UPSC CSE Prelims
Question 5
Consider the following statements :
- In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party.
- In the Lok Sabha, a "Leader of the Opposition" was recognised for the first time in 1969.
- In the Lok Sabha, if a party does not have a minimum of 75 members, its leader cannot be recognised as the Leader of the Opposition.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
View correct answer and explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct Option: B
Explanation: The Swatantra Party was founded only in 1959, so could not lead opposition in the first Lok Sabha (1952–57). The recognised Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition first appeared in 1969; the stated 75-member threshold is wrong.
Statement/Pair-wise Analysis:
Statement/Item 1: Incorrect - Swatantra Party did not exist in the first Lok Sabha; it was formed in 1959.
Statement/Item 2: Correct - Ram Subhag Singh was recognised as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha in 1969.
Statement/Item 3: Incorrect - There is no universal statutory 75-member requirement; recognition historically involved a 10% convention, around 55 seats in a 545-member House.
Option-wise Analysis:
A: Incorrect - includes incorrect statement/items 1, 3; omits correct statement/item 2.
B: Correct - includes all and only the true statements/items.
C: Incorrect - includes incorrect statement/item 3.
D: Incorrect - includes incorrect statement/items 1, 3.