UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — ‘Centre’s conspiracy to permanently stay in power thwarted’
Q1. Under the Women's Reservation Act, 2023 (Constitution 106th Amendment), the reservation of seats for women is initially provided for a period of how many years, subject to continuance for such further period as Parliament may by law determine?
- A. 10 years
- B. 15 years
- C. 20 years
- D. 25 years
Q2. Under the Women's Reservation Act, 2023, the one-third reservation of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies is best described as:
- A. One-third of the total directly elected seats, including one-third within the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- B. One-third of only the general (unreserved) seats, provided over and above the seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes
- C. One-third of the seats in State Assemblies alone, the Lok Sabha being excluded from the reservation
- D. One-third of ministerial berths and offices of the presiding officers in the concerned legislatures
Q3. The freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats allotted to each State was most recently extended until the first census taken after 2026 by which Constitutional Amendment?
- A. The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976
- B. The 84th Amendment Act, 2001
- C. The 91st Amendment Act, 2003
- D. The 87th Amendment Act, 2003
Q4. Consider the following statements regarding the constitutional scheme of delimitation in India:
1. The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze the allocation of Lok Sabha seats among the States on the basis of the 1971 census.
2. The 84th Amendment (2001) extended this freeze until the publication of the first census taken after the year 2026.
3. Article 170 governs the readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha, while Article 82 governs the composition of the State Legislative Assemblies.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The 42nd Amendment (1976) froze the allocation of Lok Sabha seats among the States on the basis of the 1971 census.
- The 84th Amendment (2001) extended this freeze until the publication of the first census taken after the year 2026.
- Article 170 governs the readjustment of seats in the Lok Sabha, while Article 82 governs the composition of the State Legislative Assemblies.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. For the purposes of Article 368, the 'special majority' required to pass a Constitution Amendment Bill in each House of Parliament means:
- A. A majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting
- B. Not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House in every case
- C. A simple majority of the members present and voting, as with an ordinary bill
- D. Three-fourths of the members present and voting together with ratification by all the States
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the amendment procedure under Article 368:
1. An amendment altering the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States requires ratification by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States.
2. Every Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368 requires ratification by at least one-half of the State Legislatures before it is presented for Presidential assent.
3. Any change in the representation of States in the Rajya Sabha requires ratification by not less than one-half of the State Legislatures.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- An amendment altering the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States requires ratification by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States.
- Every Constitution Amendment Bill under Article 368 requires ratification by at least one-half of the State Legislatures before it is presented for Presidential assent.
- Any change in the representation of States in the Rajya Sabha requires ratification by not less than one-half of the State Legislatures.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 primarily sought to:
- A. Raise the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha from 550 to 850 and enable delimitation-based women's reservation using the 2011 census
- B. Confer full statehood on the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir
- C. Remove the Rajya Sabha's power to delay Money Bills
- D. Extend the 1971-census freeze on seat allocation up to the year 2031
Q8. Under the Delimitation Bill, 2026 (introduced alongside the Constitution 131st Amendment Bill), the delimitation exercise was to be carried out by a Delimitation Commission chaired by:
- A. A person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court
- B. The Chief Election Commissioner of India
- C. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India
- D. A retired Chief Justice of a High Court nominated by the President
Q9. With reference to the federal scheme of the Indian Constitution, consider the following statements:
1. Subjects in the Union List fall within the exclusive law-making competence of Parliament.
2. The Concurrent List comprises subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures may make laws.
3. 'Police' and 'public order' are subjects enumerated in the Union List.
4. Federalism has been held by the Supreme Court to form part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- Subjects in the Union List fall within the exclusive law-making competence of Parliament.
- The Concurrent List comprises subjects on which both Parliament and State Legislatures may make laws.
- 'Police' and 'public order' are subjects enumerated in the Union List.
- Federalism has been held by the Supreme Court to form part of the basic structure of the Constitution.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1, 2 and 4
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1 and 4 only
Q10. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 was negatived in the Lok Sabha because it failed to secure the majority prescribed for constitutional amendments under which Article of the Constitution?
- A. Article 368
- B. Article 356
- C. Article 249
- D. Article 108
Q11. With reference to the rotation of reserved seats envisaged under the Women's Reservation Act, 2023, consider the following statements:
1. Seats reserved for women are to be rotated after each delimitation exercise, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
2. The rotation principle applies also to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
3. After 2026, delimitation — and hence the re-allotment of reserved seats — is to take place following every census.
4. Once a constituency is reserved for women, it remains permanently reserved and is never rotated to another constituency.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- Seats reserved for women are to be rotated after each delimitation exercise, as determined by a law made by Parliament.
- The rotation principle applies also to seats reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
- After 2026, delimitation — and hence the re-allotment of reserved seats — is to take place following every census.
- Once a constituency is reserved for women, it remains permanently reserved and is never rotated to another constituency.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 3 only
- C. 4 only
- D. 2 and 4 only
Q12. According to the seat projections attached to the Delimitation Bill, 2026 (based on 2011-census data), which State was projected to gain the largest number of additional Lok Sabha seats?
- A. Uttar Pradesh
- B. Bihar
- C. Rajasthan
- D. Tamil Nadu