Q1. Who among the following was the first to put forward the idea of a Constituent Assembly for India?
Indian Polity and Governance: RAS Prelims MCQs
944 RAS Prelims practice MCQs on Indian polity and governance are on this page, in 12 chapters. They cover the framing of the Constitution, the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, the Directive Principles, the Union executive, Parliament and the judiciary, Union-State relations, emergency provisions, local government, constitutional bodies, public policy and the vigilance and accountability institutions. Each question has an answer and an explanation.
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Q2. Given below are two statements regarding the demand for the Constituent Assembly:
Statement I: The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of India in 1935.
Statement II: The British Government accepted this demand for the first time in principle through the Cripps Mission of 1942.
Identify the correct option:
Statement I: The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame the Constitution of India in 1935.
Statement II: The British Government accepted this demand for the first time in principle through the Cripps Mission of 1942.
Identify the correct option:
Explanation
The Indian National Congress officially demanded a Constituent Assembly to frame India’s Constitution in 1935. While the demand was accepted in principle by the British government, this occurred through the August Offer of 1940, not the Cripps Mission of 1942. The Cripps Mission later proposed a framed constitution after World War II, but the initial acceptance happened earlier.
Q3. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer from the options given below:
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| A. First official demand by INC for Constituent Assembly | i. 1940 |
| B. August Offer | ii. 1946 |
| C. Cripps Mission | iii. 1935 |
| D. Cabinet Mission Plan | iv. 1942 |
Explanation
The Indian National Congress made the first official demand for a Constituent Assembly in 1935. The British government accepted this demand in principle through the August Offer in 1940. Subsequently, Sir Stafford Cripps brought a draft proposal in 1942, and the Cabinet Mission Plan, which formulated the scheme for the assembly, was finally dispatched to India in 1946.
Q4. Which of the following events directly precipitated the failure of the Cripps Mission and the subsequent launch of the Quit India Movement?
Explanation
The Cripps Mission failed primarily because it offered dominion status instead of the full independence demanded by Indian leaders. Furthermore, it did not provide for an immediate transfer of effective power to Indian hands during the war. This dissatisfaction led the Indian National Congress to reject the proposals entirely and subsequently launch the Quit India Movement to demand British withdrawal.
Q5. Which among the following British initiatives formally rejected the idea of two constituent assemblies and a separate state of Pakistan, though it proposed a scheme that largely satisfied the Muslim League?
Explanation
The Cabinet Mission Plan, sent in 1946, rejected the Muslim League’s demand for two separate Constituent Assemblies and the creation of Pakistan. However, it proposed a unique scheme for the assembly that grouped provinces into three sections. This arrangement provided a level of autonomy to Muslim-majority provinces, which initially persuaded the Muslim League to accept the plan before withdrawing.
Q6. Consider the following statements regarding the historical background of the Indian Constitution:
I. The Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan.
II. The members of the Constituent Assembly were directly elected by the people of India on the basis of universal adult franchise.
III. The representatives of the princely states were to be nominated by the heads of the princely states.
Which of the above combination of statements is incorrect?
I. The Constituent Assembly was constituted in November 1946 under the scheme formulated by the Cabinet Mission Plan.
II. The members of the Constituent Assembly were directly elected by the people of India on the basis of universal adult franchise.
III. The representatives of the princely states were to be nominated by the heads of the princely states.
Which of the above combination of statements is incorrect?
Explanation
The Constituent Assembly was not a directly elected body based on universal adult franchise. Instead, it was a body where members were indirectly elected by the members of the provincial legislative assemblies. This assembly was constituted in November 1946 under the Cabinet Mission Plan. Additionally, representatives of princely states were indeed nominated by the heads of those specific states.
Q7. Who among the following was not a member of the Cabinet Mission of 1946?
Explanation
The Cabinet Mission arrived in India in 1946 consisting of three British cabinet members: Lord Pethick-Lawrence, Sir Stafford Cripps, and A. V. Alexander. Although Lord Wavell was the Viceroy of India at that time and was closely involved in the discussions and negotiations between the mission and Indian leaders, he was not an official member of the three-man mission itself.
Q8. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer from the options given below:
| Cabinet Mission Member | Portfolio/Role |
|---|---|
| A. Lord Pethick-Lawrence | i. President of the Board of Trade |
| B. Sir Stafford Cripps | ii. First Lord of the Admiralty |
| C. A. V. Alexander | iii. Viceroy of India (Not a member but involved) |
| D. Lord Wavell | iv. Secretary of State for India |
Explanation
Lord Pethick-Lawrence served as the Secretary of State for India, while Sir Stafford Cripps was the President of the Board of Trade. A. V. Alexander held the position of the First Lord of the Admiralty. Together, they formed the Cabinet Mission. Lord Wavell participated in the negotiations in his capacity as the Viceroy of India but was not a member.
Q9. What was the basis of the allocation of seats to the British Indian Provinces and Princely States in the Constituent Assembly under the Cabinet Mission Plan?
Explanation
Under the Cabinet Mission Plan, seats in the Constituent Assembly were allotted to each province and princely state in proportion to their respective population. Roughly, one seat was to be allotted for every million people. This method ensured that the representation in the assembly reflected the demographic distribution across the British Indian provinces and various princely states at that time.
Q10. Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as
Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The Constituent Assembly of India was a partly elected and partly nominated body.
Reason (R): The members from the British Indian provinces were indirectly elected by the provincial assemblies, while the members from the princely states were nominated by their rulers.
Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The Constituent Assembly of India was a partly elected and partly nominated body.
Reason (R): The members from the British Indian provinces were indirectly elected by the provincial assemblies, while the members from the princely states were nominated by their rulers.
Explanation
The Constituent Assembly was characterized as a partly elected and partly nominated body because of its composition. Members representing the British Indian provinces were elected indirectly by the provincial legislative assemblies using the single transferable vote. In contrast, the seats assigned to the princely states were filled by representatives nominated by the rulers of those states rather than elections.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 1 | (b) M. N. Roy |
| 2 | (a) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect |
| 3 | (a) A-iii, B-i, C-iv, D-ii |
| 4 | (d) The Congress’s rejection of dominion status and lack of immediate power transfer. |
| 5 | (c) The Cabinet Mission Plan |
| 6 | (b) II only |
| 7 | (d) Lord Wavell |
| 8 | (a) A-iv, B-i, C-ii, D-iii |
| 9 | (c) Proportional representation based on respective population. |
| 10 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
Key facts from Indian Polity and Governance
- The RPSC syllabus lists the Indian Constitution, the political system and governance, with public policy, vigilance and accountability bodies as part of the paper.
- Article-number questions are the commonest: for example Article 356 for President’s Rule, Article 324 for the Election Commission and Article 243K for the State Election Commission.
- Statement and assertion-reason questions test exceptions, so learn each provision with its limits.
- Questions on bodies ask for appointing authority, removing authority, tenure and the body to which the report goes.
- The Rajasthan-specific part of polity is on a separate page, with its own 8 chapters.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Indian Polity and Governance?
This page has 944 practice MCQs on Indian Polity and Governance. Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Which chapters does the Indian polity set cover?
Twelve chapters: framing of the Constitution, Preamble and citizenship; Fundamental Rights; DPSP and Fundamental Duties; Union executive; Parliament; Union judiciary; Union-State relations; emergency provisions; local government; constitutional and statutory bodies; public policy and citizen charter; and vigilance and accountability.
Is polity part of the RAS Prelims syllabus?
Yes. The RPSC syllabus for General Knowledge includes the Indian Constitution, political system and governance, together with the political and administrative system of Rajasthan, which is covered on the separate Rajasthan polity page.
How should I revise polity for RAS Prelims?
Make a table of articles, bodies and amendments. Attempt each chapter, read the explanation for every miss and note the article number and the exception. Repeat the chapter after a few days, as polity facts are easy to confuse.