Questions & explanations
1. Which of the following requires equal participation of Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha?
1. Removal of a judge of the Supreme Court.
2. Removal of the Chief Election Commissioner.
3. Approval of a proclamation of Emergency.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only
Item 1 (Removal of a Supreme Court judge): Under Article 124(4), an address by both Houses of Parliament is required, each by a special majority. Both Houses participate equally — correct, RS and LS both required. Item 2 (Removal of the Chief Election Commissioner): Under Article 324(5), the CEC can be removed in the same manner as a judge of the Supreme Court — i.e., by an address of both Houses. Both Houses participate — RS and LS both required. Item 3 (Approval of a proclamation of Emergency): Under Article 352, both Houses must approve by special majority. However, the question asks which requires 'equal participation' of both Houses. For Emergency approval, if Lok Sabha is dissolved, Rajya Sabha alone can approve — so the participation is NOT always equal. For Supreme Court judge removal and CEC removal, both Houses must always pass the address. Items 1 and 2 always require equal participation; item 3 may allow Rajya Sabha to act alone. Correct answer: (c) 1 and 3 only — no, this omits item 2. The most defensible answer is (a) 1 and 2 only, if 'equal participation' means both Ho
2. Which of the following is NOT a special power of the Rajya Sabha?
- (a) It can pass a resolution to create new All-India Services
- (b) It can initiate the process for the removal of the Vice President
- (c) It can recommend the creation of new states or alteration of boundaries of existing states
- (d) It can pass a resolution to declare a subject as a matter of national importance
Answer: (c) It can recommend the creation of new states or alteration of boundaries of existing states
The question asks which one is NOT a special power of the Rajya Sabha. Option (c), recommending new states or changing state boundaries, is NOT a special power of the Rajya Sabha. A Bill under Article 3 to form new states or change boundaries can start in either House, so this is not unique to the Rajya Sabha. The other three are real special powers of the Rajya Sabha: it can pass a resolution to create new All-India Services (Article 312), it can start the move to remove the Vice President (Article 67(b)), and it can pass a resolution to let Parliament make law on a State List subject in the national interest (Article 249). So the correct answer is (c). This IS a special power, so it is not the answer: under Article 312 the Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution to create new All-India Services. This IS a special power, so it is not the answer: under Article 67(b) the move to remove the Vice President must start in the Rajya Sabha. Correct answer: recommending new states or boundary changes is NOT a special Rajya Sabha power; such a Bill (Article 3) can begin in either House. This IS a s
3. In Rajya Sabha, if the office of Deputy Chairman falls vacant, who presides over the House until a new Deputy Chairman is elected?
- (a) The Chairman (Vice-President of India)
- (b) The senior-most member of Rajya Sabha
- (c) A member from the panel of vice-chairpersons nominated by the Chairman
- (d) The Secretary-General of Rajya Sabha
Answer: (a) The Chairman (Vice-President of India)
When the office of Deputy Chairman falls vacant, the Chairman (Vice-President) continues to preside when present. However, in the Chairman's absence, a member from the panel of vice-chairpersons (nominated/appointed by the Chairman) presides. The correct answer based on the question's framing — 'who presides until a new Deputy Chairman is elected' — the panel member presides in the interim when both are absent; but the Chairman himself presides when present. Since the question asks who presides over the House (during routine sittings) until election, the Chairman (Vice-President) does so when present, and a panel member when the Chairman is absent. The most accurate single answer is (c) — a member from the panel of vice-chairpersons nominated by the Chairman presides when the Chairman is also not present. But if the Chairman is present, he presides. Given ambiguity, the constitutionally precise answer is that the Chairman presides when present; when absent, a panel member presides. Re-evaluating: in practice, when the Deputy Chairman's post is vacant, no special arrangement is needed
4. With reference to the special powers of the Rajya Sabha, consider the following statements:
1. The Rajya Sabha has the exclusive power to initiate a resolution for the removal of the Vice-President of India.
2. A resolution passed by the Rajya Sabha under Article 249, empowering Parliament to legislate on a State List subject, remains in force for a maximum period of two years at a time.
3. The Rajya Sabha can authorize the creation of new All-India Services by a resolution passed by a simple majority of its total membership.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is correct. Article 67(b) of the Constitution states that the Vice-President may be removed from office by a resolution of the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) passed by a majority of all the then members of the Council and agreed to by the House of the People (Lok Sabha). This resolution can only be initiated in the Rajya Sabha, making it an exclusive power. Statement 2 is incorrect. A resolution passed under Article 249 (Parliament's power to legislate with respect to a matter in the State List in the national interest) remains in force for such period not exceeding one year as may be specified therein. It can be extended for a further period of one year at a time by a subsequent resolution, not a maximum of two years at a time. Statement 3 is incorrect. Article 312 (Creation of All-India Services) requires the Rajya Sabha to declare by a resolution supported by not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest to create one or more All-India Services. It requires a special majority (two-thirds of member
5. Which of the following functions are exclusively performed by the Lok Sabha?
1. Introduction of Money Bills
2. Approval of the Annual Budget
3. No-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers
4. Election of the President of India
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 1, 2 and 3 only
- (c) 2 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3 only
Statements 1, 2 and 3 are done only by the Lok Sabha. A Money Bill can be brought in only in the Lok Sabha, not in the Rajya Sabha (Article 117 read with Article 109). Article 110 only tells us what a Money Bill is. The Budget (the yearly money plan) is passed by the Lok Sabha, and the demands for grants are voted only by the Lok Sabha. A no-confidence motion against the Council of Ministers can be moved only in the Lok Sabha, because the government must keep the trust of this House. The President is not elected by the Lok Sabha alone. An electoral college of elected MPs of both Houses and elected MLAs of the states and some UTs elects the President, so Statement 4 is not a Lok Sabha-only job. Hence the answer is (b) 1, 2 and 3 only. Incorrect: the no-confidence motion (Statement 3) is also a Lok Sabha-only function, so 1 and 2 only is too narrow. Correct: bringing in Money Bills, passing the Budget, and the no-confidence motion are all Lok Sabha-only functions. Incorrect: bringing in a Money Bill (Statement 1) is also a Lok Sabha-only function. Incorrect: electing the President (Sta
6. Consider the following statements about the Sita Soren judgment (2024):
1. The judgment applies to both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha members.
2. The judgment holds that MPs can be prosecuted for bribery even if they did not vote as promised.
3. The judgment does not affect the immunity for speeches made in Parliament.
Which of the statements above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Statement 1 is correct: the Sita Soren judgment applies to members of both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha (and state legislatures). Statement 2 is correct: the Court held that MPs can be prosecuted for taking a bribe even if they did not ultimately vote as promised — the act of bribery itself is the offence, not dependent on actual voting. Statement 3 requires care: the judgment does not affect immunity for genuine speeches made in Parliament under Article 105(1) — it holds that the bribery transaction (taking money) is not protected, but the speech/vote itself remains protected. However, Statement 3 as worded says 'speeches made in Parliament' — the judgment does not take away immunity for genuine speech in Parliament. So all three statements appear correct. But wait — the key stored is 'd' (all correct). it clarifies that Article 105(2) immunity for votes/speeches is intact for those acts themselves, but bribery as an antecedent crime is not covered. Statement 3 ('the judgment does not affect immunity for speeches made in Parliament') is correct. So all three are correct and the answer
7. Which of the following best describes the nature of parliamentary privileges in India?
- (a) They are statutory rights granted by Parliament
- (b) They are constitutional rights derived from Article 105
- (c) They are common law privileges inherited from Britain
- (d) They are discretionary powers of the Speaker
Answer: (b) They are constitutional rights derived from Article 105
Answer (b) is correct. Parliamentary privileges in India come from the Constitution itself, mainly Article 105, which gives privileges and immunities to Parliament and its members. Important point: most of these privileges are still NOT written down in a single law or fully spelt out in the Constitution. Article 105 lists a few clearly (like freedom of speech in the House and protection for things said or votes given), but for the rest it says the privileges shall be those of the House of Commons of Britain until Parliament makes a law to define them, and Parliament has not yet made such a law. So they are constitutional in source but largely uncodified in detail. Why the others are wrong: (a) They are not ordinary statutory rights made by a separate law; their base is the Constitution. (c) British practice is the historical source, but in India the authority flows from Article 105, not from English common law on its own. (d) They belong to the House and its members, not to the Speaker as a personal discretionary power.
8. What is the difference between a Money Bill and a Financial Bill under Article 117?
- Money Bill can be introduced only in Lok Sabha, while Financial Bill can be introduced in either House.
- Money Bill requires prior recommendation of the President, while Financial Bill does not.
- Money Bill deals only with expenditure, while Financial Bill deals with revenue.
- There is no difference; both are the same.
Answer: Money Bill can be introduced only in Lok Sabha, while Financial Bill can be introduced in either House.
A Money Bill (Article 110) can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and only on the President's prior recommendation. A Financial Bill (Article 117) contains financial provisions but is not classified as a Money Bill. Financial Bills are of two kinds. A Financial Bill of the first category (Article 117(1)) contains any of the Article 110 matters plus other matters; like a Money Bill it can be introduced only in the Lok Sabha and requires the President's prior recommendation, but in other respects it is treated like an ordinary bill (the Rajya Sabha has full powers over it). A Financial Bill of the second category (Article 117(3)) involves expenditure from the Consolidated Fund; it can be introduced in either House, but it cannot be passed by either House unless the President has recommended its consideration. So option (a) is the best answer relative to the others, but the statement that 'a Financial Bill can be introduced in either House' is true only for second-category financial bills, not for first-category ones.
9. Which of the following statements about the special powers of the Rajya Sabha is/are correct?
1. It can declare that Parliament should make laws with respect to a matter in the State List, if it is in the national interest.
2. It has the exclusive power to initiate a resolution for the creation of new All-India Services.
3. A resolution for the removal of the Vice-President can be initiated only in the Rajya Sabha.
Select the correct answer using the code below:
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Statement 1 is correct: Under Article 249, the Rajya Sabha can pass a resolution, supported by a special majority (two-thirds of members present and voting), declaring that it is necessary or expedient in the national interest that Parliament should make laws with respect to any matter enumerated in the State List. This empowers Parliament to legislate on that State List subject for a specified period. Statement 2 is correct: Under Article 312, the Rajya Sabha has the exclusive power to initiate a resolution, supported by a special majority, for the creation of one or more new All-India Services common to the Union and the States. If such a resolution is passed, Parliament can then provide for the creation of such services by law. Statement 3 is correct: Under Article 67, a resolution for the removal of the Vice-President can be initiated only in the Rajya Sabha and not in the Lok Sabha. Such a resolution must be passed by a majority of all the then members of the Rajya Sabha and agreed to by the Lok Sabha.
10. Consider the following scenarios: 1. A bill pending in Rajya Sabha but not passed by Lok Sabha. 2. A bill passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha. 3. A bill passed by both Houses but pending for President's assent. Which of these do NOT lapse on dissolution of Lok Sabha?
- (a) 1 and 2 only
- (b) 2 and 3 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
On dissolution of Lok Sabha: Scenario 1 — A bill pending in Rajya Sabha but not passed by Lok Sabha: Since Rajya Sabha is permanent, the bill remains on its books but has never been passed by Lok Sabha; technically such a bill would need to be re-introduced in the new Lok Sabha, so it effectively lapses in the old Lok Sabha's record. However, the bill in Rajya Sabha itself does not lapse. The conventional understanding is that bills pending in Rajya Sabha (originated there) do not lapse, but bills pending in Lok Sabha do lapse. Scenario 1 — bill pending in RS but LS had not passed it: does NOT lapse in RS (Rajya Sabha's pending business survives). Scenario 2 — bill passed by Lok Sabha but pending in Rajya Sabha: Lok Sabha's passage lapses with dissolution; if the bill has not been passed by RS, it lapses. Scenario 3 — bill passed by both Houses pending President's assent: does NOT lapse. So: Scenario 1 and Scenario 3 do not lapse → answer (c).
11. Which of the following best describes the composition of the Rajya Sabha?
- (a) It consists of representatives from all states and union territories
- (b) It is composed of members elected by the state legislative assemblies and nominated by the President
- (c) It is directly elected by the people of India
- (d) It is formed exclusively by members nominated by the Prime Minister
Answer: (b) It is composed of members elected by the state legislative assemblies and nominated by the President
The Rajya Sabha mostly has members chosen by the elected members of the State Legislative Assemblies. Representatives of some Union Territories are picked in the way Parliament decides by law. Besides these, the President nominates 12 members who have special knowledge in fields like art, science, literature and social service. The full strength of the House is 245: up to 233 represent the states and union territories, and 12 are nominated by the President. So option (b) is the closest correct description. Incorrect: not every state and union territory has equal seats; seats are mostly based on population, and only a few UTs send members. Correct: members come mainly from the State Legislative Assemblies, plus a few UT representatives and 12 nominated by the President. Incorrect: the people do not directly elect Rajya Sabha members. Incorrect: the Prime Minister does not nominate members; the President nominates the 12 special members.
12. Which of the following statements about the legislative process of Financial Bills is correct?
1. Financial Bill I requires the prior recommendation of the President.
2. Financial Bill II can be introduced in either House of Parliament.
3. The Rajya Sabha can amend a Financial Bill II, and also a Financial Bill I.
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 1 and 2 only
- (c) 1 and 3 only
- (d) 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Statement 1 is correct: Financial Bill I (which deals with matters under Article 110 and other general legislative matters) requires the prior recommendation of the President for its introduction (Article 117(1)). Statement 2 is correct: Financial Bill II (which contains provisions involving expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India but does not fall under Article 110) can be introduced in either House of Parliament. It does not require the President's recommendation for introduction, but for its consideration. Statement 3 is correct: The Rajya Sabha has the power to amend both Financial Bill I and Financial Bill II. Financial Bill I is treated as an ordinary bill in all respects after its introduction (except for the prior recommendation of the President and its introduction only in Lok Sabha). Financial Bill II is also treated as an ordinary bill in all respects, except for the President's recommendation for its consideration.