UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Is Yashwant Varma still a judge?
Q1. Within the Union Government, administrative matters relating to the appointment, resignation and removal of High Court judges — including maintaining their service records — are handled by which one of the following?
- A. The Legislative Department, Ministry of Law and Justice
- B. The Department of Legal Affairs, Ministry of Law and Justice
- C. The Department of Justice, Ministry of Law and Justice
- D. The Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
Q2. For the removal of a High Court judge, the address to the President must be passed in each House of Parliament supported, among other requirements, by a majority of not less than what proportion of the members of that House present and voting?
- A. Two-thirds
- B. Three-fourths
- C. Three-fifths
- D. One-half
Q3. The three-member in-house inquiry committee constituted by the Chief Justice of India in March 2025 to probe the cash-discovery allegations was headed by whom?
- A. Justice Aravind Kumar
- B. Justice G.S. Sandhawalia
- C. Justice Sheel Nagu
- D. Justice Anu Sivaraman
Q4. With reference to the in-house inquiry committee set up by the Chief Justice of India in March 2025 in the cash-discovery matter, consider the following:
1. Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court
2. Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court
3. Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court
4. Justice Aravind Kumar, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court
Which of the above are correctly identified as members of that in-house committee?
- Justice Sheel Nagu, Chief Justice of the Punjab & Haryana High Court
- Justice G.S. Sandhawalia, Chief Justice of the Himachal Pradesh High Court
- Justice Anu Sivaraman, a judge of the Karnataka High Court
- Justice Aravind Kumar, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1, 2 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q5. The doctrine of a judge's 'resignation at will', as reflected in the constitutional scheme for High Court judges, is best described by which one of the following?
- A. A judge may resign only with the prior approval of the Supreme Court Collegium
- B. A judge may relinquish office by writing under his hand addressed to the President, effective on the date specified and requiring no acceptance by any authority
- C. A judge's resignation takes legal effect only after it is ratified by both Houses of Parliament
- D. A judge may resign only after the Inquiry Committee constituted against him has submitted its report
Q6. Article 218 of the Constitution serves which one of the following functions with respect to judges of the High Courts?
- A. It makes the provisions of Article 124 relating to the removal of Supreme Court judges applicable to the judges of High Courts
- B. It fixes the retirement age of High Court judges at sixty-two years
- C. It empowers the Governor of the State to appoint judges of the High Court
- D. It applies the provisions relating to the salaries of Supreme Court judges to the judges of High Courts
Q7. With reference to the statutory three-member Inquiry Committee constituted under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 that submitted its report on Justice Varma, consider the following:
1. Justice Aravind Kumar, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court
2. Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, who continued as a member of the committee until its report was submitted on 18 May 2026
3. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court
4. B.V. Acharya, a senior advocate
Which of the above are correctly identified?
- Justice Aravind Kumar, a sitting judge of the Supreme Court
- Justice Manindra Mohan Shrivastava, who continued as a member of the committee until its report was submitted on 18 May 2026
- Justice Shree Chandrashekhar, Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court
- B.V. Acharya, a senior advocate
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1, 3 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q8. The statutory three-member Inquiry Committee that probed the charges of misbehaviour against Justice Varma was constituted by which authority?
- A. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha
- B. The Chief Justice of India
- C. The President of India
- D. The Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
Q9. With reference to the Supreme Court's January 2026 ruling on the proceedings against Justice Varma, consider the following statements:
1. The ruling was delivered by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma.
2. The Court held that the rejection of a removal notice in one House bars the other House from independently initiating proceedings.
3. The corresponding removal notice in the Rajya Sabha had been rejected by its deputy chairman before the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted the committee.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- The ruling was delivered by a bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma.
- The Court held that the rejection of a removal notice in one House bars the other House from independently initiating proceedings.
- The corresponding removal notice in the Rajya Sabha had been rejected by its deputy chairman before the Lok Sabha Speaker constituted the committee.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q10. The January 2026 Supreme Court judgment that refused to interfere with the Lok Sabha Speaker's constitution of the Inquiry Committee against Justice Varma was delivered by which Bench?
- A. Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi
- B. Justices B.R. Gavai and A.G. Masih
- C. Justices Dipankar Datta and S.C. Sharma
- D. Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Sanjay Kumar
Q11. With reference to the position of Justice Varma after he tendered his resignation in April 2026, consider the following statements:
1. His enrolment status at the Bar was changed to 'active', permitting resumption of legal practice.
2. For some time he continued to be listed as a 'sitting judge' by the Allahabad High Court and the Department of Justice.
3. His resignation was addressed to the President of India.
4. On his resignation, the statutory Inquiry Committee's proceedings abated and no report on the charges was submitted.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- His enrolment status at the Bar was changed to 'active', permitting resumption of legal practice.
- For some time he continued to be listed as a 'sitting judge' by the Allahabad High Court and the Department of Justice.
- His resignation was addressed to the President of India.
- On his resignation, the statutory Inquiry Committee's proceedings abated and no report on the charges was submitted.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 3 only
- D. 4 only
Q12. With reference to past instances of removal proceedings against judges in India, consider the following statements:
1. Justice V. Ramaswami was the first judge against whom an impeachment motion was moved, and the motion failed in the Lok Sabha for want of the required majority.
2. Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court resigned only after both Houses of Parliament had passed the removal motion against him.
3. Justice P.D. Dinakaran resigned in 2011 before the inquiry committee could begin probing the charges against him.
4. Justice Varma's resignation marks the third instance of a High Court judge resigning to forestall Parliamentary removal proceedings.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- Justice V. Ramaswami was the first judge against whom an impeachment motion was moved, and the motion failed in the Lok Sabha for want of the required majority.
- Justice Soumitra Sen of the Calcutta High Court resigned only after both Houses of Parliament had passed the removal motion against him.
- Justice P.D. Dinakaran resigned in 2011 before the inquiry committee could begin probing the charges against him.
- Justice Varma's resignation marks the third instance of a High Court judge resigning to forestall Parliamentary removal proceedings.
- A. 1 and 4 only
- B. 2 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3