Investigation Agency.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The Narcotics Control Bureau functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
- The Narcotics Control Bureau was created in 1986 in terms of Section 4(3) of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
- Offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 are scheduled offences under the National Investigation Agency Act, 2008.
- The Joint Coordination Committee set up to monitor the investigation of significant drug cases, including cases of narco-terrorism, is chaired by the Director General of the National Investigation Agency.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q11. In the official list of designated terrorist organisations, several entries are followed by the words 'and all its manifestations and front organizations'. The addition of these words means that—
- A. the proscription automatically covers the outfit's aliases and cover outfits without a fresh notification for each
- B. each cover outfit must be separately notified by the Central Government before the proscription applies to it
- C. the outfit stands proscribed only in those States in which its cover outfits are found to be active
- D. the proscription of a cover outfit lapses as soon as the parent outfit is removed from the Schedule
Q12. With reference to narco-terrorism and its handling in India, consider the following statements:
1. Narco-terrorism denotes the linking of narcotics trafficking with the financing and arming of terrorist activity.
2. The Shahzad Bhatti Network is alleged to have smuggled arms, explosives and narcotics across the border and to have radicalised youth and petty criminals into terror activity.
3. Investigation of significant narco-terrorism cases is monitored by a committee chaired by the head of the central narcotics enforcement agency.
4. Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, enforcement is entirely a central function, State Governments having no role in action taken under the Act.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- Narco-terrorism denotes the linking of narcotics trafficking with the financing and arming of terrorist activity.
- The Shahzad Bhatti Network is alleged to have smuggled arms, explosives and narcotics across the border and to have radicalised youth and petty criminals into terror activity.
- Investigation of significant narco-terrorism cases is monitored by a committee chaired by the head of the central narcotics enforcement agency.
- Under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, enforcement is entirely a central function, State Governments having no role in action taken under the Act.
- A. 1 and 3 only
- B. 4 only
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 4