Quick Review Flashcards - Click to flip and test your knowledge!
Question
How many States and Union Territories currently comprise the Union of India?
Answer
There are 28 States and eight Union Territories.
Question
Which three entities comprise the State Legislature in a bicameral system?
Answer
The Governor, the Legislative Assembly, and the Legislative Council.
Question
What name is given to a State Legislature that consists of only one house?
Answer
A unicameral legislature.
Question
Which house is also known as the Vidhan Sabha?
Answer
The Legislative Assembly.
Question
Which house is also known as the Vidhan Parishad?
Answer
The Legislative Council.
Question
List the six Indian States that have a bicameral legislature.
Answer
Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh.
Question
Which 1991 Amendment Act provided special provisions for the Union Territory of Delhi?
Answer
The 69th Amendment Act.
Question
What majority is required in the Legislative Assembly to pass a resolution for the creation or abolition of a Legislative Council?
Answer
A majority of the total membership and not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.
Question
Which legislative body must follow a State Assembly's resolution with an Act to officially abolish or create a Legislative Council?
Answer
The Parliament of India.
Question
When was the Legislative Council of Jammu and Kashmir abolished?
Answer
It was abolished in 2019 during the reorganisation into Union Territories.
Question
How does the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly differ from that of the Legislative Council?
Answer
The Assembly can be dissolved, whereas the Council is a permanent body not subject to dissolution.
Question
Who is the constitutional head of a State in India?
Answer
The Governor.
Question
Which Article of the Indian Constitution stipulates that there shall be a Governor for each State?
Answer
Article 153.
Question
Who appoints the Governor of a State?
Answer
The President of India.
Question
What is the minimum age requirement for a person to be eligible for the post of Governor?
Answer
Thirty-five years.
Question
What is the standard term of office for a Governor?
Answer
Five years.
Question
What happens to the seat of a Member of Parliament if they are appointed as a Governor?
Answer
Their earlier seat in Parliament becomes vacant upon appointment.
Question
Under whose 'pleasure' does the Governor hold office?
Answer
The President of India.
Question
Whose advice must the Governor generally follow in the exercise of their functions?
Answer
The Council of Ministers headed by the Chief Minister.
Question
Which legislative power allows a Governor to address the legislature at the start of the first session each year?
Answer
The power to address the meetings of the legislature.
Question
What is the Governor's 'assent' in the context of the legislative process?
Answer
It is the required formal approval for a Bill passed by the Legislature to become law.
Question
Under what condition can a Governor promulgate an ordinance?
Answer
When the State Legislature is not in session.
Question
Who does the Governor appoint as the Chief Minister of the State?
Answer
The leader of the majority party in the Legislative Assembly.
Question
What fraction of the total members of the Vidhan Parishad is nominated by the Governor?
Answer
One-sixth of the total members.
Question
In what specific fields must nominated members of the Vidhan Parishad have special knowledge?
Answer
Literature, science, art, cooperative movement, and social service.
Question
What financial restriction exists regarding the introduction of a Money Bill in the Legislative Assembly?
Answer
It cannot be introduced without the Governor's recommendation.
Question
Which fund is at the Governor's disposal for meeting unforeseen expenditure?
Answer
The State Contingency Fund.
Question
Who does the President consult when appointing High Court judges for a particular state?
Answer
The Governor of that state.
Question
Under what circumstance might a Governor recommend the declaration of Constitutional Emergency in a State?
Answer
When there is a breakdown of the constitutional machinery in the state.
Question
What is the maximum permitted membership strength for a State Legislative Assembly?
Answer
500 members.
Question
What is the general minimum membership strength for a State Legislative Assembly, excluding special provisions?
Answer
60 members.
Question
Which Indian state has the smallest Legislative Assembly with only 32 members?
Answer
Sikkim.
Question
What is the minimum age required to become a member of the Legislative Assembly?
Answer
Twenty-five years.
Question
What did the 104th Constitution Amendment Act of 2019 abolish regarding Assembly composition?
Answer
The nomination of Anglo-Indian members to the State Legislative Assemblies.
Question
For how long can the life of the Legislative Assembly be extended during a Proclamation of Emergency?
Answer
For a period of not more than one year at a time.
Question
After an Emergency ceases to exist, within what timeframe must a new Assembly be elected?
Answer
Six months.
Question
A member of the Assembly may have their seat declared vacant if they are absent without permission for how many days?
Answer
60 days.
Question
On which two lists of the Seventh Schedule is the State Legislature competent to make laws?
Answer
The State List and the Concurrent List.
Question
In the event of a conflict between a State law and a Union law on a Concurrent List subject, which law prevails?
Answer
The Law passed by the Union Parliament.
Question
What term refers to the right of members to ask questions of the government on matters of public interest?
Answer
Interpellation.
Question
What is the purpose of an 'Adjournment Motion'?
Answer
To lay aside other business to take up a definite matter of urgent importance.
Question
Which motion is moved to reduce the demand for a grant raised by the Government?
Answer
A Cut Motion.
Question
Who presides over the meetings of the Legislative Assembly?
Answer
The Speaker.
Question
How is the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly chosen?
Answer
The members of the Assembly elect the Speaker from among themselves.
Question
Who certifies whether a particular Bill is a Money Bill or an ordinary Bill in the State Assembly?
Answer
The Speaker.
Question
When is the Speaker allowed to exercise a vote in the Assembly?
Answer
Only in the case of a tie, by exercising a casting vote.
Question
What is the 'Quorum' required for a meeting of the Legislative Assembly?
Answer
10 members or one-tenth of the total membership, whichever is greater.
Question
What is the maximum numerical strength allowed for a State's Legislative Council?
Answer
One-third of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly of that State.
Question
What is the minimum number of members a Legislative Council should normally have?
Answer
40 members.
Question
In the composition of the Vidhan Parishad, what fraction of members is elected by local bodies like municipalities and district boards?
Answer
One-third.
Question
What fraction of the Vidhan Parishad is elected by the members of the Legislative Assembly?
Answer
One-third.
Question
What fraction of Vidhan Parishad members are elected by graduates of more than three years' standing?
Answer
One-twelfth.
Question
What is the minimum age for contesting an election to the Vidhan Parishad?
Answer
Thirty years.
Question
What is the individual term of office for a member of the Legislative Council?
Answer
Six years.
Question
What proportion of Legislative Council members retire every second year?
Answer
One-third of its members.
Question
Who are the presiding officers of the Legislative Council?
Answer
The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman.
Question
For how long can the Legislative Council initially delay the passage of an ordinary Bill?
Answer
Three months.
Question
What is the maximum total period the Vidhan Parishad can delay an ordinary Bill?
Answer
Four months (three months in the first instance and one month in the second).
Question
How many days does the Legislative Council have to act on a Money Bill sent from the Assembly?
Answer
14 days.
Question
Why is the Legislative Council excluded from the Electoral College for the election of the President?
Answer
Because it is an optional and primarily advisory body not present in every State.