UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Rajasthan’s Acting Chief Justice denies allegations by SC judge

Q1. Which one of the following is known as the First Judges Case, in the line of decisions from which the collegium system for appointment of judges evolved?

  • A. Supreme Court Advocates-on-Record Association v. Union of India (1993)
  • B. In re: Special Reference No. 1 of 1998 (Presidential Reference)
  • C. S.P. Gupta v. Union of India (1981)
  • D. State of Rajasthan v. Prakash Chand (1998)

Q2. Consider the following statements comparing the position established by the successive Judges Cases: 1. The collegium for recommending appointments comprised the Chief Justice of India and the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court after the Second Judges Case, and was expanded to the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges after the Third Judges Case. 2. The First Judges Case gave primacy to the opinion of the Chief Justice of India over that of the executive, a position that was reversed by the Second Judges Case. 3. For recommending appointments to a High Court, the collegium consists of the Chief Justice of India and the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The collegium for recommending appointments comprised the Chief Justice of India and the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court after the Second Judges Case, and was expanded to the Chief Justice of India and the four senior-most judges after the Third Judges Case.
  2. The First Judges Case gave primacy to the opinion of the Chief Justice of India over that of the executive, a position that was reversed by the Second Judges Case.
  3. For recommending appointments to a High Court, the collegium consists of the Chief Justice of India and the two senior-most judges of the Supreme Court.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q3. In the context of the functioning of the Supreme Court and the High Courts, the expression 'master of the roster' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The authority of the Chief Justice to prepare the list of seniority of the judges of the court for administrative purposes
  • B. The power of the Registry, acting under the Chief Justice, to fix the daily cause list and the order in which listed cases are called out
  • C. The right of the presiding judge of a Bench to decide which member of that Bench shall author the judgment of the Bench
  • D. The exclusive authority of the Chief Justice to constitute the Benches of the court and to allocate cases among them

Q4. Under the subject-wise roster of case allocation notified for the Supreme Court, Public Interest Litigation matters are assigned to which one of the following?

  • A. The Bench presided over by the senior-most judge of the Court other than the Chief Justice of India
  • B. The first three Benches, that is, those presided over by the Chief Justice of India and the two judges next in seniority
  • C. All the Benches of the Court by rotation, in the order in which the petitions are registered by the Registry
  • D. A dedicated Bench of two judges nominated for that purpose by the full court of the Supreme Court

Q5. Consider the following statements regarding constitutional and statutory provisions relating to judges of the higher judiciary: 1. Article 217 provides that a Judge of a High Court holds office until he attains the age of sixty-two years. 2. Article 222 empowers the President to transfer a Judge from one High Court to any other High Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India. 3. A motion for removal of a judge must be adopted in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting. 4. Notice of a motion for removal of a judge must be given by at least fifty members in the Lok Sabha or one hundred members in the Rajya Sabha. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

  1. Article 217 provides that a Judge of a High Court holds office until he attains the age of sixty-two years.
  2. Article 222 empowers the President to transfer a Judge from one High Court to any other High Court after consultation with the Chief Justice of India.
  3. A motion for removal of a judge must be adopted in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.
  4. Notice of a motion for removal of a judge must be given by at least fifty members in the Lok Sabha or one hundred members in the Rajya Sabha.
  • A. 1 and 2
  • B. 4 only
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 2 and 4

Q6. Under the Constitution, the transfer of a Judge from one High Court to another is effected in which one of the following ways?

  • A. By the Chief Justice of India, acting in consultation with the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court
  • B. By the Governor of the receiving State, on the recommendation of the Chief Justice of that High Court
  • C. By the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India
  • D. By the Union Minister of Law and Justice, with the concurrence of the Chief Justices of both the High Courts concerned

Q7. In the context of allegations of misconduct against judges of the higher judiciary in India, the 'in-house procedure' refers to which one of the following?

  • A. The procedure under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 by which a committee appointed by the presiding officer of a House investigates charges against a judge
  • B. The procedure adopted by the Supreme Court in 1999 under which a complaint against a judge is examined by the Chief Justice and, where warranted, by a committee of judges
  • C. The mechanism under which the Gender Sensitisation and Internal Complaints Committee of the Supreme Court inquires into complaints of sexual harassment made by women
  • D. The practice by which the Chief Justice of a High Court withdraws judicial work from a judge pending the outcome of a criminal investigation against him

Q8. Consider the following statements comparing the in-house procedure with removal proceedings against a judge: 1. The inquiry committee under the in-house procedure consists of one Supreme Court judge and two Chief Justices of High Courts, whereas the committee constituted in removal proceedings consists of a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court and a distinguished jurist. 2. A complaint under the in-house procedure may be made to the Chief Justice of India or to the President of India, whereas removal proceedings can be set in motion only by a notice of motion given in a House of Parliament. 3. Unlike the in-house committee, the inquiry committee in removal proceedings is required to submit its findings within thirty days of its constitution. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The inquiry committee under the in-house procedure consists of one Supreme Court judge and two Chief Justices of High Courts, whereas the committee constituted in removal proceedings consists of a Supreme Court judge, a Chief Justice of a High Court and a distinguished jurist.
  2. A complaint under the in-house procedure may be made to the Chief Justice of India or to the President of India, whereas removal proceedings can be set in motion only by a notice of motion given in a House of Parliament.
  3. Unlike the in-house committee, the inquiry committee in removal proceedings is required to submit its findings within thirty days of its constitution.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q9. Which one of the following was recommended by the Supreme Court Collegium on 31 August 2026 in respect of the headship of the Rajasthan High Court?

  • A. Elevation of the senior-most puisne judge of the Rajasthan High Court itself as its Chief Justice
  • B. Transfer of Justice Sanjeev Prakash Sharma from the Rajasthan High Court to the Chhattisgarh High Court as its Chief Justice
  • C. Transfer of Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal to the Rajasthan High Court as a puisne judge, without elevation as Chief Justice
  • D. Transfer of Justice Sanjay K. Agrawal from the Chhattisgarh High Court to the Rajasthan High Court and his elevation as its Chief Justice

Q10. Consider the following statements comparing the 2026 controversy over the Rajasthan High Court with the January 2018 episode in the Supreme Court: 1. The 2026 allegations were levelled by a sitting Supreme Court judge against the Acting Chief Justice of a High Court, whereas the January 2018 episode involved four sitting Supreme Court judges questioning the conduct of the then Chief Justice of India. 2. In both episodes the central grievance concerned the exercise of the Chief Justice's power to constitute Benches and allocate cases. 3. In the 2026 episode, as in January 2018, the complaining judge placed the allegations in the public domain through a press conference before approaching the Chief Justice of India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. The 2026 allegations were levelled by a sitting Supreme Court judge against the Acting Chief Justice of a High Court, whereas the January 2018 episode involved four sitting Supreme Court judges questioning the conduct of the then Chief Justice of India.
  2. In both episodes the central grievance concerned the exercise of the Chief Justice's power to constitute Benches and allocate cases.
  3. In the 2026 episode, as in January 2018, the complaining judge placed the allegations in the public domain through a press conference before approaching the Chief Justice of India.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q11. An acting Chief Justice of a High Court is appointed under Article 223 by the President; the warrant of such appointment is issued and notified by which one of the following?

  • A. The Department of Personnel and Training under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions
  • B. The Judicial Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India
  • C. The Department of Justice under the Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India
  • D. The Registry of the Supreme Court of India, acting on the directions of the Chief Justice of India

Q12. The draft Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2026 permits foreign-qualified lawyers to be enrolled and registered with bar councils in India. The practice so permitted to them is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. Practice confined to international commercial arbitration, with appearance before courts and tribunals in India prohibited
  • B. Practice confined to advisory work on foreign law, with appearance before tribunals permitted but not before courts
  • C. Full rights of audience before all courts and tribunals in India, subject to registration with the Bar Council of India
  • D. Practice confined to representing foreign clients before commercial courts, subject to reciprocity with the lawyer's home country