KSLU Solved Question Papers
Constitutional Law I
Previous Year Question Paper with Solution
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) · Sem 3
2023 Mar Examination
munotes.in
Mumbai
B.A. LL.B. (Five Years) Sem 3 Constitutional Law I 2023 Mar Question Paper with Solutions
First published on munotes.in on 21 October 2026.
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Model answers written and edited by the munotes.in editorial desk.
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The question paper reproduced here is the paper as set by Karnataka State Law University at the 2023 Mar examination.
Contents
The questions below are the paper as Karnataka State Law University set it at the 2023 Mar examination, in the order it was set.
MarksPage
MarksPage
The Paper as Set
The questions in this volume are the questions asked at the 2023 Mar examination, reproduced as Karnataka State Law University set them, in the order it set them. Long reading passages are shortened to their first and last lines and our summary; the original paper prints them in full. Only the answers are ours. See the original question paper.
Duration 3 hours · Total marks 80 · 20 questions answered
Instructions printed on the paper
- N.B. (1) Answer all five Units. (2) One essay type question and short note/problem is compulsory from each Unit. (3) Figures to the right indicate marks. (4) Answer should be written either in English or Kannada completely.
How to use this volume
Solve the paper first, under exam conditions and against the clock. Then read the answers here and mark your own. Reading a solution before attempting the question feels productive and teaches very little, because recognising an answer is not the same as being able to write one.
Q1
Unit I
(a)Examine the salient features of the Indian Constitution.[10]
Answer
For full marks, cover: the making of the Constitution in a line; features of structure (written, rigid and flexible, federal with a strong Centre, parliamentary); features of rights and goals (Parts III, IV, IVA, secularism, adult franchise); features of protection (judicial review, independent judiciary, basic structure, emergency safeguards); decided cases; a conclusion.
Introduction
The Constitution of India was framed by the Constituent Assembly, adopted on 26 November 1949 and brought into force on 26 January 1950. Its framers wanted a document that would hold a diverse country together, protect the individual and bring about social change. Its salient features can be grouped under three heads: how government is structured, what rights and goals it sets, and how it protects itself.
A. Features of structure
1. A written and detailed document. It is the longest written constitution in the world. It covers the Union and the States, the services, elections, finance and many special provisions in a single text.
2. Partly rigid, partly flexible. Article 368 requires a special majority of Parliament for most amendments. Some provisions, such as forming new States under article 4, need only a simple majority. Provisions affecting the federal structure also need ratification by half the States. This mix lets the Constitution adapt without becoming unstable.
3. Federal with a strong Centre. Article 1 describes India as a "Union of States". Legislative power is divided by the Seventh Schedule into the Union, State and Concurrent Lists. Yet the Union has the residuary power, appoints Governors, and gains wide powers in an emergency. In State of West Bengal v. Union of India, AIR 1963 SC 1241, the Supreme Court held that the Constitution is not truly federal and that the States are not sovereign.
4. Parliamentary government. The President acts on the advice of the Council of Ministers under article 74. The Council is collectively responsible to the Lok Sabha under article 75(3). The same model applies in the States.
5. Single citizenship and an integrated judiciary. There is one citizenship for all India, and one hierarchy of courts that applies both Union and State laws.
B. Features of rights and goals
6. Fundamental rights. Part III guarantees equality, the six freedoms, life and liberty, freedom of religion and the rights of minorities. Article 32 gives a direct remedy in the Supreme Court.
7. Directive principles. Part IV lays down goals of social and economic justice. They are not enforceable, but article 37 makes them fundamental in governance.
8. Fundamental duties. Article 51A, added in 1976, lists the duties of citizens.
9. Secularism. The State has no religion and treats all faiths equally. In S.R. Bommai v. Union of India, (1994) 3 SCC 1, the Court held secularism to be a basic feature of the Constitution.
10. Universal adult franchise. Every citizen of eighteen years or more can vote under article 326, without any condition of property, sex or education.
C. Features of protection
11. Judicial review. The higher courts can strike down laws that violate the Constitution. Article 13 makes such laws void, and articles 32 and 226 give the remedy.
12. Independent judiciary. Judges of the Supreme Court and High Courts enjoy security of tenure. They can be removed only by an address of Parliament on proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
13. The basic structure. In Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala, AIR 1973 SC 1461, the Court held that Parliament can amend the Constitution but cannot destroy its basic structure. Democracy, federalism, secularism and judicial review are part of it.
14. Emergency provisions with safeguards. Articles 352, 356 and 360 give the Union special powers in a crisis. The Forty-fourth Amendment 1978 added safeguards and made articles 20 and 21 non-suspendable.
15. Independent bodies. The Election Commission, the Comptroller and Auditor-General and the Public Service Commissions are protected from executive control.
16. Three tiers of government. The Seventy-third and Seventy-fourth Amendments 1992 gave constitutional status to panchayats and municipalities in Parts IX and IXA. Democracy now works at the Union, State and local levels.
17. Protection of weaker sections. Article 17 abolishes untouchability. Articles 15(4) and 16(4) allow special provision for backward classes. Seats are reserved for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies under articles 330 and 332.
Summary table
| Head | Features |
|---|---|
| Structure | Written, partly rigid, federal with a strong Centre, parliamentary, three tiers |
| Rights and goals | Parts III, IV and IVA, secularism, adult franchise, protection of weaker sections |
| Protection | Judicial review, independent judiciary, basic structure, emergency safeguards |
Conclusion. The Indian Constitution combines a federal structure with a strong Centre, parliamentary government and an independent judiciary. It guarantees rights, sets social goals and lists duties. Its basic features, recognised in Kesavananda and Bommai, cannot be destroyed even by amendment. This blend makes it both firm and adaptable.
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