With reference to the posts in the Secretariat of the Parliament, which of the following statement/s is/are correct? (1) Common posts may be created for the Secretariat of each House of Parliament. (2) Parliament has the right to regulate the service conditions of the Secretariat staff of either House of it. Select the correct answer from the code given below:
- (a)Only 2
- (b)Neither 1 nor 2
- (c)Only 1
- (d)Both 1 and 2
Correct — D, Both 1 and 2. Article 98 of the Constitution deals with the Secretariat of Parliament. It provides that each House shall have a separate secretarial staff, but its proviso expressly states that nothing prevents the creation of posts COMMON to both Houses — so statement 1 is correct. Article 98(2) empowers Parliament to regulate by law the recruitment and the conditions of service of persons appointed to the secretarial staff of either House — so statement 2 is also correct. Hence both statements are true.
- (a)Only 2 — This drops statement 1, but statement 1 is also correct — the proviso to Article 98 permits creation of posts common to both Houses of Parliament.
- (b)Neither 1 nor 2 — Both statements reflect Article 98, so it is wrong to reject both.
- (c)Only 1 — This drops statement 2, but statement 2 is also correct — Article 98(2) lets Parliament regulate, by law, the recruitment and service conditions of the secretarial staff.
The Secretariat of Parliament is the permanent administrative machinery that services the two Houses. Article 98 gives each House (Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha) a separate secretarial staff under a Secretary-General, while allowing posts common to both Houses. Parliament may, by law, regulate the recruitment and conditions of service of this staff; until it does, the President (after consulting the Presiding Officer) may make rules.
Both statements paraphrase Article 98 accurately, so the answer is 'Both'. The trap is confusing the Secretariat of Parliament (Article 98) with the Cabinet Secretariat or the Union Government's secretariat, which are unrelated executive bodies.
- Article 98 — Secretariat of Parliament; separate staff for each House under a Secretary-General.
- Proviso to Article 98 allows creation of posts common to both Houses.
- Article 98(2): Parliament may by law regulate recruitment and service conditions of the staff.
- The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Secretariats are independent of the executive and function under the respective Presiding Officers.
- Confusing the Secretariat of Parliament (Article 98) with the Cabinet Secretariat
- Assuming the two Houses cannot share any common posts — the proviso allows it
UPPSC and UPSC test the exact wording of Articles governing Parliament; here the 'both statements paraphrase the Article' pattern is common in polity.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which Article of the Constitution provides for a separate secretarial staff for each House of Parliament?
- (a)Article 88
- (b)Article 98
- (c)Article 105
- (d)Article 118
Answer(b) Article 98 — the Secretariat of Parliament.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The administrative head of the Lok Sabha Secretariat is designated as the:
- (a)Cabinet Secretary
- (b)Secretary-General
- (c)Chief Secretary
- (d)Principal Secretary
Answer(b) Secretary-General — heads the Lok Sabha (and, separately, the Rajya Sabha) Secretariat.