2009 General Studies, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2009 · General Studies

Question 85: Polity and Governance

With reference to Union Government, consider the following statements :

  1. 1.The Constitution of India provides that all Cabinet Ministers shall be compulsorily the sitting members of Lok Sabha only.
  2. 2.The Union Cabinet Secretariat operates under the direction of the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

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

AnswerThe answer is (d).

Both statements are wrong. A minister can be from either House of Parliament, and even a non-member can be a minister for up to six months (Article 75(5)); the Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers need not be Lok Sabha members only. The Cabinet Secretariat works under the direct charge of the Prime Minister, not the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs.

  • 1. Ministers may belong to either House.
  • 2. The Cabinet Secretariat is under the Prime Minister's charge.

How you could have got this

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

    What you needed to know: Ministers may belong to either House.

    The red flag in statement 1 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 2 is not correct, (b) goes: it includes 2.

    What you needed to know: The Cabinet Secretariat is under the Prime Minister's charge.

Only (d) 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) Wrong: ministers can come from the Rajya Sabha.
  • (b) Wrong: the Cabinet Secretariat is under the Prime Minister.
  • (c) Wrong: both statements are false.
  • (d) Right: neither statement is correct.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

Practise this paper timedPrevious questionNext question

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2009, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.