UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — HC name to stay, despite Kerala becoming Keralam
Q1. With reference to the procedure followed for altering the name of the State of Kerala to "Keralam", consider the following statements:
1. The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for alteration of the name before the Bill was referred to the State Legislative Assembly for its views.
2. The Bill was referred to the Kerala Legislative Assembly by the Governor of Kerala for expressing its views.
3. The recommendation of the President was required for the introduction of the Bill in Parliament.
4. The Bill was piloted in Parliament by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
Which of the above is/are NOT correct?
- The Union Cabinet approved the proposal for alteration of the name before the Bill was referred to the State Legislative Assembly for its views.
- The Bill was referred to the Kerala Legislative Assembly by the Governor of Kerala for expressing its views.
- The recommendation of the President was required for the introduction of the Bill in Parliament.
- The Bill was piloted in Parliament by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
- A. 1 and 3
- B. 2 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 4
- D. 3 only
Q2. The Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was introduced in the Lok Sabha by which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, which manages Government business in both Houses
- B. The Ministry of Law and Justice, through its Legislative Department
- C. The Ministry of Home Affairs, which handles Centre-State and States' reorganisation matters
- D. The Ministry of Culture, which handles matters of linguistic and cultural nomenclature
Q3. In the context of the Kerala (Alteration of Name) legislation of 2026, the expression "alteration of the name of a State" precisely denotes which one of the following?
- A. A change requiring the prior and binding concurrence of the Legislature of the State concerned before Parliament may proceed further
- B. A change made by an ordinary law of Parliament, the views of the State Legislature being sought but not binding upon Parliament
- C. A change effected by a constitutional amendment necessarily ratified by the Legislatures of not less than one-half of all the States
- D. A change effected by a Presidential notification adapting the entries relating to the State in the Fourth Schedule
Q4. The renaming of the State of Kerala as "Keralam" in 2026 was given legal effect by amending which one of the following?
- A. The Fourth Schedule to the Constitution
- B. The Seventh Schedule to the Constitution
- C. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution
- D. The First Schedule to the Constitution
Q5. Under the High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016, the appropriate Government was empowered to amend or repeal any law in order to give effect to the alteration of the names of the High Courts, within a maximum period of how long from the commencement of the Act?
- A. Six months
- B. One year
- C. Two years
- D. Three years
Q6. Consider the following statements comparing the renaming of a State with the renaming of its High Court in India:
1. While the name of a State is altered under Article 3, the alteration of the name of a High Court requires a separate law enacted by Parliament.
2. Unlike the alteration of a State's name, the alteration of a High Court's name may be notified by the Government of the State concerned.
3. The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016 was introduced by the Minister of Law and Justice, whereas the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was a Ministry of Home Affairs Bill.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- While the name of a State is altered under Article 3, the alteration of the name of a High Court requires a separate law enacted by Parliament.
- Unlike the alteration of a State's name, the alteration of a High Court's name may be notified by the Government of the State concerned.
- The High Courts (Alteration of Names) Bill, 2016 was introduced by the Minister of Law and Justice, whereas the Kerala (Alteration of Name) Bill, 2026 was a Ministry of Home Affairs Bill.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. Consider the Bombay High Court, the Calcutta High Court, the Madras High Court and the Orissa High Court. In how many of these four cases does the High Court continue to bear a name that differs from the present official name of the State, or of the city in which its principal seat is located?
- A. Only one
- B. Only two
- C. Only three
- D. All four
Q8. Among the following name changes, all of which left the name of the corresponding High Court untouched, which one was the only change that could be effected solely by an Act of Parliament and not by the State Government?
- A. Bombay to Mumbai
- B. Madras to Chennai
- C. Orissa to Odisha
- D. Calcutta to Kolkata
Q9. In India, how many High Courts are vested with ordinary original civil jurisdiction, the remaining High Courts exercising only appellate jurisdiction?
- A. Three
- B. Four
- C. Five
- D. Seven
Q10. Which one of the following High Courts presently exercises jurisdiction over the largest number of full-fledged States?
- A. The Bombay High Court
- B. The Calcutta High Court
- C. The Punjab and Haryana High Court
- D. The Gauhati High Court
Q11. In Indian constitutional practice, an enactment styled an "Alteration of Name Act" — such as the Madras State (Alteration of Name) Act, 1968 or the Uttaranchal (Alteration of Name) Act, 2006 — is best described as which one of the following?
- A. An ordinary Act of Parliament made under Article 3 that substitutes the State's name in the First Schedule
- B. An Act of the State Legislature subsequently ratified by Parliament under Article 4
- C. A constitutional amendment made under Article 368 with ratification by one-half of the States
- D. A Presidential Order made under Article 372 adapting existing laws to the new name of the State
Q12. Consider these four instances of States being renamed after independence: Madras to Tamil Nadu, Mysore to Karnataka, Uttaranchal to Uttarakhand, and Orissa to Odisha. How many of these renamings took effect after the year 2000?
- A. Only one
- B. Only two
- C. Only three
- D. All four