UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Centre’s plan for women’s reservation follows UPA blueprint for OBC quota

Q1. The reservation of one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam) was finally enacted through which one of the following?

  • A. The Constitution (One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023
  • B. The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Act, 2023
  • C. The Constitution (One Hundred and Eighth Amendment) Act, 2010
  • D. The Constitution (One Hundred and Third Amendment) Act, 2019

Q2. The legislation to operationalise women's reservation, including the 2026 constitutional amendment bill linking it to delimitation, was piloted in Parliament by which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Law and Justice
  • B. Ministry of Women and Child Development
  • C. Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs
  • D. Ministry of Home Affairs

Q3. The 93rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 2005 inserted clause (5) in Article 15. This clause essentially empowers the State to do which one of the following?

  • A. Make special provisions for admission of socially and educationally backward classes, SCs and STs in educational institutions, including private unaided ones, but excluding minority institutions
  • B. Provide reservation in admission for all backward classes in every educational institution, including minority institutions
  • C. Reserve posts in public employment and promotions for socially and educationally backward classes
  • D. Guarantee reservation in admission only in State-run and State-aided institutions, wholly excluding private institutions

Q4. Under the Central Educational Institutions (Reservation in Admission) Act, 2006, what percentage of seats is reserved for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in the specified central educational institutions?

  • A. 15%
  • B. 22.5%
  • C. 27%
  • D. 33%

Q5. The Constitution (108th Amendment) Bill, 2008 on women's reservation, unlike its predecessors, was introduced in which forum of Parliament so that it would not lapse easily?

  • A. The Rajya Sabha
  • B. The Lok Sabha
  • C. A joint sitting of both Houses
  • D. A Joint Parliamentary Committee acting as the House

Q6. The exercise of delimitation of Lok Sabha and State Assembly constituencies in India is actually carried out by which one of the following?

  • A. A Delimitation Commission constituted under a law made by Parliament
  • B. The Election Commission of India in its ordinary capacity
  • C. NITI Aayog in coordination with the Census Commissioner
  • D. The Registrar General and Census Commissioner of India

Q7. The Delimitation Commission of India is headed (chaired) by which one of the following?

  • A. A sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court
  • B. The Chief Election Commissioner of India
  • C. The President of India
  • D. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha

Q8. Under the women's reservation framework, what fraction of the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes is to be further reserved for women belonging to those groups?

  • A. One-half
  • B. One-third
  • C. One-fourth
  • D. One-fifth

Q9. According to the Inter-Parliamentary Union, approximately what was the global average share of seats held by women in national parliaments in 2025?

  • A. About 17%
  • B. About 27%
  • C. About 34%
  • D. About 41%

Q10. For amendments under Article 368 (such as those affecting the representation of States in Parliament), the term 'special majority' precisely means which one of the following?

  • A. A majority of the total membership of each House together with a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting
  • B. A majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of each House
  • C. A simple majority of the members present and voting in each House
  • D. A two-thirds majority of members present and voting in a joint sitting of both Houses