UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Rahul seeks report on whether leaders adhere to party line

Q1. In the 2022 election to the office of president of the Indian National Congress, how many valid votes did the winning candidate secure?

  • A. 1,072 votes
  • B. 7,897 votes
  • C. 9,385 votes
  • D. 1,338 votes

Q2. In Indian parliamentary law, the expression 'Leader of the Opposition' in relation to the House of the People means which one of the following?

  • A. The leader of the single largest party that is not represented in the Council of Ministers, recognised as such by the President of India
  • B. The leader in that House of the largest pre-poll alliance opposed to the Government, recognised as such by the Chairman of the Council of States
  • C. The leader in that House of the party in opposition to the Government having the greatest numerical strength, recognised as such by the Speaker
  • D. The senior-most member of the House belonging to any party in opposition, designated as such by the Committee of Privileges of the House

Q3. The office of the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament received statutory recognition, with salary and allowances attached to it, under which one of the following enactments?

  • A. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959
  • B. The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act, 1954
  • C. The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977
  • D. The Representation of the People Act, 1951

Q4. With reference to the organisational structure of the Indian National Congress, consider the following statements: 1. The Congress Working Committee is a 20-member body, the majority of whose members are appointed by the party president. 2. Every member of the All India Congress Committee is elected by delegates, and no member may be co-opted. 3. The party president is chosen by an electoral college of delegates, as in the contest decided in October 2022. 4. A decision of the Congress Working Committee takes effect only after it is ratified by every Pradesh Congress Committee. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. The Congress Working Committee is a 20-member body, the majority of whose members are appointed by the party president.
  2. Every member of the All India Congress Committee is elected by delegates, and no member may be co-opted.
  3. The party president is chosen by an electoral college of delegates, as in the contest decided in October 2022.
  4. A decision of the Congress Working Committee takes effect only after it is ratified by every Pradesh Congress Committee.
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q5. Consider the following pairs of persons and the offices they held in 2026: 1. Mallikarjun Kharge — President of the Indian National Congress 2. K. C. Venugopal — All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of organisation 3. Rahul Gandhi — Leader of the Opposition in the Council of States 4. Shashi Tharoor — Member of the House of the People from Thiruvananthapuram Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. Mallikarjun Kharge — President of the Indian National Congress
  2. K. C. Venugopal — All India Congress Committee general secretary in charge of organisation
  3. Rahul Gandhi — Leader of the Opposition in the Council of States
  4. Shashi Tharoor — Member of the House of the People from Thiruvananthapuram
  • A. 1 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 2 and 4
  • D. 3 only

Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the Indian National Congress's 2025 Ahmedabad conclave with its Congress Working Committee meeting of August 2026: 1. The 2025 Ahmedabad gathering was the sixth occasion on which the party held a session in that city, and it was held under the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge. 2. In 2025, the Extended Congress Working Committee met at the Sardar Patel Memorial while the plenary body met the following day on the banks of the Sabarmati. 3. The 12-page political resolution titled 'Nyay Path' was adopted at the August 2026 Congress Working Committee meeting held at Indira Bhawan, New Delhi. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2025 Ahmedabad gathering was the sixth occasion on which the party held a session in that city, and it was held under the presidentship of Mallikarjun Kharge.
  2. In 2025, the Extended Congress Working Committee met at the Sardar Patel Memorial while the plenary body met the following day on the banks of the Sabarmati.
  3. The 12-page political resolution titled 'Nyay Path' was adopted at the August 2026 Congress Working Committee meeting held at Indira Bhawan, New Delhi.
  • A. 1 only
  • B. 1 and 2 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. In the organisational reform announced by the Congress leadership around its 2025 Ahmedabad session, which one of the following tier of functionaries was declared the foundation of the party's structure and empowered with a say in the selection of candidates?

  • A. Block Congress Committee presidents, working under the supervision of state units
  • B. District Congress Committee presidents, who were consulted in batches before the session
  • C. Pradesh Congress Committee presidents, who head the party's state-level units
  • D. All India Congress Committee general secretaries holding charge of individual States

Q8. Within the Congress organisation, the task of preparing periodic reports tracking whether party leaders publicly amplify the official party position was entrusted to which one of the following?

  • A. The All India Congress Committee's department of communications, publicity and media
  • B. The office of the general secretary in charge of organisation at Indira Bhawan
  • C. The All India Congress Committee's research department, which prepares issue briefs
  • D. The party's social media and digital platforms department