Official Secrets Act (OSA) | Note Manufacturer’s HQ to be Prohibited Place

Official Secrets Act (OSA)- Relevance for UPSC Exam

• GS Paper 2: Governance, Administration and Challenges- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

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Official Secrets Act (OSA)– Why in News

• Delhi headquarters of India’s currency and banknotes manufacturer (SPMCIL) has been declared a “prohibited place” under the Official Secrets Act by the Union Home Ministry.
  • The Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) printed the new series of notes of ₹2,000 and ₹500 denomination in 2016.
• The office of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL) has been declared a prohibited place “to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons”.

Prohibited Place under Official Secrets Act (OSA)

• About: A place is declared ‘prohibited place’ by the Home Ministry in the exercise of the powers conferred by Sub-clause (c) of clause (8) of Section 2 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
• Prohibited Places of SPMCIL: The nine production units of the SPMCIL, where banknotes and other government papers are manufactured, are already prohibited places.
  • Through the recent order, even the Delhi office of the SPMCIL has been declared a prohibited place.
  • The nine production units of SPMCIL are-
    • Four India Government Mints,
    • Two Currency Note Presses,
    • Two Security Printing Presses and
    • One Security Paper Mill

What is Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL)?

• About: SPMCIL is a government entity engaged in the manufacture and production of currency and banknotes, security paper, non-judicial stamp papers, postal stamps, stationery, passport and visa stickers, security inks, circulation, commemorative coins and others.
• SPMCIL Headquarter: The office of the Security Printing and Minting Corporation of India Ltd. (SPMCIL), is located on the 16th floor of Jawahar Bhavan at Janpath in central Delhi.
• SPMCIL Production Units: The nine production units of SPMCIL are-
  • Four India Government Mints,
  • Two Currency Note Presses,
  • Two Security Printing Presses and
  • One Security Paper Mill

Draft India Data Accessibility and Use Policy 2022

Important Details about Official Secrets Act (OSA)

• Background: OSA was enacted in 1923 by the British to keep certain kinds of information confidential, including, but not always limited to, information involving the affairs of state, diplomacy, national security, espionage, and other state secrets.
• About: OSA is India’s anti-espionage act that provides for punishments for individuals who are involved in helping an enemy state against India.
  • Official Secrets Act (OSA) states that one cannot approach, inspect, or even pass over a prohibited government site or area.

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