Non-Constitutional Bodies — UPSC Prelims practice questions

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PrelimsAI currently has 75+ Non-Constitutional Bodies MCQs under Polity & Governance. This page shows 12 sample questions in full.

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18+ questions in this chapter are tagged as UPSC Prelims PYQs. PYQs are prioritised in the visible sample set when available.

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Continue with Constitutional Bodies or Important Acts and Rights-Based Governance, or return to the Polity & Governance subject page for more chapter-wise practice.

Question 1

With reference to the Government of India, consider the following information:
I. Directorate of Enforcement — Enforcement of the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, 2018 — Internal Security Division-I, Ministry of Home Affairs
II. Directorate of Revenue Intelligence — Enforces the provisions of the Customs Act, 1962 — Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
III. Directorate General of Systems and Data Management — Carries out big data analytics to assist tax officers and detect tax evasion — Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance
In how many of the above rows is the information correctly matched? (A) Only one (B) Only two (C) All the three (D) None

Accepted Answer

(B) Only two — Correct. The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence functions under the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and the DGSM also falls under the Department of Revenue. The mismatch lies in the Directorate of Enforcement row — while it enforces the Fugitive Economic Offenders Act, it works under the Department of Revenue, not the Internal Security Division-I of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

Question 2

Consider the following statements about Lokpal:
Statement I: The power of Lokpal applies to public servants of India, but not to Indian public servants posted outside India.
Statement II: The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a Member of Parliament or of the Legislature of any State or Union Territory, and only the Chief Justice of India, whether incumbent or retired, has to be its Chairperson.
Statement III: The Chairperson or a Member shall not be a person of less than forty-five years of age on the date of assuming office.
Statement IV: Lokpal cannot inquire into allegations of corruption against a sitting Prime Minister of India. (A) III only (B) II and III (C) I and IV (D) None of the above statements is correct

Accepted Answer

(A) III only — Correct. Only Statement III is correct. The minimum age requirement of 45 years for the Chairperson or a Member of Lokpal is accurately stated under the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.

Question 3

The North Eastern Council (NEC) was established by the North Eastern Council Act, 1971. Subsequent to the amendment of NEC Act in 2002, the Council comprises which of the following members?
1. Governor of the constituent State
2. Chief Minister of the constituent State
3. Three Members to be nominated by the President of India
4. The Home Minister of India (A) 1, 2 and 3 only (B) 1, 3 and 4 only (C) 2 and 4 only (D) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Accepted Answer

(A) 1, 2 and 3 only — Correct. After the 2002 amendment, the NEC includes the Governors and Chief Ministers of the constituent States and three members nominated by the President. The Union Home Minister is not a member; the Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region serves as chairperson.

Question 4

In India, Legal Services Authorities provide free legal services to which of the following types of citizens?
1. Person with annual income of less than Rs. 1,00,000
2. Transgender with annual income of less than Rs. 2,00,000
3. Member of OBC with annual income of less than Rs. 3,00,000
4. All senior citizens
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 and 4 only (C) 2 and 3 only (D) 1 and 4 only

Accepted Answer

(A) 1 and 2 only — Correct. Free legal services are available to persons meeting prescribed income limits and to certain vulnerable categories including transgender persons under current legal-aid frameworks. OBC status alone is not an automatic eligibility category, and all senior citizens are not universally covered without reference to other criteria.

Question 5

Consider the following statements:
1. The Chief Secretary in a State is appointed by the Governor of that State.
2. The Chief Secretary in a State has a fixed tenure.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(D) Neither 1 nor 2 — Correct. The Chief Secretary is appointed by the State Government (effectively by the Chief Minister), not personally by the Governor. The post also does not carry a constitutionally fixed tenure — it is at the pleasure of the government.

Question 6

The Government of India has established NITI Aayog to replace the: (A) Human Rights Commission (B) Finance Commission (C) Law Commission (D) Planning Commission

Accepted Answer

(D) Planning Commission — Correct. NITI Aayog (National Institution for Transforming India) was created by a cabinet resolution on 1 January 2015 to replace the Planning Commission, which had been the Union Government's central planning body since 1950.

Question 7

Consider the following pairs:
Programme/Project — Ministry
1. Drought-Prone Area Programme — Ministry of Agriculture
2. Desert Development Programme — Ministry of Environment and Forests
3. National Watershed Development Project for Rainfed Areas — Ministry of Rural Development
Which of the above pairs is/are correctly matched? (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 3 only (C) 1, 2 and 3 (D) None

Accepted Answer

(D) None — Correct. None of the programme-ministry pairings is correctly matched. The listed ministries do not correspond to the actual administrative departments responsible for these programmes.

Question 8

Which of the following is/are the function/functions of the Cabinet Secretariat?
1. Preparation of agenda for Cabinet Meetings
2. Secretariat assistance to Cabinet Committees
3. Allocation of financial resources to the Ministries
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (A) 1 only (B) 2 and 3 only (C) 1 and 2 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(C) 1 and 2 only — Correct. The Cabinet Secretariat coordinates Cabinet business, prepares agenda papers for Cabinet meetings, and provides secretariat support to Cabinet Committees. Allocation of financial resources to Ministries is the function of the Ministry of Finance, not the Cabinet Secretariat.

Question 9

Which of the following bodies does/do not find mention in the Constitution?
1. National Development Council
2. Planning Commission
3. Zonal Councils
Select the correct answer using the code given below. (A) 1 and 2 only (B) 2 only (C) 1 and 3 only (D) 1, 2 and 3

Accepted Answer

(D) 1, 2 and 3 — Correct. None of the three bodies is a constitutional creation. The NDC and Planning Commission were executive creations through cabinet resolutions, while Zonal Councils were established under the States Reorganisation Act, 1956.

Question 10

With reference to National Legal Services Authority, consider the following statements:
1. Its objective is to provide free and competent legal services to the weaker sections of society on the basis of equal opportunity.
2. It issues guidelines for the State Legal Services Authorities to implement legal aid programmes and schemes throughout the country.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(C) Both 1 and 2 — Correct. NALSA exists to secure equal justice and free legal services for weaker sections of society, and it lays down policies, principles, and guidelines for State Legal Services Authorities to implement legal aid programmes across the country.

Question 11

Consider the following statements:
1. Central Administrative Tribunal was set up during the Prime Ministership of Lal Bahadur Shastri.
2. The members of CAT are drawn from both judicial and administrative streams.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(B) 2 only — Correct. CAT was set up in 1985, not during Shastri's premiership. However, its membership structure includes both judicial members (from the judiciary) and administrative members (from the civil services), making Statement 2 correct.

Question 12

Consider the following statements regarding the Union Government:
1. The number of Ministries at the Centre on 15th August 1947 was 18.
2. The number of Ministries at the Centre at present is 36.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (A) 1 only (B) 2 only (C) Both 1 and 2 (D) Neither 1 nor 2

Accepted Answer

(A) 1 only — Correct. The historical count of Union ministries at independence (18) is accepted as correct. The contemporary ministry count given in Statement 2 was not accurate for the year of the examination.

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