On the basis of the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956 and the recommendation of the State Reorganization Commission, the post of Governor was abolished in Rajasthan on 1 November 1956 and the post of 'Rajpramukh' (Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II) was established. Sardar Gurmukh Nihal Singh was appointed the first Governor of Rajasthan on 25 October 1956 and assumed office on 1 November 1956. Statement D is incorrect because before 1 November 1956, the constitutional head of Rajasthan was called 'Rajpramukh' and not Maharajadhiraj. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Part 6 of the Indian Constitution provides for a Governor for each state under Article 153 (by the 7th Amendment 1956, the same person can be appointed Governor of two or more states). According to Article 154, the entire executive power of the state will be vested in the Governor, which he will exercise either himself or through his subordinate officers. Under Article 155, the Governor is appointed by the President of India by warrant under his hand and seal. According to Article 156, the Governor holds office during the pleasure of the President and generally his tenure is 5 years. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

Article 157 of the Constitution gives only two mandatory qualifications for the Governor – he must be a citizen of India and must have completed 35 years of age. The conditions of office under Article 158 are that he shall not be a member of any House of Parliament or Legislature and if so, his seat shall be deemed vacant from the date of assuming the office of the Governor. Also, he will not hold any other office of profit and no unfavorable changes can be made in his emoluments and allowances during his tenure. Statement D is incorrect because there is a complete ban on holding office of profit. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Under Article 159 of the Indian Constitution, the Governor is sworn in by the Chief Justice of the High Court of the concerned state or, in his absence, by the senior most available judge of that court. The most important fact is that the format of the Governor's oath is not in the Third Schedule of the Constitution, but is directly contained in Article 159 itself. The President or the Union Home Minister do not administer the oath. Hence the correct answer is option B.

Article 158(3A) of the Constitution was inserted by the 7th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1956. According to this, where the same person is appointed as the Governor of two or more States, the emoluments and allowances payable to that Governor shall be allocated between those States in such proportion as the President may, by order, determine. State legislatures or judiciary have no jurisdiction in this. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Article 161 gives the Governor the power of suspension, remission, commutation and pardon of sentence on matters in the State List and Concurrent List (death penalty and court martial can only be pardoned by the President). According to Article 163, there will be a Council of Ministers under the leadership of the Chief Minister to assist and advise the Governor in all matters other than his discretionary functions. Under Article 165, the Governor appoints the Advocate General of the State who holds office during the pleasure of the Governor. According to Article 174, the Governor can summon, prorogue and dissolve the House of the State Legislature from time to time. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

Under Article 200, when a bill passed by the state legislature is presented, the Governor has four options - to give assent, withhold assent, return it for reconsideration (except money bills), or reserve it for the consideration of the President. If the Legislature passes the bill again after reconsideration, the Governor has to give assent. According to the second proviso to Article 200, if in the opinion of the Governor, any bill curtails the powers of the High Court in such a way that its constitutional status becomes endangered, then the Governor will not give assent to such bill but will compulsorily reserve it for the consideration of the President. Hence all four statements are true.

Under Article 213, the ordinance making power of the Governor is not a discretionary power, rather it is an executive legislative power which he exercises only with the advice and assistance of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. This power is exercised only during the recess of the Legislature. If the Legislature does not pass it within 6 weeks of the commencement of the session, it automatically becomes ineffective. The Governor can also withdraw it at any time. Hence option B is false.

Till now, President's rule has been imposed in Rajasthan a total of 4 times: 1. First (13 March 1967 to 26 April 1967): Dr. Sampurnanand while imposing it, Sardar Hukum Singh while removing it; 2. Second (30 April 1977 to 22 June 1977): Justice Vedpal Tyagi (Acting) at the time of imposition, Raghukul Tilak at the time of removal; 3. Third (16 February 1980 to 6 June 1980): Raghukul Tilak (he is the only Governor during whose tenure the proclamation was removed twice); 4. Fourth (15 December 1992 to 3 December 1993): At the time of implementation, it was Dr. M. Chenna Reddy, while at the time of removal, it was Baliram Bhagat (Dhanik Lal Mandal and Dr. Swaroop Singh were also caretakers during this period). Hence all the statements are true.

Sardar Baliram Bhagat was the Governor of Rajasthan from 1993 to 1998 and was also the 5th Speaker of the Lok Sabha in 1976–1977. Air Chief Marshal OP Mehra (1982–1985) was the Chief of the Indian Air Force and Chairman of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Raghukul Tilak (1977–1981) was a member of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission from 1958 to 1960 before becoming the Governor. Madan Lal Khurana resigned from the post to return to active politics after serving as Governor from January 2004 to November 2004 (Mrs. Pratibha Patil had also resigned in 2007 to contest the Presidential elections). Hence the correct combination is A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4.

The Governor of Rajasthan is the Chancellor of all state-funded universities in the state (e.g. Rajasthan University, RTU Kota, Sanskrit University) and appoints the Vice-Chancellors. Chancellors of central universities (e.g. Central University of Rajasthan, Bandarsindri Ajmer) are appointed by the President of India, the Governor is not its Chancellor. In Rajasthan, the Governor Relief Fund was formed in 1975 during the time of the then Governor Sardar Joginder Singh, from which expenditure is incurred as per the instructions of the Governor. The Governor's Smart Village initiative is run by state universities for the development of adopted villages. Hence statement B is wrong and A, C, D are correct.

In the much-discussed 'Nabam Rebia vs Deputy Speaker (Arunachal Pradesh Assembly) case' of 2016, a 5-judge Constitution bench of the Supreme Court ruled that it is not the discretionary power of the Governor to call, adjourn or prorogue the session of the Assembly under Article 174; The Governor can do this only with the aid and advice of the Chief Minister and the Council of Ministers. Whereas B.P. Singhal case (2010) relates to the prohibition on arbitrary removal of the Governor by the Centre. Hence the correct answer is option C.

Under Article 219, the judges of the High Court are sworn in by the Governor (although the appointment is made by the President). The Chairman and members of the RPSC (Article 316), Chairman of the State Human Rights Commission (Article 22) and Lokayukta are appointed by the Governor. Statement D is incorrect because the Speaker of the Assembly does not take any separate oath of office; He takes the oath only as a member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), which is administered by the Speaker Pro Tem or the Governor. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Shri Haribhau Kisanrao Bagde took over as the Governor of Rajasthan on 31 July 2024 (he was sworn in by Chief Justice of Rajasthan High Court Manindra Mohan Srivastava). He was a 6-time MLA from Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar) region of Maharashtra, was the unopposed Speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly from 2014 to 2019 and was the Minister of Food and Civil Supplies and Employment Guarantee in the Government of Maharashtra. He was never a minister in the Union Cabinet. Hence option D is false.

The Administrative Reforms Commission (ARC-I, 1966) had recommended that non-partisan and eminent persons should be appointed as Governors. The Sarkaria Commission (1983), while reporting on Centre-State relations, said that Article 356 should be used as a last resort and there should be mandatory consultation with the Chief Minister in the appointment of the Governor. The Punchhi Commission (2007) recommended that the 5-year tenure of the Governor should be permanent, the principle of 'Prasadpati' should be removed and the impeachment process should be adopted by the Parliament on the proposal of the State Legislature for his removal. Venkatachaliah Commission (2002) suggested a committee of PM, Home Minister, Speaker and CM for appointment. Hence the correct combination is A-3, B-4, C-2, D-1.

Under Article 175, the Governor has the right to send messages to the State Assembly and attend and deliver addresses. Under Article 176(1), at the beginning of the first session of the new Assembly and the first (budget) session of each year, the Governor compulsorily gives a special address, which is a document of the policies of the state government. Sardar Gurmukh Nihal Singh was the longest serving Governor of Rajasthan (1956 to 1962), who gave the address maximum 12 times. After the address, a motion of thanks is presented in the House and voting is held on it. Hence all four statements are true.

According to new protocol instructions issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan of India on 26 August 2014, the colonial-era terms 'His Excellency' and 'His Excellency' were eliminated from the addresses of Governors. Now, it has been made mandatory to use 'Honorable' or 'Honorable Governor' in English and 'Hon'ble Governor' or 'Rajyapal Sir' in Hindi in official programs and correspondence. Hence the correct answer is option B.

In November 1970, Justice Jagat Narayan, Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, became the first acting Governor of the state. Acting governors include Justice K.D. Sharma's tenure was the longest. After 1956, a total of 8 governors of other states (like Swaroop Singh, Dhanik Lal Mandal, TV Rajeshwar, Kailashpati Mishra, Ram Naik etc.) were given additional charge of Rajasthan at different periods. Ram Naik was the acting Governor of Uttar Pradesh until Kalyan Singh took charge after Margaret Alva stepped down in 2014. Hence all four statements are true.

Actual chronology of Governors of Rajasthan: Sardar Hukum Singh (1967 to 1972) -> Sardar Joginder Singh (1972 to 1977) -> Raghukul Tilak (1977 to 1981) -> Air Chief Marshal O.P. Mehra (1982 to 1985) -> Vasantrao Patil (1985 to 1987) -> Sukhdev Prasad (1988 to 1990). Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

Article 361 of the Constitution provides special constitutional protection to the President and the Governors. Under this: 1. They are not answerable to any court for their official acts; 2. No criminal/criminal case can be filed against him during his tenure; 3. Warrant cannot be issued for their arrest or sending them to jail; 4. A civil suit for their personal actions can be filed only if a prior written notice of at least 2 months is served. Hence all four statements are true.

According to the clear provisions of Article 200, the Governor can never return the Money Bill to the Legislature for reconsideration, because the Money Bill is introduced in the State Assembly only with the prior recommendation/permission of the Governor. The Governor can assent to a Money Bill, withhold assent or reserve it for the consideration of the President, but cannot return it for reconsideration. Hence option C is the correct answer.

Till now, there have been a total of 4 such Governors in Rajasthan who died during their tenure: 1. Sardar Darbara Singh (May 1998 - the first Governor who died in office); 2. Nirmal Chand Jain (September 2003); 3. Shailendra Kumar Singh / S.K. Singh (December 2009); 4. Smt. Prabha Rao (April 2010 – First woman Governor to die in office). Hence all four statements are completely true.

According to Para 3, 4 and 5 of the 5th Schedule of the Constitution, the Governor has wide powers over the administration of the Scheduled Areas. He sends annual reports to the President, makes rules regarding the constitution and procedure of the Tribal Advisory Council (TAC) of the state, and can issue notification amending or not giving effect to any law of Parliament or Legislature and make regulations to control land transfer and money lending. Hence all the options are correct.

Dr. Sampurnanand was the second Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh before becoming the Governor of Rajasthan (1962-1967). Sardar Darbara Singh was the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly and a senior leader of Punjab. Mrs. Pratibha Patil was the first woman Governor of Rajasthan from 2004 to 2007 and later became the first woman President of India. Kalyan Singh was the former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh and completed the full tenure of 5 years as the Governor of Rajasthan from 2014 to 2019. Hence the correct combination is A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

Under Article 161 of the Constitution, the Governor can pardon, suspend, remit, remit or commute the punishment awarded under laws expanding the state executive power. But the exclusive power to pardon the death penalty rests only with the President of India (Article 72), the Governor cannot pardon the death penalty (although he can suspend or commute the death penalty). The sentence of a military court (court martial) can be waived only by the President and not by the Governor. Hence statement B is wrong and A, C, D are correct.

Clause (4) was added to Article 166 by the 42nd Constitutional Amendment 1976 which placed restrictions on the constitutional validity of the rules of the State Government. Clause (4) of Article 166 was completely repealed by the 44th Constitutional Amendment Act, 1978 (which came into effect from 20 June 1979). The provision in Article 163(3) that the advice given by the ministers to the Governor cannot be investigated in the court still remains in place. Hence the correct answer is option B.

The decision under Article 192 in respect of the qualifications/disqualifications (such as office of profit, unsoundness of mind, bankruptcy) mentioned in Article 191(1) is made by the Governor on the basis of the binding opinion of the Election Commission of India and the decision of the Governor is final. Statement D is incorrect because under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law), the decision of disqualification is taken not by the Governor but by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly. Hence the correct answer is option A.

There have been 3 women Governors in Rajasthan so far: 1. Mrs. Pratibha Patil (First woman Governor: 8 November 2004 to 23 June 2007); 2. Smt. Prabha Rao (second woman Governor: 25 January 2010 to death 26 April 2010); 3. Mrs. Margaret Alva (3rd woman Governor: 12 May 2012 to 7 August 2014). Dr. Kamla Beniwal was the first woman minister and first woman Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan, who later became the Governor of Gujarat and Mizoram. Hence the correct combination is A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

Under Article 167 of the Constitution, the Chief Minister has three main constitutional duties: (a) to inform the Governor of all decisions of the Council of Ministers regarding the administration and legislation of the state; (b) to furnish any information related to administration and legislation on demand by the Governor; (c) If a Minister has taken a decision on any matter but the Council of Ministers has not considered it, then if required by the Governor, to place it before the Council for consideration. This is the responsibility/duty of the Chief Minister. Hence the correct answer is option C.

Under Article 202, the Governor presents the budget before the State Legislature every financial year. Money Bills under Article 207 and demands for grants under Article 203(3) can be made only on the prior recommendation of the Governor. Under Articles 243-I and 243-Y, the Governor constitutes a State Finance Commission every 5 years to review the financial position of Panchayats and Municipalities. Statement D is incorrect because the Finance Commission submits its report to the Governor and the Governor gets it placed before the Legislature, not to the Chief Minister. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Under Article 200 of the Constitution, the Governor has wide powers to reserve any bill of the State Legislature for the consideration of the President. The Supreme Court in 'B.P. Singhal case (2010) clarified that the Governor is not an employee of the Central Government and cannot be removed mala fide merely on the basis of change of power at the Centre. Statement C is incorrect because the Constitution does not provide for any impeachment to remove the Governor; He holds office during the pleasure of the President (Article 156). Statement D is correct because Dr. M. Chenna Reddy, Dhanik Lal Mandal, Dr. Swaroop Singh and Baliram Bhagat served in the fourth President's administration of 1992-93. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Justice Vedpal Tyagi was the Chief Justice of the Rajasthan High Court, who declared the second President's rule as acting governor in 1977. Rajasthan Governor's Relief Fund was formed in 1975 during the tenure of Sardar Joginder Singh (1972–1977). Dr. M. Chenna Reddy was the Governor of Rajasthan during the fourth President's rule in December 1992. Dr. Swaroop Singh (Governor of Gujarat) was given the additional charge of Governor of Rajasthan in 1991-92. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-3, C-4, D-1.

Dr. Sampurnanand was the Governor of Rajasthan from 1962 to April 1967. In March 1967, President's rule was imposed on his recommendation due to political instability when a hung assembly situation arose in the state for the first time. But the proclamation of removal of President's rule was made after the new Governor Sardar Hukum Singh took charge on 26 April 1967, not by Dr. Sampurnanand. Hence option C is false.

Under Article 163(1) of the Constitution, the Governor has clear discretionary powers as compared to the President. According to Article 163(2), if a question arises whether a matter is within the discretion of the Governor or not, the decision of the Governor thereon shall be final and the validity of any action taken by the Governor cannot be challenged in the court on the ground whether it was within his discretion or not. The appointment of the Chief Minister in a hung assembly, instructions to prove majority in the House, and sending the report on Article 356 are major examples of the Governor's discretion. Hence all the statements are true.

According to Article 166(1) of the Indian Constitution, all executive action of the Government of a State shall be taken in the name of the Governor. According to Article 166(2), authentication of orders made in the name of the Governor is done as per the prescribed rules. According to Article 166(3), the Governor, in consultation with the Chief Minister, makes rules of business for carrying out the work of the State Government more conveniently and for allocating work among the ministers. Hence the correct answer is option B.

Under Article 164(1) of the Constitution, the Chief Minister is appointed by the Governor (as the leader of the majority party) and other ministers are appointed on the recommendation of the Chief Minister. Ministers hold office during the personal pleasure of the Governor. According to Article 164 (4), any person who is not a member of the Legislature can be appointed as a Minister or Chief Minister, but if that member is not elected within a continuous period of 6 months from the date of assumption of office, then his term of office as a Minister expires (e.g. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat in Rajasthan in 1977 and Jagannath Pahadia in 1980 were not MLAs when they took oath). Hence all the statements are true.

A new clause (1A) was added to Article 164 by the 91st Constitutional Amendment Act, 2003 (wef 1 January 2004). Under this, the total number of ministers including the Chief Minister in the Council of Ministers of any state will not exceed 15% of the total members of the Legislative Assembly and the number of ministers including the Chief Minister in any state will not be less than 12. There are total 200 members in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, hence the maximum number of ministers in Rajasthan can be 30 (15% of 200) and the minimum number can be 12. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4.

Shri Mohanlal Sukhadia is the politician who has been the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the longest time (17 years) and has taken oath as the Chief Minister 4 times. During his tenure, the final integration of Rajasthan was completed in 1956, Panchayati Raj system was implemented in 1959 and Divisional Commissioner system was abolished in 1962. After resigning in 1971, he also served as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Hence all four statements are completely true.

Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, after becoming the first non-Congress Chief Minister of Rajasthan in 1977, launched the historic 'Antyodaya Yojana' for the upliftment of poor families. The scheme was highly praised internationally and Robert McNamara, the then President of the World Bank, was impressed by Shekhawat's welfare approach and called him the "Rockefeller of India". Hence the correct answer is option C.

Bhairon Singh Shekhawat is the only Chief Minister of Rajasthan whose government was dismissed by the Center twice (after the Babri demolition in 1980 and 1992) by invoking Article 356. Sukhadia ji was the CM during the hung assembly in 1967. Haridev Joshi was the CM during the Emergency of 1975 and the dissolution of the Assembly by the Janata Party central government in 1977. Hiralal Devpura was the Chief Minister for only 16 days from 23 February 1985 to 10 March 1985, which is the shortest tenure in the history of Rajasthan. Hence all the statements are true.

Tikaram Paliwal became the first elected Chief Minister of Rajasthan in March 1952 and later also served as Deputy Chief Minister in the Jai Narayan Vyas cabinet. Barkatullah Khan (1971–1973) was the only Muslim Chief Minister of Rajasthan who died in office in 1973. Jagannath Pahadia (1980–1981) was the first Dalit (SC) Chief Minister of Rajasthan who later also became the Governor of Haryana and Bihar. C.S. Venkatachari (ICS officer) was the centrally appointed Chief Minister in 1951. Hence the correct combination is A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

There have been a total of 4 politicians in Rajasthan who took oath as Chief Minister 3 or more times: 1. Mohanlal Sukhadia (4 times - 1954, 1957, 1962, 1967); 2. Haridev Joshi (3 times - 1973, 1985, 1989, the special thing is that he could not complete his term all three times); 3. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (3 times - 1977, 1990, 1993, completed the tenure of 1993-98); 4. Ashok Gehlot (3 times - 1998, 2008, 2018, served full tenure of 5-5 years all three times). Hence all four statements are true.

After Congress got an overwhelming majority (153 seats) in the 11th Rajasthan Assembly elections in 1998, Shri Ashok Gehlot was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Rajasthan for the first time on 1 December 1998. After this, his second term started from 12 December 2008 and his third term started from 17 December 2018. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Hiralal Devpura was the Chief Minister in 1985, later the Speaker in the 8th Legislative Assembly and was also the Chairman of the Second State Finance Commission. Jayanarayan Vyas (1951) and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (1977) became Chief Ministers directly, they had never previously been ministers in the State Council of Ministers. Shivcharan Mathur later became the Governor of Assam (and Jagannath Pahadia became the Governor of Bihar and Haryana). Statement D is wrong because Harishankar Bhabhada was the Speaker and Deputy Chief Minister of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and was never the Chief Minister. Hence the correct answer is option A.

When Bhairon Singh Shekhawat became the Chief Minister for the first time in 1977, the Governor was Raghukul Tilak. Sardar Joginder Singh was the governor during the time of Barkatullah Khan in 1971. In 1962, Dr. Sampurnanand was the Governor during the third term of Mohanlal Sukhadia. In 2003, when Mrs. Vasundhara Raje became the Chief Minister for the first time, the Governor of Rajasthan was Mr. Madanlal Khurana. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

According to the Rajasthan Rules of Business, the Cabinet meeting is presided over by the Chief Minister and in his absence, a senior minister nominated by him presides over it. The Chief Minister decides the time and agenda of the meeting. The distribution of work by the Minister of State with independent charge of a department to the Deputy Minister is done only with the prior approval of the Chief Minister. If a dispute over scope of work arises between departments, the matter is referred to the Chief Secretary for interpretation of the work allocation rules. Hence all four statements are true.

In the first elected democratic government of Rajasthan led by Shri Tikaram Paliwal formed in March 1952, Shri Nathuram Mirdha was made the Minister of Education Department and Agriculture Department. Shri Mohanlal Sukhadia held the Revenue and Civil Supplies Department, while Shri Ramkishore Vyas held the Home and Law Department. Hence the correct answer is option C.

There are strict guidelines for maintaining transparency under the Code of Administrative Conduct applicable to ministers in Rajasthan: 1. It is mandatory to give details of all movable and immovable assets and liabilities to the CM by 31st January at the end of each financial year; 2. Buying and selling of personal property with the government is prohibited; 3. The direct conduct of business or trade is prohibited; 4. It is mandatory to keep family members away from government contracts and supply works. Hence all four statements are true.

The credit for presenting the budget for the first time as Chief Minister in the Rajasthan Assembly goes to Shri Mohanlal Sukhadia, who presented the budget while keeping the Finance portfolio with himself. Shri Ashok Gehlot presented record budgets in all his three terms while holding the finance portfolio himself. Shri Jai Narayan Vyas, as the Finance Minister, did not present the budget himself. After the formation of the elected government in 1952, the budget process started in the Tikaram Paliwal government. Hence the correct combination is A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3.

There is no separate mention of the post of 'Deputy Chief Minister' in the Constitution; He takes oath as a general cabinet minister under Article 164. Deputy Chief Ministers of Rajasthan so far: 1. Tikaram Paliwal (1952 - 1st); 2. Harishankar Bhabhadra (1993–1998); 3. Banwari Lal Bairava (2003); 4. Dr. Kamla Beniwal (2003 – First woman Deputy Chief Minister); 5. Sachin Pilot (2018-2020); 6. Diya Kumari and Dr. Premchand Bairwa (December 2023 to present). Hence all four statements are true.

In order to improve Centre-State relations and maintain the impartiality and dignity of the post of Governor, in the 5th meeting of the Standing Committee of the Inter-State Council, the then Chief Minister of Rajasthan, Shri Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had strongly suggested that no person should be given a second term or re-appointment to the post of Governor so that the Governor should not be biased towards the Center while holding the post. Hence the correct answer is option C.

Hiralal Devpura was the Chief Minister for 16 days in 1985 and later he was elected to the post of Speaker in the 8th Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1985–1990). He is the only person to have been both Chief Minister and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly in Rajasthan. Narottam Lal Joshi was the first Assembly Speaker (not the CM) and Parasram Maderna was the Assembly Speaker and Leader of Opposition (not the CM). Hence statements A and D are correct.

Shri Tikaram Paliwal has been a unique politician of Rajasthan who in his political career represented Rajasthan as a member of all the three houses - Legislative Assembly, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha during the period from 1957 to 1962. He became the first elected Chief Minister in 1952, then Deputy Chief Minister and later was elected to both the Houses of Parliament. Hence the correct answer is option D.

Under Article 164(2) of the Constitution, the State Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to the Legislative Assembly of the state and not to the Legislative Council. Collective accountability is based on the principle of 'swim together and sink together', so a no-confidence vote against a minister is the downfall of the entire cabinet. Under Article 164(1), personal responsibility rests with the Governor (actually on the advice of the Chief Minister). The Chief Minister is the pivot of the Council of Ministers, hence his resignation or death automatically ends the Council of Ministers. Hence all four statements are true.

Total cumulative tenure of Chief Ministers in Rajasthan: 1. Mohanlal Sukhadia (16 years 7 months / ~17 years); 2. Ashok Gehlot (15 years – 1998-2003, 2008-2013, 2018-2023); 3. Bhairon Singh Shekhawat (10 years 2 months - 1977-80, 1990-92, 1993-98); 4. Haridev Joshi (~7 years - 1973-77, 1985-88, 1989-90). Hence the correct combination is A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4.

The Council of State Ministers consists of cabinet ministers, ministers of state (with independent charge or attached), and deputy ministers. Parliamentary Secretaries in Rajasthan are appointed by the Chief Minister and take oath before the Chief Minister only (not before the Governor). Under Article 163(3), judicial review of any advice given by the Council of Ministers to the Governor is prohibited. According to the 91st Amendment 2003, Rajasthan can have a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 30 ministers. Hence all four statements are true.

Shri Mohanlal Sukhadia (Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu), Shri Jagannath Pahadia (Governor of Bihar and Haryana), and Shri Shivcharan Mathur (Governor of Assam). But despite Shri Haridev Joshi being the Chief Minister of Rajasthan thrice and being proposed for the post of Governor of Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal, he never served as the Governor of any state. Hence the correct answer is option B.

According to Article 168, the State Legislature is constituted by the Governor and the House/Houses. Rajasthan is a state with unicameral legislature since its inception. India currently has a Legislative Council in 6 states (UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana) (the Council was abolished there after the reorganization of Jammu and Kashmir). According to Article 169, if the State Assembly passes a resolution with a majority of the total number of members and two-thirds majority of the members present and voting, then the Parliament can create or abolish the Legislative Council by a simple majority. Hence all the statements are true.

Historical development of total seats of Rajasthan Assembly: 1. First Assembly (1952): 160 seats; 2. Second Assembly (1957 - after merger of Ajmer-Merwara, Abu and Sunel Tappa): 176 seats; 3. Third Assembly (1962): 176 seats; 4. Fourth Assembly (1967): 184 seats; 5. Fifth Assembly (1972): 184 seats; 6. Sixth Assembly (1977): 200 seats. From 1977 to the present 16th Assembly, the total seats are fixed at only 200. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3.

According to the delimitation in Rajasthan Assembly, out of total 200 seats, 59 seats are reserved, in which 34 seats are reserved for SC and 25 seats are reserved for ST (General/Unreserved seats are 141). Assembly constituency number 1 of Rajasthan is 'Sadulshahr' (Sriganganagar district) and the last number is 200 'Manoharthana' (Jhalawar district). Hence all four statements are completely true.

According to Article 178, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly are elected by the members of the Assembly. The Speaker of the first Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (1952) was Shri Narottam Lal Joshi and the Deputy Speaker was Shri Lal Singh Shaktawat. In 1977, during the Janata Party rule, Maharawal Laxman Singh became the first non-Congress president. Shri Poonamchand Vishnoi is the only leader in the history of Rajasthan Assembly who served on all three posts of Protem Speaker (1967, 1972), Deputy Speaker (1972-1977) and Speaker (1980-1985). Hence all four statements are true.

Smt. Yashoda Devi became the first woman MLA of Rajasthan Legislative Assembly by winning the Banswara by-election in 1953. Dr. Kamala Beniwal became the first woman minister of Rajasthan (later also the first woman Deputy Chief Minister) by joining the Mohanlal Sukhadia cabinet in 1954. Mrs. Sumitra Singh became the first woman Assembly Speaker of Rajasthan in the 12th Assembly (2003). Mrs. Prabha Rao was the leader of the opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly and later became the Governor. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-3, C-1, D-4.

The Rajasthan Legislative Assembly made its own rules for conducting business in 1956. The first hour of the meeting (usually 11 to 12 o'clock) is 'Question Hour' in which starred questions (those marked with an asterisk) are answered orally and the moving member can ask 2 supplementary questions. Only written answers to unstarred questions are placed on the table, on which no supplementary questions can be asked. Short notice questions are asked on a matter of urgent public importance at a notice of less than 21 days. Hence all four statements are true.

The process of no-confidence motion in the Council of Ministers is given in 'Rule 198' of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Procedure and Conduct of Business Rules. For this, written notice has to be given to the Secretary before the start of the meeting and it is mandatory to get the support of at least one tenth of the total members of the House (i.e. 20 members). In Rajasthan, the first no-confidence motion was presented in 1952 against the Tikaram Paliwal government and the last in 1985 (8th Assembly). Hence option A is the correct answer.

There are a total of 4 Financial Committees in the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly and each Financial Committee consists of 15 members who are elected by proportional representation by single transferable vote for a tenure of 1 year: 1. Public Accounts Committee (PAC): Scrutiny of CAG reports; 2. Estimates Committee 'A': Scrutiny of Budget Estimates of Infrastructure and Housing/Works Departments; 3. Estimates Committee 'B': Scrutiny of social services and education/agriculture estimates; 4. Public Undertakings Committee (PUC): Scrutiny of the financial functioning of government companies/corporations. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-1, C-3, D-4.

There are 22 standing committees in the Rajasthan Assembly (of which 4 are financial committees). The Speaker of the Assembly nominates the chairmen of all the committees. The ex-officio chairman of the Rules Committee, Privileges Committee and Business Advisory Committee is the Speaker of the Assembly himself. As per parliamentary tradition, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) is always appointed by a senior opposition leader/MLA so that government expenditure can be impartially monitored. Hence all the statements are true.

According to Article 171(1) of the Constitution (as amended by the 7th Amendment 1956), the total number of members in the Legislative Council of a State shall not exceed one-third (1/3) of the total members of the Legislative Assembly of that State and shall not be less than 40. There are 200 members in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, hence 1/3 of 200 = 66.66 i.e. Rajasthan Legislative Council can have maximum 66 members. Hence the correct answer is option B.

Under the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly Business Conduct Rules, an adjournment motion is an extraordinary procedure which is used to stop the regular business of the House and discuss any serious urgent incident. It has strict rules: 1. Prior permission of the Chairman is required; 2. The proposal should focus on a specific and definite recent event; 3. There cannot be more than one proposal in one meeting; 4. No issue of privilege or matter pending in the court can be raised by this. Hence all four statements are true.

After the formation of the new Assembly, the senior most MLA is appointed Pro Tem Speaker by the Governor to administer the oath to the newly elected MLAs: Shri Devi Singh Bhati in the 13th Assembly (2008); Shri Pradyuman Singh in the 14th Assembly (2013); Shri Gulab Chand Kataria in the 15th Assembly (2018); Shri Kalicharan Saraf became the Protem Speaker in the 16th Assembly (December 2023). Hence the correct combination is A-4, B-1, C-2, D-3.

In the parliamentary system, bills introduced by ministers are called 'Government Bill' and bills introduced by non-minister MLAs are called 'Private Member Bill'. Only once in the entire legislative history of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly has a Private Member's Bill been passed, which was the 'Rajasthan Social Education Board Bill' in 1958. The highest number of private member's bills were introduced in the third Assembly of Rajasthan (1962–67). Hence all four statements are true.

On July 16, 2022, the state-of-the-art digital museum established in the Rajasthan Assembly complex will be inaugurated by the then Chief Justice of India Justice N.V. Ramana to Assembly Speaker Dr. C.P. Joshi. The official name of this digital museum has been kept as 'Political Narrative Museum', in which the political, social and legislative development of Rajasthan has been displayed. Hence the correct answer is option B.

The Business Advisory/Advisory Committee (BAC) is the apex committee for time management of the daily and weekly legislative agenda of the Assembly. The Speaker of the Assembly is its ex-officio Chairman and the Leader of the House (CM), Leader of Opposition and Parliamentary Affairs Minister are its key members. The time limit for various bills of the House, budget discussion and motion of thanks on the Governor's address is decided by the House on the basis of the recommendations of the Business Advisory Committee. Hence all four statements are true.

Under Rajasthan Assembly Rules of Procedure: Under Rule 131, a 'calling attention motion' is introduced to draw the attention of a minister to a matter of urgent public importance; Rule 198 deals with 'no-confidence motion' in the Council of Ministers; Rule 240 governs the 'Subordinate Legislation Committee'; Under Rule 295, members read 'Special Mention' on an issue of utmost importance in their area with the prior permission of the Speaker. Hence the correct combination is A-4, B-2, C-3, D-1.

According to Article 190(3)(b) of the Constitution and Rajasthan Assembly Rules, the MLA submits his resignation letter to the Speaker of the Assembly. If the Speaker suspects that the resignation is under duress or fake, he can get it investigated and can also reject it. But when the Chairman accepts the resignation to his satisfaction and is notified in the Gazette, the membership ceases and there is no provision of 30 days to withdraw it. Hence all four statements are true.

In the first general elections of Rajasthan Assembly in the year 1952, elections were held on 160 seats. In this, the Indian National Congress had got 82 seats, while in second place was the 'Akhil Bharatiya Ram Rajya Parishad' established by Swami Karpatri ji, which had won a landslide victory on 24 seats. Bharatiya Jana Sangh got 8 seats and independents got 35 seats. Hence the correct answer is option B.

Article 194 provides state legislators with freedom of speech within the House and complete immunity from judicial proceedings for any vote or speech given in the House. Article 212 makes it clear that no court can investigate the internal proceedings of the Legislature. The relationship between parliamentary privileges and the fundamental rights of citizens (Articles 19 and 21) was historically explained in the Supreme Court's 'Searchlight Case' (1959) and 'President's Reference/Keshav Singh Case' (1965). Hence all four statements are true.

The Petitions Committee considers complaints and petitions submitted by the general public; The Privileges Committee investigates cases of breach of privilege of the House and members and makes punitive recommendations; The Subordinate Legislative Committee ensures that the rules made by the Executive are within the limits of the original Act of Parliament/Assembly; And the Government Assurance Committee monitors the fulfillment of announcements made by ministers in the House. Hence the correct combination is A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1.

According to Article 202, the budget is presented in the Assembly by the Finance Minister. After the general discussion on the budget, demands for grants are discussed and voted on (in which the opposition can bring a policy cut of ₹1, an austerity cut of a fixed amount or a symbolic token cut of ₹100). After the approval of the demands for grants, 'Appropriation Bill' is passed under Article 204 to get the legal right to spend from the Consolidated Fund. Without this no government expenditure can take place. Hence all the statements are true.

According to Article 189(3) of the Constitution, unless the Legislature of a State by law otherwise provides, the quorum to constitute a meeting of the House shall be 10 members or 1/10 (tenth) of the total number of members of the House, whichever is higher. For Rajasthan Assembly (200 members), the quorum is mandatory to be at least 20 members. If there is no quorum, the Speaker adjourns the proceedings of the House. Hence the correct answer is option A.

Under Article 174(1) it is mandatory to have at least 2 sessions in a year and there cannot be a gap of more than 6 months between the two sessions. Maximum 306 meetings were held in the first assembly of Rajasthan. The tenure of the 5th Assembly (1972–1977) was extended by 1 year due to the Emergency of 1975, making it the longest. The 9th Assembly (1990-1992) was dismissed after the Babri demolition in December 1992 by invoking Article 356 in just 2 years and 9 months, which was the shortest tenure. Hence all the statements are true.

The Library Committee consists of a maximum of 15 members including the Chairman who is nominated by the Chairman; The Environment Committee works on environmental protection and pollution control; The Women and Child Welfare Committee consists of a maximum of 15 members who review welfare programs for women and children; And the ex-officio chairman of the Rules Committee is the Speaker of the Assembly himself. Hence the correct combination is A-2, B-4, C-3, D-1.

Under the Rajasthan Assembly Business Conduct Rules, the Speaker of the Assembly nominates a Speaker's Table of maximum 6 members at the beginning of each session. When the Chairman and Vice-Chairman are simply 'absent', then a member of the panel presides. But if the posts of Chairman and Vice Chairman become 'vacant', then the member of the panel cannot preside; In such a situation, only the member authorized by the Governor under Article 180 (1) of the Constitution presides over the House. Hence all four statements are true.

Under the Rajasthan Assembly Procedure Rules, the bill passed is signed and certified by the Assembly Speaker before sending it to the Governor for assent. But if the Speaker is absent or there is an urgent situation, then on behalf of the Speaker, the Secretary/Principal Secretary of the Assembly Secretariat authenticates the bill and sends it to the Governor's Secretariat. Hence the correct answer is option B.

According to parliamentary rules, when the government itself moves forward and gives notice of a confidence motion and the opposition brings a no-confidence motion, then under the rules the government's confidence motion is given priority. Passing the confidence motion means that the government has the confidence of the House, due to which the no-confidence motion automatically becomes ineffective. Passing a no-confidence motion ensures the fall of the government. Hence all four statements are true.

Article 170 decides the composition of state assemblies (maximum 500 and minimum 60 seats); Article 172 provides for a normal term of the Assembly of 5 years; Article 173 mentions the qualifications for a member of the Legislative Assembly such as minimum age of 25 years and citizenship; And Article 178 is related to the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly. Hence the correct combination is A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2.

On 29 August 1949, Rajpramukh Sawai Mansingh inaugurated the Rajasthan High Court in Jodhpur and Justice Kamalkant Verma became the first Chief Justice along with 11 judges. The Jaipur bench ended in 1958 on the report of the P. Satyanarayana Rao Committee. Later, on the demand of the public and advocates, under the order of 1976 issued by the President, the permanent bench of the High Court in Jaipur started functioning formally from 31 January 1977. Hence all four statements are true.

The total sanctioned strength of judges including the Chief Justice in Rajasthan High Court is 50 (38 permanent judges + 12 additional judges). According to Article 216 of the Constitution, every High Court shall consist of a Chief Justice and such other Judges as the President may from time to time consider necessary to appoint. Hence the correct answer is option C.

According to Article 217, the judges of the High Court are appointed by the President under the collegium system. To qualify, 10 years of judicial service or 10 years of advocacy is required. By the 15th Constitutional Amendment 1963, the retirement age of High Court judges was increased from 60 years to 62 years. Judges submit their resignation letters to the President only and can be removed only through a special process like impeachment by the Parliament (Article 124(4)). Hence all four statements are true.