Basic Features of the Constitution

How many Articles and Schedules comprised the Constitution originally?

1. 395 Articles and 8 Schedules
2. 395 Articles and 12 Schedules
3. 400 Articles and 8 Schedules
4. 448 Articles and 12 Schedules

Answer

395 Articles and 8 Schedules

What is the true nature of Indian polity?

1. Federal
2. Quasi-federal
3. Quasi-federal with some vital elements of unitariness
4. All of these

Answer

Quasi-federal with some vital elements of unitariness

The Constitution of India adopted many of the features of

1. Government of India Act, 1919
2. Government of India Act, 1935
3. Morley-Minto Reforms
4. None of these

Answer

Government of India Act, 1935

Choose the wrong pair:

1. Residuary powers : Canadian Constitution
2. Concurrent List : Australian Constitution
3. Fundamental Rights : American Constitution
4. Directive Principles : Japanese Constitution

Answer

Directive Principles : Japanese Constitution

In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.

1. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).
2. Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct but Reason (R) is not the correct explanation of Assertion
3. Assertion (A) is true, but Reason (R) is false.
4. Assertion (A) is false, but Reason (R) is true.

Assertion (A) : Indian polity is federal in structure but unitary in spirit.

Reason (R) : Emergency powers enjoyed by centre, position of Governor, superiority in Concurrent List and Residuary powers point to India's unitariness.

Answer

Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are correct and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).

Explanation — The Indian Constitution is federal in structure, it has made the Central Government so powerful that it has become almost unitary in essence. Even though there is a division of powers between the Union (or Centre) on the one hand and the Units (or States) on the other, however the powers vested to the Centre are far superior than that of the States.

Which is the final authority to expound and interpret the constitution?

1. Parliament
2. President
3. Speaker of Lok Sabha
4. The Supreme Court

Answer

The Supreme Court

Regarding Indian Constitution, we may say it is

1. more rigid than flexible
2. very rigid
3. very flexible
4. more flexible than rigid

Answer

more flexible than rigid

Identify the reasons behind adoption of the Universal Adult Franchise in India.

P : Everybody should have a right to vote in a democracy.

Q : If a government affects all it must be responsible to all.

R : This practice was followed in all democracies.

S : The framers of the Constitution believed that adult / youths could take a better decision

Options:

1. P and Q
2. Q and R
3. R and S
4. P and S

Answer

P and Q

Which country has the lengthiest constitution?

1. India
2. USA
3. England
4. Canada

Answer

India

Read the two statements given below about citizenship in Indian Constitution and select the option that shows the correct relationship between (A) and (B).

(A) : Although India is a federation, its citizens have not been provided with dual citizenship as in the U.S.A.

(B) : This has been done to ward off separatist tendencies.

1. (B) contradicts (A)
2. (B) is the reason for (A)
3. (A) is true but (B) is false
4. (A) and (B) are independent of each other

Answer

(B) is the reason for (A)

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

(i) Fundamental Rights are inviolable.
(ii) Rights are binding on legislature and executive.

1. Only (i)
2. Only (ii)
3. Both (i) & (ii)
4. None of these

Answer

Both (i) & (ii)

What is the voting age for citizens in India?

1. Less than 18 years
2. More than 18 years
3. Equal to 18 years
4. 18 years and above

Answer

18 years and above

A college student Asha is doing a project on Directive Principles. Which of the following provisions of the Constitution she is most likely to study in detail?

1. Articles 30—70
2. Articles 36—51
3. Articles 36—40
4. Articles 80—100

Answer

Articles 36—51

Which Constitution provided the idea of Concurrent List?

1. USA Constitution
2. Indian Constitution
3. Australian Constitution
4. French Constitution

Answer

Australian Constitution

Which of the given statements is/are not true?

(i) Indian Constitution is rigid.
(ii) There is no division of powers between union and states.

1. Only (i)
2. Only (ii)
3. Both (i) and (ii)
4. None of these

Answer

Both (i) and (ii)

At present, how many Schedules are there in the Indian Constitution?

1. 25
2. 11
3. 12
4. 8

Answer

12

Which statement(s) is/are correct about Parliamentary form of Government?

(i) Executive is in constant touch with Legislature.
(ii) Real powers lie with the Prime Minister and Parliament.

1. Only (i)
2. Only (ii)
3. Both (i) & (ii)
4. Neither (i) nor (ii)

Answer

Both (i) & (ii)

Our Constitution makers established an independent judiciary in India. Which of the following statements describes the same?

1. It was necessary to safeguard the Fundamental Rights.
2. The Supreme Court can declare any law passed by the executive or legislature null and void if it violates the provisions of Constitution.
3. It decides disputes between states.
4. It hears appeal against the decision of the High Courts.

Answer

The Supreme Court can declare any law passed by the executive or legislature null and void if it violates the provisions of Constitution.

Which statement(s) is/are correct about Universal Adult Franchise?

(i) Everybody should have right to vote in a democracy.
(ii) The system is based on political equality.

1. Only (i)
2. Only (ii)
3. Both (i) & (ii)
4. None of these

Answer

Both (i) & (ii)

What is the difference between a written Constitution and an unwritten Constitution?

Answer

A written Constitution is based on the laws enacted by a representative body of the people elected for this specific purpose. An unwritten Constitution basically comprises unwritten traditions, conventions and practices.

Give two reasons to show why the Indian Constitution is a lengthy Constitution.

Answer

Two reasons why the Indian Constitution is a lengthy Constitution are:

1. Our Constitution makers tried to incorporate good points of all the Constitutions of the world.
2. The amendments made from time to time in our Constitution have also added to the volume of the Constitution.

With reference to the given picture below, state the importance of the Directive Principles of State Policy.

Answer

The Directive Principles of State Policy mainly aim at guiding the Government to strive more and more for the welfare of the people.

State one difference between the federal and unitary Constitutions.

Answer

In a federal constitution, power is divided between a central government and state governments, whereas in a unitary constitution, all governing power is centralized in the national government (or the centre holds more power than the states).

Explain how the Indian Constitution is federal in structure and unitary in spirit.

Answer

The Indian Constitution is federal in structure as there is a division of powers between the Union (or Centre) on the one hand and the Units (or States) on the other. However, the central government holds much more power than the state government, like the Union List controlling more subjects than the State list, and the centre having much greater finances under its control than the States.

Mention any two federal features of the Indian Constitution.

Answer

Two federal features of the Indian Constitution are as follows:

1. There is a division of powers between the Union (or Centre) on the one hand and the Units (or States) on the other.
2. Secondly, the Indian Constitution is both written and rigid. The division of powers between the Centre and the States has been put in black and white.

Person A holds dual citizenship, being a citizen of both the USA and Texas. Is it the same in India? Explain how India's system of citizenship differs.

Answer

No, unlike USA, India does not provide its people with dual citizenship (one for the Federal Government and the other for the State Government). All Indians, irrespective of their domicile, enjoy one citizenship. In India a person born in any state, such as Bihar, Punjab or Telangana, can only be a citizen of India and not a separate citizen of that state.

What are the essential features of the parliamentary form of Government?

Answer

The essential features of the Parliamentary form of Government are:

1. Executive is a part of the Legislature.
2. The President of India is only a Constitutional head. The real powers lie with the Prime Minister and his/her Council of Ministers.
3. The Ministers are responsible to the Prime Minister as well as to the Parliament but not to the President.

Name a foreign country which has the parliamentary form of Government.

Answer

A foreign country which has the parliamentary form of Government is England.

Why were the Directive Principles of State Policy incorporated in the Constitution of India?

Answer

The Directive Principles of State Policy incorporated in the Constitution of India with the main aim at guiding the Government to strive more and more for the welfare of the people.

One of the most critical ways that individuals can influence governmental decision-making is through voting.

(Source: http://hrlibrary.umn.edu/edumat/studyguides/votingrights.html)

Which one of the features is referred to in the given lines? Explain that feature briefly.

Answer

The feature referred to in the given lines is "Right to Vote" or "Universal Suffrage". Anyone who is a citizen of India, 18 years of age and above, can vote without any restrictions based on caste, colour or creed.

Read the excerpt given below and answer the question that follows:

The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003 was passed by the Parliament of India in December 2003.

(Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizenship_(Amendment)_Act,_2003)

(a) What changes were made under this Act?

(b) Explain Single Citizenship as a salient feature of the Indian Constitution.

Answer

(a) According to the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2003, the Government of India has granted Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) status to persons of Indian origin (PIOs) who migrated abroad after January 26, 1950. All privileges of an Indian citizen barring the right to vote can be enjoyed by PIOs.

(b) Although India is a federation, its citizens have not been provided with dual citizenship (one for the Federal Government and the other for the State Government) as in the case of U.S.A. All Indians, irrespective of their domicile, enjoy one citizenship. In India a person born in any state, such as Bihar, Punjab or Telangana, can only be a citizen of India and not a separate citizen of that state.

Explain the following features of the Constitution of India :

(a) Universal Adult Franchise

(b) A Secular State

(c) Fundamental Rights of the Citizens

Answer

(a) Universal Adult Franchise — The Constitution of India provides for Universal Adult Franchise. It means every citizen of 18 years of age and above has been given the right to take part in the elections without any restrictions based on caste, creed or colour, educational qualifications or property rights.

(b) A Secular State — The Indian Constitution has declared India to be a secular state where all the citizens enjoy equal rights and are equal before the law irrespective of their caste, colour, creed, religion or sex. Anybody in India can practise any religion he or she chooses and no distinction would ever be made on this account. The state has no official religion and ensures that no citizen suffers or enjoys special rights based solely on their religion.

(c) Fundamental Rights of the Citizens — The Indian Constitution has guaranteed several Fundamental Rights to all its citizens. They are grouped under six categories such as Right to Equality; Right to Freedom; Freedom of Religion; Cultural and Educational Rights; Right against Exploitation and Right to Constitutional Remedies. These rights are inviolable and can be enforced by the Judiciary, ensuring that both the Legislature and the Executive comply with them.