Major Amendments — Set 13

Correct Answer: C. L.M. Singhvi Committee

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1992 was based primarily on the recommendations of the L.M. Singhvi Committee (1986) which recommended that Panchayati Raj should be given constitutional status. The P.K. Thungon Committee also recommended constitutional provisions for Panchayati Raj. The amendment added Part IX (Articles 243 to 243O) to the Constitution, established a three-tier system, mandated elections, and reserved seats for SC, ST, and women. Karnataka was the first state to implement these provisions.

Correct Answer: A. Article 352 grounds for Emergency

The 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 made several corrections to undo the excesses of the 42nd Amendment (1976). It restored the power of the courts to enforce Fundamental Rights during Emergency, changed the ground for National Emergency from 'internal disturbance' to 'armed rebellion', made Articles 20 and 21 non-suspendable even during Emergency, and restored the original provisions related to election of the President. It also restored the right to property as a constitutional right (not fundamental right) under Article 300A.

Correct Answer: D. 42nd Amendment

The 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976 inserted the words 'socialist', 'secular', and 'integrity' into the Preamble of the Constitution. It also added Fundamental Duties in Article 51A, made the President bound by the advice of the Council of Ministers, gave precedence to Directive Principles over certain Fundamental Rights (Article 31C), and made constitutional amendments immune from judicial review (later struck down in Minerva Mills). This amendment is considered the most sweeping change to the Constitution.

Correct Answer: B. Prime Minister, Speaker, and President

The 39th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1975 was passed during the Emergency to nullify the Allahabad High Court judgment that had set aside Indira Gandhi's election to Parliament. It placed disputes relating to the election of the President, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Speaker of Lok Sabha beyond judicial review. The 44th Amendment (1978) later reversed this provision. This amendment is considered a grave assault on the independence of the judiciary and free elections.

Correct Answer: B. 21st Amendment

The 21st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1967 added Sindhi as the 15th language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Before this, the Eighth Schedule contained 14 languages. Subsequently, the 71st Amendment (1992) added Konkani, Manipuri, and Nepali (making 18 languages); the 92nd Amendment (2003) added Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, and Santhali (making 22 languages); and the 96th Amendment (2011) changed 'Oriya' to 'Odia'. Currently, the Eighth Schedule contains 22 languages.

Correct Answer: A. 61st Amendment

The 61st Constitutional Amendment Act, 1988 lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 years but did not change the candidacy age for Rajya Sabha. Actually, this question tests knowledge of candidacy ages: for the Lok Sabha, the minimum age is 25 years; for the Rajya Sabha, it is 30 years. These ages have not been changed. The 61st Amendment changed only the voting age for elections. This is an important factual point for competitive exams.

Correct Answer: C. Basic Structure doctrine and limits on Parliament's amending power

Minerva Mills Ltd. v. Union of India (1980) reaffirmed and strengthened the Basic Structure doctrine established in Kesavananda Bharati. The Supreme Court struck down sections 4 and 55 of the 42nd Constitutional Amendment which had given absolute amending power to Parliament and made constitutional amendments immune from judicial review. The court held that judicial review and harmony between Fundamental Rights and DPSPs are part of the basic structure. Parliament's amending power under Article 368 is limited and cannot destroy the basic structure.

Correct Answer: C. 106 times

The Indian Constitution has been amended 106 times as of 2024. The most recent amendment is the 106th Constitutional Amendment Act (2023) which provided 33% reservation for women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies (Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam). India has one of the most amended constitutions in the world. The frequency of amendments reflects the need to adapt the Constitution to changing social, economic, and political realities.

Correct Answer: B. Goods and Services Tax (GST)

The 101st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2016 introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) by inserting Articles 246A, 269A, and 279A and amending Article 248, 249, 250, 268, and 269. It created the GST Council (Article 279A) consisting of the Union Finance Minister and State Finance Ministers to decide GST rates. The GST replaced multiple central and state taxes like CENVAT, VAT, Octroi, Service Tax, and entertainment tax. GST was implemented on July 1, 2017.

Correct Answer: D. Article 368

Article 368 lays down the procedure for amendment of the Constitution. It provides for three methods of amendment: (1) By simple majority in Parliament (for certain provisions); (2) By special majority — 2/3 of members present and voting plus majority of total membership in each House; and (3) By special majority plus ratification by at least half of state legislatures (for federal provisions). The amending power is limited by the basic structure doctrine established in Kesavananda Bharati (1973).