Comparison with Other Constitutions — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions comparing the Indian Constitution with the UK, USA and others, with full explanations — sources, federalism, executive and amendment.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
Consider the following statements:
- In the USA, residuary powers lie with the states, whereas in India they lie with the Union.
- In both India and the USA, the Vice-President is the ex officio presiding officer of the upper House of the legislature.
- In both India and the USA, the states have their own separate constitutions.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (US Tenth Amendment; Indian Article 248; Vice-President presides over the Senate and the Rajya Sabha). Statement 3 is wrong — Indian States have no separate constitutions.
Answer: C
In moving the Draft Constitution in November 1948, Dr B.R. Ambedkar justified the choice of a parliamentary executive over a presidential one on which of the following grounds?
Solution
Ambedkar contrasted the American system (more stability, less responsibility) with the British (more responsibility, less stability) and said the Draft preferred responsibility. A fixed tenure belongs to the presidential system.
Answer: A
How many of the following features of the Indian Constitution are generally traced to the British Constitution?
- Rule of law
- Single citizenship
- Prerogative writs
- Legislative procedure
Solution
All four come from the British model, along with the parliamentary and Cabinet systems, parliamentary privileges and bicameralism. Judicial review and Fundamental Rights come from the USA.
Answer: D
Which one of the following is a feature of the Constitution of the United States but not of the Constitution of India?
Solution
Dual citizenship — US citizens are citizens of the United States and of their state. India has single citizenship (from the UK). The other three features exist in both.
Answer: B
Consider the following statements regarding constitutional amendment:
- In India, State legislatures cannot initiate a bill to amend the Constitution under Article 368.
- In the USA, a proposed amendment must be ratified by three-fourths of the states.
- In India, every constitutional amendment requires ratification by at least half of the State legislatures.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is wrong — ratification by half the States is required only for amendments to the federal provisions listed in the proviso to Article 368(2) (for example, election of the President, distribution of legislative powers, representation of States in Parliament).
Answer: A
Mains
Compare the position of the President of India with that of the President of the United States.
Solution
Introduction: Both are Heads of State elected indirectly through an electoral college, but they operate in different systems — parliamentary in India, presidential in the USA.
Body:
- Nature of office: Indian President is the nominal executive, bound by the advice of the Council of Ministers (Article 74, as amended by the 42nd and 44th Amendments); US President is the real executive, head of both State and government.
- Election: India — elected members of Parliament and State Legislative Assemblies (including Delhi and Puducherry) by proportional representation (single transferable vote); USA — Electoral College of states.
- Tenure: India — five years, eligible for re-election without limit; USA — four years, two-term limit.
- Relationship with legislature: India — part of Parliament (Article 79), summons and dissolves the Lok Sabha; USA — separate from Congress, cannot dissolve it, has a qualified veto that Congress can override by two-thirds.
- Removal: India — impeachment for violation of the Constitution by two-thirds of total membership of each House; USA — impeachment by the House, conviction by two-thirds of the Senate.
Conclusion: The Indian President is a constitutional head and guardian of the Constitution; the US President is the centre of executive power. The difference reflects the framers’ choice of responsibility over stability.