2017 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2017 · GS Paper I

Question 1: Polity and Governance

With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements :

  1. 1.A private member’s bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India.
  2. 2.Recently, a private member’s bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history.

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).

A private member's bill is introduced by any MP who is not a minister, whether elected or nominated, so Statement 1 is wrong. Private members' bills have become law before; the last one enacted was in 1970, so the claim that one has passed for the first time in history (Statement 2) is also wrong. Most such bills are only introduced and discussed, and nearly all lapse. Remember: private member means any MP other than a minister, and passage is extremely rare, not unprecedented.

  • 1. Any MP who is not a minister can bring a private member's bill; nomination has nothing to do with it.
  • 2. Private members' bills have been passed earlier; the last was in 1970.

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: Any MP who is not a minister can bring a private member's bill; nomination has nothing to do with it.

    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: Private members' bills have been passed earlier; the last was in 1970.

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: a private member is any MP who is not a minister, not only a nominated one.
  • (b) Wrong: private members' bills have passed before, the last in 1970.
  • (c) Wrong: both statements are false.
  • (d) Right: the 'nominated only' claim and the 'first time in history' claim are both false.

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

Practise this paper timedNext question

Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2017, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.