Daily Static Quiz Prelims Practice 2027
The President is elected by an Electoral College comprising the elected members of both Houses of Parliament and the elected members of State (and UT) Legislative Assemblies. Nominated members do not participate, and the election uses Proportional Representation by means of the Single Transferable Vote.
- The President can return a non-Money Bill to Parliament for reconsideration — but must give assent if Parliament passes it again.
- The President has absolute veto over Money Bills and can withhold assent indefinitely.
Statement 1 is correct — under Article 111, the President can return an ordinary Bill once, but if Parliament passes it again, assent is mandatory, making this a suspensive veto. Statement 2 is incorrect, since the President has no power to return Money Bills at all — he can only give or withhold assent, never send a Money Bill back for reconsideration.
Option (d) is incorrect — the President can dissolve only the Lok Sabha; the Rajya Sabha is a permanent House and cannot be dissolved. Options (a), (b), and (c) are all correct constitutional provisions under Articles 87, 123, and 80 respectively.
- Assertion (A): The President of India functions as a constitutional head, acting on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers.
- Reason (R): The 42nd Amendment made Cabinet advice binding on the President, and the 44th Amendment allowed one reconsideration but required the President to act on the reconsidered advice.
Assertion A is correct — India follows the Westminster model, where the President is the nominal head while real power vests in the Cabinet. Reason R is correct and directly explains A, since the 42nd Amendment made Cabinet advice binding under Article 74(1), and the 44th Amendment allowed one reconsideration but required final compliance — these amendments directly codified the constitutional-head status described in A.
- The President can use discretion in appointing the PM when no party has a clear majority.
- The President can return a Constitutional Amendment Bill for reconsideration.
- The President can dismiss a Council of Ministers that has lost majority but refuses to resign.
- The President can seek information on Cabinet decisions under Article 78.
Statement 1 is correct — genuine discretion exists when no clear majority emerges after elections. Statement 2 is incorrect, since a Constitutional Amendment Bill cannot be returned — assent is mandatory once it is passed with the required majority. Statement 3 is correct, as the President can dismiss a government that has lost its majority but refuses to resign. Statement 4 is correct, since Article 78 obligates the Prime Minister to share Cabinet decisions with the President on request.
