Question 1

The ECI has completely banned the use of AI and deepfakes in political campaigns.

Accepted Answer

The ECI permits the use of AI and synthetic media provided it is prominently labelled, transparent about its source, and does not spread misinformation.

Question 2

The new rules require the ECI to pre-approve all AI-generated content before publication.

Accepted Answer

There is no pre-censorship or pre-approval mechanism; the rules rely on post-publication labelling, metadata disclosure, and a 3-hour takedown window for violations.

Question 3

Consider the following statements regarding the Election Commission of India's October 2025 advisory on AI-generated content:
1. Labels indicating 'Synthetic Content' must cover at least 10% of the visible area for video materials.
2. Political parties are mandated to remove non-compliant deepfakes from their official handles within 24 hours of receiving a notice.
3. The ECI derives the authority to enforce these guidelines under Section 126 of the Information Technology Act, 2000.
How many of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

(a) Only one — Statement 1 is correct: The October 2025 advisory mandates that labels must cover at least 10% of the screen area for visuals. Statement 2 is incorrect: The takedown window is strictly 3 hours, not 24 hours. Statement 3 is incorrect: The ECI derives its authority to issue these MCC guidelines from Article 324 of the Constitution. Section 126 belongs to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (regarding the silence period), not the IT Act.

Question 4

Match the following regulations/mechanisms with their corresponding features in the context of electoral technology rules:
List I (Mechanism/Provision)
A. Article 324 of the Constitution
B. Section 126 of RPA, 1951
C. C-Vigil App
D. 3-Hour Rule

List II (Feature)
1. Application of the 48-hour silence period to synthetic media
2. Mandatory timeline for parties to take down deceptive AI content
3. Constitutional backing for ECI to enforce the Model Code of Conduct
4. Platform for citizens to report unlabelled AI campaign material

Select the correct code:

Accepted Answer

(a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2 — Article 324 (A) empowers the ECI to superintend elections and enforce the MCC (3). Section 126 of the RPA, 1951 (B) dictates the 48-hour silence period, which explicitly includes AI content (1). C-Vigil (C) is the app for citizen reporting (4). The 3-Hour Rule (D) is the mandated maximum time for parties to remove violating content upon notice (2).

Question 5

Assertion (A): The ECI's 2025 advisory strictly prohibits political parties from using artificial intelligence to translate campaign speeches into regional languages.
Reason (R): The ECI considers the use of technology to alter or modify original information as a deep threat that inherently contaminates the level playing field.
Select the correct answer from the codes below:

Accepted Answer

(d) A is false, but R is true. — Assertion (A) is false because the ECI did not issue a blanket ban on AI. Legitimate, transparent uses of AI, such as data analytics and ethical translations, are allowed provided they are labelled if they alter content synthetically. Reason (R) is true; the ECI specifically noted that the misuse of hyper-realistic synthetically generated information to 'masquerade as the truth' poses a deep threat to the level playing field, which is why strict labelling and metadata regulations were introduced.

ECI Mandates Labelling of AI-Generated Campaign Content

Bihar's Patharkatti Stone Art Receives GI Tag