04.08.2026

1. Doxxing refers to the public disclosure of an individual's private personal information to intimidate, harass, or shame them; however, there is presently no law in India that explicitly defines and criminalises doxxing as a standalone offence.
2. Under the Information Technology Act, Section 72A treats every unauthorised disclosure of personal data as a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment, irrespective of the nature of the information disclosed.

III. Under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), provisions relating to stalking, criminal intimidation, and insulting the modesty of a woman may be invoked when doxxing results in threats, harassment, or invasion of privacy.

The above statements are associated with which of the following?

1. Existing legal remedies available against doxxing in India
2. A comprehensive statutory framework that directly criminalises doxxing as an independent offence

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

49. According to a recent NITI Aayog report, around 94,000 government schools have been closed over the last decade, while the share of government schools in total enrolment declined from 71% (2005) to 49.24% (2024–25).
50. The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 supports school rationalisation but explicitly states that the principle of neighbourhood schools should not be compromised.

III. The Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 guarantees free and compulsory elementary education for children aged 6–14 years, but it provides limited enforceable provisions regarding the quality of education, and School Management Committees (SMCs) often remain weak and inactive.

Inference Statements

1. The decline in the share of government school enrolment necessarily proves that most students have shifted to private schools due to better educational quality.
2. If school rationalisation results in children travelling long distances to attend school, such implementation may be inconsistent with the neighbourhood school principle envisaged under NEP 2020.
3. Merely providing a legal guarantee of access to elementary education does not automatically ensure effective implementation or satisfactory quality of education.

Which of the above inferences are valid?

1. Article 19 guarantees six freedoms only to citizens of India.
2. The right to freedom of speech and expression under Article 19 is absolute and cannot be restricted by the State.
3. The Constitution permits the State to impose reasonable restrictions on the freedom to practise any profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business in the interest of the general public.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?