Indian Polity & Constitution — SSC CGL General Awareness
Polity is the GA topic with the best effort-to-marks ratio: the Constitution doesn't change between exam cycles, SSC's question bank recycles the same Articles and bodies, and every question is a 10-second recall. This chapter compresses the SSC-relevant Constitution — the framework, the numbers, and the exact facts that keep appearing.
1. The Constitution: framing and borrowings
- Constituent Assembly: first met 9 December 1946; adopted the Constitution 26 November 1949 (Constitution Day); in force 26 January 1950. Drafting Committee chairman: Dr B. R. Ambedkar; Assembly president: Dr Rajendra Prasad.
- Originally 395 Articles, 22 Parts, 8 Schedules; now ~470 Articles, 25 Parts, 12 Schedules.
- Borrowed features (a fixed SSC favourite):
| Source | Features |
|---|---|
| UK | Parliamentary system, single citizenship, rule of law, bicameralism |
| USA | Fundamental Rights, judicial review, impeachment of President, independence of judiciary |
| Ireland | DPSPs, nomination to Rajya Sabha, method of presidential election |
| Canada | Federation with a strong Centre, residuary powers with Centre |
| Australia | Concurrent List, freedom of trade (Art 301), joint sitting |
| USSR | Fundamental Duties, ideals of justice in the Preamble |
| France | Republic; liberty, equality, fraternity |
| Germany (Weimar) | Suspension of FRs during Emergency |
| South Africa | Amendment procedure, election of RS members |
| Japan | Procedure established by law |
- Preamble: "SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC" — socialist, secular, integrity added by the 42nd Amendment (1976) ("mini-Constitution").
2. Parts & Schedules — the number grid
Key Parts: I Union & territory (Art 1–4) · II Citizenship (5–11) · III Fundamental Rights (12–35) · IV DPSP (36–51) · IVA Fundamental Duties (51A, 11 duties, added 42nd/86th) · V Union executive & Parliament · VI States · IX Panchayats (73rd, 1992) · IXA Municipalities (74th) · XVIII Emergency (352–360).
The 12 Schedules in one line each: 1 States & UTs · 2 Salaries/emoluments · 3 Oaths · 4 Rajya Sabha seat allocation · 5 Scheduled Areas · 6 Tribal areas (Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram) · 7 Union–State–Concurrent lists · 8 22 languages · 9 Land-reform laws (1st Amendment, 1951) · 10 Anti-defection (52nd, 1985) · 11 Panchayats (29 subjects) · 12 Municipalities (18 subjects).
3. Fundamental Rights — the exam core
| Article | Right |
|---|---|
| 14 | Equality before law |
| 15 | No discrimination (religion, race, caste, sex, birth) |
| 16 | Equal opportunity in public employment |
| 17 | Abolition of untouchability |
| 19 | Six freedoms (speech, assembly, association, movement, residence, profession) |
| 21 | Life & personal liberty — the expanding article (privacy, clean environment, speedy trial) |
| 21A | Education (6–14 years) — 86th Amendment, 2002 |
| 22 | Protection in arrest & detention |
| 23–24 | Against exploitation (trafficking; no child labour under 14) |
| 25–28 | Freedom of religion |
| 29–30 | Cultural & educational rights of minorities |
| 32 | Right to constitutional remedies — Ambedkar's "heart and soul"; SC writs |
- Writs (Art 32 SC / Art 226 HC): habeas corpus (produce the body), mandamus (command a duty), prohibition (stop a lower court), certiorari (transfer/quash), quo warranto (by what authority).
- Right to property — deleted from FRs by the 44th Amendment (1978); now a legal right under Art 300A.
- DPSPs (Part IV) are non-justiciable; Fundamental Duties (11, Art 51A) added by 42nd Amendment (the 11th — education for one's child — by the 86th).
4. Union executive & Parliament
President (Art 52–62): elected by an electoral college (elected MPs + elected MLAs, single transferable vote); term 5 years; impeachment (Art 61) for "violation of the Constitution"; appoints PM, judges, governors; Art 72 pardons (including death sentences & court-martial); addresses; can return most bills once (pocket veto exists — no time limit); money bills need prior recommendation.
Vice-President (Art 63): ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha; elected by MPs of both Houses (elected + nominated).
PM & Council of Ministers (Art 74–75): PM appointed by President; ministers ≤ 15% of Lok Sabha strength (91st Amendment); collectively responsible to Lok Sabha.
Parliament:
| Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha | |
|---|---|---|
| Max strength | 552 (550 current) | 250 (245 current) |
| Term | 5 years (dissolvable) | Permanent; 1/3 retire every 2 years (member term 6 yrs) |
| Presides | Speaker | Vice-President (Chairman) |
| Money bills | Only introduced here (Art 110) | Can only delay 14 days |
| Special powers | No-confidence motion | Art 249 (national-interest laws on State List), Art 312 (new All-India Services) |
- Joint sitting (Art 108): presided by Speaker; not for money bills or constitutional amendments.
- Minimum ages: Lok Sabha / MLA 25, Rajya Sabha / MLC 30, President/VP/Governor 35.
- Anti-defection: 10th Schedule; disqualification decided by Speaker/Chairman.
5. Judiciary, states & constitutional bodies
- Supreme Court (Art 124): CJI + 33 judges; judges hold office till 65 (HC: 62); removal by special-majority address (only via "proved misbehaviour or incapacity"). Art 143: presidential reference. Collegium system governs appointments.
- Governor (Art 153+): appointed by President; Art 356 President's rule report; can reserve bills for President (Art 200).
- Emergencies: 352 National (war/external aggression/armed rebellion — words changed by 44th Am.) · 356 State/President's rule (max 3 years with approvals) · 360 Financial (never imposed).
- Constitutional bodies with Articles: Election Commission 324 · UPSC 315 · Finance Commission 280 (every 5 years) · CAG 148 ("guardian of the public purse") · Attorney-General 76 · Advocate-General 165 · GST Council 279A · National Commissions for SCs 338 / STs 338A / Backward Classes 338B.
- Non-constitutional (statutory/executive) bodies — NITI Aayog (2015, replaced Planning Commission), CBI, CVC, Lokpal, NHRC — a classic "which is NOT a constitutional body" question.
6. Amendments SSC asks about
| Amendment | Year | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1951 | 9th Schedule; land reform protection |
| 42nd | 1976 | "Mini-Constitution": Preamble words, Fundamental Duties, DPSPs strengthened |
| 44th | 1978 | Property FR → 300A; "armed rebellion" in Art 352 |
| 52nd | 1985 | Anti-defection (10th Schedule) |
| 61st | 1989 | Voting age 21 → 18 |
| 73rd/74th | 1992 | Panchayats / Municipalities (Parts IX, IXA) |
| 86th | 2002 | Art 21A education; 11th Fundamental Duty |
| 101st | 2016 | GST |
| 102nd | 2018 | NCBC constitutional status |
| 103rd | 2019 | 10% EWS reservation |
| 106th | 2023 | Women's reservation (Nari Shakti Vandan) |
Basic structure doctrine: Kesavananda Bharati v. State of Kerala (1973) — Parliament may amend but not destroy the Constitution's basic structure. Companion cases: Golaknath (1967), Minerva Mills (1980), Maneka Gandhi (1978, Art 21 due process expansion).
7. How to prepare polity for SSC
Polity questions are verbatim recall: an Article number, a Schedule, a minimum age, "who presides", "borrowed from". Make the three grids in this chapter (borrowings, Parts/Schedules, FR articles) your flashcard decks and revise weekly. PYQs show near-total repetition — solving the last five years of SSC polity questions covers ~90% of what the next paper will ask.
