2006 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2006 · General Studies

Question 13: Polity and Governance

Consider the following statements:

  1. 1.The Rajya Sabha alone has the power to declare that it would be in the national interest for Parliament to legislate with respect to a matter in the State List.
  2. 2.Resolutions approving the Proclamation of Emergency are passed only by the Lok Sabha.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a1 only
b2 only
cBoth 1 and 2
dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerThe answer is (a).

Under Article 249 the Rajya Sabha alone, by a resolution supported by two-thirds of the members present and voting, can declare that Parliament should legislate on a State List matter in the national interest; the Lok Sabha has no say in that resolution. By contrast, a Proclamation of Emergency under Article 352 must be approved by both Houses of Parliament, by a special majority, within one month. So only statement 1 is right.

  • 1. Article 249 gives this power to the Rajya Sabha alone.
  • 2. Both Houses must approve an Emergency Proclamation.

How you could have got this

  1. If you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) and (c) go: each of them includes 2.

    What you needed to know: Both Houses must approve an Emergency Proclamation.

    The red flag in statement 2 is “only”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “only” were true 27% of the time (82 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 1 is correct, (d) goes: it leaves 1 out.

    What you needed to know: Article 249 gives this power to the Rajya Sabha alone.

Only (a) is left. This one needs every statement.

This follows an unofficial answer: UPSC has not published its key for this year, and if that answer is wrong, so is this path.

Which options go is worked out from UPSC’s key and the options, not by a model.

Why each option is right or wrong
  • (a) Correct: statement 1 holds (Article 249); statement 2 does not.
  • (b) Statement 2 is false: both Houses must approve an Emergency.
  • (c) Statement 2 is false, since the Lok Sabha does not act alone.
  • (d) Statement 1 is true, so this is wrong.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2006, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.