Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The President can recommend to the Parliament to change the boundary of any State after see

Question

Given below are two statements, one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other as Reason (R).
Assertion (A): The President can recommend to the Parliament to change the boundary of any State after seeking views of the concerned Legislature of that State on the subject within a specified period.
Reason (R): It is not mandatory for the President to accept the proposal of the concerned State Legislature.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct — B, both (A) and (R) are true, but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A). Under Article 3 of the Constitution, Parliament may by law alter the area, boundaries or name of a State; such a Bill can be introduced only on the prior recommendation of the President, and where it affects a State's area, boundary or name the President must first refer it to that State's Legislature to express its views within a period the President specifies — so (A) is true. (R) is also true: those views are only advisory, and neither the President nor Parliament is bound to accept them. But (R) does not explain (A): the President's power to move such a proposal flows from Article 3 itself, not from the fact that the State's views are non-binding. They are two independent true statements about the same procedure — hence 'both true, (R) not the correct explanation', option B.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) Both statements are true, but (R) does not supply the reason (A) is true. (A) rests on Article 3's requirement of a presidential recommendation and reference to the State Legislature; (R) merely adds that those views are non-binding — a separate feature, not the cause of (A).  (c) (A) is a correct description of the Article 3 procedure — a Bill altering a State's boundary needs the President's recommendation and the President must refer it to the concerned State Legislature for its views within a specified period. So (A) is not false.  (d) (R) is also true: the State Legislature's views under Article 3 are advisory only and are not binding on the President or Parliament, so (R) cannot be called false.

Concept: Article 3 empowers Parliament to form new States and to alter the area, boundaries or name of existing States. Two conditions apply to such a Bill: it can be introduced only on the President's prior recommendation, and if it affects a State's area, boundary or name the President must refer it to that State's Legislature to express its views within a specified period. Crucially, those views are not binding — Parliament may accept, modify or reject them, which is why India is called 'an indestructible Union of destructible States'.

State PCS 2023 Q126 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2023 Q126 — Polity & Governance PYQ with Answer