State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC) Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance Syllabus

Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance in State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC), not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Constitutional Framework

   4 topics

   • Making of the Constitution
     • Constituent Assembly and sources
     • Salient features
   • Preamble and Its Significance
   • Union and Its Territory; Citizenship
   • Fundamental Rights, Duties and DPSP
     • Writs and enforcement
     • Relationship between Rights and Directive Principles
2. 2

   Union and State Government

   4 topics

   • President, Vice President and Council of Ministers
   • Parliament: Composition and Functioning
     • Law-making and budget process
     • Parliamentary committees
   • Governor, Chief Minister and State Legislature
   • Centre-State Relations
     • Legislative, administrative and financial relations
3. 3

   Judiciary and Constitutional Bodies

   4 topics

   • Supreme Court and High Courts
     • Jurisdiction and judicial review
     • Judicial activism and PIL
   • Election Commission and UPSC/State PSC
   • CAG, Finance Commission and Attorney General
   • NHRC, CIC, Lokpal and Lokayukta
4. 4

   Local Government and Federalism

   4 topics

   • Panchayati Raj Institutions
     • 73rd Constitutional Amendment
   • Urban Local Bodies
     • 74th Constitutional Amendment
   • Emergency Provisions
   • Amendment of the Constitution and Basic Structure Doctrine
5. 5

   Governance and Public Administration

   4 topics

   • Role of Civil Services in a Democracy
   • E-Governance and Citizen Charters
   • Right to Information and Transparency
   • Welfare Schemes and Their Implementation

Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance flashcards for State PSC (e.g. BPSC / UPPSC / MPSC)

21 of 51 cards from the Indian Polity, Constitution and Governance deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which body was responsible for framing the Indian Constitution, and on whose proposal was it set up?

   The Constituent Assembly framed the Constitution. It was set up based on the Cabinet Mission Plan of 1946.

2. When did the Constituent Assembly hold its first meeting and who was its temporary (provisional) chairman?

   First meeting was on 9 December 1946; Dr. Sachchidananda Sinha was the temporary/provisional chairman.

3. Who was the permanent President of the Constituent Assembly, and who chaired the Drafting Committee?

   Dr. Rajendra Prasad was the permanent President of the Constituent Assembly; Dr. B. R. Ambedkar chaired the Drafting Committee.

4. How long did it take to frame the Indian Constitution, and when was it adopted and when did it come into force?

   It took 2 years, 11 months and 18 days. Adopted on 26 November 1949; came into force on 26 January 1950.

5. Why was 26 January chosen as the date for the Constitution to come into force?

   To commemorate the Purna Swaraj (complete independence) declaration of 26 January 1930 by the Indian National Congress at the Lahore session.

6. What are the key words/ideals declared in the Preamble describing the nature of the Indian state?

   Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic, Republic (with Justice, Liberty, Equality and Fraternity as objectives).

7. Which two words were added to the Preamble by the 42nd Amendment Act, 1976?

   'Socialist' and 'Secular' (and 'Integrity' to the phrase 'unity and integrity of the Nation').

8. In which landmark case did the Supreme Court hold that the Preamble is part of the Constitution and can be amended?

   Kesavananda Bharati case (1973). It overruled the earlier Berubari Union (1960) view that the Preamble is not a part of the Constitution.

9. What does the phrase 'We, the People of India' in the Preamble signify?

   It signifies popular sovereignty - that ultimate authority of the Constitution rests with the people of India, who are the source of the Constitution.

10. Which Articles of the Constitution deal with the Union and its territory?

    Articles 1 to 4. Article 1 declares India as a 'Union of States'; Article 3 deals with formation of new states and alteration of boundaries.

11. Under Article 3, who has the power to create new states or alter areas/boundaries/names of existing states, and what is the President's role?

    Parliament has the power by ordinary law (simple majority). A bill requires prior recommendation of the President, who refers it to the concerned state legislature for its views (not binding).

12. Why is India described as a 'Union of States' rather than a 'Federation of States' (per Dr. Ambedkar)?

    Because the Indian federation is not the result of an agreement among states, and no state has the right to secede from the Union; the Union is indestructible.

13. Which Articles of the Constitution deal with citizenship, and what is the nature of Indian citizenship?

    Articles 5 to 11 deal with citizenship. India has single citizenship - i.e., citizenship of India only, not of states.

14. Name the ways a person can acquire Indian citizenship under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

    By birth, by descent, by registration, by naturalisation, and by incorporation of territory.

15. How can Indian citizenship be lost under the Citizenship Act, 1955?

    By renunciation (voluntary), by termination (acquiring foreign citizenship), and by deprivation (compulsory by the government).

16. How many Fundamental Rights are there now, and which one was deleted as a Fundamental Right and made a legal right?

    Six Fundamental Rights. The Right to Property (Article 31) was removed as a Fundamental Right by the 44th Amendment (1978) and made a legal/constitutional right under Article 300A.

17. List the six Fundamental Rights with their Article ranges.

    Right to Equality (14-18), Right to Freedom (19-22), Right against Exploitation (23-24), Right to Freedom of Religion (25-28), Cultural & Educational Rights (29-30), and Right to Constitutional Remedies (32).

18. What did Dr. Ambedkar call Article 32, and what are the five writs available under it?

    He called it the 'heart and soul of the Constitution'. The five writs are: Habeas Corpus, Mandamus, Prohibition, Certiorari, and Quo Warranto.

19. What is the difference between the writs of Prohibition and Certiorari?

    Prohibition is issued to a lower court/tribunal to stop proceedings exceeding its jurisdiction (issued during pendency). Certiorari is issued to quash an order already passed or to transfer a case (issued after a decision).

20. Where are the Directive Principles of State Policy enshrined, and from which country were they borrowed?

    DPSP are in Part IV, Articles 36 to 51, borrowed from the Constitution of Ireland (which took them from Spain). They are non-justiciable.

21. How many Fundamental Duties are there, by which amendment were they added, and on whose recommendation?

    There are 11 Fundamental Duties in Article 51A, Part IVA. Originally 10 were added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) on the recommendation of the Swaran Singh Committee; the 11th was added by the 86th Amendment (2002).

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