2 previous year UPSC Prelims questions on President (Polity). Choose an option to see the answer and explanation.
Explanations state facts as of the year each question was asked; words like “recently” refer to that year.
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UPSC 2023Polity · President
Q1. Consider the following statements in respect of election to the President of India: 1. The members nominated to either House of the Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States are also eligible to be included in the Electoral College. 2. Higher the number of elective Assembly seats, higher is the value of vote of each MLA of that State. 3. The value of vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is greater than that of Kerala. 4. The value of vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh because the ratio of total population to total number of elective seats in Puducherry is greater as compared to Arunachal Pradesh. How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: As per Article 54 of the Constitution, the President of India is elected by the Members of an Electoral College consisting of:
The elected members of both Houses of Parliament.
The elected members of the Legislative Assemblies of all States [including the National Capital Territory of Delhi and the Union Territory of Puducherry]. The Members nominated to either House of Parliament or the Legislative Assemblies of States, including NCT of Delhi and Union Territory of Puducherry, are not eligible to be included in the Electoral College.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The higher the number of elective Assembly seats, the higher the value of the vote of each MLA of that State is not always true as it depends on the ratio of the total population to the total number of elective seats.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The value of the vote of each MLA of Madhya Pradesh is less than that of Kerala, as it depends on the ratio of the total population to the total number of elective seats.
Statement 4 is correct: Based on the ratio of the total population to the total number of elective seats in the State value of the vote of each MLA of Puducherry is higher than that of Arunachal Pradesh.
UPSC 2023Polity · President
Q2. Consider the following statements: 1. If the election of the President of India is declared void by the Supreme Court of India, all acts done by him/ her in the performance of duties of his/her office of President before the date of decision become invalid. 2. Elections for the post of the President of India can be postponed on the ground that some Legislative Assemblies have been dissolved and elections are yet to take place. 3. When a Bill is presented to the President of India, the Constitution prescribes time limits within which he/ she has to declare his/her assent. How many of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: If the election of a person as President is declared void by the Supreme Court, acts done by him before the date of such declaration of the Supreme Court are not invalidated and continue to remain in force.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Where an assembly is dissolved, the members cease to be qualified to vote in Presidential elections, even if fresh elections to the dissolved assembly are not held before the Presidential elections.
Statement 3 is incorrect: When a bill is sent to the President after it has been passed by the Parliament, he can give his assent to the bill, withhold his assent to the bill or return the bill (if it is not a money bill) for reconsideration of the Parliament. No time limit has been fixed by the Constitution within which the President has to give his/her assent to the bill.
Exam tip:
S1 is an extreme statement and violates common sense. The President performs major constitutional functions -- signing laws, appointments, pardons, etc. If those be-come invalid, it would create a constitutional crisis. So logically, such actions must be protected retroactively. For S2, Use this guiding test: "Does this condition make the whole system hostage to one state’s situation?" If yes That’s logically faulty for a pan-India constitutional post like the President. For S3, If the Constitution had set time limits, there’d be no controversy over "pocket veto" (where President takes no action). The fact that such debates happen = Time limits don’t exist. Hence all three are likely false.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2023
(a) Only one
2
2023
(d) None
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on President?
This page covers 2 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on President (Polity), asked from 1996 to 2025. 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 President?
Questions on President (Polity) are available for 9 years, from 1996 to 2025. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
