UPSC Prelims 2015 · GS Paper I

Question 82: Polity and Governance

Consider the following statements :

1.The Legislative Council of a State in India can be larger in size than half of the Legislative Assembly of that particular State.
2.The Governor of a State nominates the Chairman of Legislative Council of that particular State.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct

a1 only

b2 only

cBoth 1 and 2

dNeither 1 nor 2

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (d).

Under Article 171, a State's Legislative Council can have at most one-third of the number of members of the Legislative Assembly, and not fewer than 40. So it cannot be larger than half of the Assembly, and statement 1 is wrong. The Chairman of the Council is elected by its members from among themselves, not nominated by the Governor, so statement 2 is wrong.

1. The Council's size cannot exceed one-third of the Assembly's strength.
2. The Chairman is elected by the Council's members, not nominated by the Governor.

How you could have got this

If you were sure statement 1 is not correct, (a) and (c) go: each of them includes 1.
What you needed to know: The Council's size cannot exceed one-third of the Assembly's strength.
Then, if you were sure statement 2 is not correct, (b) goes: it includes 2.
What you needed to know: The Chairman is elected by the Council's members, not nominated by the Governor.

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

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: the Council is capped at one-third of the Assembly's strength.
(b) Wrong: the Council elects its own Chairman.
(c) Wrong: both statements are false.
(d) Correct: neither statement is correct.

Answer: UPSC’s key. Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2015, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.