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.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 231–240 of 944 questions
Browse Indian Polity and Governance chapters
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q231. Read the following lists and select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Constitutional Amendment
Directive Principle added/modified
A. 42nd Amendment
i. Early childhood care and education (Article 45)
B. 44th Amendment
ii. Promotion of co-operative societies (Article 43B)
C. 86th Amendment
iii. Free legal aid to the poor (Article 39A)
D. 97th Amendment
iv. Minimize inequalities in income (Article 38)
Explanation
The forty-second amendment added free legal aid, while the forty-fourth focused on minimizing income inequalities. The eighty-sixth amendment modified Article forty-five concerning early childhood education, and the ninety-seventh amendment introduced the promotion of co-operative societies. These various amendments reflect the evolving nature of the Directive Principles as they adapt to new social, economic, and political priorities within the Indian nation.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q232. In which case did the Supreme Court of India first rule that in case of a conflict between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, the former would prevail?
Explanation
In the nineteen fifty-one Champakam Dorairajan case, the Supreme Court first addressed the conflict between fundamental rights and directives. The court ruled that the Directive Principles must conform to and run as subsidiary to the fundamental rights. It established that rights are superior and cannot be overridden by directives, though they should be implemented without violating the core rights of citizens.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q233. What was the core ruling regarding Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy in the Golaknath case (1967)?
Explanation
In the nineteen sixty-seven Golaknath case, the Supreme Court took a firm stance by declaring that fundamental rights are sacrosanct and transcendental. The court ruled that Parliament could not amend the Constitution to take away or abridge these rights, even to implement Directive Principles. This judgment significantly restricted the government’s power to prioritize socialistic directives over the individual liberties of citizens.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q234. Consider the following statements tracing the judicial evolution of the relationship between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSPs): I. In Champakam Dorairajan, the Supreme Court declared that DPSPs have to conform to and run as subsidiary to Fundamental Rights. II. The 25th Amendment Act gave primacy to Article 39(b) and (c) over Articles 14, 19, and 31. III. In Kesavananda Bharati, the Supreme Court struck down the entire 25th Amendment Act. IV. The 42nd Amendment Act attempted to give primacy to all DPSPs over Articles 14, 19, and 31. V. In Minerva Mills, the Supreme Court restored the balance between Fundamental Rights and DPSPs. Which combination identifies the INCORRECT statements?
Explanation
In the Kesavananda Bharati case, the Supreme Court did not strike down the entire twenty-fifth amendment. Instead, it upheld the first part of Article thirty-one-C, which protected laws implementing Articles thirty-nine (b) and (c). It only struck down the second part that precluded judicial review. The court maintained that while Parliament can amend rights, it cannot destroy the Constitution’s basic structure.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q235. Article 31C, inserted by the 25th Amendment Act, originally sought to protect laws implementing which specific Directive Principles from being challenged on the grounds of contravention of Fundamental Rights?
Explanation
Article thirty-one-C was introduced by the twenty-fifth amendment act of nineteen seventy-one. It provided that any law enacted to implement the Directive Principles in Article thirty-nine (b) and (c) could not be declared void on the grounds of violating Articles fourteen, nineteen, or thirty-one. This was intended to give primacy to specific socialistic goals over certain fundamental rights in the Constitution.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q236. In the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973), the Supreme Court of India upheld the first provision of Article 31C but struck down its second provision. What did the second provision stipulate?
Explanation
The second provision of Article thirty-one-C stated that no law containing a declaration that it was for giving effect to such policy shall be questioned in any court on the ground that it does not give effect to such policy. In the Kesavananda Bharati case, the Supreme Court struck this down because it attempted to exclude judicial review, which is essential.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q237. How did the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act (1976) attempt to alter the scope of Article 31C?
Explanation
The forty-second amendment act of nineteen seventy-six sought to drastically increase the power of the Directive Principles. It amended Article thirty-one-C to extend legal protection to laws implementing any of the principles specified in Part four, not just those in Article thirty-nine (b) and (c). This change aimed to give all directives precedence over the fundamental rights mentioned in the article.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q238. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R): Assertion (A): The Supreme Court in the Minerva Mills case struck down the extension of Article 31C made by the 42nd Amendment Act. Reason (R): The extension destroyed the harmony and balance between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles, which is an essential feature of the basic structure of the Constitution. In the context of the above statements, which one of the following is correct?
Explanation
In the Minerva Mills case, the Supreme Court struck down the expansion of Article thirty-one-C because it gave absolute primacy to Directive Principles over fundamental rights. The court held that such an imbalance would destroy the harmony between the two, which is an essential feature of the basic structure. The Constitution relies on a delicate balance between these two sets of provisions.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q239. According to the judgment in the Minerva Mills case (1980), the Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between:
Explanation
The Minerva Mills case of nineteen eighty is a landmark judgment that emphasized the importance of the relationship between rights and directives. The Supreme Court declared that the Indian Constitution is founded on the bedrock of the balance between fundamental rights and Directive Principles. To give absolute primacy to one over the other would disturb the core constitutional harmony and basic structure.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · DPSP and Fundamental Duties
Q240. What is the present constitutional position regarding the conflict between Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy?
Explanation
The current legal position is that fundamental rights generally enjoy supremacy over Directive Principles. However, a law implementing the socialistic directives of Article thirty-nine (b) or (c) is constitutionally protected even if it violates Articles fourteen or nineteen. This specific exception, upheld by the Supreme Court, ensures that vital socio-economic reforms can be enacted without being hindered by certain individual rights.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
231
(c) A-iii, B-iv, C-i, D-ii
232
(d) Champakam Dorairajan case (1951)
233
(c) Rights are sacrosanct and cannot be amended for directives
234
(b) III only
235
(d) Article 39(b) and 39(c)
236
(a) No law declaring effect to DPSPs shall be questioned in any court
237
(c) It extended Article 31C to all principles in Part IV
238
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
239
(d) Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles
240
(b) Rights prevail, but Article 39(b) and (c) can override Article 14 and 19
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.
