UPSC Prelims 2021— Question 16

Federalism requires an institutional arrangement in which constituent units participate in the national constitutional structure and have constitutionally protected powers. Safeguarding judicial independence is important to constitutionalism but is not uniquely federal. The composition of the Union Cabinet and enforceability of Fundamental Rights likewise do not by themselves establish federal character. The relevant clue is elected representation of constituent units in the Union legislature, particularly the Rajya Sabha. The final answer-key position for Set C identifies option A as the correct option. Option A — The independence of judiciary is safeguarded. — is correct because it is the alternative that matches the constitutional, historical, geographical, scientific or economic principle established above. Option B — The Union Legislature has elected representatives from constituent units. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option C — The Union Cabinet can have elected representatives from regional parties. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. Option D — The Fundamental Rights are enforceable by Courts of Law. — is not correct because it does not satisfy the specific condition tested in the question; it represents an alternative that is contradicted, incomplete, or less precise than the accepted answer. For PYQ interpretation, the distinction between the correct alternative and merely related facts is important. UPSC often places plausible distractors beside the precise statement that matches the underlying rule, chronology, definition or empirical relationship. The answer should therefore be read against the exact wording of the question rather than against a broadly related fact.