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Question No. 138Interactive Test Mode
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Q138. The Prime Minister of India, at the time of his/her appointment:

The Prime Minister of India, at the time of his/her appointment:

Select the correct option below (or cross out options to eliminate)

Official Answer Key & Detailed Solution

Ready to check the official UPSC Answer Key?

Click any option above to test yourself under exam conditions, or reveal the explanation directly.

Official UPSC Answer KeyUPSC Prelims 2012 • Polity

Correct Answer: Option (A) — Need not necessarily be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament but must become a member of one of the Houses within six months

Concept & Option Breakdown

Standard Reference Verified

Option (a) is correct: Under Article 75(5) of the Constitution, a Minister (including the Prime Minister) who for any period of six consecutive months is not a member of either House of Parliament ceases to be a Minister at the expiration of that period. In 1997, the Supreme Court held that a person who is not a member of either House can be appointed Prime Minister for six months, within which time they must get elected to either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha.

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Question Specifications & Syllabus Mapping

Examination & YearUPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2012 (Q138)
Paper & Marking SchemeGS Paper I • 2 Marks (-0.66 Negative for incorrect response)
Syllabus Subject & TopicPolity → Executive & President
Official Answer KeyOption (A) — Need not necessarily be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament but must become a member of one of the Houses within six months

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Frequently Asked Questions — UPSC Prelims 2012 Q138

What is the official answer for UPSC Prelims 2012 GS Paper I Question 138 (Polity)?

The official UPSC answer key for this 2012 Polity (Executive & President) question is Option (A): "Need not necessarily be a member of one of the Houses of the Parliament but must become a member of one of the Houses within six months". Correct attempts carry 2 Marks with -0.66 Negative penalty for wrong answers.

Which UPSC Prelims syllabus topic does this 2012 question belong to?

This question belongs to GS Paper I under the subject "Polity" and micro-topic "Executive & President". You can explore all repeated questions from Executive & President in Acme AI's 3D Prelims PYQ Realm or practice 50 full-length and sectional tests in the APT Prelims Test Series.

How can I solve this Executive & President UPSC Prelims question using option elimination?

To solve Executive & President questions in UPSC Prelims, identify extreme modifiers, verify core NCERT conceptual definitions, and eliminate mutually contradictory statement pairs before locking your final option.

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