UPSC Prelims 2020 GS Paper I · Q2 of 99 Polity & Governance medium

Rajya Sabha has equal powers with Lok Sabha in

  1. (a) the matter of creating new All India Services
  2. (b) amending the Constitution ✓ UPSC's answer
  3. (c) the removal of the government
  4. (d) making cut motions

Why the answer is (b)

• Under Article 368 a Constitution Amendment Bill must be passed by each House separately with a special majority; there is no joint sitting, so Rajya Sabha's power is equal to Lok Sabha's — option (b).

• Creating a new All India Service (a) is a special power of Rajya Sabha alone under Article 312 (resolution by two-thirds).

• Removing the government (c) — no-confidence motion — and cut motions on demands for grants (d) belong exclusively to Lok Sabha, since the Council of Ministers is responsible to it (Article 75(3)) and money matters originate there.

• Hence option (b).

Why the other options are wrong

(a) the matter of creating new All India Services
Creating All India Services is Rajya Sabha's exclusive power, not an equal one.
(c) the removal of the government
Only Lok Sabha can remove the government.
(d) making cut motions
Cut motions are moved only in Lok Sabha.

Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2020, held on 4 October 2020. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.

Reading the answer is not the same as getting it right under a clock. Practise this question with UPSC's negative marking, and anything you miss goes into an error notebook until you get it right twice.

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