SSC CGL 2025 Tier-I · 16 September 2025, Shift 1 · General Awareness · Question 15 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 13 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.

We doubt SSC's key on this question.

Article 356(1) lets the President act 'on receipt of a report from the Governor of a State or otherwise', and SSC's own key at 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.15 accepts that the Governor recommends President's Rule, so read literally 'only the PM' is false and option (a) is defensible; this card follows SSC's key.

The answer below is still the option SSC's key marks, and we solve to that option.

Consider the following statements: 1) Both the Prime Minister (PM) and Chief Minister (CM) can advise dissolution of the respective Lower House. 2) Only the PM can recommend President’s Rule under Article 356 of the Constitution. Which of the statements is/are correct?

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

Answer

Why

Correct — C. Statement 1 holds. The President dissolves the Lok Sabha under Article 85(2)(b) on the advice of the PM-led Council of Ministers. The Governor dissolves the Assembly under Article 174(2)(b) on the CM's advice.

Statement 2 holds as the contrast the stem draws: a CM has no part in President's Rule. The President proclaims it under Article 356, advised by the Union Council of Ministers that the PM heads.

Both → option (c).

Why the others are wrong

(a)
Only 1 — Only 1 treats statement 2 as false. The key reads it as the PM-versus-CM contrast, and on that reading it holds: no Chief Minister can recommend President's Rule for their own State.
(b)
Only 2 — Statement 1 is true, so 'Only 2' fails. Both heads advise dissolution: the PM of the Lok Sabha (Article 85) and the CM of the Legislative Assembly (Article 174).
(d)
Neither 1 nor 2 — Neither fails on statement 1 alone. A Lower House is dissolved on the advice of the council the PM or the CM heads (Articles 74 and 163).

Concept

The PM and the CM are parallel heads. Each leads a Council of Ministers that aids and advises a constitutional head: Article 74 for the President, Article 163 for the Governor.

Dissolving the Lower House is a power the two levels share. President's Rule is a Union power: under Article 356(1) the President acts "on receipt of a report from the Governor of a State or otherwise".

Statement 2 is loosely worded. The Governor's report is the usual trigger for Article 356, and SSC's own key at 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.15 accepts that a Governor recommends President's Rule.

Key facts

Article 85(2)(b): the President may dissolve the House of the People (Lok Sabha).
Article 174(2)(b): the Governor may dissolve the Legislative Assembly.
Article 356(1): the President may proclaim President's Rule on a Governor's report or otherwise.
A proclamation under Article 356 needs approval by both Houses within two months and can run for at most three years.

Study next

The Governor's discretionary powers under Article 163S. R. Bommai v. Union of India (1994) and judicial review of Article 356Summoning, prorogation and dissolution: Articles 85 and 174

Common traps

Forgetting the Governor's report under Article 356(1) — the usual starting point for President's Rule.
Assuming a CM can seek President's Rule for their own State — it is a Union decision taken on Union advice.

Dissolution is asked at 13 Sep 2025, 12:30, GA Q.25 (keyed Only 1: the President can dissolve the Lok Sabha too). Article 356 is asked by name at 19 Sep 2024, 16:00, GA Q.13 and through the Governor's report at 15 Sep 2025, 16:00, GA Q.15.

Related PYQs

No directly related past PYQ was found.

Topic: General Policy — all 308 SSC CGL questions on it, every solved shift.