2020 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2020 · GS Paper I

Question 20: Polity and Governance

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.The President of India can summon a session of the Parliament at such place as he/she thinks fit.
  2. 2.The Constitution of India provides for three sessions of the Parliament in a year, but it is not mandatory to conduct all three sessions.
  3. 3.There is no minimum number of days that the Parliament is required to meet in a year.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

a1 only
b2 only
c1 and 3 only
d2 and 3 only

AnswerUPSC’s answer is (c).

Article 85 empowers the President to summon each House at such time and place as he thinks fit, so statement 1 is right. The only constitutional rule is that six months must not pass between two sittings, which means at least two sessions a year; the three sessions (Budget, Monsoon, Winter) are a convention, not a requirement. The Constitution fixes no minimum number of sitting days.

  • 1. The President summons Parliament at such time and place as he thinks fit (Article 85).
  • 2. Three sessions are a convention; the Constitution only bars a gap of over six months.
  • 3. No minimum number of sitting days is laid down.

How you could have got this

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

    What you needed to know: Three sessions are a convention; the Constitution only bars a gap of over six months.

    The red flag in statement 2 is “all”. In UPSC’s papers, statements with “all” were true 41% of the time (76 statements). A hint, not a rule.

  2. Then, if you were sure statement 3 is correct, (a) goes: it leaves 3 out.

    What you needed to know: No minimum number of sitting days is laid down.

Only (c) is left. You didn’t need statement 1.

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: statement 3 is also correct.
  • (b) Wrong: the Constitution does not provide for three sessions; it bars a gap of more than six months.
  • (c) Right: statements 1 and 3 are correct.
  • (d) Wrong: statement 2 is incorrect.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.