UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Women’s quota should be implemented without delimitation: ex-HC judge
Q1. Consider the following statements comparing the women's reservation introduced by the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023 with the existing reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes:
1. Unlike the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the women's reservation carries a fixed sunset of fifteen years from its commencement.
2. The women's reservation applies to the Lok Sabha, the State Legislative Assemblies and the Rajya Sabha.
3. One-third of the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are further reserved for women within those categories.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike the reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, the women's reservation carries a fixed sunset of fifteen years from its commencement.
- The women's reservation applies to the Lok Sabha, the State Legislative Assemblies and the Rajya Sabha.
- One-third of the seats already reserved for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes are further reserved for women within those categories.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q2. Which one of the following Articles, inserted by the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, provides for the reservation of seats for women specifically in the House of the People (Lok Sabha)?
- A. Article 334A
- B. Article 330A
- C. Article 332A
- D. Article 239AA
Q3. Which Constitutional Amendment first froze the total number of Lok Sabha and State Assembly seats at the 1971 Census levels?
- A. The 84th Amendment (2001)
- B. The 87th Amendment (2003)
- C. The 42nd Amendment (1976)
- D. The 31st Amendment (1973)
Q4. The Constitution (84th Amendment) Act, 2001 did which one of the following?
- A. It froze the number of seats at the 1971 census levels for the first time and suspended all delimitation exercises.
- B. It extended the freeze on the number of seats only until the first census taken after the year 2000.
- C. It re-fixed constituency boundaries within States on the basis of the 2001 census figures.
- D. It extended the freeze on inter-State seat allocation until the first census after 2026, while permitting intra-State readjustment of boundaries on the basis of the 1991 census.
Q5. Article 329(a) of the Constitution provides for which one of the following?
- A. A bar on questioning, in any court, the validity of any law relating to the delimitation of constituencies or the allotment of seats made under Article 327 or 328.
- B. A complete and permanent bar on all judicial review of every electoral matter, including the trial of election petitions.
- C. An absolute prohibition preventing Parliament from ever altering the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies.
- D. A requirement that every order of the Delimitation Commission be laid before and approved by both Houses of Parliament without exception.
Q6. Under Article 170(1) of the Constitution, the maximum number of members of a State Legislative Assembly (chosen by direct election) is:
Q7. The Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026 seeks to raise the maximum strength of the Lok Sabha to:
Q8. Under the Delimitation Bill, 2026 read with the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, 2026, the next delimitation of constituencies is to be carried out on the basis of which Census?
- A. The 2027 Census
- B. The 2001 Census
- C. The 2011 Census
- D. The 1971 Census
Q9. Who is designated to chair the Delimitation Commission under the Delimitation Bill, 2026 (as under the Delimitation Act, 2002)?
- A. A person who is or has been a Judge of the Supreme Court, appointed by the Central Government
- B. The Chief Election Commissioner of India, ex officio
- C. A retired Chief Justice of a High Court nominated by the President
- D. A person who is or has been a Judge of a High Court, appointed by the Chief Election Commissioner
Q10. According to the Union Home Minister's 2026 reply in the Lok Sabha, the combined Lok Sabha seats of the five southern states (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala) would rise from 129 to:
Q11. At the Chennai launch of 'The Delimitation Debate: The Union and its Units' (July 2026), former Madras High Court judge Justice D. Hariparanthaman advocated a particular position. Consider the following:
1. Women's reservation should be implemented immediately, without waiting for delimitation.
2. The women's reservation should be delinked from the Census.
3. The existing freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats should continue.
4. The number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased immediately on the basis of the 2011 Census.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified as part of his proposal?
- Women's reservation should be implemented immediately, without waiting for delimitation.
- The women's reservation should be delinked from the Census.
- The existing freeze on the number of Lok Sabha seats should continue.
- The number of Lok Sabha seats should be increased immediately on the basis of the 2011 Census.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q12. The reservation of not less than one-third of the offices of Chairpersons in Panchayats at each level for women is provided under which Article of the Constitution?
- A. Article 243T
- B. Article 243D
- C. Article 243G
- D. Article 40