Question 1

Which of the following is NOT a power of the Supreme Court of India?

Accepted Answer

The Supreme Court has advisory jurisdiction (Article 143), appellate jurisdiction, original jurisdiction, and writ jurisdiction. However, the Supreme Court does NOT have the power to directly amend the Constitution — only Parliament can amend it through the procedure in Article 368. The Supreme Court can only interpret the Constitution.

Question 2

Which amendment to the Indian Constitution added Fundamental Duties to the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976), also known as the 'Mini Constitution,' added Part IVA to the Constitution, which includes Fundamental Duties (Articles 51A to 51K). This amendment was passed during the Emergency period and introduced 10 Fundamental Duties. Later, the 86th Amendment (2002) added one more duty, making it 11 in total.

Question 3

The Supreme Court of India is the highest court in the judicial hierarchy. How many judges (including the Chief Justice) can the Supreme Court have according to the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Article 124 of the Indian Constitution originally provided for a Chief Justice and 7 other judges (total 8). However, Parliament has increased this number through legislation. As per the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 2019, the maximum strength is now 34 judges (1 Chief Justice + 33 other judges).

Question 4

Which of the following is a correct statement regarding the appointment of judges to the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President on the advice of the Chief Justice of India and other senior judges (collegium system). The Chief Justice of India is appointed by the President. Judges retire at the age of 65 years. The appointment process involves consultation with the collegium comprising the Chief Justice and senior judges.

Question 5

Under which Article of the Indian Constitution is the Supreme Court of India established?

Accepted Answer

Article 124 of the Indian Constitution provides for the establishment and constitution of the Supreme Court of India. It originally provided for a Chief Justice and 7 other judges, but Parliament has the power to increase this number by law.

Question 6

Which of the following statements about the jurisdiction of High Courts is correct?

Accepted Answer

High Courts have both original and appellate jurisdiction. Under Article 226, High Courts can issue writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights and other legal rights. Under Article 227, they have supervisory jurisdiction over subordinate courts. High Courts also have original jurisdiction in certain matters like writ petitions.

Question 7

Under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, which of the following is NOT a writ that can be issued by the Supreme Court?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 empowers the Supreme Court to issue five types of writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto. These are remedies for enforcement of Fundamental Rights. 'Injunction' is a civil remedy but not a constitutional writ under Article 32.

Question 8

Which article of the Indian Constitution grants the power to the Supreme Court to issue writs for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto) for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights. This article is often called the 'right to constitutional remedies' and is considered the guardian of fundamental rights.

Question 9

A High Court can issue writs for enforcement of Fundamental Rights under which Article?

Accepted Answer

Article 226 of the Indian Constitution empowers High Courts to issue writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto) for enforcement of Fundamental Rights and for any other purpose. This is the High Court's equivalent to the Supreme Court's Article 32 jurisdiction.

Question 10

Under which Article can a citizen approach the Supreme Court directly for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution grants citizens the right to move the Supreme Court for enforcement of Fundamental Rights. It states that the right to constitutional remedies for enforcement of rights conferred by the Constitution cannot be suspended except as authorized by the Constitution itself.

Question 11

Which Article of the Indian Constitution guarantees the Right to Life and Personal Liberty, and has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to live with human dignity?

Accepted Answer

Article 21 explicitly states: 'No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law.' The Supreme Court has expanded this through landmark judgments (Maneka Gandhi v. Union of India, 1978) to include rights like right to privacy, right to education, and right to clean environment.

Question 12

Which of the following Articles of the Indian Constitution establishes the power of the Supreme Court to issue writs for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 of the Indian Constitution grants the Supreme Court the power to issue writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto) for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights. This article is itself considered a Fundamental Right and is the constitutional remedy available to citizens. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction under Article 32 to hear cases involving violation of Fundamental Rights.

Question 13

Under which Article of the Indian Constitution does the Supreme Court have the power to issue writs for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 grants the Supreme Court the power to issue writs including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition, certiorari, and quo warranto for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar called Article 32 the 'heart and soul' of the Constitution. Note: Article 226 grants similar but wider writ jurisdiction to High Courts.

Question 14

Which of the following High Courts has the territorial jurisdiction to hear cases from the maximum number of states in India?

Accepted Answer

The Delhi High Court has jurisdiction over the National Capital Territory of Delhi only. The Bombay High Court has jurisdiction over Maharashtra and Goa. The Calcutta High Court has jurisdiction over West Bengal, Odisha, and Jharkhand (3 states/UTs). The Allahabad High Court has jurisdiction over Uttar Pradesh only. However, the Guwahati High Court has jurisdiction over Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura (7 states) — the maximum among all High Courts.

Question 15

The 42nd Amendment to the Indian Constitution, passed in 1976, made significant changes to the Constitution. Which of the following was NOT a change introduced by the 42nd Amendment?

Accepted Answer

The 42nd Amendment (1976) made several changes: (1) Added 'Socialist' and 'Secular' to the Preamble, (2) Reduced the term of Lok Sabha from 5 to 4 years (later reverted by 44th Amendment), (3) Restricted the right to property (Article 19(1)(f) and Article 31 were modified), (4) Added Fundamental Duties (Article 51A). The 42nd Amendment did NOT introduce the concept of 'Judicial Review' — that was inherent in the Constitution from the beginning.

Question 16

Which of the following statements regarding the jurisdiction of High Courts under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution is CORRECT?

Accepted Answer

Article 226 grants High Courts the power to issue writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Quo Warranto) for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights and for any other purpose. Unlike Article 32 (Supreme Court), Article 226 writs can be issued not only for Fundamental Rights but also for any legal right. High Courts have wider jurisdiction than the Supreme Court in this regard.

Question 17

Which constitutional amendment made the right to property a legal right instead of a Fundamental Right by removing it from Part III?

Accepted Answer

The 44th Amendment Act of 1978 removed the right to property from the list of Fundamental Rights (Article 19(1)(f) and Article 31 were deleted). It was replaced by Article 300-A, which provides that no person shall be deprived of property except by authority of law. This amendment was passed during the Emergency period and is considered one of the most significant amendments to the Constitution.

Question 18

The Supreme Court of India can issue writs under Article 32 for the enforcement of which of the following?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 empowers the Supreme Court to issue writs (Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, Quo Warranto) ONLY for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights (Articles 12–35). This is a critical distinction from Article 226, which allows High Courts to issue writs for any legal purpose. Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right and cannot be suspended even during a national emergency.

Question 19

Under Article 32 of the Indian Constitution, which of the following is NOT a writ that can be issued by the Supreme Court for the enforcement of Fundamental Rights?

Accepted Answer

Article 32 empowers the Supreme Court to issue five types of writs: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto. These are the only writs available under Article 32. Injunction is a civil remedy available under the Code of Civil Procedure, not a constitutional writ under Article 32.

Question 20

Under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution, which court has the power to issue writs of Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto?

Accepted Answer

Article 226 grants High Courts the power to issue writs for enforcement of fundamental rights and other legal remedies. This is distinct from Article 32, which gives the Supreme Court similar powers. High Courts can issue these writs within their territorial jurisdiction for any purpose (not just fundamental rights), making Article 226 broader in scope than Article 32.

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