Which one of the following is not a public document ?

Which one of the following is not a public document ?

Documents forming the acts, or records of the acts of the sovereign authority
Documents of unregistered will
Public records of private documents
Records of acts of tribunals
This question was previously asked in
UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2022
Among the given options, an unregistered will is not a public document.
Section 74 of the Indian Evidence Act, 1872 defines what constitutes public documents. These include documents forming the acts or records of acts of sovereign authority, official bodies and tribunals, and public officers (legislative, judicial, executive). It also includes public records kept in any State of private documents.
An unregistered will is a private document created by an individual. It does not fall under any of the categories listed in Section 74.
Options A, C, and D are explicitly covered by Section 74:
A) Documents forming the acts, or records of the acts of the sovereign authority are public documents under Section 74(1)(i).
C) Public records of private documents are public documents under Section 74(2). For example, registered sale deeds, registered mortgages etc., where a public record of a private transaction is maintained.
D) Records of acts of tribunals are public documents under Section 74(1)(ii).