SSC
The duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance, and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on according to the Constitution, is laid down in:
Answer (Detailed Solution Below)View answer ▾Hide ▴
Answer: Option D — Article 355
Detailed Solution
Article 355 says that it shall be the duty of the Union to protect every State against external aggression and internal disturbance, and to ensure that the government of every State is carried on in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Importance of Article 355:
- It reflects the idea that the Union is responsible for the security and constitutional governance of all the states.
- It gives the Union the authority to take necessary action, such as deploying the central armed forces, to protect a state from external attack or serious internal disorder.
Article 355 and President's Rule:
Article 356 (President's Rule) is meant to be used when the government of a state cannot be carried on according to the Constitution; it is seen as a way of carrying out the duty laid down in Article 355.
Dr. B. R. Ambedkar explained that any intervention by the Centre in a state should be based on this constitutional duty, and not be arbitrary.
Deployment of central forces:
The Union can deploy the central armed police forces, such as the CRPF and the BSF, and the army, to help the states in maintaining law and order, even without the request of the state government, in order to fulfil its duty under Article 355.
Recommendations of commissions:
The Sarkaria Commission and the Punchhi Commission examined the use of Article 355, and recommended that the Centre should consult the states before taking action, except in an emergency.
Related provisions:
- Article 352: Proclamation of a national emergency on the ground of war, external aggression or armed rebellion.
- Article 365: If a state fails to comply with the directions given by the Union, the President may hold that the government of the state cannot be carried on according to the Constitution.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Article 352 deals with the national emergency; Article 356 with President's Rule; Article 365 with the effect of failure to comply with the directions of the Union.
Quick tip
Remember: Article 355 = duty of the Union to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure constitutional government.
💬 Discussions on this question
Ask a doubt ›Still stuck on this question? Ask our faculty and fellow students — answers appear here.
Ask a doubtMore Centre-State Relations & Emergency Provisions Questions
View all ›- Q1.The Finance Commission is constituted by the President of India under which Article?
- Q2.The provision for a National Emergency is mentioned in which Article of the Constitution?
- Q3.Provisions in case of failure of the constitutional machinery in a state (President's Rule) are given in:
- Q4.The concept of the Concurrent List in the Indian Constitution was borrowed from the Constitution of:
- Q5.In the Constitution of India, the Union, State and Concurrent Lists are given in the:
More General Knowledge Questions
- Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?Indian Dance Forms
- Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?Indian Dance Forms
- Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:Indian Dance Forms
- Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?Indian Dance Forms
- Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:Indian Dance Forms
Centre-State Relations & Emergency Provisions — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Centre-State Relations & Emergency Provisions, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the distribution of legislative, administrative and financial powers between the Centre and the states, the Union, State and Concurrent Lists, inter-state councils and zonal councils, and the three types of emergency: national emergency (Article 352), President's rule (Article 356) and financial emergency (Article 360). Exams ask which list a subject falls in, which commission examined Centre-state relations (the Sarkaria and Punchhi Commissions), and how often each type of emergency has been declared. Remember that a financial emergency has never been declared in India, and that 'armed rebellion' replaced 'internal disturbance' as a ground for national emergency through the 44th Amendment. Practise the Centre-state relations and emergency provisions questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.