Q31. The concept of the ‘Concurrent List’ in the Indian Constitution was borrowed from the Constitution of:
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 31–40 of 944 questions
Browse Indian Polity and Governance chapters
Q32. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the sources of the Indian Constitution:
Explanation
While the Indian Constitution borrowed the office of the President and the procedure for impeachment from the US Constitution, the specific method of the President’s election through an electoral college was actually adopted from the Irish Constitution. Other features like the suspension of rights during emergency (Germany) and procedure established by law (Japan) are correctly attributed to their respective sources.
Q33. Consider the following features of the Indian Constitution:
I. Federal Scheme
II. Office of Governor
III. Judiciary
IV. Public Service Commissions
V. Emergency provisions
Which of the above combination of features was largely drawn from the Government of India Act, 1935?
I. Federal Scheme
II. Office of Governor
III. Judiciary
IV. Public Service Commissions
V. Emergency provisions
Which of the above combination of features was largely drawn from the Government of India Act, 1935?
Explanation
The Government of India Act, 1935, served as the primary structural blueprint for the Indian Constitution. Major features such as the federal scheme, the office of the Governor, the organization of the judiciary, the establishment of Public Service Commissions, and various emergency provisions were all heavily drawn from this Act. It provided the administrative framework for the new democratic setup.
Q34. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer from the options given below:
| Borrowed Feature | Source Constitution |
|---|---|
| A. Fundamental Duties | i. South African Constitution |
| B. Procedure for amendment of the Constitution | ii. French Constitution |
| C. Ideals of Liberty, Equality and Fraternity | iii. Canadian Constitution |
| D. Advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court | iv. Soviet Constitution (USSR) |
Explanation
Fundamental Duties were inspired by the Constitution of the Soviet Union (USSR). The procedure for amending the Constitution was borrowed from South Africa. The ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity, which are central to the Preamble, were taken from the French Constitution. Finally, the advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court was a feature adopted from the Canadian Constitution.
Q35. Given below are two statements:
Statement I: The Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution are modeled upon the Irish Constitution.
Statement II: The Irish Constitution itself copied the concept of Directive Principles from the Spanish Constitution.
Identify the correct option:
Statement I: The Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution are modeled upon the Irish Constitution.
Statement II: The Irish Constitution itself copied the concept of Directive Principles from the Spanish Constitution.
Identify the correct option:
Explanation
The Directive Principles of State Policy (DPSP) in the Indian Constitution, which outline the socio-economic goals of the state, were directly modeled upon the Irish Constitution. Interestingly, the Irish framers themselves had borrowed this concept from the Spanish Constitution. This demonstrates the global exchange of constitutional ideas that influenced the drafting of India’s fundamental law during the mid-twentieth century.
Q36. Which of the following features is not borrowed from the British Constitution?
Explanation
The independence of the judiciary and the power of judicial review were borrowed from the United States Constitution, not the British system. The British influence is most evident in India’s parliamentary form of government, the concept of the Rule of Law, the legislative procedure, and the system of single citizenship, which contrast with the American model of dual citizenship and judicial supremacy.
Q37. Identify the correctly matched pair regarding the sources of the Indian Constitution:
Explanation
The concept of a ‘Republic’, indicating that the head of state is elected rather than hereditary, was borrowed from the French Constitution. In contrast, the impeachment of the President was taken from the US, the nomination of members to the Rajya Sabha was from Ireland, and the vesting of residuary powers in the Centre was borrowed from the Canadian Constitution.
Q38. The federal system of India, characterized by a strong centre, is fundamentally different from the US model. Which country’s constitution provided the blueprint for this centralized federal structure?
Explanation
India adopted a federal system with a strong centralizing tendency, which is more similar to the Canadian model than the American one. From the Canadian Constitution, India borrowed the concept of a "federation with a strong Centre," the vesting of residuary powers in the Union, and the appointment of state governors by the Centre. This ensured national unity and effective administration.
Q39. Which is the most appropriate reason for Dr. B. R. Ambedkar defending the Indian Constitution against the criticism of being a "bag of borrowings"?
Explanation
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar defended the Constitution against the "bag of borrowings" criticism by stating that no constitution could be entirely original in the modern era. He argued that the framers had not blindly copied provisions but had carefully adapted them to suit Indian social conditions and requirements while simultaneously removing any faults observed in the original models of other countries.
Q40. The Constitution of India was adopted, enacted, and given to themselves by the people of India on:
Explanation
The Constitution of India was officially adopted and enacted by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. This is the date mentioned in the Preamble as the day "we do hereby adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution." While the full Constitution came into force later, this date marked the formal completion and acceptance of the final legal document.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 31 | (a) Australia |
| 32 | (b) The method of election of the President was adopted from the US Constitution. |
| 33 | (d) I, II, III, IV and V |
| 34 | (a) A-iv, B-i, C-ii, D-iii |
| 35 | (c) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct |
| 36 | (d) Judiciary Independence |
| 37 | (c) Concept of ‘Republic’ -- French Constitution |
| 38 | (b) Canada |
| 39 | (d) Borrowings were adaptations to Indian conditions to remove inherent faults. |
| 40 | (b) 26 November 1949 |
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.