Which one of the following is NOT correctly matched ?
(Provisions) – (Sources)

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — C, the mismatched pair. India's Residuary (residual) powers — the power over any subject not listed in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists — were borrowed from the Constitution of CANADA, not Australia. From Canada the framers took the federation-with-a-strong-Centre model, vesting residuary powers in the Union (Article 248 / Entry 97 of the Union List). Australia contributed a different set of features — the Concurrent List, freedom of trade, commerce and intercourse (Art. 301), and the joint sitting of the two Houses. So pairing 'Residual Powers of Centre' with Australia is wrong, and since the question asks which is NOT correctly matched, option (c) is the answer. The other three pairs are all correct: Fundamental Rights (Bill of Rights) from the USA, Directive Principles from Ireland, and Emergency provisions from the Weimar Constitution of Germany.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Correctly matched, so it cannot be the answer to a 'NOT correctly matched' question. Fundamental Rights (Part III) and judicial review were modelled on the US Bill of Rights.  (b) Correctly matched. The Directive Principles (Part IV) were adopted from the Irish Constitution, which had itself borrowed the idea from the Spanish Constitution.  (d) Correctly matched. The suspension of Fundamental Rights during a national Emergency was drawn from the Weimar Constitution of Germany.

Concept: The Indian Constitution is famously a 'bag of borrowings' — the framers studied many constitutions and adapted specific features. A standard list every aspirant must fix in memory: USA → Fundamental Rights, judicial review, independence of judiciary, impeachment of President; Ireland → Directive Principles, nomination to Rajya Sabha, method of Presidential election; Germany (Weimar) → suspension of Fundamental Rights during Emergency; Canada → federation with a strong Centre, residuary powers with the Union, appointment of Governors, advisory jurisdiction of the Supreme Court; Australia → Concurrent List, freedom of trade and commerce, joint sitting of Parliament.

State PCS 2021 Q46 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2021 Q46 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer