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Practice paper — Constitution Part XXII — Short Title, Commencement, Authoritative Text in Hindi and Repeals

17 questions · answer key at the end · no time limit

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1.What is the legal character of Article 393 which states "This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India"?
- (A) It is a short title (citation) provision specifying the name of the Constitution.
- (B) It is a commencement clause specifying when the Constitution comes into force.
- (C) It is a savings provision preserving existing laws.
- (D) It is a repeal provision removing an earlier constitution.
2.Does the text of Article 393 — "This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India" — itself repeal any earlier law or constitution?
- (A) Yes — it explicitly repeals any earlier constitutions.
- (B) No — it only specifies the name of the Constitution and contains no repeal language.
- (C) It implicitly validates prior laws by naming the Constitution.
- (D) It functions as a savings clause preserving earlier enactments.
3.Which day is referred to in the Constitution as the commencement of this Constitution?
- (A) 26th January, 1950
- (B) 26th November, 1949
- (C) 15th August, 1947
- (D) 1st January, 1950
4.According to Article 394, when do the remaining provisions of the Constitution (other than the specifically listed articles) come into force?
- (A) They come into force at once.
- (B) They come into force on the date of adoption of the Constitution.
- (C) They come into force on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950.
- (D) They come into force on a date to be fixed later by the President.
5.Which of the following articles is explicitly stated in Article 394 to 'come into force at once'?
- (A) Article 395
- (B) Article 5
- (C) Article 15
- (D) Article 26
6.Which of the following articles did NOT come into force 'at once' under Article 394?
- (A) Article 324
- (B) Article 388
- (C) Article 380
- (D) Article 20
7.Does Article 394 itself come into force immediately or only on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950?
- (A) Article 394 comes into force at once.
- (B) Article 394 comes into force only on 26th January, 1950.
- (C) Article 394 comes into force on whichever date the President notifies.
- (D) Article 394 did not come into force at all.
8.Who is responsible for causing the publication of the Hindi translation of the Constitution under Article 394A?
- (A) The President
- (B) The Parliament
- (C) The Prime Minister
- (D) The Chief Election Commissioner
9.Article 394A requires translations of the Constitution and its amendments into which language?
- (A) English
- (B) Hindi
- (C) Sanskrit
- (D) Any regional language
10.If the President publishes a Hindi translation of the Constitution under Article 394A, does that translation incorporate amendments?
- (A) No, it only contains the original text as signed by the Constituent Assembly.
- (B) Yes, but only the amendments made after such publication.
- (C) Yes, it incorporates all amendments made before such publication.
- (D) Only amendments specifically mentioned by Parliament are included.
11.If difficulty arises in construing any part of the Hindi translation published under Article 394A, what is the course of action prescribed?
- (A) Refer the matter to the Supreme Court for interpretation.
- (B) Treat the English original as the only authoritative text.
- (C) Have Parliament pass a clarifying amendment.
- (D) The President shall cause the translation to be revised suitably.
12.Which of the following best describes the legal status conferred on the Hindi translations published under Article 394A?
- (A) They are deemed, for all purposes, to be the authoritative text of the Constitution in the Hindi language and shall be construed to have the same meaning as the original.
- (B) They are suggestive translations that have no authoritative status and may differ in meaning from the original.
- (C) They are authoritative only for administrative use but not for legal interpretation.
- (D) They are authoritative only for amendments and not for the original Constitution.
13.What is the primary effect of Article 395 of the Constitution of India as given in the provision?
- (A) It repeals the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act (but not the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949).
- (B) It repeals only the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
- (C) It repeals only the Government of India Act, 1935.
- (D) It repeals all British-era enactments including the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949.
14.Is the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949 repealed by Article 395?
- (A) Yes, it is expressly repealed by Article 395.
- (B) Only parts of it are repealed under Article 395.
- (C) No, it is expressly excluded from the repeals in Article 395.
- (D) Only if later legislation provides for its repeal.
15.Does Article 395 repeal enactments amending or supplementing the Government of India Act, 1935?
- (A) No, it does not repeal any enactments amending or supplementing the 1935 Act.
- (B) Yes, it repeals the Government of India Act, 1935 together with all enactments amending or supplementing that latter Act.
- (C) It repeals only amendments but not supplements to the 1935 Act.
- (D) It repeals only supplements but not amendments to the 1935 Act.
16.Does Article 395 repeal enactments amending or supplementing the Indian Independence Act, 1947?
- (A) Yes — all enactments amending or supplementing both Acts are repealed.
- (B) Yes — but only those enacted before 1949.
- (C) No — it repeals amendments/supplements only to earlier British statutes generally.
- (D) No — the phrase 'latter Act' limits 'all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act' to the Government of India Act, 1935, not the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
17.Which statement best captures the precise scope and exception contained in Article 395?
- (A) It repeals only the Government of India Act, 1935 and leaves the Indian Independence Act, 1947 untouched.
- (B) It repeals the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935 but leaves all their amendments in force.
- (C) It repeals both the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935, together with all enactments amending or supplementing the Government of India Act, 1935, but specifically excludes the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949.
- (D) It repeals all British-era legislation without exception.

Answer key

1. A2. B3. A4. C5. B6. D7. A8. A9. B10. C11. D12. A13. A14. C15. B16. D17. C

Explanations

1. (A) The provision plainly states a name: "This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India," which is the form and function of a short title or citation clause. It does not mention commencement, savings, or repeal, so its role is to provide the Constitution's name.
2. (B) Article 393 only declares the name: "This Constitution may be called the Constitution of India." There is no language of repeal, savings, validation, or preservation, so the text does not repeal any earlier law or constitution.
3. (A) The article states that the remaining provisions shall come into force on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950, and that this day is referred to in the Constitution as the commencement of the Constitution. Therefore the commencement day is 26th January, 1950.
4. (C) Article 394 states that the remaining provisions of the Constitution shall come into force on the twenty-sixth day of January, 1950. The text explicitly fixes 26th January 1950 as the date for the remaining provisions.
5. (B) Article 394 lists Article 5 among the articles that 'shall come into force at once.' Therefore Article 5 is explicitly stated to come into force immediately.
6. (D) Article 394 specifies a list of articles (including 324, 380 and 388) that shall come into force at once; it then states the remaining provisions shall come into force on 26th January 1950. Article 20 is not in the listed articles, so it did not come into force 'at once'.
7. (A) Article 394 begins by stating 'This article and articles 5, 6, 7, 8, ... shall come into force at once.' Thus Article 394 itself is among the provisions that come into force immediately.
8. (A) Clause (1) begins: 'The President shall cause to be published under his authority, — (a) the translation of this Constitution in the Hindi language...'. Thus the President is responsible for causing the publication.
9. (B) Clause (1)(a) and (b) refer specifically to 'the translation of this Constitution in the Hindi language' and 'the translation in the Hindi language of every amendment', so the required language is Hindi.
10. (C) Clause (1)(a) states the translation shall incorporate 'all the amendments of this Constitution made before such publication', so it includes amendments made prior to publication.
11. (D) Clause (2) provides that if any difficulty arises in construing any part of such translation, 'the President shall cause the same to be revised suitably.'
12. (A) Clause (2) states the translation 'shall be construed to have the same meaning as the original' and clause (3) declares the translation 'shall be deemed to be, for all purposes, the authoritative text thereof in the Hindi language.' Thus both authority and equivalence of meaning are conferred.
13. (A) Article 395 expressly states that the Indian Independence Act, 1947 and the Government of India Act, 1935 are repealed, together with enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act, and it excludes the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949. The provision itself sets out that specific scope of repeal.
14. (C) Article 395 explicitly says the repeal does not include the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949. Therefore that Act is excluded from the repeals listed in the provision.
15. (B) The provision states the Government of India Act, 1935 is repealed 'together with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act,' so enactments amending or supplementing the 1935 Act are included in the repeal.
16. (D) Article 395 lists two Acts and then says 'together with all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act.' 'Latter Act' refers to the second named Act (the Government of India Act, 1935), so the amendments/supplements phrase applies to that Act, not to the Indian Independence Act, 1947.
17. (C) Article 395 repeals both named Acts and 'all enactments amending or supplementing the latter Act' (the Government of India Act, 1935), and it explicitly states that the Abolition of Privy Council Jurisdiction Act, 1949 is not included in the repeal. This option precisely mirrors the provision's language and exception.