UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi inaugurates the 28th Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth at the Central Hall of Samvidhan Sadan

Q1. Which one of the following best describes the foremost objective for which the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of the Commonwealth (CSPOC) exists?

  • A. Sharing of parliamentary best practices and promoting the impartiality of the Chair among presiding officers
  • B. Coordinating the foreign and trade policy of Commonwealth member states
  • C. Electing the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth
  • D. Drafting model legislation that is binding on all Commonwealth parliaments

Q2. The CSPOC functions in relation to which of the following bodies?

  • A. It is a specialised organ of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
  • B. It operates under the authority of the Commonwealth Secretariat
  • C. It is answerable to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM)
  • D. It is an independent body with no formal affiliation to the CPA, the Commonwealth Secretariat or the Commonwealth Heads of Government

Q3. Which one of the following has served as the sole permanent secretariat supporting the activities of the CSPOC since its creation?

  • A. The Parliament of Canada at Ottawa
  • B. The Commonwealth Secretariat at Marlborough House, London
  • C. The UK House of Commons at Westminster
  • D. The Lok Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi

Q4. Prior to the 2026 conference, in which year did India most recently host the CSPOC?

  • A. 1986
  • B. 2006
  • C. 2010
  • D. 2014

Q5. Including the 2026 edition, how many times has India hosted the CSPOC?

  • A. Two
  • B. Three
  • C. Four
  • D. Five

Q6. At the 28th CSPOC, participation was described as coming from '53 Commonwealth countries and 14 semi-autonomous parliaments'. In this context, the term 'semi-autonomous parliaments' most precisely refers to:

  • A. Legislatures of self-governing and dependent territories within Commonwealth jurisdictions
  • B. Parliaments of member states currently suspended from the Commonwealth
  • C. Non-member observer states attending in a consultative capacity
  • D. Regional legislative blocs of neighbouring Commonwealth countries

Q7. The 28th CSPOC (New Delhi, 2026) was conducted under the chairpersonship of which of the following?

  • A. Om Birla, Speaker of the Lok Sabha
  • B. The Vice-President of India as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha
  • C. The Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs
  • D. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons

Q8. At the valedictory session of the 28th CSPOC, the chairmanship of the Conference was handed over to whom?

  • A. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, Speaker of the UK House of Commons
  • B. The Speaker of the Canadian House of Commons
  • C. The Speaker of the House of Representatives of Australia
  • D. The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth

Q9. The renaming of the old Parliament building as 'Samvidhan Sadan' was formally notified by which of the following?

  • A. The Lok Sabha Secretariat
  • B. The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs
  • C. The Central Public Works Department (CPWD)
  • D. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs

Q10. Under which Article of the Constitution of India does the Lok Sabha choose two of its members to be Speaker and Deputy Speaker?

  • A. Article 93
  • B. Article 94
  • C. Article 95
  • D. Article 89