UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Karnataka withdraws Parks Bill amid public protests
Q1. The decision to withdraw the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Amendment Bill, 2026 in September 2026 was taken by which one of the following?
- A. The State Cabinet, presided over by Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar
- B. The Governor of Karnataka, by withholding assent to the Bill as passed
- C. The Legislative Council of Karnataka, by rejecting the Bill at the third reading
- D. The Karnataka High Court, by staying the operation of the Bill as passed
Q2. Consider the following statements regarding the withdrawal of the Karnataka Parks (Preservation) Amendment Bill, 2026:
1. The Cabinet decision to withdraw came after the Bill had already been passed by both Houses of the State Legislature.
2. The Bill had been passed without discussion, as the principal Opposition party was staging a protest inside the House.
3. The Government stated that the Bill would be reintroduced in a subsequent session after public discussion and modifications.
4. The withdrawal followed the Governor returning the Bill to the State Legislature for reconsideration.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- The Cabinet decision to withdraw came after the Bill had already been passed by both Houses of the State Legislature.
- The Bill had been passed without discussion, as the principal Opposition party was staging a protest inside the House.
- The Government stated that the Bill would be reintroduced in a subsequent session after public discussion and modifications.
- The withdrawal followed the Governor returning the Bill to the State Legislature for reconsideration.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 4 only
Q3. Which one of the following was the infrastructure proposal, and the associated land requirement, that formed the immediate context for the 5% alienation clause of the 2026 Bill?
- A. The 17-km Hebbal–Central Silk Board tunnel road, needing about six acres of Lalbagh land temporarily
- B. The Bengaluru suburban rail corridor, needing about six acres of Cubbon Park land temporarily
- C. The Namma Metro elevated corridor project, needing about one acre of Lalbagh land permanently
- D. The Peripheral Ring Road project, needing about six acres of Bannerghatta park land permanently
Q4. The Karnataka Government Parks (Preservation) Act, 1975 received the assent of the Governor on which one of the following dates?
- A. 9 May 1975
- B. 22 May 1975
- C. 7 May 1975
- D. 26 May 1975
Q5. Government gardens such as Lalbagh and Cubbon Park, which fall within the ambit of the 1975 Act, are held and managed by which one of the following?
- A. The Horticulture Department of the Government of Karnataka
- B. The Karnataka Forest Department, through its Bengaluru Urban division
- C. The Karnataka Forest Development Corporation, a State-owned company
- D. The Department of Town and Country Planning, Government of Karnataka
Q6. Under the Karnataka Parks, Play-fields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985, the list of parks, play-fields and open spaces is prepared and submitted by which one of the following?
- A. The executive authority of the local area concerned
- B. The Deputy Commissioner of the district concerned
- C. The Regional Commissioner of the division concerned
- D. The Director of Town and Country Planning of the State
Q7. The Karnataka Parks, Play-fields and Open Spaces (Preservation and Regulation) Act, 1985 is deemed to have come into force on 26 December 1984 in which one of the following territorial descriptions?
- A. Six named Cities and the local areas comprised within a City Municipality in the State
- B. The whole of the State of Karnataka, excluding cantonment and railway areas
- C. The Bangalore Metropolitan Region and the areas of all City Corporations in the State
- D. All City Corporation areas and the notified industrial townships of the State
Q8. The Opposition protest in the House, during which the Parks Bill was passed without discussion, was centred on a demand for the resignation of which Minister, and over funds of which body?
- A. B. Nagendra, over alleged misuse of funds of the Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation
- B. G. Parameshwara, over alleged misuse of funds of the Karnataka Minorities Development Corporation
- C. K.H. Muniyappa, over alleged misuse of funds of the Karnataka Food and Civil Supplies Corporation
- D. D.K. Shivakumar, over alleged misuse of funds of the Karnataka Housing Board
Q9. In Karnataka, the introduction, piloting and withdrawal of Government Bills as items of legislative business is coordinated by which one of the following?
- A. The Department of Parliamentary Affairs and Legislation of the State Government
- B. The Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms of the State Government
- C. The Karnataka Legislature Secretariat, headed by the Secretary to the Legislature
- D. The Department of Law, Justice and Human Rights of the State Government
Q10. In which one of the following cases did the Supreme Court of India hold that natural resources are common property held by the government in trusteeship for the free use of the general public?
- A. M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath
- B. Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum v. Union of India
- C. Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v. Union of India
- D. Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar
Q11. 'Urban forestry, protection of the environment and promotion of ecological aspects' is one of the functional items listed in the Twelfth Schedule of the Constitution. How many functional items in all does that Schedule contain?