Question 71 from UPSC CSE 2019 - Polity & Governance

Question

The Ninth Schedule was introduced in the Constitution of India during the prime ministership of

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: A. Jawaharlal Nehru

Strategy: Focus on the timeline of Constitutional Amendments and Prime Ministerial tenures. The Ninth Schedule's introduction is linked to the First Constitutional Amendment of 1951, which occurred under Jawaharlal Nehru. This eliminates later prime ministers as options.

Key Info: ## Ninth Schedule Details

-   **Origin:** Added by the First Amendment Act, 1951, to protect land reform and agrarian laws from judicial review after courts struck down such legislation for conflicting with Fundamental Rights.
-   **Mechanism:** Article 31-B, also introduced by the amendment, states that laws in the Ninth Schedule cannot be deemed void on the grounds of inconsistency with Fundamental Rights.
-   **Political Context:** The amendment was piloted during Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru's tenure from 1947 to 1964.
-   **Judicial Scrutiny:** The Supreme Court's decision in I.R. Coelho v. State of Tamil Nadu (2007) established that laws in the Ninth Schedule are not immune from review if they violate the basic structure of the Constitution.

Answer

Option B: Lal Bahadur Shastri

Answer

Option C: Indira Gandhi

Answer

Option D: Morarji Desai