Union and state executive: previous-year questions
27 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 8 of them came in the last five papers.
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Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
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Which of the following is/are the function/functions of the Cabinet Secretariat?
- 1. Preparation of agenda for Cabinet Meetings
- 2. Secretarial assistance to Cabinet Committees
- 3. Allocation of financial resources to the Ministries
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
The Cabinet Secretariat, under the Prime Minister and headed by the Cabinet Secretary, prepares the agenda for Cabinet meetings (1 correct) and provides secretarial assistance to Cabinet committees (2 correct). It also records and follows up decisions and coordinates between ministries. Allocation of financial resources (3) is done through the Budget by the Finance Ministry and Parliament, so the answer is (c).
The Cabinet Secretariat also administers the Government of India (Transaction of Business) Rules. Notice how it differs from the Prime Minister's Office, which advises the PM directly on policy.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. The President shall make rules for the more convenient transaction of the business of the Government of India, and for the allocation among Ministers of the said business.
- 2. All executive actions of the Government of India shall be expressed to be taken in the name of the Prime Minister.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (a) & explanation
Statement 1 repeats Article 77(3) almost word for word: the President makes rules for the convenient transaction of business and for allocating it among ministers. Statement 2 is wrong because Article 77(1) says all executive action of the Government of India is expressed in the name of the President, not the Prime Minister. So the answer is (a).
The rules made under Article 77(3) are the Allocation of Business Rules and the Transaction of Business Rules. Notice how the President is the formal head while real power lies with the Council of Ministers led by the PM, the heart of a parliamentary system.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following statements is correct?
Answer (c) & explanation
Option (c) is correct. The Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President (Article 156), and the Constitution lays down no removal procedure or grounds. (a) is wrong: the 7th Amendment (1956) allows one person to be Governor of two or more States. (b) is wrong: High Court judges are appointed by the President, after consulting the CJI and the Governor (Article 217). (d) is wrong: in a UT with a legislature, such as Delhi or Puducherry, the Chief Minister is appointed by the President, not the Lt Governor.
Notice the safeguard: in B.P. Singhal (2010), the Supreme Court held that the President's pleasure is not unfettered; a Governor cannot be removed arbitrarily, and removal is open to limited judicial review. Trap: 'pleasure' tenure means no fixed procedure.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In the context of India, which of the following principles is/are implied institutionally in the parliamentary government?
- 1. Members of the Cabinet are Members of the Parliament.
- 2. Ministers hold the office till they enjoy confidence in the Parliament.
- 3. Cabinet is headed by the Head of the State.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Statements 1 and 2 are correct (a). In a parliamentary system, ministers are drawn from the legislature (1); a non-member must become an MP within six months. They hold office only while they keep the confidence of the Lok Sabha, the principle of collective responsibility (2). Statement 3 is wrong: the Cabinet is headed by the Prime Minister, the head of government; the President is the head of state and stands outside the Cabinet. So (b), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the contrast: in the presidential system of the USA, ministers (secretaries) are not legislators, and the President heads both state and government. India took the parliamentary model from Britain, with a nominal head (President) and a real executive (PM and Council). Trap: the President is not part of the Cabinet.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. The Council of Ministers in the Centre shall be collectively responsible to the Parliament.
- 2. The Union Ministers shall hold the office during the pleasure of the President of India.
- 3. The Prime Minister shall communicate to the President about the proposals for legislation.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Statements 2 and 3 are correct per UPSC's key (b). Union ministers hold office during the pleasure of the President (Article 75(2)) (2). The Prime Minister must communicate to the President all decisions of the Council of Ministers and proposals for legislation (Article 78) (3). Statement 1 is treated as wrong because Article 75(3) makes the Council of Ministers collectively responsible to the House of the People (Lok Sabha), not to Parliament as a whole; the Rajya Sabha cannot remove the government. So (a), (c) and (d) fail.
Notice the practice: the President's 'pleasure' is exercised on the PM's advice, so a minister can be dropped only through the PM. A no-confidence motion can be moved only in the Lok Sabha. Trap: 'Parliament' sounds right, but the precise answer is the Lok Sabha.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Prime Minister of India, at the time of his/her appointment
Answer (a) & explanation
Option (a) is correct. Under Article 75(5), any minister, including the Prime Minister, may be appointed without being a Member of Parliament but must become a member of either House within six months, or cease to be a minister. (b) is wrong: the PM can be a member of the Rajya Sabha; Indira Gandhi (1966) and Manmohan Singh (2004–14) were. (c) and (d) are wrong: membership at the moment of appointment is not required, as the Supreme Court confirmed in S.P. Anand (1997). So the six-month window covers both Houses.
Notice the limit: in S.R. Chaudhuri (2001), the Court held that a non-member cannot be reappointed repeatedly to dodge the six-month rule. The same rule applies to state ministers under Article 164(4). Trap: (b) narrows the choice to the Lok Sabha.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
According to the Constitution of India, it is the duty of the President of India to cause to be laid before the Parliament which of the following?
- 1. The Recommendations of the Union Finance Commission
- 2. The Report of the Public Accounts Committee
- 3. The Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
- 4. The Report of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes
Select the correct answer using the codes given below :
Answer (c) & explanation
Items 1, 3 and 4 are correct (c). The Constitution makes the President lay before Parliament the Finance Commission's recommendations with an explanatory memorandum (Article 281) (1), the CAG's reports on Union accounts (Article 151) (3), and the National Commission for Scheduled Castes' reports (Article 338) (4). Item 2 is wrong: the Public Accounts Committee is Parliament's own committee and reports directly to the Lok Sabha, not through the President. So (a), (b) and (d) fail.
Notice the similar duties: reports of the UPSC (Article 323), the National Commission for STs (338A), the NCBC (338B) and the Special Officer for Linguistic Minorities (350B) are also laid by the President. Trap: the PAC uses CAG reports, but it is not a constitutional reporting body to the President.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.