UPSC Prelims 2018 Q1: Indian Polity – Parliament & State Legislatures

UPSC Prelims 2018, General Studies Paper I · Indian Polity

Consider the following statements: 1. In the first Lok Sabha, the single largest party in the opposition was the Swatantra Party. 2. In the Lok Sabha, a “Leader of the Opposition” was recognised for the first time in 1969. 3. 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?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 2 only

Explanation

Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha

Statement	Claim	Verdict	Detail
1	Single largest opposition party in 1st Lok Sabha was Swatantra Party	FALSE	The Swatantra Party was founded only in 1959 by C. Rajagopalachari. The 1st Lok Sabha (1952-57) largest opposition was the CPI (Communist Party of India) with 16 seats.
2	LoP recognised for the first time in 1969	TRUE	Ram Subhag Singh (Congress-O) was the first officially recognised LoP in Dec 1969 by Speaker after the Congress split.
3	Party needs 75 members for LoP recognition	FALSE	The Speaker's convention requires a party to have at least 1/10th of total Lok Sabha strength = 55 members (not 75). This is why the LoP post has often been vacant post-2014.

Statutory Basis: The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977 gave LoP statutory status but did NOT fix a numerical threshold - the 1/10th rule comes from Speaker G.V. Mavalankar's 1952 direction.

Answer: (b) 2 only.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Incorrect. Statement 1 is wrong (Swatantra Party did not exist in 1952) and Statement 3 states the wrong threshold (55 not 75).
(b) CORRECT. Only Statement 2 is right - LoP was officially recognised for the first time in 1969.
(c) Incorrect. Statement 3 wrongly states the number as 75; the actual convention is 1/10th of the House = 55 members.
(d) Incorrect. Statements 1 and 3 both contain factual errors.

Key point

LoP milestones: First recognised in 1969 (Ram Subhag Singh). Given statutory status by the 1977 Act. Threshold = 1/10th of House (55 members) per the Mavalankar convention, not 75.

Remember

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha was officially recognised for the first time in 1969, when Ram Subhag Singh of Congress (O) got the post after the Congress split. The threshold of 1/10th of House strength (55 members) is a Speaker's convention from 1952, not a statutory number. The Swatantra Party did not exist in the 1st Lok Sabha - it was founded only in 1959.

Common mistakes

Confusing Swatantra Party (founded 1959) with parties present in the 1st Lok Sabha (1952) - the largest opposition then was the CPI.
Assuming the 1/10th threshold is written in the Constitution or the 1977 Act - it is a Speaker's convention from 1952.
Mixing up the LoP threshold (55) with the anti-defection threshold or the party-recognition threshold in the Rajya Sabha.

Exam tip

Numbers to remember: LoP threshold = 55 (1/10th of 543). LoP first recognised = 1969. Statutory Act = 1977. If a question mentions 75, it is a trap.

Sources

The Salary and Allowances of Leaders of Opposition in Parliament Act, 1977
Lok Sabha Secretariat - Directions by the Speaker (Direction 121)

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