Constitutional Bodies — Practice Questions
UPSC Prelims-pattern practice questions on constitutional bodies with full explanations — Election Commission, Attorney General, UPSC, NCBC and article-body matching.
Questions
These are original UPSC-pattern practice questions. Attempt each one before revealing the answer.
With reference to the Election Commission of India, consider the following statements:
- The Constitution fixes the number of Election Commissioners at two, besides the Chief Election Commissioner.
- The Chief Election Commissioner can be removed only in the manner and on the grounds of a judge of the Supreme Court.
- An Election Commissioner can be removed only on the recommendation of the Chief Election Commissioner.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statement 1 is wrong — Article 324(2) leaves the number to the President. Statements 2 and 3 are correct under Article 324(5) and its proviso.
Answer: C
With reference to the Attorney General of India, consider the following statements:
- He must be a member of either House of Parliament.
- He has the right to speak in either House of Parliament but not to vote.
- He holds office for a fixed term of five years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Only statement 2 is correct (Article 88). The Attorney General need not be — and normally is not — a member of Parliament; he must be qualified to be a Supreme Court judge (Article 76). He holds office during the pleasure of the President.
Answer: B
Consider the following pairs:
| Article | Body |
|---|---|
| 1. Article 148 | Comptroller and Auditor General |
| 2. Article 280 | Finance Commission |
| 3. Article 338A | National Commission for Scheduled Tribes |
| 4. Article 350B | Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities |
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Solution
All four are correct. Article 338A came with the 89th Amendment (2003); Article 350B with the 7th Amendment (1956). Do not confuse 338 (SCs), 338A (STs) and 338B (backward classes).
Answer: D
The National Commission for Backward Classes was given constitutional status by which of the following Constitutional Amendment Acts?
Solution
The 102nd Amendment (2018) inserted Articles 338B and 342A. The 89th created a separate NCST; the 103rd introduced EWS reservation; the 105th restored States’ power to keep their own backward-class lists.
Answer: A
With reference to the Union Public Service Commission, consider the following statements:
- The Commission is not required to be consulted on the manner of making reservations of appointments for backward classes under Article 16(4).
- The advice of the Commission is binding on the Union Government.
- A member holds office for six years or until the age of sixty-five years, whichever is earlier.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Solution
Statement 1 is correct (Article 320(4)). Statement 2 is wrong — the advice is not binding, though non-acceptance must be explained to Parliament (Article 323). Statement 3 is correct (Article 316(2)); State PSC members retire at 62.
Answer: C
Mains
The Comptroller and Auditor General has moved from being a mere accountant of public money to a guardian of its efficient use. Comment.
Solution
Introduction: Articles 148–151 make the CAG the head of the audit system for the Union and the States, with tenure and removal protections similar to a Supreme Court judge.
Body:
- Traditional role: legal and regularity audit — was money spent under proper authority and as voted (Article 149); certification of accounts.
- Expanded role: propriety audit (wisdom and economy of spending) and performance audit (did schemes achieve their goals); audit of government companies and bodies substantially financed by government.
- Accountability chain: reports to the President or Governor (Article 151), examined by the Public Accounts Committee; findings shape public debate and policy correction.
- Limitations: no power to enforce findings; delays in tabling and PAC follow-up; debate over audit of policy choices; capacity for new areas (public-private partnerships, digital systems).
Conclusion: The CAG’s shift from compliance to performance audit makes it a key accountability institution — its impact depends on timely legislative follow-up.