70 RAS Prelims MCQs on the emergency provisions cover the three kinds of emergency, their grounds, parliamentary approval and duration, the effects on federalism and rights, and the amendments that changed them. The Emergencies of 1962, 1971 and 1975 and the 38th, 42nd and 44th Amendments are asked as facts and sequences.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 51–60 of 70 questions
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q51. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): The President can proclaim a National Emergency even before the actual occurrence of war or external aggression. Reason (R): Article 352 allows the proclamation if the President is satisfied that there is an imminent danger thereof. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
Explanation
Article 352 allows the President to proclaim a National Emergency if he is satisfied that there is an imminent danger of war, external aggression, or armed rebellion. This means the emergency can be declared before the actual event occurs. This preemptive power is crucial for the government to take necessary defensive measures to protect the country’s security effectively.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q52. Consider the following statements regarding the 1975 internal emergency: I. It was the only emergency in India declared on the grounds of internal disturbance. II. It resulted in the immediate suspension of all Fundamental Rights without exception. III. It led to the centralization of power and subsequent enactment of the 42nd Amendment. Which of the combinations given below is correct?
Explanation
The 1975 emergency was uniquely declared on the grounds of internal disturbance. It led to a significant centralization of power and the enactment of the Forty-second Amendment. While it initially suspended the enforcement of many rights, the subsequent reaction led to the Forty-fourth Amendment, which protected Articles 20 and 21 from ever being suspended again, ensuring essential legal protections remain.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q53. Under Article 359, if the right to move courts for enforcement of Fundamental Rights is suspended, what happens to the Fundamental Rights themselves?
Explanation
Under Article 359, the Presidential order suspends the right to approach the court for the enforcement of specified Fundamental Rights. This means that while the rights themselves are not deleted or theoretically suspended, they are rendered non-justiciable for the duration of the order. Citizens cannot seek legal remedies for their violation, effectively making the rights unenforceable in a court.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q54. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Article of Emergency
Grounds of Declaration
A. Article 352
i. Threat to financial stability
B. Article 356
ii. War or external aggression
C. Article 360
iii. Failure of constitutional machinery
D. Article 365
iv. Failure to comply with Union directions
Explanation
The Indian Constitution specifies distinct grounds for different types of emergency declarations. Article 352 is for war or external aggression. Article 356 is for the failure of constitutional machinery in a state. Article 360 covers threats to financial stability. Article 365 provides that failure to follow Union directions is a ground for deemed constitutional failure, justifying President’s Rule.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q55. Consider the following situations regarding the imposition of Article 356: I. Maladministration in the state. II. Serious allegations of corruption against the Chief Minister. III. No party securing a majority in the state assembly elections. Which of the combinations above provides a constitutional ground for imposing President’s Rule?
Explanation
President’s Rule can be imposed in a state when there is a hung assembly and no party can form a stable government. However, maladministration or allegations of corruption against a Chief Minister are not considered valid constitutional grounds for invoking Article 356. The provision is strictly intended for situations where the constitutional machinery itself has broken down beyond ordinary repair.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q56. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): The State Legislative Assembly cannot be dissolved merely upon the issuance of a proclamation of President’s Rule. Reason (R): The S.R. Bommai judgment requires that dissolution can only occur after the proclamation is approved by both Houses of Parliament. In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
Explanation
Based on the S.R. Bommai judgment, a State Legislative Assembly cannot be dissolved immediately when President’s Rule is proclaimed. The President can only suspend the assembly. Dissolution can only occur after both Houses of Parliament have approved the proclamation. This rule serves as a safeguard, ensuring that the assembly’s existence is protected until the central action is legislatively validated.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q57. Select the correct order of the Presidents who signed the proclamations for the National Emergencies of 1962, 1971, and 1975 respectively.
Explanation
The Emergencies of 1962, 1971 and 1975 were proclaimed by President S. Radhakrishnan, V. V. Giri and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed respectively.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q58. During a National Emergency, what is the maximum duration for which the state executive can be directed by the Union?
Explanation
During a National Emergency the Union can give directions to a State on how its executive power is to be used, and this lasts as long as the Emergency is in operation.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q59. Consider the following statements about the financial implications of a National Emergency: I. The President can modify the constitutional distribution of revenues between the Centre and the states. II. Such modification can only continue till the end of the financial year in which the emergency ceases to operate. III. The modification order must be laid before both Houses of Parliament. IV. The States are completely deprived of their share in central taxes permanently. Which of the combinations given below correctly identifies the TRUE statements?
Explanation
In a National Emergency the President can modify the division of revenues between the Centre and States, until the end of the financial year in which the Emergency ends, and the order must be laid before Parliament. States are not permanently deprived of their share, so IV is wrong.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Emergency Provisions
Q60. What is the fundamental rationale behind providing emergency provisions in the Indian Constitution?
Explanation
The emergency provisions exist to safeguard the sovereignty, unity, integrity and security of the country. They are not meant to create a dictatorship or to centralise power for its own sake.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
51
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
52
(d) I, II and III
53
(c) They remain alive in theory, but the remedy to enforce them is suspended.
54
(c) A-ii, B-iii, C-i, D-iv
55
(b) III only
56
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
57
(a) S. Radhakrishnan, V.V. Giri, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed
58
(c) As long as the emergency is in operation
59
(a) I, II and III
60
(b) To safeguard the sovereignty, unity, integrity, and security of the country
Key facts from Emergency Provisions
The emergency provisions exist to safeguard the sovereignty, unity, integrity and security of the country.
Article 352 deals with National Emergency, Article 356 with President’s Rule (failure of constitutional machinery) and Article 360 with Financial Emergency.
Article 355 makes it the Union’s duty to protect States, and it is the basis for Article 356.
The 44th Amendment requires the President to act only on the written advice of the Cabinet before proclaiming an Emergency.
The Emergencies of 1962, 1971 and 1975 were proclaimed by S. Radhakrishnan, V. V. Giri and Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed.
The 38th, 42nd and 44th Amendments affected the Emergency provisions in that order; the Shah Commission inquired into the 1975 excesses.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Emergency Provisions?
This page has 70 practice MCQs on Emergency Provisions (Indian Polity and Governance). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Which Article deals with President’s Rule?
Article 356, which applies when the government of a State cannot be carried on in accordance with the Constitution. Parliament must approve the proclamation within two months, and it can last up to three years in all.
What did the 44th Amendment change about Emergencies?
It required the President to act on the written advice of the Union Cabinet, replaced internal disturbance with armed rebellion as a ground and added safeguards, so that a Prime Minister could not impose an Emergency alone as in 1975.
Has a Financial Emergency ever been declared?
No. Article 360 provides for it, but none has been proclaimed, even in the economic crisis of 1991. In such an emergency the salaries of officials, including judges, could be reduced.
