UPSC Governance – Chapter 12: Digital Public Infrastructure – Aadhaar, UPI and Beyond (22 MCQs)

← Back

UPSC Governance – Chapter 12: Digital Public Infrastructure – Aadhaar, UPI and Beyond (22 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.

Get daily current affairs & exam alerts – follow us YouTube WhatsApp Channel Telegram Channel Facebook Page Instagram
Share with friends & study groups
Link to this page from your website / blog (HTML code)
1.  

UIDAI was first set up in 2009 by:

Correct Answer: C [an executive notification]

Explanation:

UIDAI was created by an executive notification of 28 January 2009 and got statutory status only under the Aadhaar Act, 2016.

2.  

Which section of the Aadhaar Act allowed private entities to use Aadhaar on the basis of a contract, and was struck down in 2018?

Correct Answer: B [Section 57]

Explanation:

Section 57 let private bodies use Aadhaar on the basis of a contract; the 2018 majority struck that part down.

3.  

UPI was developed and is operated by the:

Correct Answer: A [National Payments Corporation of India]

Explanation:

NPCI, the RBI and IBA-promoted umbrella body for retail payments, developed UPI and launched it in April 2016.

4.  

The nine-judge Bench that held privacy to be a fundamental right decided:

Correct Answer: B [Puttaswamy (privacy), 2017]

Explanation:

In Justice K. S. Puttaswamy v. Union of India (24 August 2017) a nine-judge Bench held privacy a fundamental right.

5.  

Under the 2018 Aadhaar judgment, authentication metadata may not be stored beyond:

Correct Answer: D [six months]

Explanation:

The 2018 judgment barred storing authentication transaction metadata for more than six months.

6.  

The JAM trinity refers to:

Correct Answer: B [Jan Dhan, Aadhaar and Mobile]

Explanation:

JAM stands for Jan Dhan bank accounts, Aadhaar numbers and Mobile phones, used together for targeted transfers.

7.  

Direct Benefit Transfer in India began on:

Correct Answer: C [1 January 2013]

Explanation:

Direct Benefit Transfer started on 1 January 2013, paying benefits straight into beneficiaries' bank accounts.

8.  

The network that allows small sellers to reach buyers on any participating app is:

Correct Answer: C [ONDC]

Explanation:

ONDC is an open network that lets a seller on one participating app reach buyers using any other app.

9.  

Aadhaar can be required by law for benefits funded from the:

Correct Answer: A [Consolidated Fund of India]

Explanation:

Section 7.

10.  

Consider the following statements:

1. Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship.
2. The Aadhaar Act, 2016 was passed as a Money Bill.
3. Linking Aadhaar with bank accounts is mandatory after the 2018 judgment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [1 and 2 only]

Explanation:

Aadhaar is not proof of citizenship (Section 9) and the Act was passed as a Money Bill; mandatory bank linking was struck down.

11.  

Assertion (A): The Aadhaar and Other Laws (Amendment) Act, 2019 allowed voluntary use of Aadhaar for KYC by banks and telecom companies.

Reason (R): The 2018 judgment had struck down the use of Aadhaar by private entities on the basis of contract alone.

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

Explanation:

Because the 2018 judgment struck down contract-based private use under Section 57, the 2019 Act gave voluntary bank and telecom KYC a legal basis.

12.  

The Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission provides:

Correct Answer: D [health IDs and interoperable health records]

Explanation:

ABDM, launched in 2021, gives citizens ABHA health IDs and links health records across providers.

13.  

The JAM trinity was put forward in the:

Correct Answer: A [Economic Survey 2014–15]

Explanation:

The Economic Survey 2014–15 described the JAM number trinity as the platform for targeted cash transfers.

14.  

The G20 Framework for Systems of Digital Public Infrastructure was welcomed during India's G20 Presidency in:

Correct Answer: D [2023]

Explanation:

The New Delhi Leaders' Declaration of September 2023, under India's Presidency, welcomed the G20 Framework for Systems of DPI.

15.  

The "consent layer" of India Stack is represented by the:

Correct Answer: D [Account Aggregator framework]

Explanation:

The Account Aggregator framework lets financial data move only with the user's electronic consent, forming India Stack's consent layer.

16.  

The first Aadhaar numbers were issued in 2010 in:

Correct Answer: A [Maharashtra]

Explanation:

Tembhli, Nandurbar.

17.  

Arrange the following in chronological order:

1. ONDC
2. UIDAI set up
3. Direct Benefit Transfer begins
4. UPI launched

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

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

Explanation:

2009, 2013, 2016, 2022.

18.  

Which of the following was upheld in the 2018 Aadhaar judgment?

Correct Answer: C [Mandatory linking with PAN]

Explanation:

The Court upheld Section 139AA of the Income-tax Act, so linking Aadhaar with PAN remains mandatory.

19.  

Who dissented in the 2018 Aadhaar judgment, holding that the Act could not be passed as a Money Bill?

Correct Answer: B [Justice D. Y. Chandrachud]

Explanation:

Justice D. Y. Chandrachud dissented, holding that the Aadhaar Act could not validly be passed as a Money Bill.

20.  
UPSC Prelims 2020

Consider the following statements:

1. Aadhaar metadata cannot be stored for more than three months.
2. State cannot enter into any contract with private corporations for sharing of Aadhaar data.
3. Aadhaar is mandatory for obtaining insurance products.
4. Aadhaar is mandatory for getting benefits funded out of the Consolidated Fund of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: B [2 and 4 only]

Explanation:

contract-based sharing with private bodies (Section 57) was struck down, and Aadhaar can be required for benefits from the Consolidated Fund of India (Section 7).

21.  
UPSC Prelims 2018

The identity platform 'Aadhaar' provides open "Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)". What does it imply?

1. It can be integrated into any electronic device.
2. Online authentication using iris is possible.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Correct Answer: C [Both 1 and 2]

Explanation:

open APIs allow integration into devices and applications, and authentication can use the iris, fingerprints, face or OTP.

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

Score: 0 Answered: 0 / 0