Prelims 2020 · Q19
Mediumनिम्नलिखित कथनों पर विचार कीजिए :
- 1.भारत के संविधान के अनुसार, कोई भी ऐसा व्यक्ति जो मतदान के लिए योग्य है, किसी राज्य में छह माह के लिए मंत्री बनाया जा सकता है तब भी जब कि वह उस राज्य के विधान-मंडल का सदस्य नहीं है ।
- 2.लोक प्रतिनिधित्व अधिनियम, 1951 के अनुसार, कोई भी ऐसा व्यक्ति जो दांडिक अपराध के अन्तर्गत दोषी पाया गया है और जिसे पाँच वर्ष के लिए कारावास का दंड दिया गया है, चुनाव लड़ने के लिए स्थायी तौर पर निरर्हत हो जाता है भले ही वह कारावास से मुक्त हो चुका हो ।
उपर्युक्त कथनों में से कौन-सा/से सही है/हैं ?
Read this question in English
Consider the following statements:
1. According to the Constitution of India, a person who is eligible to vote can be made a minister in a State for six months even if he/she is not a member of the Legislature of that State.
2. According to the Representation of People Act, 1951, a person convicted of a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for five years is permanently disqualified from contesting an election even after his release from prison.
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
उत्तर और व्याख्या · explanation in English
Answer: (d) न तो 1, न ही 2
A non-member can be a State minister for up to six months, but only if qualified to become a member, which needs an age of at least 25 for the Assembly, not merely voting age (18). And the Representation of the People Act, 1951 bars a convict sentenced to two years or more only for the period of sentence plus six years after release, not permanently.
- ✗ 1. Article 164(4) lets a non-member serve as minister for six consecutive months, but the person must be able to win a seat within that time; Article 173 requires a minimum age of 25 for the Legislative Assembly, so a mere voter (18+) does not qualify.
- ✗ 2. Section 8(3) of the Act disqualifies a person sentenced to imprisonment for at least two years from the date of conviction until six years after release; the bar is not permanent.
Remember · Non-member minister: six-month limit (Articles 75(5), 164(4)). Conviction with 2+ years' sentence: disqualified from conviction until six years after release (RPA 1951, Section 8(3)).
Sources
- Constitution of India (as on 1 May 2024), Article 164(4) ↗ “(4) A Minister who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of the Legislature of the State shall at the expiration of that period cease to be a Minister. … (b) is, in the case of a seat in the Legislative Assembly, not less than twenty-five years of age and, in the case of a seat in the Legislative Council, not less than thirty years of age”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·