The Parliamentary System: Legislature and Executive — Mastery

Q1. India's old Parliament building, constructed in the 1920s, is now called

• A. Sansad Bhavan
• B. Vigyan Bhavan
• C. Rashtrapati Bhavan
• D. Samvidhan Sadan

Q2. 'ensuring federalism' as one of the Parliament's Constitutional functions. Which option BEST captures what 'federalism' means in this context?

• A. Power is concentrated entirely in the Union government in New Delhi
• B. Power belongs only to the directly elected representatives in the Lok Sabha
• C. Power is shared equally between the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha alone
• D. Power is distributed between the centre, states and local governments, balancing national unity and local interests

Q3. The Prime Minister's key functions. Which of the following is NOT listed there?

• A. Leading the Council of Ministers
• B. Advising the President
• C. Coordinating the work of different ministries
• D. Presiding over the sittings of the Lok Sabha

Q4. The Judiciary keeps a check on society and government by doing three things. Which set BEST matches the textbook?

• A. Interpreting laws, resolving disputes, and safeguarding fundamental rights
• B. Making laws, collecting taxes, and conducting elections
• C. Drafting bills, voting on bills, and printing the gazette
• D. Appointing the President, summoning Parliament, and dissolving the Lok Sabha

Q5. Aarti, a Class 8 SST teacher, wants to teach the parliamentary system using the chapter's opening scene. Which is the BEST FIRST classroom activity?

• A. Dictate the list of 18 translation languages and ask students to memorise it overnight
• B. Begin with a quiz on Article numbers without any visual or context
• C. Show photographs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha chambers and ask students what they notice, before introducing the term 'bicameral'
• D. Hand out the bill-to-act chart and ask students to draw it without explanation

Q6. Both Rajya Sabha seats and Lok Sabha MPs allocated to a state are based on the state's population. Which conclusion BEST follows?

• A. Larger-population states like Uttar Pradesh get more seats in both Houses than smaller-population states
• B. All states get exactly the same number of seats in both Houses, regardless of population
• C. Only the Lok Sabha allocation depends on population; Rajya Sabha seats are equal for all states
• D. Population has no role; the President decides each state's quota

Q7. The Constitution guarantees 'all adult citizens of the country the right to vote irrespective of their social or economic background, gender, race, or religion.' This principle is called

• A. Separation of powers
• B. Collective responsibility
• C. Federalism
• D. Universal adult franchise / universal adult suffrage

Q8. Ravi argues that 'a Cabinet minister must always be a member of the Lok Sabha, never the Rajya Sabha.' Using, what is the BEST correction?

• A. Ravi is right; Cabinet ministers must be from the Lok Sabha only
• B. Cabinet ministers are nominated only from the Rajya Sabha, never the Lok Sabha
• C. The Council of Ministers is chosen from MPs of both Houses of Parliament; so a minister can come from either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha
• D. Cabinet ministers are appointed directly from among retired civil servants

Q9. Names the six languages recently added for simultaneous interpretation in Parliament. Which group is correct?

• A. Bodo, Dogri, Maithili, Manipuri, Urdu and Sanskrit
• B. Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam and Marathi
• C. Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Punjabi and Odia
• D. Konkani, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Nepali, Santhali and Bodo

Q10. On, the RTE 'story' says its roots lie in the Directive Principles of State Policy, and in the 1990s someone argued in court that it was 'inherently part of the Fundamental Rights… namely, the Right to Life'. This argument BEST shows that

• A. Directive Principles automatically become Fundamental Rights without any court ruling
• B. Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles have nothing to do with each other
• C. The RTE was first introduced as a Money Bill in the Rajya Sabha
• D. The Right to Life can be expansively read to include rights like education, prompting later constitutional amendment

Q11. 'Let's Explore' asks: 'What might happen if one of the organs — Legislature, Executive, Judiciary — had all the power?' Which response BEST uses the chapter's logic?

• A. Nothing would change, because checks and balances work the same with one organ as with three
• B. It would be ideal, because a single organ would take faster decisions and avoid disagreements
• C. It would risk the rights of people, because no other organ could check abuse — defeating the very purpose of separation of powers and checks and balances
• D. It would automatically make India a federal state by concentrating power at the centre

Q12. A teacher wants to use the RTE 'story' to teach the 8-step bill-to-act process. Which classroom strategy BEST exploits this case study?

• A. Skip the RTE story entirely and dictate the 8 stages of the chart
• B. Ask students to memorise only the year 2009 without linking it to any stage
• C. Ask students to map each line of the RTE story onto a stage of the bill-to-act chart then dramatise it as a role-play
• D. Replace the RTE example with a foreign country's law to avoid Indian bias

Q13. During a session, the Parliament usually sits for how many hours per day?

• A. 4 hours
• B. 12 hours
• C. 8 hours
• D. 6 hours

Q14. 'The Union Executive gives life to the legislative functions and power of the Parliament.' Which option BEST captures this idea?

• A. The Executive replaces the Parliament once a bill is passed
• B. The Parliament and Executive perform the same function in the same way
• C. Parliament makes laws and decides policy; the Executive enforces them so that laws actually shape day-to-day life
• D. The Executive can override any law made by Parliament

Q15. Aarti's Class 8 students draw a 'how the Legislature checks the Executive' chart. Using and 153, which TWO tools listed in the textbook should the chart name?

• A. The Question Hour and Parliamentary committees (e.g., the Standing Committee)
• B. Judicial review and gazette notification
• C. Universal adult suffrage and federalism
• D. Presidential assent and ordinance making

Q16. Rajya Sabha the is called 'Council of States'. Which option BEST captures why this name fits the Rajya Sabha's design?

• A. It is composed entirely of state Governors nominated by the President
• B. It only discusses State List subjects and has no Union role
• C. It is the directly elected House of the People that decides Money Bills
• D. Its members are indirectly elected by an electoral college so that each state's voice is represented at the Union level

Q17. A verse recited in Parliament in February 2025. From which classical Indian text does it come?

• A. The Bhagavad Gita
• B. The Arthashastra of Kautilya
• C. The Tirukkural by Thiruvalluvar
• D. The Manusmriti

Q18. The Vidhan Parishad. Which option BEST captures what it is?

• A. The directly elected lower house of every state in India
• B. An advisory body of civil servants reporting to the Governor
• C. A standing committee of the Rajya Sabha for state-related matters
• D. The upper house (Legislative Council) found only in some states that have a bicameral legislature

Q19. A new Governor of a state has just been sworn in. Using, which BEST describes how the Governor came to that post and what role the Governor now plays?

• A. Directly elected by the people of the state; runs the state government on a day-to-day basis
• B. Elected by the Vidhan Sabha; replaces the Chief Minister in case of resignation
• C. Appointed by the President of India; serves as the constitutional (nominal) head of the state, while the Chief Minister actually runs the government
• D. Nominated by the Prime Minister; chairs all sittings of the Vidhan Sabha

Q20. Assertion (A): At the State level, the Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Vidhan Sabha. Reason (R): The Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers must enjoy the confidence of the directly elected lower house of the state.

• A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
• B. Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A
• C. A is true, R is false
• D. A is false, R is true

Q21. Based on the table what is the normal term of both the Lok Sabha at the Centre and the Vidhan Sabha in a state, unless dissolved earlier?

• A. Four years each
• B. Lok Sabha five years, Vidhan Sabha three years
• C. Six years each
• D. Five years each

Q22. The Council of Ministers 'aids and advises the President in the exercise of their functions'. Which option BEST explains the constitutional meaning of this phrase?

• A. The President can ignore all advice of the Council of Ministers at will
• B. The Council of Ministers is bound by every personal opinion of the President
• C. The President normally acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers, so real decision-making power lies with the Council and the Prime Minister
• D. The Council of Ministers makes the laws and the President takes a vote on them

Q23. 'Don't Miss Out' box notes that the Indian Constitution arranges the Union government in Part V. of Part V deals with the Executive, while of Part V deals with

• A. The State Government
• B. The Parliament
• C. The Judiciary
• D. Fundamental Rights

Q24. The table compares the composition of the Legislature and the Executive. Which of the following correctly states the difference?

• A. Both Legislature and Executive consist only of elected MPs from the Lok Sabha
• B. The Legislature consists of all the elected MPs of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha; the Executive consists of the President, Vice President, the Prime Minister and the Council of Ministers
• C. Legislature consists of judges of the Supreme Court; Executive consists of all MPs
• D. Both Legislature and Executive are identical in composition because all ministers are also MPs

Q25. Aarti tells her Class 8 students: 'In our system, one organ makes the law; another puts that law into practice on the ground.' Using, which pair correctly fills the blanks: 'The ___ makes laws; the ___ implements them.'

• A. Judiciary; Parliament
• B. Legislature (Parliament); Executive
• C. Executive; Legislature
• D. President; Vice President

Q26. Arrange the following milestones in the RTE 'story' in the correct cause-and-effect order: A. The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 inserts Article 21A B. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act) becomes law C. Original Directive Principle on free and compulsory education for children up to 14 years D. A 1990s court argument links education to the Right to Life (Fundamental Right)

• A. A → B → C → D
• B. C → D → A → B
• C. C → A → B → D
• D. D → C → A → B

Q27. Lok Sabha the is called 'House of the People' or Lower House. Which option BEST explains why this name fits its character?

• A. It is composed of state Governors who speak for the people of their state
• B. Its members are directly elected by the people on universal adult suffrage and represent constituencies of the entire population
• C. It is named 'House of the People' only because it meets in the people's gallery, not the main chamber
• D. Its members are nominated by the Vice President from among public figures

Q28. Aarti wants her Class 8 students to understand the Union List, State List and Concurrent List through a hands-on activity. Which classroom strategy BEST aligns with?

• A. Ask students to recite all Schedule Seven entries from memory in a single period
• B. Give students cards with subjects like 'Defence', 'Police', 'Education', 'Posts' and ask them to sort the cards into three buckets — Union, State, Concurrent — and then discuss who legislates and what happens in case of conflict, using RTE as the example
• C. Skip the lists altogether and only discuss the President's powers
• D. Tell students every subject is on the Union List and there is no further distinction

Q29. A student argues: 'India should abolish the Rajya Sabha because a single House would pass laws faster and save time.' Using, 154 and 156, which evaluation is BEST grounded in the chapter?

• A. The student is fully correct; the Rajya Sabha only slows down lawmaking
• B. The student misses the chapter's point: the bicameral system embodies federalism (Council of States) and adds a layer of scrutiny under checks and balances; abolishing it would weaken state representation and the protection against hasty laws
• C. The Rajya Sabha can be abolished because the Lok Sabha already represents states
• D. The Vidhan Sabhas in each state already do the work of the Rajya Sabha

Q30. Consider the following cause-and-effect chain based Statement I: The 86th Constitutional Amendment Act, 2002 inserted Article 21A and made free and compulsory education for children aged 6 to 14 a Fundamental Right. Statement II: Because Article 21A made it a Fundamental Right of the child, Parliament had to pass an enabling law — the RTE Act, 2009 — to actually deliver this right. Which is correct?

• A. Only Statement I is correct
• B. Only Statement II is correct
• C. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct, and II logically follows from I as cause-and-effect
• D. Neither statement reflects wh says