Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a power of the State Legislature?

Accepted Answer

State Legislatures derive their powers from the Constitution (Articles 168–212). They can legislate on subjects in the State List and Concurrent List, but cannot legislate on subjects in the Union List (e.g., defence, foreign affairs, currency). Declaring war is exclusively a Union power under Article 73.

Question 2

Under which article of the Indian Constitution can the President dissolve the Lok Sabha?

Accepted Answer

Article 85(2)(b) of the Indian Constitution empowers the President to dissolve the Lok Sabha. The President acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers in this matter.

Question 3

What is the maximum number of members in the Lok Sabha as per the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Article 81 of the Indian Constitution specifies that the Lok Sabha shall consist of not more than 552 members. Currently, the Lok Sabha has 545 members (530 from States + 13 from Union Territories + 2 Anglo-Indian members nominated by the President).

Question 4

What is the tenure of a member of the Rajya Sabha?

Accepted Answer

According to Article 83 of the Indian Constitution, members of the Rajya Sabha have a tenure of 6 years. One-third of the members retire every 2 years, ensuring continuity in the House.

Question 5

Which of the following is NOT a function of the State Legislature?

Accepted Answer

The State Legislature is responsible for making state laws, passing budgets, and controlling state finances. However, declaring war, making treaties with foreign nations, and matters of national defense are exclusively the domain of the Union Parliament under the Union List (List I of the Seventh Schedule).

Question 6

What is the maximum number of members that can be nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President?

Accepted Answer

Article 80 of the Indian Constitution provides that the President may nominate 12 members to the Rajya Sabha who have special knowledge or practical experience in literature, science, art, and social service.

Question 7

What is the maximum number of members that can be nominated by the President to the Lok Sabha?

Accepted Answer

According to Article 331 of the Indian Constitution, the President can nominate a maximum of 2 members to the Lok Sabha from the Anglo-Indian community if the community is not adequately represented.

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a power of the State Legislature?

Accepted Answer

State Legislatures derive their powers from the Constitution and can legislate on subjects in the State List and Concurrent List. However, they cannot declare war, make treaties, or control the armed forces — these are exclusively Union powers under Article 246.

Question 9

Which article of the Indian Constitution defines the composition and powers of the Lok Sabha?

Accepted Answer

Article 81 of the Indian Constitution specifies the composition of the Lok Sabha. It states that the Lok Sabha shall consist of members chosen by direct election from territorial constituencies in the States, plus members nominated from the Anglo-Indian community (reduced to zero after 2020).

Question 10

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

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 and has been interpreted broadly by the Supreme Court to include various aspects of dignified living.

Question 11

Which article of the Constitution deals with the composition of the Rajya Sabha?

Accepted Answer

Article 80 of the Indian Constitution specifies the composition of the Rajya Sabha. It consists of not more than 250 members: 12 nominated by the President (persons of eminence in literature, science, art, social service) and up to 238 elected by State Legislatures and Union Territory legislatures.

Question 12

Which article of the Indian Constitution defines the composition and powers of the State Legislature, and specifies that a State Legislative Assembly shall not have more than 500 members and not fewer than 60 members?

Accepted Answer

Article 170 of the Indian Constitution deals with the composition of State Legislative Assemblies. It establishes that the total number of members in a State Legislative Assembly shall not exceed 500 and shall not be less than 60, except in the case of states with smaller populations where exceptions apply (e.g., Goa, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim). This article was amended by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, which also introduced the concept of delimitation of constituencies.

Question 13

Under which Article of the Indian Constitution is the composition of the Rajya Sabha defined?

Accepted Answer

Article 80 of the Indian Constitution deals with the composition of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha). It states that the Rajya Sabha shall consist of not more than 250 members — 238 representatives of States and Union Territories, and 12 members nominated by the President.

Question 14

Under Article 79 of the Indian Constitution, Parliament consists of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Article 79 of the Indian Constitution defines the composition of Parliament. It states that Parliament shall consist of the President and two Houses—the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) and the House of the People (Lok Sabha). The President is an integral part of Parliament for legislative purposes.

Question 15

Which of the following statements about the Rajya Sabha is correct according to the Indian Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The Rajya Sabha (Council of States) is the upper house of Parliament. According to Article 80, it has a maximum of 250 members: 238 elected by State and Union Territory legislatures, and 12 nominated by the President from persons with special knowledge or practical experience. Members serve 6-year terms, with one-third retiring every 2 years.

Question 16

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, passed in 1976, is often called the 'Mini Constitution' because it made several significant changes. 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) making constitutional amendments easier. However, it did NOT reduce the Lok Sabha term from 5 years to 4 years—that was done by the 44th Amendment (1978), which reversed many 42nd Amendment changes.

Question 17

According to Article 102 of the Indian Constitution, which of the following is a disqualification for membership of the Lok Sabha?

Accepted Answer

Article 102 lists disqualifications for membership of either House of Parliament. Key disqualifications include: (1) holding an office of profit under the Union or State government, (2) being of unsound mind, (3) being an undischarged insolvent, (4) not being an Indian citizen, (5) being disqualified under any law made by Parliament (e.g., for criminal conviction), and (6) being a member of both Houses simultaneously.

Question 18

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, enacted in 1976, is often called the 'Mini Constitution' because it made several significant changes. 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 term of Lok Sabha from 5 to 4 years (later restored to 5 years by 44th Amendment in 1978); (3) Reducing the term of State Assemblies from 5 to 4 years (later restored); (4) Adding Fundamental Duties (Article 51A); (5) Restricting the power of courts to question constitutional amendments. However, it did NOT introduce the concept of 'Directive Principles of State Policy' — those were part of the original Constitution (Articles 36-51).

Question 19

Which article of the Indian Constitution defines the term 'State' for the purpose of Fundamental Rights, and includes government bodies and authorities?

Accepted Answer

Article 12 of the Indian Constitution defines 'State' for the purpose of Part III (Fundamental Rights). It states: 'In this Part, unless the context otherwise requires, the State includes the Government and Parliament of India and the Government and the Legislature of each of the States and all local authorities within the territory of India.' This broad definition ensures that fundamental rights apply not only to the Union and State governments but also to local bodies, corporations, and public authorities.

Question 20

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, often called the 'Mini Constitution,' made several significant changes. Which of the following was NOT a change introduced by the 42nd Amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976), passed during the Emergency, made extensive changes to the Constitution including: (1) adding Fundamental Duties (Article 51A), (2) changing 'Sovereign Democratic Republic' to 'Sovereign Socialist Secular Democratic Republic' in the Preamble, (3) reducing the voting age from 21 to 18 years, and (4) reducing the term of Lok Sabha from 5 to 6 years (later reverted by 44th Amendment). However, it did NOT introduce the Right to Information as a fundamental right (RTI was enacted as a statute in 2005, not through constitutional amendment).

CDS Parliament & State Legislature

Parliament & State Legislature — Practice Questions