CAPF AC 2020 Q92: Indian Polity – Parliament & State Legislatures
- (a) 450
- (b) 500
- (c) 550
- (d) 600
Answer: (b) 500
Explanation
Size of a State Legislative Assembly (Article 170)
How to think: the Constitution fixes a range.
An Assembly has not more than 500 and not less than 60 members.
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Maximum | 500 |
| Minimum | 60 |
| Article | Article 170 |
| Largest Assembly | Uttar Pradesh, 403 seats |
States allowed fewer than 60:
| State or Union Territory | Seats |
|---|---|
| Sikkim | 32 |
| Goa | 40 |
| Mizoram | 40 |
| Puducherry | 30 |
About Article 333: it let the Governor nominate one Anglo-Indian member.
This nomination was ended by the 104th Amendment from January 2020.
The options checked: 450, 550 and 600 appear nowhere in Article 170.
Only 500 is the limit in the Constitution.
Answer: (b) 500.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. 450 is not a limit found in the Constitution.
- (b) CORRECT. Article 170 caps a Legislative Assembly at 500 members.
- (c) Incorrect. 550 is not the Assembly limit; do not mix it with Lok Sabha figures.
- (d) Incorrect. 600 is not a limit found in the Constitution.
Key point
Article 170: Legislative Assembly has at most 500 and at least 60 members (fewer in Sikkim 32, Goa 40, Mizoram 40). Article 333 (one Anglo-Indian) ended by the 104th Amendment.
Remember
State Assembly: maximum 500, minimum 60 (Article 170).
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the Assembly limit of 500 with the Lok Sabha's strength.
- Forgetting the minimum of 60 and its exceptions.
- Thinking the Anglo-Indian nomination still continues; it ended in 2020.
Exam tip
Remember the pair 500 and 60. Legislative Council is the other pair: at most one-third of the Assembly, at least 40.
Sources
- Constitution of India — Articles 170 and 333
- M. Laxmikanth — Indian Polity, chapter on State Legislature