Political Science MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Political Science - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is 1935.

Key Points

•  The structural part of the Indian Constitution is, to a large extent, derived from the Government of India Act, 1935.
• Government of India Act, 1935:
  • There was a growing demand for constitutional reforms in India by Indian leaders.
  • India’s support to Britain in the First World War also aided in British acknowledgment of the need for the inclusion of more Indians in the administration of their own country.
  • The Act was based on
    • Simon Commission Report
    • The recommendations of the Round Table Conferences
    • The White Paper published by the British government in 1933 (based on the Third Round Table Conference)
    • Report of the Joint Select Committees.
  • Features of the Government of India Act 1935: 
    • It provided for the establishment of an All-India Federation consisting of provinces and princely states as units.
    • The Act divided the powers between the Centre and units in terms of three lists - Federal List (for Centre, with 59 items), Provincial List (for provinces, with 54 items) and the Concurrent List (for both, with 36 items).
    • Residuary powers were given to the Viceroy. However, the federation never came into being as the princely states did not join it.
    • It abolished dyarchy in the provinces and introduced ‘provincial autonomy’ in its place.
    • It provided for the establishment of a Reserve Bank of India to control the currency and credit of the country.
    • It provided for the establishment of not only a Federal Public Service Commission but also a Provincial Public Service Commission and Joint Public Service Commission for two or more provinces.
    • It provided for the establishment of a Federal Court.

Additional Information

• Government of India Act, 1919:
  • It is also known as Montagu-Chelmsford reform or Montford reform.
  • The matters, which were of National importance or related to more than one province were governed at the central level, such as Foreign Affairs, Defence, Political Relations, Communication, Public Debt, Civil and Criminal Laws, Wire services, etc.
  • The Central Legislature was made more powerful and more representative by this Act.
  • The Act introduced a bicameral legislature; the Lower House or Central Legislative Assembly and the Upper House or Council of State.
  • The legislators, under the new reforms, could now ask questions and supplementary, pass adjournment motions, and vote a part of the budget, but 75% of the budget was still not votable.
  • The legislature had virtually no control over the Governor-General and his Executive Council.

• Indian Councils Act of 1909:
  • It is also called the Morley-Minto Reforms.
  • Important reform measures enacted under it are:
    • The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.
    • Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members.
    • Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay, and United Provinces – 50 members each.
    • Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma, and Assam – 30 members each.
    • The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members as follows:
      • Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.
      • Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the Governor-General.
      • Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not government officials.
      • Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.​ 
• Indian Independence Act, 1947:
  • India was proclaimed an independent and sovereign state by the Act.
  • On the basis of religious disagreements, it also included provisions for the division of the Indian state into the independent dominions of India and Pakistan.
  • The Secretary of States for India post was eliminated.
  • Along with the elimination of the Viceroy's position, the Act provided for the appointment of two distinct Governors-General—one for each of the dominions of India and Pakistan—on the recommendation of the British Cabinet.
  • Both the dominions' Constituent Assemblies had the authority to draft their own constitutions and to override any British Parliament legislation created for the Indian state, including the Independence Act itself.
  • The Constituent Assemblies were empowered to act as legislative bodies for their respective dominions till the time they could formulate a constitution for their state.
  • It granted authority to the princely states to join either of the dominions or remain independent.
  • The British Monarch no longer had the authority to veto or ask for the bills of the Indian state.

Judicial review is the power of the courts to consider the constitutionality of acts of organs of Government and declare it unconstitutional if it violates or is inconsistent with the basic principles of the Constitution.

Additional Information

• Judicial Review is a part of the Basic Structure of the Constitution.
• Judicial review is considered a basic structure of the constitution (Indira Gandhi vs Raj Narain Case 1975).
• Judicial review is also called the interpretational and observer roles of the Indian judiciary.
• The doctrine of judicial review is a unique American Supreme Court innovation. 
• Judicial review has two vital purposes: legitimizing government action and protecting the Constitution against government overreach.
• It also includes the Supreme Court's ability to examine its own judgment order.
• Judicial review by the Supreme Court and High Courts has played a critical role in ensuring constitutional government in India by keeping the Union and State governments within their respective jurisdictional realms.

Hence, Judicial review is the power of the courts that declare laws of parliament unconstitutional that are against Constitution. 

The correct answer is electoral reforms.

Key Points

• In 1990, the Dinesh Goswami Committee was formed to make recommendations on electoral reforms.
• It proposed giving political parties in-kind governmental money.
• It also suggested that a candidate should not be permitted to contest in more than two constituencies.
• Dinesh Goswami was a politician in India. In 1989, he served as the Law and Justice Minister in the V.P. Singh government.

Important Points

• Electoral reform is the modification of electoral systems to better the expression of public desires in election results.
• While the first three general elections in India were held a free and fairway, it is widely believed that the fourth general election in 1967 marked the beginning of a decline in standards.
• The Fundamental Duties are defined as all citizens' moral responsibility to contribute to the promotion of patriotism and the preservation of India's unity.
• Individuals and the nation are both affected by the duties outlined in Part IV–A of the Constitution.
• Police reforms strive to change police organizations' principles, culture, rules, and procedures.

The correct answer is 21 years.

Key Points

• In rural areas of the Indian subcontinent, a form of local self-government known as the Panchayati Raj Institution, or PRI, is used.
• It is divided into three levels: village, intermediate block/taluk/mandal, and district.
• The management of local matters is made easier by local self government.
• These local bodies have elected representatives who, as a result, have a greater awareness of problems at the grassroots level.
• Therefore, a person must be at least 21 years old to run in elections.
• The 73rd Amendment added Part IX in the constitution of India and was titled “The Panchayats”. ​
• Article 243C in The Constitution Of India deals with the composition of Panchayats.

The correct answer is the  Residuary subject. Key Points

• Cyber crime is an unlawful act wherein the computer is either a tool or a target or both. 
• They are enumerated in Residuary Power.
• In India, cyber crimes are covered by the Information Technology Act, 2000, which deals with issues related to cyber crimes and electronic commerce.
• some examples of cybercrime include phishing, spoofing, DoS (Denial of Service) attack, credit card fraud, online transaction fraud, child pornography, etc.
• The Union List, also known as List-I, is a list of 97 numbered items (after the 101st Constitutional amendment act 2016, entries 92 and 92c removed) given in the Seventh Schedule in the Constitution of India on which Parliament has exclusive power to legislate.
• The State List or List-II is a list of 61 items. Initially, there were 66 items on the list in Schedule Seven to the Constitution of India.
• The Concurrent List or List-III is a list of 52 items given in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India. It includes the power to be considered by both the union and state governments. 
• Residuary Subjects are recognized as subjects that are not present in any of the lists stated in the constitution. The government of the Union has the power to render law on Residuary Subjects. These subjects are e-commerce, Computer software, and so on.

Thus, cyber crime comes under the Residuary subject.

The correct answer is Bombay.

Mistake PointsThe question is asking about the first nuclear reactor, NOT a nuclear power plant. It was the Apsara nuclear reactor located at Trombay, Bombay (Mumbai).

Important Points

• India's and Asia's first nuclear reactor, Apsara was inaugurated by Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru on 20 January 1957. 
• The reactor was designed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC) and built with assistance from the United Kingdom, which also provided the initial fuel supply consisting of 80 per cent enriched uranium.
• Apsara is a light water swimming pool-type reactor with a maximum power output of one megawatt thermal (MWt). 
• There are 7 more reactors are under construction with a combined generation capacity of 4,300 MW.
• Kudankulam reactor has the highest capacity of 2000 MW in India.

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

• The Directive Principles of State Policy are enumerated in Part IV of the Constitution from Articles 36 to 51.
• The framers of the Constitution borrowed this idea from the Irish Constitution of 1937, which had copied it from the Spanish Constitution.
• Dr B R Ambedkar described these principles as ‘novel features’ of the Indian Constitution.

Key Points

• The Directive Principles along with the Fundamental Rights contain the philosophy of the Constitution and are the soul of the Constitution.
  • Maternity Benefit Act - In India, Article 42 of the Indian Constitution contains the directive that the State shall make provision for securing just and humane conditions of work and maternity benefits.
  • National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 - To implement the right to work - Article 41 of the Indian Constitution.
  • Environment Protection Act, 1986 - Corresponds to Article 48A which calls to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard forests and wildlife.

The correct answer is 1993.

Key Points

• The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) is an embodiment of India's concern for the promotion and protection of human rights.
• It was established on 12 October 1993.
• It was given a statutory basis by the Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993.
• Human Rights is defined by the act as "Rights relating to Life, liberty, equality and dignity of the individual guaranteed by the constitution or embodied in the international covenants and enforceable by courts in India."
• NHRC performs the given functions:
  • Inquire into violations of human rights by the government of India
  • Study treaties and other international instruments on human rights
  • Engage in human rights education among various sections of society

 Thus, we can say that the National Human Rights Commission was constituted in 1993.

The correct answer is Chief minister.

Key Points

• The Chief Minister of a state suggests the allocation of portfolios, but the official power to assign portfolios to the cabinet ministers rests with the Governor.
• It's important to note that the Governor exercises this function as a part of his or her formal powers and acts on the advice of the Chief Minister.
• Chief Minister is the real executive authority i.e., de facto executive.
• The Constitution does not contain any specific procedure for the selection and appointment of the Chief Minister.
• Article 164 only says that the Chief Minister shall be appointed by the governor.
• The governor has to appoint the leader of the majority party in the state legislative assembly as the Chief Minister.
• But, when no party has a clear majority in the assembly, then the governor may exercise his personal discretion and then ask him to prove the majority within a reasonable period.

The correct answer is MN Roy.

• People's plan was prepared by M.N. Roy.
  • M.N. Roy, a radical humanist leader, formulated the People's Plan in 1945
  • The plan gave priority to agriculture and production and was drafted on behalf of the Indian Federation of Labour.
  • Jaiprakash Narayan came up with the Sarvodaya Plan in 1950.
  • Nehru-Mahalanobis Model came in the year 1955.
  • Bombay plan was drawn up by a group of Industrialists in Bombay city, Mr. JRD Tata was among those industrialists.
  • National Planning Committee was formed by Indian National Congress in 1938 and it was chaired by S C Bose.

Important Points

• The Constitution came into force on 26 January 1950. 
  • Subsequently, Planning Commis­sion was set up on 15 March 1950 and the plan era started on 1 April 1951 with the launch­ing of the First Five Year Plan (1951-56).
  • The idea of economic planning for five years was taken from the Soviet Union under the socialist influence of first Prime Minister Pt. Jawahar Lal Nehru.

Additional Information

• Sir Chintaman Dwarkanath Deshmukh was an Indian civil servant and the first Indian to be appointed governor of the Reserve Bank of India by British Raj authorities in 1943.
• Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel, endeared as Sardar, was an Indian statesman.
  • He served as the first deputy Prime Minister of India from 1947 to 1950.
• Jayaprakash Narayan, popularly known as JP or Lok Nayak, was an Indian independence activist, theorist, socialist and political leader.
  • He is best remembered for leading the opposition in the mid-1970s against Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, whom he called for a "complete revolution" to overthrow.

Option 2 is correct.

• Operation Shakti was the code name of the nuclear tests conducted by India in Pokhran in 1998. 
• Pokhran-II tests, initiated on 11 May 1998, consisted of five detonations.
• The first detonation was a fusion bomb and the remaining four were detonations of fission bombs. The tests were assigned the code- Operation Shakti.
• The five nuclear bombs were designated Shakti-I, Shakti-II, Shakti-III, Shakti-IV, and Shakti-V.
• Please note that four of the devices were weapons-grade plutonium and the other one was Thorium/U-233.
• The development and test teams were led by Bhabha Atomic Research Center and DRDO.

The correct answer is To organise village panchayat.Key Points

• Gandhian principle of Directive Principles of State Policy refers to the principles advocated by Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation, which were incorporated in the Constitution of India as a guiding framework for the government.
• One of the key Gandhian principles is to organize village panchayats, which are local self-governance institutions that promote community participation and decision-making at the grassroots level.
• The Indian Constitution contains several articles like Article 40, Article 43, Article 43 B, Article 46, Article 47, and Article 48.

Additional Information

• To Separate judiciary from executive:
  • This principle aims to ensure the independence and impartiality of the judiciary, which is already enshrined in the Constitution of India as a fundamental right.
  • The principle of separation of powers, which is a key feature of the Indian Constitution, already mandates a clear separation between the three branches of government - legislature, executive, and judiciary.
• To secure uniform civil code:
  • This principle is aimed at promoting gender equality and social justice, but it remains a highly contentious issue in India due to opposition from some religious communities.
  • The government has not yet been able to implement a uniform civil code due to opposition from various quarters.
• To provide equal pay for equal work:
  • This principle is aimed at promoting gender equality in the workplace, but it remains a major challenge in India where women continue to face discrimination and unequal pay.
  • The government has taken several measures to address this issue, including enacting laws and policies to ensure equal pay for equal work, but the implementation remains a challenge.

Separate electorates are usually demanded by minorities who feel it would otherwise be difficult for them to get fair representation in government. For example, a separate electorate for Muslims means that Muslims will choose their separate leader by separate elections for Muslims.

Important Points

Act 1909:

• The Indian Councils Act 1909 was an act of the British Parliament that introduced a few reforms in the legislative councils and increased the involvement of Indians (limited) in the governance of British India.
• It was more commonly called the Morley-Minto Reforms after the Secretary of State for India John Morley and the Viceroy of India, the 4th Earl of Minto. 
• One of the important provision of this act was that it introduced separate electorates for the Muslims.
• Some constituencies were earmarked for Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.

Thus, we can conclude that the "Separate Electorate system" was introduced in Act 1909.

Key Points

Major provisions of the Act 1909 are as follows: 

• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces increased in size.
  • Central Legislative Council – from 16 to 60 members
  • Legislative Councils of Bengal, Madras, Bombay and United Provinces – 50 members each
  • Legislative Councils of Punjab, Burma and Assam – 30 members each
• The legislative councils at the Centre and the provinces were to have four categories of members as follows:
  • Ex officio members: Governor-General and members of the executive council.
  • Nominated official members: Government officials who were nominated by the Governor-General.
  • Nominated non-official members: nominated by the Governor-General but were not government officials.
  • Elected members: elected by different categories of Indians.
• The elected members were elected indirectly. The local bodies elected an electoral college that would elect members of the provincial legislative councils. These members would, in turn, elect the members of the Central legislative council.
• The elected members were from the local bodies, the chambers of commerce, landlords, universities, traders’ communities and Muslims.
• In the provincial councils, non-official members were in the majority. However, since some of the non-official members were nominated, in total, a non-elected majority was there.
• Indians were given membership to the Imperial Legislative Council for the first time.
• The members could discuss the budget and move resolutions. They could also discuss matters of public interest.
• They could also ask supplementary questions.
• No discussions on foreign policy or on relations with the princely states were permitted.
• Lord Minto appointed (on much persuasion by Morley) Satyendra P Sinha as the first Indian member of the Viceroy’s Executive Council.
• Two Indians were nominated to the Council of the Secretary of State for Indian affairs.

Additional Information  

• The Pitt’s India Act, 1784 also called the East India Company Act, 1784 was passed by the British Parliament to correct the defects of the Regulating Act of 1773.
  • This act resulted in dual control of British possessions in India by the British government and the Company with the final authority resting with the government.
  • This act continued in effect until 1858.
• The Indian Councils Act 1861 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that transformed India's executive council to function as a cabinet run on the portfolio system.
• The Regulating Act of 1773 was passed by the British Parliament to control the territories of the East India Company majorly in Bengal.
  • This act was passed due to the misgovernment by the British East India government that introduced a situation of bankruptcy and the government had to interfere with the affairs of the Company.

The correct answer is KC Wheare.

Key Points

• Federalism can be formed by way of integration (US) or disintegration (Canada). 
• Indian federalism resembles “CANADIAN MODEL”.
• The word federalism is nowhere mentioned in the Indian Constitution. 
• Article 1 describes India as a UNION of states.
• It is not a result of an agreement between states and states have no right to secede from the federation. 
• It’s an Indestructible union of destructible states.
• KC Wheare described it as “Quasi federalism”.
• Granville Austin called it “Cooperative federalism” (need for national integrity and unity).
• Morris Jones defined it as 'Bargaining Federalism'.
• 'Federalism with Centralizing tendency' by Ivor Jenning.
• Unitary bias (dominance of centre in financial powers, central grants, Niti Aayog).

Important Points

• In SR Bommai case SC characterized “Federalism” as part of “Basic structure”.

The correct answer is Yashwant Sinha

Key Points

• Yashwant Sinha was the candidate of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in the 15th Presidential Election in India
• Yashwant Sinha is an Indian administrator and politician.
• His constituency was Hazaribagh.
• He served as the Minister of Finance from 1990 until 1991 under Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar and again from March 1998 to July 2002 under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
• He also served as the Minister of External Affairs from July 2002 until May 2004