UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — JUDGES INQUIRY COMMITTEE SUBMITS REPORT TO HON'BLE SPEAKER, LOK SABHA

Q1. In the context of the procedure under Article 124(4) of the Constitution of India read with the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, the 'special majority' required in each House of Parliament for an address praying for the removal of a Judge refers to which one of the following?

• A. A majority of the total membership of the House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting
• B. A majority of not less than two-thirds of the total membership of the House
• C. A majority of not less than three-fourths of the members of the House present and voting
• D. A simple majority of the total membership of the House and a two-thirds majority of members present and voting in a joint sitting

Q2. Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, which one of the following authorities is empowered to constitute the three-member Committee to investigate the alleged misbehaviour or incapacity of a Judge of the Supreme Court or a High Court?

• A. The President of India, on the advice of the Council of Ministers
• B. The Chief Justice of India, in consultation with the senior-most puisne Judges of the Supreme Court
• C. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, depending upon the House in which the removal motion is admitted
• D. A Joint Parliamentary Committee constituted by the Presiding Officers of both Houses

Q3. After both Houses of Parliament have passed an address for the removal of a Judge of the Supreme Court by the requisite special majority, the final order of removal is issued by which one of the following?

• A. The Chief Justice of India
• B. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha, on behalf of Parliament
• C. The President of India
• D. The Vice-President of India, in his capacity as Chairman of the Rajya Sabha

Q4. Under the procedure for removal of a High Court judge in India, the authority empowered to admit a removal motion and thereafter constitute the Inquiry Committee under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 is:

• A. The President of India, acting on the advice of the Union Council of Ministers
• B. The Chief Justice of India, in consultation with the Collegium
• C. The Speaker of Lok Sabha or the Chairman of Rajya Sabha, depending on the House in which the motion is moved
• D. The Union Ministry of Law and Justice, through the Department of Justice

Q5. Under Section 3(2) of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, who acts as the Presiding Officer of the three-member Inquiry Committee constituted to investigate the charges framed in a removal motion against a Judge?

• A. The Chief Justice of India
• B. A sitting Judge of the Supreme Court of India
• C. The Chief Justice of a High Court
• D. A distinguished jurist nominated by the Speaker of Lok Sabha

Q6. Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, the three-member Committee constituted by the Speaker of the Lok Sabha to investigate the grounds for removal of a High Court judge — as in the recent inquiry against Justice Yashwant Varma — is statutorily required to consist of which one of the following compositions?

• A. The Chief Justice of India, a Chief Justice of a High Court, and a distinguished jurist
• B. A Judge of the Supreme Court, a Chief Justice of a High Court, and a distinguished jurist
• C. Two Judges of the Supreme Court nominated by the Chief Justice of India, and the Attorney General for India
• D. The Chief Justice of India, the senior-most Judge of the concerned High Court, and a Senior Advocate nominated by the Bar Council of India

Q7. With reference to the statutory procedure under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968 — recently invoked in the Justice Yashwant Varma matter — as compared with the Supreme Court's in-house procedure for judicial misconduct, consider the following statements: 1. The statutory procedure can be initiated only after a removal motion signed by at least 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs is admitted by the Presiding Officer, whereas the in-house procedure has no such numerical threshold for its initiation. 2. A finding of guilt by the Inquiry Committee under the 1968 Act is always binding upon Parliament and automatically results in the removal of the judge without any further vote. 3. The in-house procedure of the Supreme Court can never recommend the resignation of a judge; only the statutory Committee under the 1968 Act has that power. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. The statutory procedure can be initiated only after a removal motion signed by at least 100 Lok Sabha MPs or 50 Rajya Sabha MPs is admitted by the Presiding Officer, whereas the in-house procedure has no such numerical threshold for its initiation.
2. A finding of guilt by the Inquiry Committee under the 1968 Act is always binding upon Parliament and automatically results in the removal of the judge without any further vote.
3. The in-house procedure of the Supreme Court can never recommend the resignation of a judge; only the statutory Committee under the 1968 Act has that power.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3

Q8. Since the commencement of the Constitution of India, how many judges of the higher judiciary (Supreme Court and High Courts) have been successfully removed from office through the procedure prescribed under Article 124(4)?

• A. None
• B. One
• C. Two
• D. Three

Q9. Who served as the presiding officer of the statutory Judges Inquiry Committee constituted by the Speaker, Lok Sabha in 2025 to probe allegations against Justice Yashwant Varma?

• A. Justice Aravind Kumar
• B. Justice Shree Chandrashekhar
• C. Justice Sheel Nagu
• D. Justice Surya Kant

Q10. The Supreme Court's in-house procedure for examining allegations of misconduct against sitting judges derives its authority from which one of the following?

• A. Section 3 of the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968
• B. A Full Court resolution of the Supreme Court adopted in 1999
• C. Article 124(5) of the Constitution of India
• D. The Contempt of Courts Act, 1971

Q11. Under the Judges (Inquiry) Act, 1968, the 'distinguished jurist' member of the three-member Inquiry Committee is a person who is so regarded in the opinion of which one of the following authorities?

• A. The Chief Justice of India, in consultation with the Collegium of the Supreme Court
• B. The President of India, on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers
• C. The Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, as the case may be, before whom the motion is pending
• D. A joint sitting of the Presiding Officers of both Houses of Parliament along with the Chief Justice of India