UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — The Constitution enters the sanctum

Q1. In the Thiruparankundram Deepathoon judgment of January 2026, the Madras High Court directed that the lighting of the sacred lamp be carried out in consultation with which one of the following bodies?

  • A. National Monuments Authority
  • B. Archaeological Survey of India
  • C. Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department of Tamil Nadu
  • D. Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage

Q2. The Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Sabarimala reference (along with questions on Parsi excommunication and entry of women into religious spaces) in 2026 consists of how many judges?

  • A. Five
  • B. Seven
  • C. Nine
  • D. Eleven

Q3. Who presides over the 9-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court hearing the Sabarimala reference in 2026?

  • A. Chief Justice Surya Kant
  • B. Justice B. V. Nagarathna
  • C. Justice M. M. Sundresh
  • D. Justice Joymalya Bagchi

Q4. Consider the following pairings of cases/judgments with the proposition they are associated with: 1. Shirur Mutt case (1954) — first articulation of the Essential Religious Practices test 2. Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) — gender-based exclusion at Sabarimala temple 3. Thiruparankundram Deepathoon case (2026) — Madras High Court directed consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India 4. Thenkalai sect case at Varadaraja Perumal temple (2025-26) — held that an individual's right under Article 25 overrides a denomination's rights under Article 26 Which of the statements given above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Shirur Mutt case (1954) — first articulation of the Essential Religious Practices test
  2. Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) — gender-based exclusion at Sabarimala temple
  3. Thiruparankundram Deepathoon case (2026) — Madras High Court directed consultation with the Archaeological Survey of India
  4. Thenkalai sect case at Varadaraja Perumal temple (2025-26) — held that an individual's right under Article 25 overrides a denomination's rights under Article 26
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4