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 551–560 of 944 questions
Browse Indian Polity and Governance chapters
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q551. Consider the following statements regarding the High Courts and their relationship with the Supreme Court: I. The Supreme Court has supervisory jurisdiction over all High Courts under Article 227. II. An appeal lies to the Supreme Court from a High Court judgment if it reverses an order of acquittal and sentences the accused to death. III. High Courts can strike down central laws, subject to appeal to the Supreme Court. IV. The Chief Justice of India can transfer a judge from one High Court to another without consulting anyone. V. The law declared by the Supreme Court is binding on all High Courts. Which of the above statements are correct?
Explanation
Appeals lie to the Supreme Court if a High Court reverses an acquittal to a death sentence. High Courts can strike down central laws, and Supreme Court rulings are binding on them. However, Article 227 gives High Courts supervision over subordinate courts, not the Supreme Court over High Courts. Also, transferring a High Court judge requires the President’s order after specific consultations.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q552. In the context of the basic structure doctrine, which of the following cases ruled that the 9th Schedule to the Constitution is not immune to judicial review?
Explanation
In the I.R. Coelho case (2007), the Supreme Court ruled that all laws included in the 9th Schedule after April 24, 1973, are open to judicial review. The court held that if a law violates the basic structure of the Constitution, it can be struck down, even if it is placed within the protective umbrella of the 9th Schedule.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q553. Arrange the following landmark cases of PIL evolution in chronological order: I. Hussainara Khatoon v. Home Secretary, State of Bihar II. M.C. Mehta v. Union of India (Oleum Gas Leak case) III. Vishaka v. State of Rajasthan IV. Sunil Batra v. Delhi Administration Select the correct order:
Explanation
The evolution of PIL began with Hussainara Khatoon (1979) concerning undertrial prisoners, followed by Sunil Batra (1980) regarding prison reforms. The M.C. Mehta Oleum Gas Leak case in 1986 introduced the principle of absolute liability. Finally, the Vishaka case in 1997 provided guidelines against sexual harassment at workplaces. This sequence reflects the progressive expansion of judicial protection for various social rights.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q554. Which of the following is a key criticism of the Collegium system?
Explanation
A primary criticism of the Collegium system is its lack of transparency and public accountability. Critics argue that the process of judicial appointments happens behind closed doors without clearly defined criteria or public scrutiny. This judges appointing judges mechanism is often seen as being opaque and susceptible to favoritism, leading to calls for a more balanced and representative appointment process in India.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q555. Match List I with List II:
Jurist/Authority
Role in Judiciary
A. Chief Justice of India
i. Highest judicial officer in a district
B. Attorney General for India
ii. Master of the Roster in Supreme Court
C. Advocate General of State
iii. Highest law officer of the Union Government
D. District Judge
iv. Highest law officer of a State Government
Choose the correct code:
Explanation
The Chief Justice of India acts as the Master of the Roster, assigning cases to benches. The Attorney General is the highest law officer for the Union Government. The Advocate General holds the equivalent highest law office for a State Government.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union Judiciary: Supreme Court and Judicial Review
Q556. If a High Court judge is to be transferred from one High Court to another, whose recommendation is necessary?
Explanation
Article 222 provides for the transfer of a High Court judge. The President makes the transfer after consulting the Chief Justice of India. According to the Second and Third Judges Cases, the CJI’s recommendation must be made in consultation with a collegium consisting of the four senior-most judges of the Supreme Court and the Chief Justices of the relevant High Courts.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union-State Relations
Q557. Which of the following features is not considered a traditional federal feature of the Indian Constitution?
Explanation
Single citizenship is a unitary feature, while dual polity, division of powers, and supremacy of the constitution are traditional federal features. In a federation, citizens usually owe allegiance to both national and state governments. The Indian Constitution deviates from this by providing only one citizenship to foster national unity and prevent regionalism throughout the country’s diverse and vast territory.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union-State Relations
Q558. Read the following statements regarding the federal features of the Indian Constitution and select the correct option: Statement I: The Indian Constitution is considered rigid because the provisions concerning federal structure can be amended only by a special majority of Parliament and ratification by half of the state legislatures. Statement II: The establishment of an independent judiciary is essential to resolve disputes between the Centre and the States.
Explanation
The Indian Constitution is characterized as rigid because amendments affecting its federal structure require a special majority in Parliament and ratification by half of the states. Furthermore, an independent judiciary is vital in a federal system to act as an impartial arbiter. It ensures that neither the Centre nor the States overstep their constitutional boundaries during administrative or legislative actions.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union-State Relations
Q559. Which of the following statements correctly defines the concept of ‘Dual Polity’ in the Indian context?
Explanation
Dual polity refers to the existence of two distinct levels of government within a federal framework. In India, both the Union and the States derive their authority directly from the Constitution. Each level exercises sovereign powers within the specific fields assigned to it by the Seventh Schedule, ensuring a clear distribution of legislative, executive, and financial responsibilities across the country.
RAS PrelimsIndian Polity and Governance · Union-State Relations
Q560. Match the features of the Indian federal system in List-I with their primary source or inspiration in List-II:
Features of the Indian Federal System
Primary Source or Inspiration
A. Federation with a strong Centre
i. Australian Constitution
B. Concurrent List
ii. Canadian Constitution
C. Method of election of the President
iii. Japanese Constitution
D. Procedure established by Law
iv. Irish Constitution
Explanation
The Indian federal system draws inspiration from various international constitutions. The model of a federation with a strong Centre is based on the Canadian Constitution. The Concurrent List is inspired by Australia, while the method of electing the President comes from Ireland. Finally, the phrase procedure established by law is a feature adopted from the Japanese Constitution for legal protections.
Answer key for these questions
Q
Correct answer
551
(b) II, III and V only
552
(b) I.R. Coelho Case
553
(a) I, IV, II, III
554
(c) It lacks transparency and accountability as judges appoint judges.
555
(a) A-ii, B-iii, C-iv, D-i
556
(c) The Chief Justice of India in consultation with the collegium.
557
(b) Single Citizenship
558
(c) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
559
(c) Two levels of government--Union and State--exercising sovereign powers within their assigned fields.
560
(d) A-ii, B-i, C-iv, 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.
