Centre-State Relations & Federalism MCQs for UPSC Prelims

Correct answer: B - Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

Both statements are factually correct. India's public health spending and infrastructure have historically been oriented towards curative, hospital-based care, with preventive, promotive and rehabilitative components remaining comparatively weak, a gap the National Health Policy itself acknowledges. Public health and hospitals fall in the State List, so States are indeed primarily responsible for organizing health service delivery. However, the constitutional assignment of health to the States does not cause or explain the curative bias of the system, which stems from policy and funding choices, so Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I.

Correct answer: B - Governor General

Under the Government of India Act, 1935, residuary powers were vested in the Governor General, who could decide on subjects not enumerated in the federal, provincial or concurrent lists. This was unlike many federations where residuary powers go to a legislature. The Federal and Provincial Legislatures had powers only over their listed subjects, so those options are wrong, and the Provincial Governors had no such residuary authority. This discretionary vesting in the Governor General reflected the British intent to retain ultimate control, which is why our present Constitution instead gives residuary powers to the Union Parliament.

Correct answer: A - Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

Prisons and persons detained therein figure in Entry 4 of the State List, so each State frames its own prison manual and rules for daily administration, making Statement-I correct. The colonial-era Prisons Act, 1894 is still the operative framework law and it explicitly placed prison administration with the Provincial (now State) Governments, making Statement-II correct. Because the 1894 Act is the legal basis for State control of prisons, Statement-II directly explains why States manage prisons today. The other options fail either by denying the explanatory link or by wrongly marking one of the statements as incorrect.

Correct answer: B - To pass a resolution empowering the Parliament to make laws in the State List and to create one or more All India Services

Option (b) pairs the two special powers that the Constitution gives exclusively to the Rajya Sabha: under Article 249 it can pass a resolution by a two-thirds majority empowering Parliament to legislate on a State List subject in the national interest, and under Article 312 it can similarly authorise the creation of one or more All India Services. Option (a) is wrong because altering state territories or names (Article 3) needs an ordinary law of Parliament, not a special Rajya Sabha power. Options (c) and (d) are wrong because presidential election procedure, pensions, and the composition and functions of the Election Commission are not special prerogatives of the Rajya Sabha.

Correct answer: A - 1, 2 and 3 only

After the 2002 amendment to the NEC Act, the Council consists of the Governor and the Chief Minister of each of the eight constituent north-eastern states, plus three members nominated by the President. The Union Home Minister is not a member under the Act; the 2018 decision making the Home Minister the ex-officio Chairman was an executive arrangement, not part of the 2002 statutory composition asked about here. Hence only statements 1, 2 and 3 reflect the Act's composition.

Correct answer: A - Only one

Only the Inter-State Council is a constitutional body, set up in 1990 by a Presidential Order under Article 263, which empowers the President to establish such a council to coordinate Centre-State and inter-State matters. The Zonal Councils are statutory bodies created under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, not under the Constitution. The National Security Council is an executive body constituted in 1998 by a Government decision with no constitutional or statutory backing. Therefore only one of the three was established as per constitutional provisions, making (a) correct.

Correct answer: D - It is the result of an agreement among the federating units

Indian federalism was not created by an agreement among pre-existing sovereign units; it was established by the Constitution as an indestructible Union, unlike the United States which arose from a compact among states, so option D is not a feature and is the correct answer. India does have an independent judiciary (A), a clear division of powers between the Centre and States through the three legislative lists (B), and unequal state representation in the Rajya Sabha based on population (C); all of these are genuine features. Hence option D is the one that does not apply.

Correct answer: B - Only two

Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Article 355 places a duty on the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance. Article 22(3) expressly denies the rights of being informed of grounds of arrest and of consulting a legal practitioner to persons detained under preventive detention laws, so the State is constitutionally exempted from providing such counsel. Statement 3 is incorrect because POTA, 2002 departed from ordinary evidence law and made confessions recorded before a police officer of the rank of Superintendent of Police or above admissible as evidence.