Q351. Which of the following Prime Ministers of India was a member of the Rajya Sabha at the time of his/her initial appointment?
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.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 351–360 of 944 questions
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Q352. Which of the following describes the most appropriate description of a ‘Caretaker Government’ in India?
Explanation
A caretaker government is a temporary administration that stays in office after the Lok Sabha is dissolved until a new government is formed. It is expected to perform only routine administrative duties and avoid taking major policy decisions or making significant financial commitments. This convention ensures that the country is not without an executive during the transition period between general elections.
Q353. The concept of the ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ (or Inner Cabinet) refers to:
Explanation
The ‘Kitchen Cabinet’ is an informal, extra-constitutional body consisting of the Prime Minister and a few influential colleagues, friends, or family members. It serves as an inner circle where crucial decisions are often discussed and finalized before being presented to the formal Cabinet. This informal arrangement exists in many parliamentary systems to facilitate quick decision-making and provide trusted advice.
Q354. Consider the following features of the Indian Parliamentary System:
I. Presence of nominal and real executives
II. Majority party rule
III. Collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature
IV. Membership of the ministers in the legislature
V. Dissolution of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) by the Prime Minister
Which of the above statements represent the correct features?
I. Presence of nominal and real executives
II. Majority party rule
III. Collective responsibility of the executive to the legislature
IV. Membership of the ministers in the legislature
V. Dissolution of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) by the Prime Minister
Which of the above statements represent the correct features?
Explanation
The Indian parliamentary system is characterized by the presence of a nominal head (President) and a real head (Prime Minister). It features majority party rule, collective responsibility to the Lok Sabha, and the requirement that ministers be members of the legislature. While the Lok Sabha can be dissolved, the Rajya Sabha is a permanent body and cannot be dissolved by any authority.
Q355. What is the constitutional significance of the post of Deputy Prime Minister of India?
Explanation
The post of Deputy Prime Minister is not mentioned in the Constitution. It is a purely political arrangement created by the Prime Minister for administrative convenience or to balance political interests within a coalition. A Deputy Prime Minister holds the rank of a Cabinet Minister and enjoys no special constitutional powers or automatic right of succession to the office of Prime Minister.
Q356. If a Minister in the Union Government loses a vote of no-confidence in the Lok Sabha on a policy issue related strictly to his department, what is the consequence?
Explanation
Due to the principle of collective responsibility, a no-confidence motion passed by the Lok Sabha against any single minister or on a specific policy issue forces the entire Council of Ministers to resign. The ministry acts as a team; thus, the loss of confidence in one part signifies a loss of confidence in the entire government. This maintains executive accountability.
Q357. The Prime Minister is the Chairman of which of the following bodies?
Explanation
The Prime Minister serves as the ex-officio Chairman of several high-level bodies that facilitate policy coordination and national integration. These include the NITI Aayog, the Inter-State Council, and the National Integration Council. These roles highlight the Prime Minister’s central position in the Indian governance framework. Such chairmanships enable the head of government to drive unified policy agendas across various sectors and states.
Q358. Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer:
| Important Cases/Doctrines | Related Core Concept |
|---|---|
| A. Shamsher Singh v. State of Punjab | i. Repromulgation of Ordinances is unconstitutional |
| B. S.R. Bommai v. Union of India | ii. Justiciability of President’s Rule |
| C. D.C. Wadhwa v. State of Bihar | iii. President is only a formal/nominal executive head |
| D. U.N. Rao v. Indira Gandhi | iv. Council of Ministers must always exist even if Lok Sabha is dissolved |
Explanation
Key judicial rulings have clarified the executive’s role. Shamsher Singh established that the President is a nominal head. S.R. Bommai made the proclamation of President’s Rule subject to judicial review. D.C. Wadhwa declared the repeated repromulgation of ordinances unconstitutional. U.N. Rao v. Indira Gandhi affirmed that a Council of Ministers must always exist to advise the President, even after the Lok Sabha’s dissolution.
Q359. As per Article 74(2), the question whether any, and if so what, advice was tendered by Ministers to the President:
Explanation
Article 74(2) says that the question whether any advice was given by the Ministers to the President, and what it was, shall not be inquired into in any court.
Q360. Arrange the following ranks of the Council of Ministers in their hierarchical order (from highest to lowest):
I. Minister of State
II. Deputy Minister
III. Cabinet Minister
IV. Minister of State (Independent Charge)
I. Minister of State
II. Deputy Minister
III. Cabinet Minister
IV. Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Explanation
The Council of Ministers is organized hierarchically. At the top are Cabinet Ministers, who lead major ministries. Below them are Ministers of State (Independent Charge), followed by Ministers of State who assist cabinet ministers. Deputy Ministers occupy the lowest rank, providing administrative and parliamentary assistance. This structure ensures a clear division of labor and authority within the Union executive branch.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 351 | (a) Indira Gandhi |
| 352 | (c) Temporary government in power after Lok Sabha dissolution until a new government is formed |
| 353 | (a) Informal body of the Prime Minister and a few colleagues or friends advising on crucial issues |
| 354 | (b) I, II, III and IV |
| 355 | (b) The post has no constitutional sanction; it is merely a political arrangement. |
| 356 | (c) The entire Council of Ministers must resign. |
| 357 | (d) All of the above |
| 358 | (a) A-iii, B-ii, C-i, D-iv |
| 359 | (b) Shall not be inquired into in any court. |
| 360 | (b) III, IV, I, II |
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.