With reference to the Parliament of India, consider the following statements : 1. A private member's bill is a bill presented by a Member of Parliament who is not elected but only nominated by the President of India. 2. Recently, a private member's bill has been passed in the Parliament of India for the first time in its history. 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 ✓ UPSC's answer
Why the answer is (d)
• A private member's bill is any bill introduced by an MP who is not a minister — elected or nominated — so statement 1 is wrong.
• Statement 2 is wrong: 14 private members' bills have become law, the last in 1970; the Rights of Transgender Persons Bill (2015) passed only the Rajya Sabha, so no private member's bill was 'recently passed for the first time'.
• Private members' bills are taken up on Fridays and rarely progress beyond discussion.
• Hence neither 1 nor 2, option (d).
Why the other options are wrong
- (a) 1 only
- Statement 1 is wrong: any non-minister MP can move one.
- (b) 2 only
- Statement 2 is wrong: 14 such bills became law long ago.
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- Both statements are wrong.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2017, held on 18 June 2017. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.