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General Studies 2026 GS Paper III 10 marks 150 words Compulsory Explain

GS Paper III — Q9

Explain how fake news and disinformation pose threat to Internal Security and Public Order in Indian context? In this regard…

Explain how fake news and disinformation pose threat to Internal Security and Public Order in Indian context? In this regard, discuss salient features of amendments in respect of Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021. (Answer in 150 words) 10 marks

हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें

भारतीय संदर्भ में, फ़र्जी समाचार और दुष्प्रचार किस प्रकार आंतरिक सुरक्षा और सार्वजनिक व्यवस्था के लिये खतरा पैदा करते हैं, इसका वर्णन कीजिये। इस संदर्भ में, सूचना प्रौद्योगिकी (मध्यस्थ दिशानिर्देश और डिजिटल मीडिया आचार संहिता) नियम-2021 के संबंध में किये गये संशोधनों की प्रमुख विशेषताओं पर चर्चा कीजिये। (उत्तर 150 शब्दों में दीजिए)

Q9 of the 2026 UPSC Mains General Studies GS Paper III, as printed
The question as printed in the 2026 General Studies paper
Evaluate your answer to this question → See all 2026 General Studies questions

Model answer

Written by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 150-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key.

Fake news and disinformation threaten India’s internal security and public order by turning viral WhatsApp and social-media forwards into rumour-driven mob violence and communal tension. Deepfakes and AI-generated content can distort electoral integrity and erode public trust, while cross-border disinformation campaigns seek radicalisation and destabilisation in sensitive regions. To address this, the 2023 amendment to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 requires large social media intermediaries to constitute a Fact Check Unit for content related to the Central Government’s business, make reasonable efforts not to host false or misleading content, and remove it upon notice. The Rules require enhanced due diligence and mandatory Grievance Officer and Grievance Appellate Committee (GAC) mechanisms. Section 79 safe harbour, already in the 2021 Rules, is lost if intermediaries fail overall due diligence, including take-down timelines. Thus, the amendment links accountability to timely fact-checking to protect public order in India.

What "Explain" is asking you to do

Make the working of something clear — what sets it off, what follows from what, and what it produces. Explain is the Commission's mechanism word: it dominates the technical papers and the “explain why” stems, where the marks sit in the causal chain and not in the label.

Structure that answers it

State what it is → the initiating condition → the chain of cause, step by step → an instance where it plays out → what the chain produces

Where marks are lost

Describing what something looks like instead of why it works that way. Naming the stages without linking them reads as description too.

All UPSC directive words, compared →

How this answer will be evaluated

Approach

Framework: Security: classify threat, vulnerability, response; stay calm. explain: definition/context > points in order > small example > short close Full marks: Precisely links disinformation to security threats and accurately details the 2021 IT Rules mechanisms.

Key points expected

  • Link disinformation to communal tension or public order
  • Mention 'Grievance Redressal' mechanism in IT Rules
  • Cite 'Digital Media Ethics Code' for news aggregators
  • Reference 'Grievance Officer' or 'Nodal Contact' requirement

Evaluation rubric

Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.

  1. The answer Define threat of fake news to internal security and list key features of IT Rules 2021. 10 marks · 150 words

    explain— definition/context → points in order → small example → short close

    Must cover

    • Link disinformation to communal tension or public order
    • Mention 'Grievance Redressal' mechanism in IT Rules
    • Cite 'Digital Media Ethics Code' for news aggregators
    • Reference 'Grievance Officer' or 'Nodal Contact' requirement

    Loses marks

    • Vague generalities without specific rule names
    • Ignoring the 'Internal Security' aspect of the prompt
    • Confusing 'Intermediary' with 'Content Provider' roles

    Earns more

    • Mention 'Fact-checking' by platforms
    • Reference 'Traceability' of originator of message
    • Mention 'Self-regulation' by media bodies
    • Cite 'IT Act 2000' Section 79 context

    Extra mark

    • Mention 'Fact Check India' or specific platform policy
    • Reference 'IT Rules 2018' vs '2021' distinction

Practice this exact question

Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.

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