RAS question
Blockchain technology is fundamentally a:
Correct answer: (B) Distributed, decentralized, and immutable digital ledger.
Blockchain technology is fundamentally a distributed, decentralised and immutable digital ledger.
Explanation
Blockchain is a distributed ledger technology in which data and transactions are stored in blocks linked chronologically through cryptographic hashes. The National Strategy on Blockchain describes it as a shared ledger among parties, acting as a single source of truth without depending on a central entity to validate transactions. It also states that data and transactions are stored in a decentralised manner over a peer-to-peer network, with validation through consensus across nodes. This is why option B is correct: blockchain is not merely a database, coin, or coding tool, but a tamper-resistant ledger architecture where linked blocks, cryptographic security and distributed validation make recorded data difficult to alter.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) A centralised database managed by one entity contradicts blockchain's design, because blockchain eliminates the need for a central entity and stores ledger data across nodes.
- (C) Cryptocurrency is an application that can use blockchain; blockchain was introduced in the design of Bitcoin, but blockchain itself is the underlying distributed ledger technology.
- (D) A programming language is a tool for writing software, whereas blockchain stores and validates data and transactions in linked, secured blocks.
Concept
This tests the basic Science and Technology concept of emerging digital infrastructure. It recurs in RAS because blockchain is repeatedly discussed in e-governance, trust, transparency and secure digital service delivery contexts.