Which of the following are regarded as the main features of the "Rule of Law"?
- 1.Limitation of powers
- 2.Equality before law
- 3.People's responsibility to the Government
- 4.Liberty and civil rights
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4 only
Rule of law means that power is limited by law, that everyone stands equal before the law, and that people's rights are protected against arbitrary action. It does not make people responsible to the government, so 1, 2 and 4 are its features.
- ✓ 1. Rule of law means no one, including those in power, is above the law. This limits the powers of rulers and prevents misuse of power.
- ✓ 2. All individuals, rich or poor, are subject to the same law and get equal protection of the law.
- ✗ 3. The principle checks those who govern, and it is not about citizens owing responsibility to the government. Accountability runs from the government to the people.
- ✓ 4. No one can be punished except by procedure established by law, and everyone gets a fair chance to defend their rights against arbitrary action, so liberty and civil rights are protected.
Remember · Rule of law: no one above the law, equality before law, and protection of liberty and rights against arbitrary power.
📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Indian Constitution at Work, Ch 6 (practise this chapter)
Sources
- NCERT Class 9 · Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 6 “It ensures equality before the law and equal protection of the law, and establishes that no one is above the law.”
- NCERT Class 9 · Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 6 “No citizen can be punished without following the procedure established by law, and everyone is provided a fair opportunity to defend their rights against arbitrary action.”
- NCERT Class 11 · Indian Constitution at Work, Chapter 6 “This idea of rule of law implies that all individuals — rich and poor, men or women, forward or backward castes — are subjected to the same law.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2018, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·