Constitutional Development: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Modern History)
This page lists 4 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on Constitutional Development (Modern History), asked between 1996 to 2013. Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Showing 1–4 of 4 questions
UPSC 2013Modern History · Constitutional Development
Q1. With reference to Indian History, the Members of the Constituent Assembly from the Provinces were:
Explanation
The idea of a constituent assembly was put forward for the first time by M N Roy. The Indian National Congress (INC) first formally requested a constituent assembly to draft an Indian constitution in 1935. Representatives of each community were to be elected by members of that community in the provincial legislative assembly and voting was to be by the method of proportional representation by means of single transferable vote. In case of princely states, the heads of princely states were supposed to nominate the representatives.
Exam tip:
Constituent Assembly must reflect political representation, not just appointed experts. So (d) is technocratic, not democratic eliminate. For (b), A constitution can’t be framed only by party nominees -- it needs at least a structured electoral legitimacy, especially in a transition to independence, hence likely false. For (a), British would not allow direct elections across India --too democratic and complex for colonial preferences In 1946, hence likely false too.
UPSC 2010Modern History · Constitutional Development
Q2. The "Instrument of Instructions" contained in the Government of India Act, 1935 have been incorporated in the Constitution of India in the year 1950 as:
Explanation
The "Instrument of Instructions" from the Government of India Act of 1935 were important guidelines from the British Government. They directed the Governors in British India on how to use their discretionary powers. In 1950, these guidelines influenced the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Constitution of India (Part IV). These principles help the State create laws and policies that improve people’s welfare and build a fair and just society.
UPSC 2002Modern History · Constitutional Development
Q3. The members of the Constituent Assembly which drafted the Constitution of India were:
Explanation
The Constituent Assembly was partly elected and partly nominated. The elections for the Constituent Assembly(Total 389 seats) was held in 1946 according to the plan of the Cabinet Mission. The elected members were indirectly elected by the members of the Provincial Legislative Assembly. The election happened based on Proportional Representation through Single Transferable Vote. Princely States nominated their representatives.
UPSC 1996Modern History · Constitutional Development
Q4. B.R. Ambedkar was elected to the Constituent Assembly from:
Explanation
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar initially formed the Scheduled Castes Federation Party but lost the Bombay Presidency election to an Indian National Congress (INC) candidate. He was a prominent leader of the Dalits and an expert in law and economics. In 1946, after his defeat in the Bombay elections, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was elected to the Constituent Assembly from a seat in West Bengal. He later became the Chairman of the Drafting Committee responsible for framing the Indian Constitution and served as the first Minister of Law and Justice in independent India’s Cabinet.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2013
(c) elected by the Provincial Legislative Assemblies
2
2010
(b) Directive Principles of State Policy
3
2002
(c) elected by the Legislative Assemblies of various province
4
1996
(a) West Bengal
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Constitutional Development?
This page covers 4 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Constitutional Development (Modern History), asked between 1996 to 2013. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Constitutional Development?
Questions on Constitutional Development (Modern History) are available for 4 years, from 1996 to 2013. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
