Polity Questions for AGNIVEER ARMY

The Constitution — Key Basic Facts

The Constitution of India came into effect on 26 January 1950. It was drafted by the Constituent Assembly which was set up in 1946. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee and is called the Father of the Indian Constitution. The original Constitution had 395 Articles, 8 Schedules and 22 Parts. Currently it has 448 Articles and 12 Schedules after amendments.

• Adopted: 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day). Enacted: 26 January 1950 (Republic Day).
• Dr. B.R. Ambedkar = Chairman of Drafting Committee = Father of Constitution.
• India borrowed ideas from many countries — UK gave Parliamentary system, USA gave Fundamental Rights, Ireland gave DPSP.
• India is a Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic — added by 42nd Amendment 1976.
• Preamble is the soul and mirror of the Constitution but is NOT enforceable in court.
• India is described as a Union of States — not a Federation — in Article 1.

Fundamental Rights — Articles 12 to 35

Fundamental Rights are the basic rights guaranteed to every citizen (and some to all persons). They are justiciable — meaning you can go to court if they are violated. Article 32 itself is a Fundamental Right that lets you approach the Supreme Court for enforcement. Dr. Ambedkar called Article 32 the Heart and Soul of the Constitution.

• Right to Equality: Articles 14-18 — equality before law, no discrimination, abolition of untouchability.
• Right to Freedom: Articles 19-22 — speech, assembly, movement, profession. Article 21 protects life and personal liberty.
• Right against Exploitation: Articles 23-24 — no human trafficking, no child labour under 14.
• Right to Freedom of Religion: Articles 25-28.
• Cultural and Educational Rights: Articles 29-30 — minority rights.
• Right to Constitutional Remedies: Article 32 — approach Supreme Court. Article 226 for High Court.

Directive Principles of State Policy — Articles 36 to 51

DPSP are guidelines for the government to follow while making laws. They are NOT enforceable in court — you cannot sue the government for not following them. They are borrowed from Ireland. Think of DPSP as a wish list for the government. The 44th Amendment made it clear that Fundamental Rights generally prevail over DPSP, but some DPSP can override some Fundamental Rights via Article 31C.

• DPSP are non-justiciable — cannot be enforced in court.
• Aim is to establish a Welfare State.
• Examples: Equal pay for equal work (Art 39), Free legal aid (Art 39A), Uniform Civil Code (Art 44).
• Borrowed from the Irish Constitution.
• Fundamental Duties were added by the 42nd Amendment under Article 51A — there are now 11 duties.

Parliament — Structure and Key Points

India has a bicameral Parliament — two houses. Lok Sabha is the Lower House (House of the People) and Rajya Sabha is the Upper House (Council of States). The President is also part of Parliament. Lok Sabha has more powers in money matters. A Money Bill can only be introduced in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha can only delay it by 14 days.

• Lok Sabha: Maximum 552 members, elected for 5 years. Speaker presides.
• Rajya Sabha: Maximum 250 members, permanent body — never dissolved. Vice President is Chairman.
• 12 members of Rajya Sabha are nominated by President for expertise in arts, science, literature, social service.
• 2 members of Lok Sabha (Anglo-Indian) were nominated by President — this provision ended by 104th Amendment 2020.
• Joint Session of Parliament is presided by Speaker of Lok Sabha — called under Article 108.
• Quorum (minimum members needed) for both houses is one-tenth of total membership.

President and Vice President

The President is the Constitutional Head of India — the first citizen. The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers (headed by PM). Real executive power is with the Prime Minister. The Vice President is elected by both Houses of Parliament and acts as Chairman of Rajya Sabha.

• President elected by elected members of both Houses + elected members of State Legislatures — Article 54.
• Term of President: 5 years. Can be re-elected any number of times.
• Impeachment of President: Article 61 — by Parliament with 2/3rd majority.
• Vice President elected by both Houses of Parliament (including nominated members).
• If President post is vacant, Vice President acts as President.
• Attorney General of India is appointed by President — highest law officer of the country.

Important Constitutional Articles to Remember

Agniveer Army frequently asks about specific Article numbers. Memorize these as direct answers to one-line questions. Think of Articles like house numbers — each room (article) has a specific function.

• Article 1 — India is a Union of States.
• Article 21 — Right to Life and Personal Liberty (most litigated article).
• Article 32 — Right to Constitutional Remedies (Heart and Soul — Ambedkar).
• Article 356 — President's Rule in a state (imposed when constitutional machinery fails).
• Article 370 — Special status of J&K (abrogated in August 2019 by Parliament).
• Article 44 — Uniform Civil Code (a DPSP, not yet implemented).
• Article 112 — Annual Financial Statement (Union Budget).
• Article 324 — Election Commission of India.

Important Constitutional Amendments

Amendments change the Constitution. They are passed under Article 368. Some key amendments are direct exam questions. Think of them as milestones on a highway — each one changed something important.

• 1st Amendment 1951 — Added 9th Schedule, land reform laws protected.
• 42nd Amendment 1976 — Added Socialist, Secular to Preamble; added Fundamental Duties. Called Mini Constitution.
• 44th Amendment 1978 — Restored Right to Property as legal right (not Fundamental Right) under Article 300A.
• 61st Amendment 1988 — Voting age reduced from 21 to 18 years.
• 73rd and 74th Amendments 1992 — Gave constitutional status to Panchayati Raj and Urban Local Bodies.
• 101st Amendment 2016 — Introduced GST (Goods and Services Tax).
• 104th Amendment 2020 — Ended reserved seats for Anglo-Indians in Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.

• Confusing adoption date (26 Nov 1949) with enactment date (26 Jan 1950). Exam loves this trap — 26 November is Constitution Day, 26 January is Republic Day.
• Thinking DPSP are enforceable in court — they are NOT. Only Fundamental Rights are justiciable. This is a very common wrong answer.
• Mixing up who presides where — Vice President presides Rajya Sabha, Speaker presides Lok Sabha, Speaker of Lok Sabha presides Joint Session.
• Saying Right to Property is a Fundamental Right — it was removed by the 44th Amendment in 1978. It is now only a legal/constitutional right under Article 300A.
• Confusing Article 356 (President Rule in states) with Article 352 (National Emergency). Both are Emergency articles but different situations — 352 is for external aggression or armed rebellion, 356 is for state constitutional failure.

• SSSD Republic — Sovereign, Socialist, Secular, Democratic Republic — remember as 3S 1D or the 42nd Amendment gift to the Preamble.
• For Borrowed Features use mnemonic UIFRC — UK=Parliament style, Ireland=DPSP, France=Liberty Equality Fraternity, Russia=Fundamental Duties, Canada=Federal with strong centre.
• Article 32 = 3+2 = 5 letters in HEART — Ambedkar called it the Heart and Soul. So Article 32 = Heart.
• For Amendments think 42 Mini, 44 Property, 61 Voting, 73-74 Village-City, 101 GST, 104 Anglo-Indian out. Use the story: Mini (42) gave property rights fight (44), teens voted (61), villages got power (73-74), GST came (101), Anglo-Indians left (104).

• Agniveer Army GK paper typically has 1-2 direct article number questions like which article deals with Right to Education or which article is called Heart and Soul. Always memorize article numbers for commonly asked rights and provisions.
• Questions on Constitutional Amendments appear every paper — focus on 42nd, 44th, 61st, 73rd, 74th, 101st, and 104th. One question is almost guaranteed.
• President vs Prime Minister powers is a common trap question — remember President is constitutional head, PM is real executive head. President acts on advice of Council of Ministers.
• Article 370 abrogation (August 2019) is a hot topic for current affairs + polity crossover. Expect one question on this — J&K is now a Union Territory.
• Do not spend more than 90 seconds on polity questions in the exam. These are straight recall questions. If you do not remember immediately, mark and move — come back later. Polity rewards preparation, not thinking time.