Q441. What is the quorum required to constitute a joint sitting of both Houses of Parliament?
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.
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Q442. Identify the incorrect pair regarding the conditions that provoke a joint sitting under Article 108.
Explanation
Article 108 identifies three conditions that signify a deadlock between the Houses, triggering a joint sitting. These include rejection by the other House, final disagreement on amendments, or more than six months elapsing without the bill being passed. The mention of "three months" as a deadlock condition is incorrect, as the Constitution specifies a six-month period for this situation.
Q443. Consider the following statements regarding the Question Hour in Parliament:
I. Starred questions require an oral answer and supplementary questions can follow.
II. Unstarred questions require a written answer and no supplementary questions can be asked.
III. Short notice questions are asked by giving a notice of less than ten days and are answered in writing only.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
I. Starred questions require an oral answer and supplementary questions can follow.
II. Unstarred questions require a written answer and no supplementary questions can be asked.
III. Short notice questions are asked by giving a notice of less than ten days and are answered in writing only.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are correct?
Explanation
Question Hour features different types of inquiries. Starred questions require oral answers, allowing for immediate supplementary questions. Unstarred questions need written responses, and no supplementaries can follow. Short notice questions are asked with less than ten days’ notice and are also answered orally, not just in writing. Therefore, the statements concerning starred and unstarred questions are the only correct ones.
Q444. The ‘Zero Hour’ in parliamentary procedures is an Indian innovation in the field of parliamentary proceedings. Since which year has it been in existence?
Explanation
The ‘Zero Hour’ is an informal parliamentary procedure unique to the Indian system. It follows the Question Hour and allows members to raise matters of importance without prior notice. This practice started in 1962 and has become a regular feature of parliamentary daily business. It provides a flexible platform for addressing urgent issues that may not be covered in schedule.
Q445. Given below are two statements, one labeled as
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): An Adjournment Motion is an extraordinary procedure which, if admitted, leads to setting aside the normal business of the House.
Reason (R): It is introduced in the Parliament to draw the attention of the House to a definite matter of urgent public importance and involves an element of censure against the government.
Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): An Adjournment Motion is an extraordinary procedure which, if admitted, leads to setting aside the normal business of the House.
Reason (R): It is introduced in the Parliament to draw the attention of the House to a definite matter of urgent public importance and involves an element of censure against the government.
Explanation
An Adjournment Motion is considered an extraordinary tool because it interrupts the regular business of the House. It is admitted only to discuss a definite matter of urgent public importance. Because it implies a failure of the government to handle a specific situation, it carries an element of censure. Both the assertion and the reason are true and correctly linked.
Q446. What is the precise difference between ‘Adjournment sine die’ and ‘Prorogation’?
Explanation
‘Adjournment sine die’ refers to the termination of a specific sitting of the House without fixing a date for reassembly. In contrast, ‘Prorogation’ is the act of ending a whole session of the House. While the presiding officer handles adjournments, the President issues the order for prorogation. These terms describe different levels of stopping parliamentary work within the legislative cycle.
Q447. Consider the following statements regarding various parliamentary motions:
I. A Calling Attention Motion can be introduced in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
II. An Adjournment Motion requires the support of 50 members to be admitted.
III. A No-Confidence Motion can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
IV. A Censure Motion can be moved against an individual minister or the entire council of ministers.
V. A Privilege Motion is moved by a member when they feel a minister has committed a breach of privilege of the House.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
I. A Calling Attention Motion can be introduced in both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha.
II. An Adjournment Motion requires the support of 50 members to be admitted.
III. A No-Confidence Motion can only be introduced in the Lok Sabha.
IV. A Censure Motion can be moved against an individual minister or the entire council of ministers.
V. A Privilege Motion is moved by a member when they feel a minister has committed a breach of privilege of the House.
Which of the above statement(s) is/are incorrect?
Explanation
The statements provided about parliamentary motions are all factually accurate. Calling attention motions exist in both Houses. Adjournment motions require 50 supporters. No-confidence motions are exclusive to the Lok Sabha. Censure motions can target individuals or the entire cabinet. Privilege motions address breaches of rights. Since all these descriptions are correct, none of the statements can be classified as incorrect.
Q448. Which of the following is the odd one out regarding the types of questions asked during the Question Hour?
Explanation
Question Hour specifically involves starred, unstarred, and short notice questions designed for direct inquiries to ministers. While a Half-an- Hour Discussion is a related parliamentary tool for debating matters of public importance arising from previous answers, it is distinct from the Question Hour itself. It is usually held at the end of the day rather than during the initial hour.
Q449. What is the immediate effect on the proceedings of the House if there is a lack of quorum?
Explanation
The quorum for either House is one-tenth of its total membership. If this minimum requirement is not met, the presiding officer has a constitutional duty. They must either adjourn the House to another day or suspend the meeting until a sufficient number of members are present. This ensures that legislative business is only conducted with a representative minimum of members.
Q450. Match the items in List I with those in List II:
| Budget Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| A. Vote on Account | i. Disapproval of the policy underlying the demand; reduces demand to Re 1 |
| B. Guillotine | ii. Grants an advance in respect of estimated expenditure for a part of the financial year |
| C. Policy Cut Motion | iii. Bill to authorize withdrawal of funds from the Consolidated Fund of India |
| D. Appropriation Bill | iv. Putting undiscussed demands to vote along with discussed demands on the last day |
Explanation
Budgetary procedures involve various terms and bills. A Vote on Account provides advance funds for the start of the year. The Guillotine is used to vote on undiscussed demands on the final day. A Policy Cut Motion reduces a demand to one rupee to show disapproval. The Appropriation Bill is the legal instrument for withdrawing money from the Consolidated Fund.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 441 | (d) One-tenth of the total number of members of both Houses. |
| 442 | (a) More than three months have elapsed without the bill being passed by the other House - Deadlock condition |
| 443 | (a) I and II only |
| 444 | (b) 1962 |
| 445 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
| 446 | (c) Adjournment sine die terminates a sitting without naming a day for reassembly, whereas Prorogation terminates a session of the House. |
| 447 | (c) None of the above (all are correct) |
| 448 | (c) Half-an-Hour Discussion |
| 449 | (b) The presiding officer must either adjourn the House or suspend the meeting until there is a quorum. |
| 450 | (a) A-ii, B-iv, C-i, D-iii |
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.