Q40. Which of the following describes India as a “Secular State”?
[RSMSSB Forester, 28 June 2026]
(A) Preamble
(B) Fundamental Rights
(C) Ninth Schedule
(D) Directive Principles
Answer: (A) Preamble
Explanation: The Preamble expressly calls India a secular republic. This indicates that the State has no official religion and must respect religious freedom and equality. Although several Fundamental Rights safeguard secularism, the explicit constitutional description appears in the Preamble.
Q39. The words “Socialist” and “Secular” in the Preamble of the Constitution of India were:
[DSSSB Court Attendant, 27 June 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Added by the 24th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971
(B) Added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
(C) Originally included in the Preamble adopted in 1949
(D) Added through the Kesavananda Bharati judgment
Answer: (B) Added by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
Explanation: The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 inserted “Socialist” and “Secular” into the Preamble. It also added “Integrity” to the phrase concerning national unity. The Preamble originally described India as a sovereign democratic republic without these inserted words.
Q38. Which constitutional provision specifies Parliament’s power to amend the Constitution of India?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 20 June 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Article 356
(B) Article 368
(C) Article 352
(D) Article 370
Answer: (B) Article 368
Explanation: Article 368 in Part XX establishes Parliament’s constituent power and the prescribed procedure for constitutional amendments. Some changes additionally require ratification by at least half the State legislatures. This qualified procedure contributes to the Constitution’s blend of rigidity and flexibility.
Q37. Which statement about the Emergency provisions of the Indian Constitution is correct?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 19 June 2026, Shift 2]
(A) They formalise a constitutional amendment
(B) They allow federalism to function completely unchanged
(C) They convert India into a monarchy
(D) They can convert the federal system into a unitary one
Answer: (D) They can convert the federal system into a unitary one
Explanation: Emergency provisions give the Union government exceptional authority in constitutionally specified situations. During a National Emergency, the federal distribution of powers becomes more centralised, giving the system a unitary tendency without permanently abolishing the States or rewriting India’s constitutional framework.
Q36. The 42nd Constitutional Amendment is popularly known as:
[SSC GD Constable, 26 May 2026, Shift 3]
(A) Mini Constitution
(B) Federal Amendment
(C) Panchayati Raj Amendment
(D) Fundamental Rights Amendment
Answer: (A) Mini Constitution
Explanation: The 42nd Amendment Act of 1976 is called the Mini Constitution because it introduced extensive constitutional changes. These included changes to the Preamble, the insertion of Fundamental Duties, and multiple revisions affecting institutions and constitutional relationships. Several changes were later modified.
Q35. Which model of citizenship does India follow under its Constitution?
[RRB NTPC Undergraduate CBT-I, 9 May 2026, Shift 2]
(A) Two levels: national and regional
(B) Three levels: local, State and national
(C) One level: Indian citizenship only
(D) Two levels: national and State
Answer: (C) One level: Indian citizenship only
Explanation: India provides single citizenship even though government is divided between the Union and the States. A person is an Indian citizen, not separately a citizen of an individual State. This unitary feature supports equal national membership and political integration.
Q34. With reference to the Preamble, consider the following statements:
(1) “Secular” precedes “Socialist”.
(2) “Justice” precedes “Equality”.
(3) “Fraternity” follows “Liberty”.
Which are correct?
[UPSC CDS-II, General Knowledge, 14 September 2025]
(A) 1 and 2 only
(B) 2 and 3 only
(C) 1 and 3 only
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (B) 2 and 3 only
Explanation: The Preamble places “Socialist” before “Secular”; therefore statement 1 is incorrect. Its stated objectives then proceed through Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Thus Justice precedes Equality and Fraternity follows Liberty, making statements 2 and 3 correct.
Q33. The division of powers between the Union and State governments is a feature of which system?
[SSC Selection Post, Higher Secondary, 29 August 2025, Shift 2]
(A) Unitary system
(B) Confederal system
(C) Federal system
(D) Presidential system
Answer: (C) Federal system
Explanation: Federalism constitutionally distributes governmental authority between two levels. India’s Seventh Schedule contains Union, State and Concurrent Lists that allocate legislative subjects. This federal arrangement coexists with strong central powers, which is why India is often described as a federation with unitary features.
Q32. Why is the Indian Constitution frequently described as quasi-federal or federal in form but unitary in spirit?
[SSC Stenographer, 8 August 2025, Shift 1]
(A) States have equal representation in the Rajya Sabha
(B) The Constitution is written
(C) The Union government has strong centralising powers
(D) The judiciary is independent
Answer: (C) The Union government has strong centralising powers
Explanation: India combines the federal division of authority with centralising arrangements such as emergency powers, single citizenship and centrally appointed Governors. Its written Constitution and independent judiciary support federalism, but the Union’s stronger position explains the expression “quasi-federal”.
Q31. Which of the following are NOT federal features of the Indian Constitution?
(a) All-India Services
(b) Single judiciary
(c) Independent judiciary
(d) Division of powers
[MPSC Group C Prelims (2024 paper), held 1 June 2025]
(A) (a) and (c) only
(B) (a) and (b) only
(C) (b) and (c) only
(D) (c) and (d) only
Answer: (B) (a) and (b) only
Explanation: All-India Services and an integrated judicial system strengthen administrative unity across India and are regarded as unitary elements. In contrast, an independent judiciary and a constitutionally defined division of powers are classic federal characteristics that help protect governmental autonomy.