Identify the institution, then its source, appointment, removal, function and controlling check.
3. Constitutional foundations: Articles 1–51A
Cluster
Articles
High-yield rule
Union and territory
1–4
India is a Union of States; Parliament may admit, establish, form or alter States. Article 4 says laws under Articles 2–3 are not deemed Article 368 amendments.
Citizenship at commencement
5–11
Commencement rules differ from continuing citizenship law made by Parliament under Article 11.
Definition/laws
12–13
Article 12 defines State for Part III; Article 13 addresses inconsistent laws. Amendments remain subject to basic structure.
Equality
14–18
Equality, discrimination rules, public-employment equality, abolition of untouchability and titles.
Freedom/protection
19–22
Article 19 belongs to citizens; 20 and 21 are not citizen-only; 21A covers ages 6–14; 22 concerns arrest/detention.
Exploitation/religion
23–28
Forced labour/child labour protections and religious freedom subject to constitutional limits.
Culture/remedies
29–32
Cultural/educational protections; Article 32 is itself a Fundamental Right.
Special provisions
33–35
Parliament may modify rights for forces under 33; Article 35 reserves specified legislation to Parliament.
Directive Principles
36–51
Non-justiciable but fundamental in governance; 39, 39A, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48A, 50 are frequent anchors.
Duties
51A
Eleven duties; 42nd inserted ten, 86th added clause (k); not directly enforceable like rights.
4. Rights, Directive Principles and Duties
Feature
Rights
Directive Principles
Duties
Location
Part III
Part IV
Part IVA
Addressee
Mostly State restraint/obligation; some horizontal effect
State in law and policy
Citizens
Enforcement
Constitutional remedies
Not enforceable merely as DPSPs
Usually require supporting law
Relationship
Harmony, not automatic absolute priority; constitutional balance matters.
5. Writs and remedies
Writ
Purpose
Caution
Habeas corpus
Produce detainee and test legality.
May reach unlawful public or private custody; not an appeal against every valid custody order.
Mandamus
Command a public/legal duty.
Normally not President/Governor constitutional functions or purely private duty.
Prohibition
Stops inferior court/tribunal exceeding jurisdiction while pending.
Preventive.
Certiorari
Quashes jurisdictionally or legally defective order.
Corrective.
Quo warranto
Challenges authority to hold substantive public office.
No ordinary personal-injury requirement.
6. Schedules and language
Schedule
Memory point
1st
States and Union territories
2nd
Emoluments of specified offices
3rd
Oaths and affirmations
4th
Rajya Sabha seats
5th/6th
Scheduled Areas/Tribes; autonomous tribal areas in Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram
7th
Union, State, Concurrent Lists
8th
22 recognised languages, not “national languages”
9th
Specified laws; post-24 April 1973 insertions open to basic-structure review
10th
Anti-defection
11th/12th
29 Panchayat / 18 Municipal subjects
7. Emergencies
Type
Ground/article
Approval/duration core
Rights effect
National
War, external aggression, armed rebellion; 352
Within one month; six-month renewals by special majority
358 only for war/external aggression and Article 19; 359 order cannot suspend enforcement of 20–21
President's Rule
State government cannot run constitutionally; 356
Within two months; six-month extensions, ordinarily maximum three years subject to conditions
No automatic rights suspension
Financial
Financial stability/credit threatened; 360
Within two months; until revoked
Financial directions; never proclaimed as of verification date
8. Union executive
Office
Articles
Recall
President
52–62, 72, 74, 111, 123
Indirect election; aid/advice; pardon, assent, ordinance. May once seek reconsideration of advice, then accepts reconsidered advice.
Vice-President
63–71
Ex officio Rajya Sabha Chairman; elected by members of both Houses; State legislators do not vote.
Council of Ministers
74–75
Collectively responsible to Lok Sabha; a non-member minister must enter either House within six months.
Attorney-General
76
Union's highest law officer; may speak/participate in Parliament but no vote merely by office.
Business/PM duties
77–78
Union business and Prime Minister's duties toward President.
9. President and Governor
Feature
President
Governor
Selection
Indirect election
Appointed by President
Term
Five years; continues until successor enters
Five years subject to President's pleasure; continues until successor enters
Pardon
Article 72 includes court-martial and death sentence
Article 161 within State executive field; cannot pardon court-martial
Ordinance
123
213; some matters require Presidential instructions
Removal
Impeachment for constitutional violation
No impeachment; pleasure doctrine
10. Parliament and law-making
Topic
Article/rule
Trap
Composition
79–122
President is a component of Parliament, not member of a House.
Sessions
85
No more than six months between last sitting of one session and first of next.
Quorum
100
One-tenth unless law provides otherwise.
Joint sitting
108
Ordinary deadlock only; not Money Bills or amendments.
Money Bill
110
Lok Sabha only; Speaker certifies; Rajya Sabha has 14 days to recommend.
Budget
112
Annual financial statement; charged expenditure discussed but not voted.
Ordinance
123
Temporary; ceases six weeks after Parliament reassembles unless acted upon.
Amendment
368
No joint sitting; each House passes separately.
11. Bill comparison
Feature
Ordinary
Money
Article 368
Origin
Either House
Lok Sabha only, Presidential recommendation
Either House
Rajya Sabha
Equal, subject to deadlock route
Recommendations within 14 days
Equal and indispensable
Joint sitting
Possible
No
No
President
May return non-Money Bill once
No ordinary return route
Shall assent after valid passage
12. Judiciary
Institution
Articles
Distinction
Supreme Court
124–147
Original federal 131; writ 32; advisory 143; court of record 129.
High Courts
214–231
226 for rights and other purposes; superintendence 227; court of record 215.
Subordinate courts
233–237
District judges appointed by Governor in consultation with High Court; High Court control under 235.
Tribunals
323A–323B
L. Chandra Kumar: decisions subject to High Court review.
Basic structure
368 doctrine
Kesavananda: amend, but do not destroy basic structure.
13. Federalism and State polity
Cluster
Articles
Recall
Legislative relations
245–255; Seventh Schedule
Union/State/Concurrent fields; Parliament has residuary power under 248.
Administrative relations
256–263
Union directions, delegation, inter-State water disputes and Inter-State Council.
State executive head normally acts on aid/advice except constitutionally permitted discretion.
State Legislature
168–212
Bihar is bicameral: Assembly plus Legislative Council; Governor is component of State Legislature.
High Court
214 onward
Patna High Court is Bihar's High Court; current personnel should be checked separately.
Advocate-General
165, 177
State's highest law officer; participation but no vote merely by office.
14. Constitutional funds and finance bodies
Item
Rule
Consolidated Fund
All revenues, loans and loan recoveries as constitutionally specified; withdrawal requires appropriation by law except constitutional charging structure.
Public Account
Other public moneys such as specified trust/deposit funds; parliamentary authorisation differs from Consolidated Fund withdrawal.
Contingency Fund
Imprest for unforeseen expenditure pending later legislative authorisation.
Finance Commission
Article 280; President constitutes; Union–State tax distribution and grants recommendations.
State Finance Commission
Articles 243I/243Y; Governor constitutes for Panchayat/Municipal finances.
GST Council
Article 279A; Union Finance Minister chairs, States participate.
15. Elections, parties and local government
Topic
Anchor
Trap
Election Commission
Article 324; elections to Parliament, State legislatures, President, Vice-President
Not local-body elections.
Adult franchise
Article 326; age 18
Constitutional right to vote is regulated by election law; not labelled a Fundamental Right.
Anti-defection
Tenth Schedule; 52nd and 91st Amendments
Speaker/Chairman's final decision is judicially reviewable.
Panchayats
Part IX; 73rd; Eleventh Schedule
Gram Sabha is constitutionally distinct from Gram Panchayat.
Municipalities
Part IXA; 74th; Twelfth Schedule
Nagar Panchayat is for transitional area, not a rural Gram Panchayat.
Local elections
Articles 243K/243ZA
State Election Commission, not ECI.
Local finance
243I/243Y
State Finance Commission, not Union Finance Commission.
16. Bodies: classify before answering
Body
Source / Article
Core function
ECI
Constitution, 324
Specified national/State constitutional elections
CAG
Constitution, 148–151
Public audit; reports submitted to President/Governor for legislature
UPSC/SPSC
Constitution, 315–323
Recruitment examination/advice; not ordinary executive department
Finance Commission
Constitution, 280
Federal fiscal recommendations
NCSC/NCST/NCBC
338 / 338A / 338B
Constitutional safeguards and monitoring
NHRC
Statute
Human-rights protection under its Act; not constitutional body
Lokpal/Lokayukta
Statutes
Anti-corruption jurisdiction as defined by applicable law
NITI Aayog
Executive resolution
Policy/cooperative-federalism platform; not constitutional or statutory
17. Bihar political-system quick facts
Topic
Verified anchor
State formation path
Bihar and Orissa Province formed in 1912; Orissa separated in 1936; post-Constitution Bihar continued as a State; Jharkhand formed from Bihar in 2000.
Legislature
Bicameral under Article 168: Bihar Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council; Governor is constitutional component of State Legislature.
Executive
Governor under Articles 153 onward; real parliamentary executive is Council headed by Chief Minister, collectively responsible to Assembly.
Judiciary
Patna High Court; subordinate judiciary under constitutional High Court control.
BPSC
State Public Service Commission under Articles 315–323; constitutional, unlike an ordinary recruitment agency.
Bihar SEC
Constitutional authority for Panchayat/Municipal elections under 243K/243ZA and State law.
Gram Kachahri
Bihar statutory local justice institution under Bihar Panchayat Raj law; not a separate constitutional court tier.
18. Bihar governance and citizen remedy
Need
Correct route
Key distinction
Notified time-bound service
Bihar Right to Public Services Act, 2011; operational from 15 August 2011
Service must be notified and applicant eligible; appeals follow designated chain.
Covered public grievance
Bihar Right to Public Grievance Redressal Act, 2015; implemented 5 June 2016
Hearing/redress opportunity and decision communication within official 60-working-day process.
Existing government record
RTI process
Information access is not automatic grant of a benefit.