Major Amendments — Set 11
Constitution Special · प्रमुख संशोधन · Questions 101–110 of 200
Article 39A (inserted by 42nd Amendment) directs the State to provide?
Correct Answer: B. Equal justice and free legal aid
Article 39A (inserted by the 42nd Amendment, 1976) directs the State to ensure equal justice and free legal aid to ensure opportunities for securing justice are not denied to any citizen due to economic or other disabilities. The Legal Services Authorities Act 1987 and NALSA (1995) were established in pursuance of this directive. The power to amend the Constitution is a special power that cannot be used to destroy its basic structure.
The 36th Amendment (1975) which made Sikkim a state was preceded by which amendment giving it 'associate state' status?
Correct Answer: B. 35th Amendment
The 35th Amendment of 1974 gave Sikkim the status of 'Associate State' — a unique category. This was followed by the 36th Amendment of 1975 which made Sikkim the 22nd State of India after a referendum where people voted overwhelmingly for merger with India. The power to amend the Constitution is a special power that cannot be used to destroy its basic structure.
Which amendment bifurcated the 52nd Amendment's anti-defection provisions and additionally capped cabinet size?
Correct Answer: C. 91st Amendment
The 91st Amendment of 2003 both strengthened anti-defection provisions and capped cabinet size at 15% of total House strength (with a minimum of 12 ministers for smaller state assemblies). It inserted Articles 75(1A) and 164(1A). The original 52nd Amendment (1985) had introduced the Tenth Schedule (Anti-Defection Law).
Article 262 prevents which court from having jurisdiction over inter-state water disputes?
Correct Answer: C. Supreme Court
Article 262(2) provides that Parliament may by law exclude the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court in respect of any dispute or complaint relating to inter-state river waters. The Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956, enacted under Article 262(1), established a tribunal system whose decisions cannot be challenged even in the Supreme Court. Understanding this constitutional provision is essential for competitive examinations and civic awareness.
The 85th Amendment (2001) extended which right to SCs and STs?
Correct Answer: B. Right of reservation in promotions with consequential seniority
The 85th Amendment of 2001 amended Article 16(4A) to provide Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes with the right of reservation in promotions with consequential seniority. This was intended to ensure SC/ST employees who gain promotion through reservation also get consequential seniority benefits. The power to amend the Constitution is a special power that cannot be used to destroy its basic structure.
Which amendment is associated with the provision for an Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence?
Correct Answer: A. No constitutional amendment — it was done through executive order
The Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence was established through an executive reorganisation, not through a constitutional amendment. Constitutional amendments address fundamental structural changes to the Constitution. Administrative restructuring of government departments, including defence headquarters, is typically done through executive orders and government resolutions rather than through the constitutional amendment procedure under Article 368.
The 1st Constitutional Amendment (1951) was passed primarily to deal with which issue?
Correct Answer: B. Restrictions on freedom of speech and right to property
The 1st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1951 was passed to add the Ninth Schedule to protect land reform laws from judicial scrutiny, to add reasonable restrictions on freedom of speech (obscenity, defamation, incitement), and to enable special provisions for socially and educationally backward classes. It was the response to Supreme Court judgments that struck down land reform legislation. The Ninth Schedule was later held to be subject to judicial review in the I.R. Coelho case (2007).
The 7th Constitutional Amendment (1956) was passed in connection with which major reorganization?
Correct Answer: A. Reorganization of states on linguistic basis
The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 was passed to implement the recommendations of the States Reorganization Commission (Fazl Ali Commission). It reorganized states on linguistic basis, abolished the classification of states into Parts A, B, and C, and created the concept of Union Territories. The 14 states were reorganized into 14 states and 6 union territories. This amendment facilitated the creation of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka (then Mysore), and other linguistic states.
The 24th Constitutional Amendment (1971) was passed to override which Supreme Court judgment?
Correct Answer: B. Golak Nath v. State of Punjab (1967)
The 24th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971 was enacted to nullify the Supreme Court's ruling in Golak Nath v. State of Punjab (1967) which held that Parliament could not amend Fundamental Rights. The 24th Amendment explicitly stated that Parliament has the power to amend any provision of the Constitution including Fundamental Rights under Article 368. It also made it mandatory for the President to give assent to Constitutional Amendment Bills. This set the stage for the Kesavananda Bharati case.
The 25th Constitutional Amendment (1971) was related to which right?
Correct Answer: B. Right to Property and Compensation
The 25th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1971 substituted the word 'amount' for 'compensation' in Article 31(2) relating to acquisition of property. This meant that the government was not required to pay market value compensation for compulsory acquisition. It also inserted Article 31C to give precedence to laws implementing DPSP Articles 39(b) and (c) over Fundamental Rights under Articles 14 and 19. The Minerva Mills case (1980) partially struck down Article 31C as it violated the basic structure.