Constitution: Practice Questions with Answers
Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Duties, and Amendments. Try each question first: tap an option to check it, and the explanation appears below.
Question 1Medium
In the context of the Directive Principles of State Policy, which Article directs the State of Chhattisgarh to promote with special care the educational and economic interests of the weaker sections of the people, and particularly of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes?
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✅ A. Article 46
Article 46 of the Indian Constitution is a Directive Principle directing the state to promote educational and economic interests of weaker sections, specifically Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, protecting them from social injustice. Article 40 deals with village panchayats, and Article 48 concerns the organization of agriculture and animal husbandry. This provision guides welfare policies implemented by the tribal welfare department in Chhattisgarh.
Question page →Question 2Medium
Which legislative enactment passed by Parliament altered the name of the North-East Frontier Agency to Arunachal Pradesh and established it as a Union Territory in 1972?
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✅ B. North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971
The North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act, 1971 reorganized the north-eastern areas of the country, converting the North-East Frontier Agency into the Union Territory of Arunachal Pradesh and upgrading Manipur and Tripura to statehood. The State of Arunachal Pradesh Act, 1986 later elevated the territory to statehood in 1987. The North-Eastern Council Act established a regional advisory body for economic and social planning.
Question page →Question 3Hard
With reference to Article 21 and the evolving jurisprudence of due process of law in India, consider the following assertions: 1. The Supreme Court in the Maneka Gandhi case of 1978 read procedural due process into Article 21, expanding personal liberty beyond mere executive action. 2. The expression procedure established by law under Article 21 was directly borrowed from the American Constitution without any modification. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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✅ A. 1 only
The Maneka Gandhi judgment expanded Article 21 by establishing that a law curtailing personal liberty must be just, fair, and reasonable, aligning closer to American due process. However, the phrase procedure established by law was specifically borrowed from the Japanese Constitution, not the American Constitution which uses due process of law. Therefore, statement two is incorrect. Article 21 remains a cornerstone of the Indian Bill of Rights.
Question page →Question 4Easy
The Ninth Schedule was added to the Constitution of India by which of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts?
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✅ A. First Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951
The Ninth Schedule was incorporated into the Constitution of India via the First Constitutional Amendment Act of 1951 to shield land reform laws and the abolition of the zamindari system from judicial review. Introduced by the provisional Parliament headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, this schedule created a protected domain for specific laws against challenges based on violation of fundamental rights. Subsequent judicial pronouncements, particularly the Kesavananda Bharati judgment of 1973, established that laws placed in the Ninth Schedule after April 1973 remain subject to judicial review under the basic structure doctrine.
Question page →Question 5Hard
Examine the evolution of Fundamental Rights versus Directive Principles: In which landmark judgment did the Supreme Court establish the doctrine of harmonious construction between Part III and Part IV, stating that the Constitution ought to be read as an integrated scheme?
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✅ D. Minerva Mills case (1980)
In the Minerva Mills versus Union of India case of 1980, the Supreme Court held that the Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between Part III and Part IV, and giving absolute primacy to one over the other would upset the harmony of the Constitution. The Champakam Dorairajan case earlier held that Fundamental Rights prevailed over Directive Principles. The Golaknath case ruled that Parliament could not amend Fundamental Rights. The Kesavananda Bharati judgment established the basic structure doctrine. Harmony between social welfare goals and individual liberties remains vital.
Question page →Question 6Medium
Consider the following statements regarding the Preamble of the Indian Constitution: 1. The Preamble is based on the Objectives Resolution moved by Jawaharlal Nehru in 1946. 2. It has been amended only once so far by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976. 3. The Preamble is justiciable and enforceable in courts of law. Which of the statements given above are correct?
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✅ A. 1 and 2 only
Statements 1 and 2 are correct because the Preamble derives from the Objectives Resolution adopted by the Constituent Assembly, and it was amended once in 1976 to add socialist, secular, and integrity. Statement 3 is incorrect because the Preamble is neither a source of power to legislature nor a prohibition upon its powers, and it is non-justiciable, meaning its provisions cannot be enforced in courts of law as established in the Berubari Union case. The Supreme Court affirmed in the Kesavananda Bharati case that the Preamble is an integral part of the Constitution.
Question page →Question 7Easy
Which Schedule of the Indian Constitution specifies the emoluments, allowances, and privileges of the President, Governors, Judges, and CAG?
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✅ B. Second Schedule
The Second Schedule of the Constitution of India contains constitutional provisions regarding the salaries, emoluments, allowances, and privileges of the President, Governors, Speaker, Judges, and the Comptroller and Auditor-General. The First Schedule outlines the territories of states and union territories, whereas the Third Schedule deals with oaths and affirmations. The Fourth Schedule provides for the allocation of seats in the Rajya Sabha.
Question page →Question 8Easy
Which part of the Indian Constitution deals with 'Emergency Provisions' ranging from Article 352 to Article 360?
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✅ D. Part XVIII
Part XVIII of the Constitution of India encompasses emergency provisions spanning from Article 352 to Article 360, granting sweeping executive and legislative powers to the central government during crises. These provisions include National Emergency under Article 352, President's Rule under Article 356, and Financial Emergency under Article 360 borrowed largely from the Government of India Act of 1935 and Weimar Constitution. Constitutional framework questions regularly require the correct identification of partisan divisions within the text.
Question page →Question 9Medium
Which Constitutional Amendment Act provided for the creation of the National Judicial Appointments Commission (NJAC), which was later struck down by the Supreme Court?
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✅ B. 99th Amendment Act
The Ninety-Ninth Constitutional Amendment Act sought to replace the collegium system of judicial appointments with the National Judicial Appointments Commission to ensure executive and legislative representation in judicial selections. The Supreme Court struck down this amendment in the landmark Fourth Judges Case, ruling that it violated the foundational doctrine of the separation of powers and judicial independence. Other legislative attempts, such as the hundred and first amendment, dealt with the rollout of the Goods and Services Tax across the nation. The collegium system therefore remains the constitutional mechanism for appointing higher judiciary judges in India.
Question page →Question 10Easy
Which Article of the Indian Constitution contains provisions for the establishment of a common High Court for two or more States?
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✅ C. Article 231
Article 231 of the Constitution empowers Parliament to establish a common High Court for two or more States or for two or more States and a Union Territory. Article 214 provides for a High Court in each State, whereas Article 226 grants writ jurisdiction.
Question page →Question 11Easy
Which Constitutional Amendment Act is known as the 'Mini-Constitution' because of the wide-ranging amendments it brought to the Indian Constitution?
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✅ B. 42nd Amendment Act
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 is widely termed the Mini-Constitution because it introduced sweeping changes across the Preamble, fundamental duties, and judicial powers. The subsequent 44th Amendment undid several contentious provisions introduced during the Emergency. This amendment remains a landmark topic for Indian polity questions.
Question page →Question 12Medium
The concept of 'Procedure Established by Law' in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution was adopted from the constitutional traditions of which nation?
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✅ C. Japan
The expression 'Procedure Established by Law' used in Article 21 was borrowed from the Constitution of Japan. It implies that a law duly enacted by the legislature is valid as long as the prescribed procedure has been correctly followed, unlike 'Due Process of Law' which evaluates the fairness of the law itself.
Question page →Question 13Medium
Which Constitutional Amendment Act provided for the establishment of a common High Court for two or more states?
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✅ A. 7th Amendment Act, 1956
The seventh constitutional amendment enacted in 1956 empowered Parliament to establish a single common high court for two or more states or union territories. Subsequent amendments focused on different aspects of federal governance and emergency provisions. This structural flexibility allows efficient judicial administration across smaller administrative regions.
Question page →Question 14Easy
Which constitutional amendment added the Tenth Schedule to the Constitution of India, commonly referred to as the anti-defection law?
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✅ C. 52nd Amendment Act
The 52nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1985 inserted the Tenth Schedule into the Constitution to curb political defections among legislators. The 42nd Amendment is known as the mini-constitution for introducing sweeping changes during the emergency. The 44th Amendment repealed the right to property as a fundamental right and restored democratic safeguards. The 61st Amendment lowered the voting age in Lok Sabha and legislative assembly elections from twenty-one to eighteen years.
Question page →Question 15Easy
The concept of 'Amending Procedure of the Constitution' through a two-thirds majority in Parliament and ratification by half of the states was borrowed from the constitution of which country?
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✅ B. South Africa
The mechanism governing constitutional amendments via a special parliamentary majority coupled with ratification by half of the state legislatures was drawn directly from the South African Constitution. Conversely, features like parliamentary democracy and the rule of law were acquired from the British Constitution. Article 368 of the Indian Constitution outlines these distinct categories of amendments.
Question page →Question 16Easy
Which Article of the Indian Constitution prohibits employment of children below the age of fourteen years in any factory, mine, or hazardous activities?
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✅ C. Article 24
Article 24 falls under the Right against Exploitation in the Indian Constitution and strictly forbids employing children under fourteen in factories, mines, or hazardous jobs. Article 23 prohibits human trafficking and forced labor, while Article 21 guarantees life and personal liberty. Legislative acts like the Child Labour Prohibition and Regulation Act operationalize this constitutional mandate.
Question page →Question 17Hard
Analyze the provisions of Article 371F(p) concerning the Sikkim Legislative Assembly: What was the original minimum strength mandated for the assembly upon integration, and how does it relate to subsequent electoral adjustments?
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✅ B. Minimum strength of 32 members, designed to ensure adequate representation of all ethnic communities including Bhutia, Lepcha, and Nepali groups
Article 371F(p) initially provided for a Sikkim Legislative Assembly consisting of not less than 30 members, which was subsequently raised to 32 members to ensure robust representation for the state's distinct communities such as the Bhutia, Lepcha, and general populations. Seat reservation arrangements are meticulously balanced to preserve social harmony under constitutional guarantees. The Election Commission conducts delimitation exercises in accordance with these special constitutional parameters.
Question page →Question 18Easy
Under which Constitutional Amendment Act were the terms 'Socialist', 'Secular', and 'Integrity' added to the Preamble of the Indian Constitution?
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✅ A. 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976
The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act of 1976 remains the sole instance of amendment to the Preamble, incorporating the socialist, secular, and integrity ideals. The 44th Amendment subsequently altered various emergency provisions but did not touch the Preamble text.
Question page →Question 19Medium
Which Part of the Indian Constitution deals with the provisions relating to Elections and establishes the Election Commission under Article 324?
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✅ C. Part XV
Part XV of the Indian Constitution, spanning Articles 324 to 329, sets out the legal framework governing elections and creates the autonomous Election Commission of India. Alternative sections like Part XIV deal with civil services under the Union and states. Indian polity questions regularly require candidates to match constitutional parts with their respective administrative subjects.
Question page →Question 20Medium
Which of the following schedules of the Indian Constitution contains specific provisions relating to the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram?
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✅ B. Fifth Schedule
The Fifth Schedule of the Indian Constitution outlines the administration and control of Scheduled Areas and Scheduled Tribes in states other than Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, and Mizoram, which fall under the Sixth Schedule. The Third Schedule deals with oaths and affirmations, while the Seventh Schedule distributes legislative powers between the Union and States. This distinction between the Fifth and Sixth Schedules is a standard topic in Indian polity.
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