Question 1

Which Constitutional Amendment introduced the concept of 'Directive Principles of State Policy' (DPSP) as binding guidelines for governance?

Accepted Answer

The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) were not introduced by any amendment — they were part of the original Constitution drafted in 1950. DPSP is covered in Part IV (Articles 36–51) of the Constitution. However, the 42nd Amendment significantly strengthened DPSP by making them more enforceable and adding new directives related to environmental protection and social welfare.

Question 2

Article 51A of the Indian Constitution, introduced by the 42nd Amendment, lists the Fundamental Duties of citizens. How many Fundamental Duties are currently listed in Article 51A?

Accepted Answer

Article 51A lists 11 Fundamental Duties of citizens. These were introduced by the 42nd Amendment in 1976. The duties include respecting the Constitution, cherishing secular values, defending the nation, promoting harmony, and protecting the environment, among others.

Question 3

Which of the following is NOT a Fundamental Duty as listed in Article 51A of the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Article 51A lists 11 Fundamental Duties (added by the 42nd Amendment in 1976). These include respecting the Constitution, defending the country, promoting harmony, protecting environment, and developing scientific temper. The right to vote is a political right, not a fundamental duty.

Question 4

Which article of the Indian Constitution guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty?

Accepted Answer

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution explicitly states: 'No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.' This is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a Fundamental Right under Part III of the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Part III of the Indian Constitution (Articles 12–35) lists Fundamental Rights. These include: Right to Equality (Articles 14–18), Right to Freedom (Articles 19–22), Right against Exploitation (Articles 23–24), Right to Freedom of Religion (Articles 25–28), and Right to Constitutional Remedies (Articles 29–32). The Right to Property was removed as a Fundamental Right by the 44th Amendment (1978) and is now a Constitutional Right under Article 300-A.

Question 6

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, passed in 1976, is often called the 'Mini Constitution' because it made sweeping changes to the Constitution. Which of the following was NOT a change introduced by the 42nd Amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976) made major changes including: (1) Adding 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, (2) Reducing the President's discretionary powers, (3) Adding Fundamental Duties (Article 51A), and (4) Changing 'Union of States' to 'Union'. However, it did NOT introduce the Right to Information Act — that came later in 2005 as a separate legislation.

Question 7

Which Article of the Indian Constitution guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty?

Accepted Answer

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution states: 'No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.' This is a fundamental right under Part III of the Constitution.

Question 8

Which Constitutional Amendment is known as the 'Mini Constitution' because it made the most extensive changes to the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976) is famously called the 'Mini Constitution' as it introduced 59 amendments, including the addition of 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, and fundamentally altered the balance between fundamental rights and directive principles of state policy.

Question 9

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, passed in 1976, is historically significant because it:

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976) during the Emergency period made major changes: it added 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, inserted Fundamental Duties (Article 51A), reduced the term of Lok Sabha from 5 to 4 years (later reverted), and limited judicial review. It is often called the 'Mini Constitution' due to its extensive scope.

Question 10

Article 51-A of the Indian Constitution, added by the 42nd Amendment, pertains to:

Accepted Answer

Article 51-A was inserted into Part IV-A of the Indian Constitution by the 42nd Amendment (1976). It lists the Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens. These include duties such as respecting the Constitution, cherishing freedom, defending the nation, promoting harmony, protecting public property, and developing scientific temper. There are currently 11 Fundamental Duties listed (the 86th Amendment added one more in 2002).

Question 11

The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) is primarily known for:

Accepted Answer

The 44th Amendment was passed after the Emergency ended and is considered a corrective amendment. Its major provisions include: (1) Removal of the Right to Property as a Fundamental Right (Article 31 deleted), (2) Restoration of the right to property as a Constitutional Right (Article 300-A), (3) Removal of the President's power to declare Emergency on grounds of internal disturbance, and (4) Restoration of judicial review powers curtailed by the 42nd Amendment.

Question 12

The 44th Amendment to the Indian Constitution (1978) is primarily known for:

Accepted Answer

The 44th Amendment (1978) removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 19) and made it a Constitutional Right under Article 300A. It also restored the power of judicial review that was restricted by the 42nd Amendment, and abolished the death penalty for political offences.

Question 13

Under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, which of the following is the primary remedy available to citizens for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 grants the right to move the Supreme Court for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights. The Supreme Court can issue writs including Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto. This article is often called the 'Heart and Soul' of the Constitution by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

Question 14

The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) made significant changes to the Constitution. Which of the following was a key provision of the 44th Amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) made several important changes: (1) Removed the right to property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 19 and 31), making it only a legal right under Article 300A, (2) Limited the President's emergency powers, (3) Reduced the term of Lok Sabha from 5 years to 6 years during emergency (later reverted), and (4) Strengthened democratic values post-Emergency period.

Question 15

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment, passed in 1976, is historically significant because it:

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976) was passed during the Emergency declared by President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed on the advice of PM Indira Gandhi. It is called the 'Mini Constitution' because it made the most extensive changes to the Constitution, including adding 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, reducing the voting age from 21 to 18, and curtailing judicial review powers.

Question 16

The 101st Constitutional Amendment introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST). Which article was inserted to provide constitutional validity to GST?

Accepted Answer

The 101st Constitutional Amendment, passed in 2016, inserted Article 246A in the Constitution to provide concurrent jurisdiction to both the Union and State governments to levy GST. This amendment also modified Articles 248, 249, 250, and 268 to accommodate the GST framework. Article 246A specifically empowers both Parliament and State Legislatures to make laws with respect to GST.

Question 17

Article 21 of the Indian Constitution guarantees the right to life and personal liberty. Which Supreme Court judgment expanded this article to include the right to live with human dignity?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court in Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India (1978) and subsequent judgments expanded Article 21 to include various rights such as right to health, education, and dignified living. This landmark interpretation broadened the scope of 'procedure established by law' to include substantive due process.

Question 18

The 101st Constitutional Amendment (2016) introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by modifying which article of the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The 101st Constitutional Amendment (2016) inserted Article 246A and modified the taxation structure by adding GST provisions. This amendment allowed the Parliament and State Legislatures concurrent power to levy GST, fundamentally restructuring India's indirect tax system.

Question 19

Which Constitutional Amendment introduced the concept of 'Fundamental Duties' as a new chapter in the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment (1976) added Part IVA to the Constitution, introducing Fundamental Duties of citizens. This amendment was passed during the Emergency period and significantly expanded the Constitution's scope.

Question 20

The 44th Constitutional Amendment made significant changes to Fundamental Rights. Which of the following was NOT removed or modified by this amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 44th Constitutional Amendment (1978) removed the Right to Property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 19(1)(f)) and made it a Constitutional Right under Article 300A. However, it did NOT modify Article 21 (Right to Life), Article 14 (Equality), or Article 16 (Equality in Public Employment).

AFCAT Constitutional Amendments

Constitutional Amendments — Practice Questions