Solved previous year question from the OPSC OAS/OCS 2021 Preliminary Examination (General Studies), with the official answer key and a detailed explanation.
Question
Which of the following statement/s is / are correct in respect of Impeachment of the Indian President ?
(i) The President of India is to be impeached for violation of the Constitution.
(ii) The charges against the President shall be preferred by Lok Sabha only.
(iii) Rajya Sabha only shall investigate the charges against President.
(iv) There is no provision of impeachment of President of India in the Indian Constitution.
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Answer & Explanation
Correct answer: (C) (i) only
(i) The President of India is to be impeached for violation of the Constitution – Correct
- Article 61 of the Constitution provides that the President can be impeached for "violation of the Constitution." This is the only ground specified for impeachment.It is worth noting that the term "violation of the Constitution" is not defined anywhere in the Constitution, leaving it to the Parliament to interpret.
(ii) The charges against the President shall be preferred by Lok Sabha only – Incorrect
- The charges can be preferred by either house of Parliament (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha), not exclusively by Lok Sabha. The impeachment process can be initiated in either house. A resolution containing the charges must be signed by at least one-fourth of the total members of that House, and 14 days‘ advance notice must be given.
(iii) Rajya Sabha only shall investigate the charges against the President – Incorrect
- The investigation is conducted by the house that did NOT initiate the charges. If Lok Sabha prefers the charges, then Rajya Sabha investigates, and vice versa. It’s not exclusively Rajya Sabha’s role.
(iv) There is no provision of impeachment of President of India in the Indian Constitution – Incorrect
- Article 61 specifically provides for the impeachment of the President. The provision clearly exists in the Constitution.
