This is Set 6 of 40 in the smartvidya question bank on the Information Technology Act, 2000, with the latest amendments and rules. Part II: Signatures, e-governance and electronic records. This set covers Sections 11 to 13: attribution to originator, acknowledgment of receipt and time and place of despatch and receipt.
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Set 6: Chapter IV: Attribution, Acknowledgment and Despatch
1. Under Section 11, an electronic record is attributed to the originator if it was sent by
(a) anyone using his computer
(b) an intermediary
(c) the originator himself, a person authorised to act on his behalf, or an information system programmed by or on behalf of the originator to operate automatically
(d) a hacker
Ans. (c) the originator himself, a person authorised to act on his behalf, or an information system programmed by or on behalf of the originator to operate automatically — Explanation: Section 11 lists these three situations. [Ref: Section 11]
2. Section 12 deals with
(a) acknowledgment of receipt
(b) attribution
(c) time of despatch
(d) secure electronic records
Ans. (a) acknowledgment of receipt — Explanation: Section 12 covers acknowledgment of electronic records. [Ref: Section 12]
3. Where the originator has not agreed on any particular form of acknowledgment, acknowledgment may be given by
(a) only a signed letter
(b) only a phone call
(c) only a court order
(d) any communication by the addressee, automated or otherwise, or any conduct sufficient to indicate receipt
Ans. (d) any communication by the addressee, automated or otherwise, or any conduct sufficient to indicate receipt — Explanation: Section 12(1) allows informal acknowledgment. [Ref: Section 12(1)]
4. Where the originator has stipulated that the record is binding only on receipt of acknowledgment, then until acknowledgment is received the record is
(a) deemed never to have been sent
(b) valid
(c) invalid permanently
(d) deemed received
Ans. (a) deemed never to have been sent — Explanation: Section 12(2) provides this. [Ref: Section 12(2)]
5. Under Section 13(1), despatch of an electronic record occurs when it
(a) is read by the addressee
(b) enters a computer resource outside the control of the originator
(c) is saved
(d) is typed
Ans. (b) enters a computer resource outside the control of the originator — Explanation: Section 13(1) defines the time of despatch. [Ref: Section 13(1)]
6. If the addressee has designated a computer resource for receiving records, receipt occurs at the time when the record
(a) is read
(b) enters the designated computer resource
(c) is acknowledged
(d) is printed
Ans. (b) enters the designated computer resource — Explanation: Section 13(2)(a) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(2)(a)]
7. If the record is sent to a computer resource of the addressee that is not the designated one, receipt occurs when
(a) it enters any server
(b) the originator decides
(c) it is sent
(d) the record is retrieved by the addressee
Ans. (d) the record is retrieved by the addressee — Explanation: Section 13(2)(a)(ii) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(2)]
8. If the addressee has not designated any computer resource, receipt occurs when
(a) the intermediary stores it
(b) the originator sends it
(c) the record enters the computer resource of the addressee
(d) the addressee reads it
Ans. (c) the record enters the computer resource of the addressee — Explanation: Section 13(2)(b) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(2)(b)]
9. Under Section 13(3), an electronic record is deemed despatched at the place where
(a) the originator has his place of business, and received where the addressee has his place of business
(b) the intermediary is located
(c) the record is read
(d) the server is located
Ans. (a) the originator has his place of business, and received where the addressee has his place of business — Explanation: Place of business governs, not server location. [Ref: Section 13(3)]
10. If the originator or addressee has more than one place of business, the relevant place is
(a) the registered office of the ISP
(b) any place chosen by the court
(c) the principal place of business
(d) the server location
Ans. (c) the principal place of business — Explanation: Section 13(5)(a) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(5)(a)]
11. If the originator or addressee has no place of business, the relevant place is
(a) the place of the intermediary
(b) New Delhi
(c) the usual place of residence
(d) the server location
Ans. (c) the usual place of residence — Explanation: Section 13(5)(b) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(5)(b)]
12. "Usual place of residence" for a body corporate under Section 13 means
(a) the place of its server
(b) the place where it is registered
(c) the place of its largest customer
(d) any branch
Ans. (b) the place where it is registered — Explanation: Section 13(5)(c) provides this. [Ref: Section 13(5)(c)]
13. Section 13 is relevant for determining
(a) the duties of intermediaries
(b) the time and place of formation of electronic contracts, and hence jurisdiction
(c) the licence of CAs
(d) the penalty for hacking
Ans. (b) the time and place of formation of electronic contracts, and hence jurisdiction — Explanation: Time and place of despatch and receipt affect contract formation and jurisdiction. [Ref: Section 13]
14. Section 11 helps determine
(a) whether data is personal
(b) whether a website is blocked
(c) whether a crime has occurred
(d) whether an electronic record is binding on the originator
Ans. (d) whether an electronic record is binding on the originator — Explanation: Attribution decides whose record it is. [Ref: Section 11]
15. Chapter IV of the IT Act is titled
(a) Duties of Subscribers
(b) Electronic Governance
(c) Secure Electronic Records
(d) Attribution, Acknowledgment and Despatch of Electronic Records
Ans. (d) Attribution, Acknowledgment and Despatch of Electronic Records — Explanation: Chapter IV contains Sections 11 to 13 of the Act. [Ref: Chapter IV]
16. An auto-reply message from the addressee's mail server can serve as acknowledgment under
(a) Section 79
(b) Section 43
(c) Section 3A
(d) Section 12(1)(a), as an automated communication
Ans. (d) Section 12(1)(a), as an automated communication — Explanation: Automated communication is expressly allowed. [Ref: Section 12(1)]
17. Under Section 12(3), where the originator has not stipulated that the record is binding only on acknowledgment, and no acknowledgment is received within the agreed or reasonable time, the originator may
(a) assume it was received
(b) sue immediately
(c) give notice to the addressee and, if still not acknowledged, treat the record as never sent
(d) report to CERT-In
Ans. (c) give notice to the addressee and, if still not acknowledged, treat the record as never sent — Explanation: Section 12(3) provides this procedure. [Ref: Section 12(3)]
18. Consider: (i) Despatch occurs when the record leaves the originator's control. (ii) Place of despatch is the location of the server. Which is correct?
(a) Only (i)
(b) Only (ii)
(c) Both (i) and (ii)
(d) Neither (i) nor (ii)
Ans. (a) Only (i) — Explanation: Place is determined by place of business, not server location. [Ref: Section 13]
19. The rules in Section 13 apply
(a) only to foreign records
(b) only to Government records
(c) save as otherwise agreed between the originator and addressee
(d) compulsorily in all cases
Ans. (c) save as otherwise agreed between the originator and addressee — Explanation: Section 13 begins with "Save as otherwise agreed". [Ref: Section 13(1)]
20. Section 13(4) provides that the place of receipt rules apply even if
(a) the originator is unknown
(b) the computer resource is located in a place different from where the record is deemed received
(c) the record is not sent
(d) the addressee is a minor
Ans. (b) the computer resource is located in a place different from where the record is deemed received — Explanation: Server location does not change the deemed place. [Ref: Section 13(4)]
21. An e-mail sent by a company's automated billing system is attributed to the company because
(a) the system signed it
(b) Section 11(c) attributes records sent by an information system programmed to operate automatically
(c) the ISP sent it
(d) the customer received it
Ans. (b) Section 11(c) attributes records sent by an information system programmed to operate automatically — Explanation: Automated systems' messages are attributed to the originator. [Ref: Section 11(c)]
22. Assertion (A): An e-mail received on a server in the USA by an Indian company based in Mumbai is deemed received in Mumbai. Reason (R): Section 13(3) deems receipt at the addressee's place of business.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true
Ans. (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A — Explanation: Section 13(3) and (4) support this. [Ref: Section 13]
23. Which section covers attribution of electronic records?
(a) Section 11
(b) Section 14
(c) Section 12
(d) Section 13
Ans. (a) Section 11 — Explanation: Section 11 deals with attribution. [Ref: Section 11]
24. The concept of "designated computer resource" appears in
(a) Section 43
(b) Section 70
(c) Section 11
(d) Section 13(2)
Ans. (d) Section 13(2) — Explanation: It determines the time of receipt. [Ref: Section 13(2)]
25. Chapter IV rules are mainly based on
(a) the Budapest Convention
(b) the Copyright Act
(c) the GDPR
(d) the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce
Ans. (d) the UNCITRAL Model Law on Electronic Commerce — Explanation: These provisions mirror the Model Law. [Ref: Chapter IV]
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These questions are prepared for practice from the Information Technology Act, 2000 as amended (including the 2008 amendment, the Jan Vishwas Act, 2023 and the DPDP Act, 2023), the IT Rules, 2021 with amendments up to 2026, and the CERT-In Directions. Check the latest notifications from MeitY before relying on any detail.