Q40. If President’s Rule is imposed in a State under Article 356, which body may exercise its legislative powers?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2018)]
(A) Supreme Court
(B) Parliament
(C) Election Commission
(D) NITI Aayog
Answer: (B) Parliament
Explanation: During President’s Rule, State legislative powers can be declared exercisable by or under Parliament’s authority. Parliament may also delegate the power as constitutionally permitted. Judicial and electoral institutions do not replace the legislature.
Q39. Consider:
1. Swatantra Party was the largest Opposition party in the First Lok Sabha.
2. A Leader of Opposition was first recognised in Lok Sabha in 1969.
3. The constitutional minimum for recognising Opposition leader is 75 MPs.
Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2018)]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) 1 and 3
(D) All three
Answer: (B) 2 only
Explanation: Only statement 2 is correct. The Swatantra Party was formed after the First Lok Sabha, and the Constitution does not set a seventy-five-member threshold for Leader of Opposition. Official recognition began in 1969.
Q38. An MP remaining absent from all meetings of a House without permission for how many days may have their seat declared vacant?
[UPPSC Prelims (2018)]
(A) 30 days
(B) 45 days
(C) 60 days
(D) 90 days
Answer: (C) 60 days
Explanation: Article 101(4) permits a House to declare a member’s seat vacant following sixty days’ unauthorised absence from all its meetings. Periods when the House is prorogued or adjourned for more than four consecutive days are excluded.
Q37. What is the maximum number of representatives of States and Union Territories in Rajya Sabha, excluding nominated members?
[SSC CHSL (15 March 2018)]
(A) 230
(B) 238
(C) 245
(D) 250
Answer: (B) 238
Explanation: Article 80 provides a constitutional ceiling of 238 elected representatives of States and Union Territories in Rajya Sabha, plus twelve nominated members. The actual strength may be below the overall maximum of 250.
Q36. How often must Parliament meet under the constitutional six-month-gap requirement?
[SSC CHSL (17 March 2018)]
(A) At least twice yearly
(B) Exactly once
(C) Once in three years
(D) Once in five years
Answer: (A) At least twice yearly
Explanation: The Constitution does not prescribe exact annual session names or a fixed number of sitting days. Article 85 requires that no more than six months intervene between the last sitting of one session and first sitting of the next.
Q35. To which House is the Union Council of Ministers collectively responsible?
[SSC CHSL (22 March 2018)]
(A) Rajya Sabha
(B) Lok Sabha
(C) Both equally
(D) Neither
Answer: (B) Lok Sabha
Explanation: The Council of Ministers is collectively accountable to Lok Sabha under Article 75(3). A ministry that loses the confidence of this directly elected chamber cannot ordinarily remain in office, even if it commands support in Rajya Sabha.
Q34. How many seats are allocated to Himachal Pradesh in Rajya Sabha?
[SSC CHSL (23 March 2018)]
(A) 2
(B) 3
(C) 4
(D) 5
Answer: (B) 3
Explanation: Himachal Pradesh is allotted three seats in Rajya Sabha. Members are elected by the State’s Legislative Assembly under proportional representation through the single transferable vote, as provided in the constitutional electoral arrangements.
Q33. Parliament controls the Council of Ministers by:
1. Adjournment motion
2. Question Hour
3. Supplementary questions.
Which are correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2017)]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 and 3
(C) 1 and 3
(D) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
Explanation: All three devices facilitate parliamentary accountability. Question Hour and supplementary questions demand information and explanations from ministers, while an adjournment motion enables an urgent matter to interrupt normal work and may carry political criticism.
Q32. Consider:
1. Only a President-nominated MP can introduce a private member’s Bill.
2. The first-ever private member’s Bill was passed by Parliament recently.
Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2017)]
(A) 1 only
(B) 2 only
(C) Both
(D) Neither
Answer: (D) Neither
Explanation: Both are incorrect. A private member is any MP who is not a minister, regardless of whether elected or nominated. Several private members’ Bills passed earlier in India’s parliamentary history; the institution was not newly introduced.
Q31. For Lok Sabha elections, who may file a nomination paper?
[UPSC CSE Prelims (2017)]
(A) Any person residing in India
(B) Only someone resident in the contested constituency
(C) An Indian citizen enrolled on the electoral roll of a constituency
(D) Any Indian citizen, whether enrolled or not
Answer: (C) An Indian citizen enrolled on the electoral roll of a constituency
Explanation: The nomination rules require the candidate to be an Indian citizen who is registered as an elector in a parliamentary constituency and otherwise eligible. Residence in the specific constituency contested is not ordinarily mandatory.
