2022 GS Paper I, all questions

UPSC Prelims 2022 · GS Paper I

Question 17: Polity and Governance

Consider the following statements :

  1. 1.Attorney General of India and Solicitor General of India are the only officers of the Government who are allowed to participate in the meetings of the Parliament of India.
  2. 2.According to the Constitution of India, the Attorney General of India submits his resignation when the Government which appointed him resigns.

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).

Article 88 gives every Minister as well as the Attorney General the right to speak in and take part in the proceedings of either House, without a vote, so the Attorney General is not the only such officer. The Solicitor General is not a constitutional officer. The Attorney General holds office during the President's pleasure (Article 76); the Constitution does not require resignation when the government goes, though by convention he resigns.

  • 1. Ministers also may take part under Article 88, and the Solicitor General is not a constitutional officer.
  • 2. He serves at the President's pleasure; resignation with the government is only convention.

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 also may take part under Article 88, and the Solicitor General is not a constitutional officer.

    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: He serves at the President's pleasure; resignation with the government is only convention.

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. Ministers also have this right, and the Solicitor General has no constitutional standing.
  • (b) Wrong. Resignation with the government is a convention, not a constitutional requirement.
  • (c) Wrong. Neither statement is correct.
  • (d) Correct. Statement 1 overstates and statement 2 is not in the Constitution.

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

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2022, General Studies Paper I, Series A. The paper on upsc.gov.in.