UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Balancing faith, dignity and constitutional rights

Q1. Rule 3(b), which prohibited the entry of women aged 10 to 50 years into the Sabarimala temple and was the central provision struck down in the Indian Young Lawyers Association v. State of Kerala (2018) verdict, was framed under which one of the following?

  • A. Kerala Hindu Places of Public Worship (Authorisation of Entry) Rules, 1965
  • B. Travancore-Cochin Hindu Religious Institutions Act, 1950
  • C. Kerala Devaswom Boards (Amendment) Act, 2007
  • D. Kerala Temple Entry (Removal of Disabilities) Act, 1936

Q2. With reference to the matters tagged to the nine-judge Constitution Bench reference (2026) arising out of the Sabarimala review, consider the following: 1. Entry of Muslim women into mosques 2. Right of Parsi women married to non-Parsis to enter the agiary (Fire Temple) 3. Practice of female genital cutting in the Dawoodi Bohra community 4. Excommunication of members from the Ahmadiyya community Which of the above is/are NOT correctly identified as a matter tagged with the reference?

  1. Entry of Muslim women into mosques
  2. Right of Parsi women married to non-Parsis to enter the agiary (Fire Temple)
  3. Practice of female genital cutting in the Dawoodi Bohra community
  4. Excommunication of members from the Ahmadiyya community
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 3 only
  • C. 4 only
  • D. 2 and 4 only

Q3. With reference to the constitutional provisions invoked in the Sabarimala jurisprudence, consider the following: 1. Article 14 — equality before law 2. Article 17 — abolition of untouchability 3. Article 25 — freedom of conscience and free profession of religion 4. Article 30 — right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions Which of the above is/are correctly identified as provisions invoked before the Court in the Sabarimala case and its review?

  1. Article 14 — equality before law
  2. Article 17 — abolition of untouchability
  3. Article 25 — freedom of conscience and free profession of religion
  4. Article 30 — right of minorities to establish and administer educational institutions
  • A. 1 and 3 only
  • B. 1, 2 and 3 only
  • C. 2, 3 and 4 only
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q4. The administration of the Sabarimala Sree Ayyappa temple is exclusively entrusted to which one of the following statutory bodies?

  • A. Travancore Devaswom Board
  • B. Cochin Devaswom Board
  • C. Malabar Devaswom Board
  • D. Guruvayur Devaswom Managing Committee

Q5. Which one of the following Supreme Court judgments is regarded as the foundational ruling that first articulated the 'Essential Religious Practices' doctrine — the test now being revisited by the nine-judge Constitution Bench in the Sabarimala reference?

  • A. Commissioner, Hindu Religious Endowments, Madras v. Lakshmindra Thirtha Swamiar of Sri Shirur Mutt (1954)
  • B. Ratilal Panachand Gandhi v. State of Bombay (1954)
  • C. S.P. Mittal v. Union of India (1983)
  • D. Bijoe Emmanuel v. State of Kerala (1986)
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