Civics Polity · General Awareness

Constitutions and Law

2,792 Questions

Constitutions and Law questions cover fundamental rights, the preamble, critical articles, and amendments from the Indian and United States constitutions. This topic is indispensable for UPSC, state PSC, and SSC exams. Practicing these questions ensures a solid understanding of political frameworks and legal provisions.

Indian Constitution articlesFundamental rights and dutiesConstitutional amendmentsPreamble featuresUS Constitution principles

Constitutions and Law Questions

Multiple choice

The Preamble of the Indian Constitution reads

  1. We, the people of India …. adopt, enact and give to India this Constitution.

  2. We, the people of Constituent Assembly …. adopt, enact and give to India this Constitution.

  3. We, the citizens of India … adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.

  4. We, the people of India … in our Constituent Assembly …. adopt, enact and give to ourselves this Constitution.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION.

Multiple choice

The Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens were provided by

  1. an amendment of the Constitution.

  2. a judgement of the Supreme Court.

  3. an order issued by the President.

  4. a legislation adopted by the Parliament.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The Fundamental Duties of Indian citizens were provided by the 42nd amendment in 1976 under Article 51A.

Multiple choice

Under the Constitution of India, which one of the following is not a fundamental duty?

  1. To vote in public elections.

  2. To develop the scientific temper.

  3. To safeguard public property.

  4. To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Fundamental Duties of India are as follows - 

  1. To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; 
  2. To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; 
  3. To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; 
  4. To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so; 
  5. To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women; 
  6. To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; 
  7. To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures; 
  8. To develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform; 
  9. To safeguard public property and to abjure violence; 
  10. To strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of endeavour and achievement
Multiple choice

The author talks about 'competing interests'. What are they?

Directions: Answer the given question based on the following passage:

The most remarkable achievement in post-constitution India is the exercise of the power of the judicial review by the superior courts. So long as this power is wielded by the courts effectively and fearlessly, democracy will remain ensured in India and, with all its shortcomings, the Constitution will survive. The numerous applications for the constitutional writs before the High Courts and the Supreme Court and their results testify to the establishment in India of ‘limited government’, or, ‘the government of laws, not of men’, as they call it in the United States of America. The Supreme Court has well performed its task of protecting the rights of the individual against the executive, against oppressive legislations and even against the Legislature itself, when it becomes overzealous in asserting its privileges not only against the individual citizens but even against the judges.
At the same time, it should be observed that neither the guarantee of the Fundamental Rights nor its adjunct, — Judicial Review, — could have full play during the first quarter of a century of the working of our Constitution owning to their erosion by Proclamations of Emergency over a substantial period of time. It is true that the Emergency provisions are as much a part of the Constitution of India as any other, and that history has proved the need for such powers to meet extraordinary situations, but, broadly speaking, if the application of the Emergency provisions overshadows the other features of the Constitution, the balance between the ‘normal’ and ‘emergency’ provisions is palpably destroyed. Even, apart from Emergency, there has been an astounding erosion of Fundamental Rights owning to multiple amendments of the Constitution.
The means to prevent any such conflict between competing interests is to process all proposals for constitutional amendments through an expert and objective machinery, which would ensure the progressive adaptation of the Constitution to the Copernican changes in the social, economic and political background.

  1. Interests represented by the superior courts.

  2. Interests represented by the executive and the legislature.

  3. Fundamental rights and rights of judicial review.

  4. 'Normal' provisions and 'Emergency' provisions

  5. Interests represented by the political class and the judiciary
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, author wants to strike a balance between normal and emergency provisions so that the basic features of the Constitution are not destroyed. This is the correct answer.

Multiple choice

The famous historical ‘Magna Carta’ laid the first step towards which of the following:-

i. Parliamentary Democracy ii. Rule of law iii. Rights of man iv. Liberty

  1. i & ii only

  2. ii, iii & iv

  3. i, ii & iv

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 UK celebrated 800 years of Magna Carta signing on 15 June 2015. It was a document of promises between King Jon & his subjects about governing England with customs & feudal law. Rights & Liberty were the concepts developed much later.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

1.         The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act provided that same person can be the Governor of two or more states. 2.         In Union territories like Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Lakshadweep, the administrator is called Lt. Governor.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1: It is correct. Article 153 of Constitution says that there shall be Governor for each state. 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 facilitated the appointment of the same person as a governor for two or more states. Statement 2: It is incorrect. In Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry and Delhi, administrator is called Lt. Governor, while in Chandigarh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu and Lakshadweep he/she is known as the Administrator.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

1.         Constitution bench consists of atleast 5 judges of the court. 2.         The President of India has the power to constitute the Constitution bench. 3.         Constitution cases should involve a substantial question of law as to the interpretation of the constitution.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. 1 and 2 only

  2. 1 and 3 only

  3. 2 and 3 only

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1: It is correct. Constitution bench is the name given to the benches of the Supreme Court of India which consist of at least five judges of the court which sit to decide any case of the Constitution of India. Statement 2: It is incorrect. The Chief Justice of India has the power to constitute a Constitution Bench and refer cases to it.  Statement 3: It is correct. Supreme Court considers only those appeals from any judgment, decree or final order in a proceeding of a High Court in the territory of India, if the High Court certifies under Article 134(A) that the case involves a substantial question of law of general importance; and in the opinion of the High Court, the said question needs to be decided by the Supreme Court.