Constitutional Amendments

1. The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971,

The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971,

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omitted Articles 291 and 362
substituted Article 365
amended Article 367
substituted Article 373
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The Constitution (Twenty-sixth Amendment) Act, 1971, is specifically known for abolishing the concept of privy purses and privileges of the former rulers of Indian states. This was achieved by omitting Article 291, which dealt with privy purses, and Article 362, which guaranteed the rights and privileges of rulers.
The abolition of privy purses and privileges was a significant step towards ensuring equality and dismantling the vestiges of the princely order that continued after their integration into the Union of India.
The initial attempt to abolish privy purses through a Presidential order in 1970 was struck down by the Supreme Court. This led the government to bring about the 26th Constitutional Amendment to achieve the objective.

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2. A new Article 372A has been inserted to empower the President to make

A new Article 372A has been inserted to empower the President to make such adaptations and modifications in any law to bring them into accord with the Constitution of India as amended by

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the Constitution Seventh Amendment Act
the Constitution Eighth Amendment Act
the Constitution Ninth Amendment Act
the Constitution Tenth Amendment Act
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Article 372A was inserted by the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956. This Article empowers the President to make such adaptations and modifications in any law in force immediately before the commencement of the Constitution (Seventh Amendment) Act, 1956, as appear to him to be necessary or expedient for bringing the provisions of that law into accord with the provisions of the Constitution as amended by that Act.
Article 372A facilitates the smooth transition and application of existing laws after significant constitutional changes, particularly those brought about by the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, which was enabled by the Seventh Amendment.
The Seventh Amendment Act, 1956, was a comprehensive amendment that primarily focused on the reorganisation of states on a linguistic basis. It abolished the distinction between Part A, B, C, and D states and introduced the concept of Union Territories. It also made various other changes, making Article 372A necessary to adapt existing laws to the new constitutional structure.

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3. Which one of the following Constitutional amendments amended a large n

Which one of the following Constitutional amendments amended a large number of provisions in the Constitution of India so as to give effect to the scheme of the States reorganisation and also to certain other changes relating to the High Courts and High Court Judges, the executive powers of the Union and the States and the legislative lists ?

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Third amendment
Sixth amendment
Seventh amendment
Twelfth amendment
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The Seventh Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956, was enacted to implement the recommendations of the States Reorganisation Commission and the States Reorganisation Act, 1956. It significantly amended many parts of the Constitution, including abolishing the classification of states into Parts A, B, C, and D, introducing Union Territories, making provisions for common High Courts for multiple states, adjusting executive powers, and modifying entries in the legislative lists.
The Seventh Amendment of 1956 is directly linked to the major reorganisation of Indian states along linguistic lines and introduced fundamental structural changes to the federal setup and related constitutional provisions.
The Third Amendment (1954) related to Schedule VII (Concurrent List). The Sixth Amendment (1956) related to Schedule VII (Union List entry on newspapers). The Twelfth Amendment (1962) incorporated Goa, Daman and Diu as Union Territories. The Seventh Amendment was the most comprehensive amendment dealing with state reorganisation.

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4. Clause (1) of Article 31A of the Constitution of India has been replac

Clause (1) of Article 31A of the Constitution of India has been replaced by a new clause and the amendment has been given retrospective effect. As a result of the amendment, in addition to laws relating to the abolition of zamindari, some more categories of welfare legislation have been taken out from the purview of which of the following Articles of the Constitution of India ?

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Articles 13 and 17
Articles 14 and 19
Articles 18, 21 and 23
Articles 16, 20 and 32
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Article 31A provides for the saving of laws providing for acquisition of estates, etc. It specifically states that no law falling under its specified categories shall be deemed to be void on the ground that it is inconsistent with, or takes away or abridges any of the rights conferred by *Article 14 or Article 19*. Therefore, laws protected under Article 31A are shielded from challenge based on alleged violations of Articles 14 and 19.
Article 31A was introduced to protect agrarian reform laws (like zamindari abolition) from being challenged on the grounds of violating fundamental rights, particularly the right to equality (Article 14) and the freedoms under Article 19 (especially property-related aspects before its removal from Part III).
Article 31A was inserted by the 1st Amendment Act, 1951, primarily to protect laws abolishing zamindari. Subsequent amendments expanded the categories of laws covered by Article 31A to include other agrarian reforms, taking over management of properties, amalgamation of corporations, extinction or modification of rights of directors/shareholders, and mining leases, all of which are protected from challenge under Articles 14 and 19.

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5. Which one of the following statements is *not* correct regarding the p

Which one of the following statements is *not* correct regarding the power and procedure for Constitutional amendment in India ?

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Parliament must preserve the basic framework of the Constitution.
Schedule I of the Constitution of India can be amended by an ordinary legislation.
A Constitution amendment Bill must be passed by majority prescribed under Article 368 of the Constitution of India.
The process of Constitutional amendment can be initiated by a State legislature.
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Option D is not correct. As per Article 368 of the Constitution, an amendment of the Constitution can be initiated only by the introduction of a Bill for the purpose in either House of Parliament (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), not by a State legislature.
The procedure for constitutional amendment under Article 368 reserves the power of initiation solely with the Union Parliament.
Option A is correct based on the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Kesavananda Bharati case (1973). Option B is correct; certain changes to Schedule I (related to the names, boundaries, and territories of states and union territories) can be made by ordinary legislation under Articles 2, 3, and 4, which are explicitly exempted from the procedure of Article 368. Option C is correct; most constitutional amendments require a special majority as prescribed in Article 368, and some also require ratification by states.

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6. Which one of the following statements with regard to Constitutional Am

Which one of the following statements with regard to Constitutional Amendments is correct ?

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The Constitutional provisions relating to the election of the President of India can be amended simply by obtaining a special majority.
Amendment of a List in the VII Schedule shall be effected only after obtaining the ratification by one-half of the States, in addition to fulfilling the 'special majority' provision.
A bill seeking to establish a new State and alteration of areas, boundaries or names of existing ones require to be passed by a special majority in both the Houses of Parliament.
For creation or abolition of Legislative Councils in the States the concerned bill has to be passed in both the Houses of Parliament by a special majority.
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Option B is correct. Amendment of any of the Lists in the Seventh Schedule involves changes to the distribution of legislative powers between the Union and the States. Such amendments fall under the purview of the proviso to Article 368(2) of the Constitution, which requires the amendment bill to be passed by a special majority in both Houses of Parliament and then ratified by the legislatures of not less than one-half of the States.
– Amendments affecting the federal structure (like the distribution of legislative powers) require special majority plus state ratification.
– The Seventh Schedule Lists define the subjects on which the Union and State governments can legislate.
– Option A is incorrect. The election of the President (Articles 54, 55) is a provision related to the federal structure and requires amendment via special majority *plus* ratification by state legislatures (Article 368(2) proviso).
– Option C is incorrect. The creation of new states or alteration of areas/boundaries/names of existing states is done by Parliament by law under Article 3. Such a law is explicitly stated not to be an amendment of the Constitution for the purposes of Article 368 (Article 4(2)), meaning it requires only a simple majority.
– Option D is incorrect. The creation or abolition of Legislative Councils in states is done by Parliament by law under Article 169. This law is also not considered an amendment for the purposes of Article 368 (Article 169(3)) and thus requires only a simple majority in Parliament, provided the concerned state assembly has passed a resolution by special majority.

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7. Which one of the following amendments of the Constitution of India low

Which one of the following amendments of the Constitution of India lowered the voting age from 21 years to 18 years ?

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42nd Amendment
44th Amendment
61st Amendment
73rd Amendment
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The correct answer is C, 61st Amendment.
The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act of 1988 lowered the voting age for elections to the Lok Sabha and the Legislative Assemblies of States from 21 years to 18 years. This amendment is significant as it increased the participation of young people in the democratic process.
The 42nd Amendment (1976) is often called the ‘Mini Constitution’. The 44th Amendment (1978) repealed many of the provisions of the 42nd Amendment. The 73rd Amendment (1992) provided constitutional status to Panchayati Raj Institutions.

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8. Which one of the following amendments to the Constitution of India int

Which one of the following amendments to the Constitution of India introduced the concept of “Constitutional bodies” ?

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42nd Amendment
73rd Amendment
89th Amendment
97th Amendment
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The correct answer is C) 89th Amendment.
The question is somewhat ambiguously phrased as the concept of ‘Constitutional bodies’ (bodies established by the Constitution) existed from the beginning. However, among the options, the 89th Amendment Act, 2003, specifically established the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) as a separate constitutional body by amending Article 338 and inserting Article 338A. Prior to this, there was a combined National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. This amendment clearly created a new, distinct national-level constitutional commission.
– The 42nd Amendment (1976) is known as the ‘Mini-Constitution’ but did not introduce the *concept* of constitutional bodies, although it made significant changes to the Constitution.
– The 73rd Amendment (1992) gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj institutions and led to the constitutional mandate for State Election Commissions and State Finance Commissions. While these are constitutional bodies, the 89th amendment’s creation of a separate National Commission for STs is a direct establishment of a national-level commission by amendment.
– The 97th Amendment (2011) gave constitutional status to Co-operative Societies but did not create a constitutional commission or authority in the same sense as others.
– Considering the options, the 89th amendment is a clear example of establishing a new constitutional body (NCST) through amendment, making it a strong candidate for the intended answer despite the questionable phrasing of the question.

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9. The concept of “Socialist” in the Preamble of the Constitution of Indi

The concept of “Socialist” in the Preamble of the Constitution of India was inserted by which one of the following amendments ?

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42<sup>nd</sup> Amendment
44<sup>th</sup> Amendment
46<sup>th</sup> Amendment
52<sup>nd</sup> Amendment
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The Preamble to the Constitution of India originally declared India as a Sovereign Democratic Republic. The words “Socialist” and “Secular”, along with “Integrity”, were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act in 1976, during the Emergency period.
The 42nd Amendment Act, 1976, is considered one of the most comprehensive amendments to the Constitution and is often referred to as a “Mini-Constitution”. It made several significant changes to various parts of the Constitution, including the Preamble, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles, and the powers of Parliament and the judiciary.
The inclusion of “Socialist” aims to reflect the commitment of the Indian state to social and economic equality, though the specific interpretation of this term in the Indian context has evolved over time, often leaning towards democratic socialism rather than state socialism. The 44th Amendment Act, 1978, was enacted to reverse some of the changes made by the 42nd Amendment, particularly concerning fundamental rights and the emergency provisions.

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10. Which one of the following amendments to the Constitution of India int

Which one of the following amendments to the Constitution of India introduced the Right to Education as a fundamental right ?

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83<sup>rd</sup> Amendment
86<sup>th</sup> Amendment
88<sup>th</sup> Amendment
92<sup>nd</sup> Amendment
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The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002, inserted Article 21A into the Constitution of India, which made education a fundamental right for children between the ages of 6 and 14 years. It mandates that the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of this age group in such manner as the State may, by law, determine.
The 86th Amendment Act is a landmark amendment that reflects the commitment of the Indian state to provide basic education as a fundamental right. It also amended Article 45 (Directive Principle) and Article 51A (Fundamental Duty).
The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education (RTE) Act, 2009, was enacted by the Parliament to implement the provisions of Article 21A. The 83rd Amendment (2000) related to reservations in state legislative assemblies. The 88th Amendment (2004) related to service tax. The 92nd Amendment (2003) added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali languages to the Eighth Schedule.

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