Prelims 2015 · archive
EasyConsider the following statements:
- 1.The Legislative Council of a State in India can be larger in size than half of the Legislative Assembly of that particular State.
- 2.The Governor of a State nominates the Chairman of Legislative Council of that particular State.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Neither statement is correct. Under Article 171(1), a Legislative Council can have at most one-third of the Assembly's total strength, so it cannot be larger than half of the Assembly. Under Article 182, the Council itself chooses its Chairman from among its members. The Governor does not nominate the Chairman.
- ✗ 1. Article 171(1) states that the Council's total membership shall not exceed one-third of the total members of the Legislative Assembly. It also sets a minimum of forty members. A Council capped at one-third of the Assembly cannot be larger than half of it.
- ✗ 2. Article 182 requires the Council to choose two of its own members to be its Chairman and Deputy Chairman. The Governor nominates about one-sixth of the Council's members, under Article 171(3)(e) and 171(5). He does not appoint the Council's presiding officer.
Remember · Legislative Council: at most one-third of the Assembly's strength and at least 40 members. Its Chairman and Deputy Chairman are chosen by the Council from among its own members.
Sources
- Constitution of India (official text), Article 171 – Composition of the Legislative Councils ↗ “The total number of members in the Legislative Council of a State having such a Council shall not exceed 5[one-third] of the total number of members in the Legislative Assembly of that State … The Legislative Council of every State having such Council shall, as soon as may be, choose two members of the Council to be respectively Chairman and Deputy Chairman thereof”
Question: UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) 2015, General Studies paper. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 25 Oct 2026 (how we verify). ·