UPSC 2019 GS-IV · 10 marks · 150 words

There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view?

What “Justify” demands

argue positively for the stated position with evidence, and meet the obvious objection.

The characteristic failure: presenting both sides neutrally when a defence was asked for.

What a top answer must contain

These are the checkable specifics from the marking standard for this question — the actual case, committee, datum or thinker, not an instruction to “give examples”.

OSA 1923 is a colonial statute presuming secrecy; RTI 2005 presumes disclosure — the presumptions conflict
RTI s.22 has overriding effect, and s.8(2) permits disclosure where public interest outweighs harm — so legally RTI prevails
Practical obstacle remains: officials' fear of prosecution, classification habits, absence of a declassification policy
2nd ARC recommended repealing OSA and folding safeguards into the National Security Act
Balanced position: the real obstacle is administrative culture more than the statute, but the statute sustains that culture

The band thresholds and the pre-scored sample answers behind this standard stay private — they are the calibration your copy is placed against.

Now write it, and find out what you actually scored

Attempt this question — typed or photographed — and it is marked against the standard above in under a minute: six parameter scores, a blunt verdict, and the points you missed. 50 free credits on signup, no card.

Write this answer See a marked copy first

There is a view that the Official Secrets Act is an obstacle to the implementation of the Right to Information Act. Do you agree with the view?

What a top answer must contain

Now write it, and find out what you actually scored

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