SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 15 September 2025, Shift 3 · General Awareness · Question 25 of 100

We transcribed this text from the pictures on a candidate's response sheet for this shift; the answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. Solution last reviewed 11 September 2026.

Where this paper and its answers come from

SSC does not publish CGL question papers or a public answer key. From 2025 the candidate response sheet prints every question and option as a picture, so the text here is transcribed from those pictures for this shift and checked against them independently; where the layout carries meaning, the picture is shown as well. Each answer is the key SSC colour-marked on that sheet. SSC released a tentative key for challenge and later its final one, both only to candidates behind a login, and the sheet does not say which of the two it carries. The solutions are written by UnlockIAS.

Consider the following statements: 1. Indian federalism is biased towards the Centre. 2. The Constitution uses the word 'federal' explicitly. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a)Only 1
(b)Only 2
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer

Why

Correct — A. Statement 1 is borne out by the text. Article 3 lets Parliament form states and alter their boundaries by law, Article 248 gives Parliament the residuary power, and the President appoints every Governor under Article 155.

Statement 2 is false. Article 1 says "India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States", and the Constitution never calls India a federation. So only statement 1: option (a).

Why the others are wrong

(b)
Only 2 — Statement 2 is false. Article 1 calls India a Union of States, and "Federal" appears in the name of the old Federal Court, never for India's own system.
(c)
Both 1 and 2 — "Both" needs statement 2, which fails: the Constitution describes India as a Union of States in Article 1, not as a federation.
(d)
Neither 1 nor 2 — Statement 1 holds. Article 248 leaves residuary power with Parliament and Article 3 lets Parliament redraw state boundaries, both tilting the balance to the Centre.

Concept

India has federal features: two sets of governments, a division of powers across the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, and a written Constitution.

It also leans to the Centre: residuary powers with Parliament, state boundaries that Parliament can redraw, Governors appointed by the President, and emergency provisions such as Article 356.

Mind statement 2's wording. The text does contain the word Federal, in "Federal Court" (Article 374, for example). What it never does is describe India as federal or as a federation.

Key facts

Article 1(1): India, that is Bharat, shall be a Union of States.
Article 248: Parliament has exclusive power to make any law on a matter not in the Concurrent List or State List.
Article 3: Parliament may by law form new States and alter the areas, boundaries or names of existing States.
Article 155: the Governor of a State is appointed by the President by warrant under his hand and seal.

Study next

The Seventh Schedule: Union, State and Concurrent ListsArticle 249: Parliament legislating on a State List matter in the national interestEmergency provisions (Articles 352, 356 and 360) and the federal balance

Common traps

Taking "federal" as a word the Constitution uses for India: Article 1 says Union of States.
Treating "biased towards the Centre" as mere opinion and so false: Articles 3 and 248 put the tilt in the text.

Here the nature of Indian federalism is tested through two statements. Article 1's wording is keyed at 23 Sep 2024, 09:00, GA Q.5, and the 1935 Act's federal structure at 17 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.15.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: General Policy — all 218 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.