State PCS
The first law in India to provide a legal framework for electronic commerce and cyber crime was the:
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Answer: Option D — Information Technology Act, 2000
Detailed Solution
The Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act) is India's first law on cyber matters, providing legal recognition for electronic transactions and dealing with cyber crime.
About the IT Act, 2000:
- It was passed by Parliament in May 2000 and came into force on 17 October 2000.
- It is based on the "UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce" (1996), adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
Its main features:
- It gives legal recognition to electronic records and electronic transactions ("e-commerce").
- It gives legal validity to "digital signatures" (later "electronic signatures") to authenticate electronic documents.
- It provides for the appointment of a "Controller of Certifying Authorities" to license and regulate the authorities that issue digital signature certificates.
- It defines cyber offences, such as hacking, tampering with computer source documents, and publishing obscene material in electronic form, and prescribes penalties.
- It set up a Cyber Appellate Tribunal (its work was later transferred to the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal).
The IT (Amendment) Act, 2008:
- It added new offences, such as identity theft, cyber terrorism and child pornography.
- It added Section 66A, which punished "offensive" online messages.
In the famous case "Shreya Singhal v. Union of India" (2015), the Supreme Court struck down Section 66A as unconstitutional, because it violated freedom of speech.
Section 69A empowers the government to block online content in certain situations.
CERT-In:
The "Indian Computer Emergency Response Team" (CERT-In) is the national agency for responding to cyber security incidents; it is recognised under the IT Act.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 regulates telegraph and telecom (now largely replaced by the Telecommunications Act, 2023).
- ✗The Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 deals with the protection of personal data.
- ✗The Copyright Act, 1957 protects creative works.
Quick tip
Remember: IT Act, 2000 = India's first cyber law (in force 17 October 2000; based on the UNCITRAL Model Law); amended 2008; Section 66A struck down in Shreya Singhal (2015).
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Miscellaneous GK — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Miscellaneous GK, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic collects general knowledge questions that do not fit neatly into a single category, such as national symbols, famous nicknames of places, important events, entertainment, and facts that cut across history, geography and culture. Because these questions come from many areas, the best preparation is broad revision and regular practice. Read each explanation carefully, since it often includes a related fact that is tested in a different form. Keep a notebook of facts you get wrong and revise it before the exam. Practise the miscellaneous GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.