UPSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper I · Q46 of 99 General Science easy

In India, the term "Public Key Infrastructure" is used in the context of

  1. (a) Digital security infrastructure ✓ UPSC's answer
  2. (b) Food security infrastructure
  3. (c) Health care and education infrastructure
  4. (d) Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure

Why the answer is (a)

• Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is the system of digital certificates, certifying authorities and public–private key pairs that enables secure encryption and digital signatures — option (a).

• In India the Controller of Certifying Authorities (CCA) under the IT Act, 2000 heads the PKI; licensed CAs issue Digital Signature Certificates used for e-filing, GST, e-tendering and Aadhaar e-Sign.

• PKI has nothing to do with food (b), health/education (c) or transport (d) infrastructure.

• Hence option (a).

Why the other options are wrong

(b) Food security infrastructure
PKI is unrelated to food security.
(c) Health care and education infrastructure
PKI is not a health or education infrastructure.
(d) Telecommunication and transportation infrastructure
PKI is a cryptographic, not physical, infrastructure.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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