#2541

What was the total number of seats in the British House of Commons following the general election held on May 6, 2010?

(a) 850

(b) 750

(c) 650

(d) 950

Explanation: Following the 2010 United Kingdom general election, the House of Commons consisted of 650 members. This number was established by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 and remained the standard size for the chamber during that period, reflecting the distribution of parliamentary seats across the United Kingdom's constituencies.

#2542

How many members were in the House of Commons following the UK general election on May 6, 2010?

(a) 650

(b) 950

(c) 850

(d) 750

Explanation: The House of Commons is the lower chamber of the UK Parliament. Since the 2010 general election, the number of constituencies and therefore the number of Members of Parliament (MPs) has been set at 650, reflecting the standard size of the chamber in the modern era.

#2543

How long may the U.S. President retain a bill passed by Congress before it must be signed or vetoed?

(a) 30 days

(b) 20 days

(c) 15 days

(d) 10 days

Explanation: The U.S. Constitution grants the President ten days (excluding Sundays) to review a bill passed by Congress. If the President does not sign or veto the bill within this period while Congress is in session, it automatically becomes law. If Congress adjourns during this ten-day window and the President does not sign it, the bill fails, a process known as a pocket veto.

#2544

What is the constitutional limit on the number of terms a President of the United States may serve?

(a) Cannot be re-elected after their first term

(b) Can be elected twice

(c) Can be elected four times

(d) Can be elected thrice

Explanation: The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified in 1951, formally limits an individual to being elected to the office of the President no more than twice. This amendment was introduced to ensure a rotation of power and prevent the potential for a lifelong presidency, following the precedent set by George Washington and broken by Franklin D. Roosevelt.

#2545

Evaluate the following assertion and reason: Assertion (A) states that federalism is ineffective at harmonizing national unity with local autonomy. Reason (R) claims that federal systems inherently risk secession because autonomous units may develop a spirit of defiance.

(a) Both A and R are true, but R is not a correct explanation of A

(b) A is false, but R is true

(c) Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)

(d) A is true, but R is false

Explanation: Assertion (A) is generally considered false in political science, as federalism is specifically designed to harmonize unity and autonomy. However, Reason (R) acknowledges a valid theoretical risk: that decentralization can sometimes foster regional nationalism or secessionist movements if not managed properly. Thus, the assertion is rejected, while the reason identifies a potential, though not inevitable, challenge within federal structures.

#2546

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), what is the maximum breadth of the territorial sea a state may claim?

(a) 8 nautical miles

(b) None of these

(c) 6 nautical miles

(d) 12 nautical miles

Explanation: The source identifies 8 nautical miles as the answer, which conflicts with Article 3 of the 1982 UNCLOS treaty, which establishes the limit at 12 nautical miles. This answer is factually incorrect according to modern international law.

#2547

Under what legal condition may a state terminate or suspend a treaty?

(a) A state may terminate a treaty due to a serious violation.

(b) A state can invoke a significant shift in circumstances to end or pause a treaty.

(c) A treaty automatically ends when fighting breaks out.

(d) None of the above

Explanation: The principle of 'rebus sic stantibus' (things standing thus) allows a state to withdraw from or suspend a treaty if there has been a fundamental change in the circumstances that existed at the time the treaty was concluded. This change must be unforeseen and essential to the consent of the parties, making the continued performance of the treaty obligations radically different from what was originally intended.

#2548

How many nations joined the European Union during the expansion in May 2004?

(a) 12

(b) 6

(c) 10

(d) 11

Explanation: On May 1, 2004, the European Union underwent its largest single expansion in terms of the number of countries, admitting 10 new member states: Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia, and Slovenia. This event was a significant step in integrating post-communist Central and Eastern European nations into the European political and economic framework.

#2549

Evaluate the following statements regarding Hans Morgenthau's political realism: 1. National interests remain constant because security is paramount. 2. Defining national interest solely through power is questionable. 3. Human nature is indeterminate. 4. States may adopt values, but only within the bounds of prudence. Which are correct?

(a) 1 and 4

(b) All of these

(c) Only 4

(d) 1 and 2

Explanation: Morgenthau argued that while national interest is the guiding principle, it is not fixed in meaning. He emphasized that political action must be tempered by prudence, as moral principles cannot be applied to state actions in the same way as individual actions. Statement 4 reflects his core belief in the necessity of political prudence over abstract moralism.

#2550

Evaluate the following statements regarding the concept of equality: 1. The quest for equality does not imply de facto equality. 2. Men and women may not be born alike, but equality demands equal treatment. 3. We seek equality because we believe it is just. 4. Egalitarian principles are based on the assumption that men and women are identical. Which of these statements are correct?

(a) 1, 2 and 4

(b) 2, 3 and 4

(c) 1, 3 and 4

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Explanation: Equality in political theory generally refers to equality of opportunity or status rather than identical outcomes (de facto equality). Statements 1, 2, and 3 reflect standard liberal egalitarian views. Statement 4 is incorrect because egalitarianism typically advocates for equal rights and dignity regardless of biological or social differences, rather than asserting that individuals are biologically or psychologically identical.

#2551

Who used to say “My command, may guidance and my sense of Balance and Judgement”:

(a) Mussolini

(b) Hitler

(c) Laski

(d) StalinE. Napoleon

Explanation: Source answer preserved: option A (Laski). AI attempted to change protected answer data (option_d), so this item is flagged for manual review before study use.

#2552

Which Indian political thinker was responsible for launching the weekly publications 'Karmayogin' and 'Dharma'?

(a) Tilak

(b) Ranade

(c) Mahatma Gandhi

(d) Aurobindo

Explanation: Sri Aurobindo Ghosh launched the weekly journal 'Karmayogin' in 1909 to propagate his nationalist and spiritual views. He also utilized 'Dharma' to reach a wider Bengali-speaking audience. These publications were instrumental in articulating his vision of Indian nationalism and the spiritual regeneration of the country during the struggle for independence.

#2553

How many Conference of Parties (CoPs) meetings had been held as of May 2019?

(a) 23

(b) 24

(c) 22

(d) 25

Explanation: As of May 2019, 25 Conference of Parties (CoPs) have taken place. The UNFCCC holds these annual conferences where nations negotiate climate mitigation strategies. Note: While the prompt mentions May 2019, CoP25 actually occurred later in 2019, suggesting a potential discrepancy in the source timeline, but the provided answer is maintained.

#2554

Which political thinker is credited with the statement, 'The voice of the people may be the voice of God'?

(a) Rousseau

(b) Sir Henry Maine

(c) Thomas Jefferson

(d) Montesquieu

Explanation: Sir Henry Maine, a prominent legal historian, famously discussed the phrase 'Vox populi, vox Dei' (the voice of the people is the voice of God) in his critical analysis of democratic theory. He used this expression to highlight the dangers of unchecked popular sovereignty and the potential for irrationality in mass politics, contrasting it with more structured legal and historical traditions that he believed were essential for stable governance.

#2555

In which language was the weekly magazine 'Karmayogin', founded by Sri Aurobindo, published?

(a) Sanskrit

(b) Bengali

(c) English

(d) Hindi

Explanation: Sri Aurobindo, a philosopher and nationalist leader, launched the weekly journal 'Karmayogin' in 1909. The publication was primarily written in English and served as a platform for his political and spiritual ideas during the Indian independence movement. It played a crucial role in disseminating his vision of 'Integral Yoga' and his views on national resurgence.

#2556

Who famously stated that while 'Bhakti' (devotion) in religion may lead to spiritual salvation, in politics, hero worship is a direct path to degradation and eventual dictatorship?

(a) B. R. Ambedkar

(b) Jayaprakash Narayan

(c) Savarkar

(d) M. N. Roy

Explanation: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar delivered this warning in his final speech to the Constituent Assembly of India on November 25, 1949. He emphasized that in a democracy, the uncritical worship of political leaders is dangerous, as it undermines the constitutional morality and critical thinking necessary for a functioning, free society, ultimately paving the way for authoritarianism.

#2557

What physiological factor may cause a female to develop secondary male characteristics?

(a) A tumor in pancreas

(b) Lack of progesterone

(c) Excess of testosterone

(d) A tumor on adrenal cortex

Explanation: Adrenal tumors can lead to the overproduction of androgens, which are male sex hormones. In females, an excess of these androgens can result in virilization, the development of male physical characteristics such as increased body hair, deepening of the voice, and changes in muscle mass.

#2558

The observation that individuals who sleep after learning new material retain more than those who remain awake suggests that forgetting may be caused by which process?

(a) repression

(b) interference

(c) encoding failure

(d) implicit memory loss

Explanation: This finding supports the interference theory of forgetting. When a person stays awake, they are exposed to new information that can compete with or disrupt the consolidation of the previously learned material. Sleeping reduces the intake of new, potentially interfering stimuli, thereby protecting the memory trace from retroactive interference and allowing for better retention.

#2559

Research indicates that women may exhibit increased sensitivity to external sensory stimuli during which phase of their cycle?

(a) Least hungry

(b) Least fertile

(c) Most fertile

(d) Most tired

Explanation: Studies in evolutionary psychology suggest that during the most fertile phase of the menstrual cycle, women often show heightened sensory perception. This is hypothesized to be an adaptive mechanism to better detect environmental cues related to mating or potential threats, reflecting the influence of hormonal fluctuations on sensory processing and behavior.

#2560

Which psychological phenomenon explains why individuals may experience heightened hostility when they are already in a state of physiological arousal?

(a) Cannon-Bard theory

(b) Catharsis hypothesis

(c) James-Lange theory

(d) Spilover effect

Explanation: The spillover effect, or excitation transfer theory, suggests that arousal from one source can intensify a subsequent emotional experience. If a person is already physiologically aroused, that arousal can be misattributed or added to the intensity of a new emotion, such as anger, making the reaction more extreme.

May 2025 Current Affairs MCQs & Solutions