UPPSC PYQ 1 (2020) — Geography
Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
- Florida current
- Canary current
- Agulhas current
- Kurile current
Answer: C. Agulhas current
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A Department of Telecommunications (DoT) notification, reported on July 24, 2026, bars communication infrastructure providers - including entities operating cloud-based telecom networks, mobile towers, and satellite gateways - from sharing any telecommunication data outside India, mandating that all systems, data, logs, and information associated with a telecom network be stored within the country with no copies routed, shared, or made available abroad. For aspirants preparing for UPSC, UPPSC, MPSC, and other state PSC exams, this topic is directly relevant for GS Paper 3 (Cyber Security, Data Governance, Internal Security) and frequently appears as a source-based question on India's data-localisation framework.
The move forms part of the government's broader transition from a licensing regime to a regulatory framework under the Telecommunications Act, 2023, giving the Centre expanded powers to monitor compliance by inspecting sites where telecommunication equipment and networks are established and by appointing designated agencies to audit provider systems and processes.
The Telecommunications Act, 2023 replaced colonial-era legislation - including the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 - with a modern regulatory framework covering spectrum assignment, telecom infrastructure authorisation, and national security provisions, marking a shift from a discretionary licensing system toward a more structured, rules-based regulatory approach for telecom service and infrastructure providers.
Data localisation - requiring that certain categories of data be stored and processed within national borders - has been a recurring theme in India's digital-governance policy over the past decade, spanning earlier RBI mandates for payment-system data and provisions within the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, reflecting a broader strategic push to keep critical infrastructure data, including telecom network data with implications for national security and surveillance capability, under Indian jurisdiction rather than subject to foreign legal processes.
Notification Details
Core Requirement
Regulatory Context
Enforcement Mechanism
Centre empowered to access and inspect sites with telecommunication equipment and networks.
May appoint a designated agency to audit provider compliance processes and systems.
Syllabus relevance: UPSC GS Paper 3 - Cyber Security, Data Governance, Internal Security; state PSC prelims and mains under Internal Security and Science & Technology.
Political and Constitutional Dimensions Telecommunications falls squarely under Entry 31 of the Union List (List I) of the Seventh Schedule - "Posts and telegraphs; telephones, wireless, broadcasting and other like forms of communication" - giving Parliament exclusive legislative competence, and this notification's data-localisation mandate is exercised under powers conferred by the Telecommunications Act, 2023 rather than requiring fresh primary legislation.
Economic and Financial Dimensions Mandatory in-India data storage requires telecom infrastructure providers, including global cloud and satellite-communication players, to build or lease local data-storage capacity, potentially raising compliance costs but also stimulating demand for India's domestic data-centre industry.
Social Dimensions Data-localisation rules of this kind are often framed around citizen data-privacy protection, since keeping telecom logs and network data within Indian jurisdiction limits the scope for foreign governments or entities to access Indian users' communication metadata through extraterritorial legal processes.
Governance and Administrative Dimensions Effective enforcement will depend on the DoT's capacity to conduct meaningful site inspections and system audits at scale across a growing base of cloud, satellite, and tower infrastructure providers, a significant regulatory administrative undertaking as India's telecom infrastructure landscape diversifies beyond traditional telecom operators.
International Perspective Data-localisation mandates of this kind sit within a global trend of nations asserting "digital sovereignty" over data generated within their borders, a trend also visible in the European Union's data-protection framework and China's cybersecurity law, and such measures can create friction with global telecom and cloud providers operating cross-border infrastructure, while strengthening India's position in international negotiations over cross-border data-flow rules.
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Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
Answer: C. Agulhas current
Without green house effect, the average temperature of earth surface would be
Answer: B. –18°C
1. In Ease of Doing Business Report 2020, India's rank is 63. 2. India ranking for Ease of Doing Business in the year 2019 was 77.
With reference to the World Bank's Ease of Doing Business Report, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
Answer: B. 2 only
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Geography · 2020Which of the following ocean currents is associated with Indian Ocean?
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