Consider the following statements:1. An amendment to the Constitution...
Under Article 368(2), Parliament can amend the constitution by passing a Bill in each House by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting. Those provisions of the Constitution which are related to the federal structure of the polity can be amended by a special majority of the Parliament and also with the consent of half of the state legislatures by a simple majority. If one or some or all the remaining states take no action on the bill, it does not matter; the moment half of the states give their consent, the formality is completed. There is no time limit within which the states should give their consent to the bill.
Consider the following statements:1. An amendment to the Constitution...
Statement 1: An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by an introduction of a bill in the Lok Sabha only.
Statement 2: If such an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution, the amendment also requires to be ratified by the legislature of all the States of India.
Explanation:
The Constitution of India can be amended through a well-defined procedure laid down in Article 368. Let's analyze each statement separately.
Statement 1: An amendment to the Constitution of India can be initiated by an introduction of a bill in the Lok Sabha only.
This statement is not correct. An amendment to the Constitution can be initiated in either House of Parliament, i.e., Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha. The bill containing the proposed amendment can be introduced in either House, and it has to be passed by a special majority, i.e., a majority of the total membership of that House and a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.
Statement 2: If such an amendment seeks to make changes in the federal character of the Constitution, the amendment also requires to be ratified by the legislature of all the States of India.
This statement is also not correct. The requirement for ratification by the legislatures of the States is only for certain specific types of amendments mentioned in Article 368. These amendments include changes in the federal structure, powers of the states, and provisions related to the Supreme Court and High Courts. For such amendments, apart from the special majority in Parliament, they also need to be ratified by the legislatures of at least half of the states.
Conclusion:
Neither statement 1 nor statement 2 is correct. An amendment to the Constitution can be initiated in either House of Parliament, and only specific types of amendments related to the federal structure require ratification by the legislatures of the states. Therefore, the correct answer is option 'D' - None of them.