UPSC Governance – Chapter 7: Right to Information and Official Secrecy (21 MCQs)

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UPSC Governance – Chapter 7: Right to Information and Official Secrecy (21 MCQs) – 21 questions, subject: Governance. Every question has the correct answer with a one-line explanation; tap "Show Answer". Free practice for TNPSC, UPSC, SSC, Bank and RRB exams – Shanmugam IAS Academy, Coimbatore.

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1.  

The RTI Act, 2005 came fully into force on:

Correct Answer: A [12 October 2005]

Explanation:

The Act received assent on 15 June 2005 and its remaining provisions came into force on the 120th day, 12 October 2005.

2.  

Information concerning the life or liberty of a person must be provided within:

Correct Answer: B [48 hours]

Explanation:

The proviso to Section 7(1) requires information concerning the life or liberty of a person to be supplied within 48 hours.

3.  

A second appeal under the RTI Act lies to the:

Correct Answer: C [Central or State Information Commission]

Explanation:

Under Section 19(3) a second appeal against the first appellate officer's decision lies to the Central or State Information Commission.

4.  

The maximum penalty that can be imposed on a PIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act is:

Correct Answer: D [₹25,000]

Explanation:

Section 20(1) fixes a penalty of ₹250 for each day of default, but the total amount cannot exceed ₹25,000.

5.  

Which section of the RTI Act requires public authorities to publish information on their own?

Correct Answer: A [Section 4]

Explanation:

Section 4 obliges every public authority to publish key information about its functions, officers, budgets and decisions on its own.

6.  

Organisations listed in the Second Schedule of the RTI Act must still give information relating to:

Correct Answer: C [allegations of corruption and human rights violations]

Explanation:

The proviso to Section 24(1) keeps information on allegations of corruption and human rights violations outside the exemption.

7.  

The Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan, which led the RTI movement, worked mainly in:

Correct Answer: B [Rajasthan]

Explanation:

MKSS worked in rural Rajasthan, where its jan sunwais on village works records built the national demand for a right to information.

8.  

Unauthorised use of police or military uniforms to gain entry to a prohibited place is an offence under the:

Correct Answer: C [Official Secrets Act, 1923]

Explanation:

Section 6.

9.  

In which case did the Supreme Court hold that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority under the RTI Act?

Correct Answer: D [CPIO, Supreme Court v. Subhash Chandra Agarwal]

Explanation:

In November 2019 a Constitution Bench held that the office of the Chief Justice of India is a public authority under the RTI Act.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. An RTI applicant need not give reasons for seeking information.
2. Applicants below the poverty line are not required to pay the fee.
3. The Freedom of Information Act, 2002 is still in force alongside the RTI Act.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

No reasons are needed and BPL applicants pay no fee, but the Freedom of Information Act, 2002 was never brought into force.

11.  

Assertion (A): Information exempt under the Official Secrets Act can still be disclosed under the RTI Act in some cases.

Reason (R): Section 8(2) of the RTI Act allows disclosure when the public interest outweighs the harm to protected interests.

Correct Answer: A [Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A]

Explanation:

Section 8(2) allows disclosure notwithstanding the Official Secrets Act when public interest outweighs harm, which is exactly why A holds.

12.  

The Second ARC recommended that the Official Secrets Act be:

Correct Answer: A [repealed and replaced by a chapter in the National Security Act]

Explanation:

The Second ARC's first report (2006) advised repealing the OSA and placing official-secrets provisions in a chapter of the National Security Act.

13.  

Under the RTI Act, where information involves a third party, the time limit for reply is:

Correct Answer: D [40 days]

Explanation:

When third-party information is involved, Section 11 requires the PIO to decide on the request within 40 days.

14.  

Which law amended Section 8(1)(j) of the RTI Act on personal information?

Correct Answer: C [Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023]

Explanation:

Section 44(3) of the DPDP Act, 2023 rewrote Section 8(1)(j) to exempt personal information without the earlier public-interest test.

15.  

Celebratory gunfire that endangers the safety of others was made an offence by the:

Correct Answer: A [Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019]

Explanation:

The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019 made celebratory gunfire that endangers human life or the personal safety of others a punishable offence.

16.  

Which section of the RTI Act gives it overriding effect over the Official Secrets Act?

Correct Answer: B [Section 22]

Explanation:

Section 22 gives the RTI Act effect notwithstanding anything inconsistent in the Official Secrets Act, 1923 or any other law.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. Official Secrets Act
2. RTI Act comes into force
3. Supreme Court holds the CJI's office to be a public authority
4. Raj Narain judgment on the right to know

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Correct Answer: C [1-4-2-3]

Explanation:

1923, 1975, 2005, 2019.

18.  

The time limit for filing a first appeal under the RTI Act is:

Correct Answer: D [30 days]

Explanation:

Section 19(1) allows a first appeal to a senior officer within 30 days of the PIO's decision or of the time limit expiring.

19.  

Which of the following States passed an RTI law in 1997?

Correct Answer: C [Tamil Nadu]

Explanation:

Tamil Nadu and Goa passed the first State right to information laws in 1997, years before the Central Act of 2005.

20.  

In CBSE v. Aditya Bandopadhyay (2011), the Supreme Court held that:

Correct Answer: B [evaluated answer sheets are information under the RTI Act]

Explanation:

The Court held that evaluated answer books are information and are not held in a fiduciary capacity, so candidates may inspect them.

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2023

With reference to India, consider the following pairs:

Action : The Act under which it is covered

1. Unauthorized wearing of police or military uniforms : The Official Secrets Act, 1923
2. Knowingly misleading or otherwise interfering with a police officer or military officer when engaged in their duties : The Indian Evidence Act, 1872
3. Celebratory gunfire which can endanger the personal safety of others : The Arms (Amendment) Act, 2019

How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?

Correct Answer: B [Only two]

Explanation:

pairs 1 and 3 are correct; misleading an officer near a prohibited place is under Section 7 of the Official Secrets Act, not the Evidence Act.

➤ Full notes, maps, tables, a reason for every option and Mains PYQs – U12 · Governance (UPSC book, ₹249): www.shanmugamiasacademy.in/study-materials/upsc-governance

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