What is a Constitution?: 17 MCQs with answers

A set of fundamental rules by which a country is governed

A constitution is the fundamental set of rules and principles by which a country is governed — the supreme law of the land.

Grundnorm

The constitution is called the grundnorm — the basic norm from which every other law derives its validity.

26 November 1949

The Indian Constitution was adopted on 26 November 1949 and came into force on 26 January 1950.

United Kingdom

The UK has an unwritten constitution made up of statutes, common law, and conventions, unlike India and the USA which have written constitutions.

Judicial review

Judicial review allows courts to check government actions and laws against the constitution and strike down those that violate it.

Creating government institutions and limiting their powers

A constitution performs two complementary jobs: it creates the institutions of government and grants them powers, and it limits those same institutions to prevent abuse.

True

The Constitution of India is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country, originally containing 395 articles and 8 schedules.

It shapes everyday life through enforceable rights and limits on power

The constitution shapes everyday life: speaking freely, assembling peacefully, and practising religion are all exercises of constitutional rights, and courts apply constitutional guarantees in real disputes.

To protect minorities who might otherwise be outvoted

Entrenching rights beyond simple majority reach acts as a shield for vulnerable groups, backed by judicial review and independent courts.

Its meaning evolves through interpretation and amendment

A constitution is a living document because courts interpret its words in changing circumstances and legislatures amend it when necessary, allowing it to endure across generations.

A constitution binds the legislature itself; ordinary laws do not

A constitution is usually created by a special body and ratified by the people, and it binds the legislature itself. If it were just another law, the legislature could simply change it at will.

It is the source of legal authority, so all other laws derive validity from it

The constitution is the grundnorm — every other law is valid only if it conforms to the constitution, which is why a violating law is considered void.

It loses its protective function as core rules change with each majority

If a constitution is amended too easily, it loses its protective function; if too rigid, it may become irrelevant. The art of constitutional design lies in balancing the two.

It is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country

With 395 articles and 8 schedules originally, the Indian Constitution is the longest written constitution of any sovereign country.

Government authority comes from the consent of the governed

Philosophers like Locke and Rousseau described the constitution as a social contract — an agreement among people to form a government in exchange for protection of their rights, expressed in the preamble as 'We the People'.

Deciding the outcome of every election

A constitution creates institutions, distributes power, limits government, and guarantees rights — it does not decide election outcomes.

A constitution should have a mix of flexible and rigid amendment procedures to adapt to change while protecting core principles.

The correct option emphasizes the need for a balance between flexibility and rigidity in amendment procedures, allowing a constitution to evolve while safeguarding its foundational principles from hasty changes.