Which one of the following forms of Constitution contains the features of both the Unitary and Federal Constitution?
- A.Unitary
- B.Federal
- C.Quasi-Federal
- D.Quasi-Unitary
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Quasi-Federal. A quasi-federal constitution has the basic features of a federation but also a strong unitary bias, and the Indian Constitution is the best known example.
The political scientist K.C. Wheare called the Indian Constitution quasi-federal. Its federal features include a written and rigid Constitution, a division of powers between the Centre and the States, an independent judiciary and a bicameral Parliament. Its unitary features include a strong Centre, single citizenship, a single Constitution for the Union and the States, integrated courts, all-India services, emergency provisions and Governors appointed by the President. The Constitution itself calls India a 'Union of States'.
A is wrong because a unitary constitution, as in Britain or France, concentrates power in the central government, and any local bodies get their powers from it. B is wrong because a purely federal constitution, as in the USA, divides powers between two levels without a strong unitary tilt. D is wrong because 'quasi-unitary' is not the standard term used for this mixed form.
Exam tip: K.C. Wheare called India quasi-federal; the Constitution calls it a Union of States.
Practice Questions
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- A.Rabi Ray
- B.Hiren Mukherjee
- C.Somnath Chatterjee
- D.P.A. Sangma
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In June 2004 he served as pro-tem Speaker of the 14th Lok Sabha and was then elected Speaker unanimously, the first pro-tem Speaker to become Speaker in this way.
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- A.450
- B.500
- C.550
- D.600
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Article 170 of the Constitution says a State Legislative Assembly shall have not more than 500 and not less than 60 members chosen by direct election.
Read the full explanation →Which one of the following statements is correct ?
- A.Under Article 21A of the Constitution of India, the State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children up to the age of eleven years.
- B.Every religious denomination has got absolute power under Article 26 of the Constitution of India to manage its own affairs in matters of religion.
- C.Only religious and linguistic minorities find mention in Article 30 of the Constitution of India in reference to the right to establish educational institutions of their choice.
- D.Parliament cannot empower, even by law, any court other than the Supreme Court of India the power to issue writs within local limits of its jurisdiction.
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Article 30 gives all minorities, whether based on religion or language, the right to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice, and names no other kind of minority.
Read the full explanation →Which of the following areas has been exempted from the purview of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019?
- A.Ladakh
- B.Jammu and Kashmir
- C.The Sixth Schedule Areas
- D.The Fifth Schedule Areas
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The Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 does not apply to the tribal areas of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura listed in the Sixth Schedule.
Read the full explanation →Who among the following said that Democracy means a system of 'Government by Consent'?
- A.John Locke
- B.J.S. Mill
- C.Jeremy Bentham
- D.J.J. Rousseau
Show answer
Locke argued that a government is legitimate only when it rests on the consent of the governed, the idea of government by consent.
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