Comparative Tables Compendium
Free study material · concepts, shortcuts & solved questions
Side-by-Side Comparisons for Rapid Revision — A High-Yield Prelims Tool
Why This Chapter Exists
A large share of UPSC Prelims questions are fundamentally comparison questions dressed up as statement-based MCQs — "which of the following is true of X but not Y." Rather than re-deriving these comparisons from scattered chapters, this chapter puts the highest-yield comparisons side by side.
1. President vs Governor
| Feature | President | Governor |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment | Elected (indirect, electoral college) | Appointed by President |
| Term | 5 years | 5 years (but "during pleasure of President") |
| Minimum age | 35 | 35 |
| Removal | Impeachment (Art. 61) — special majority both Houses | No formal impeachment; removed at President's pleasure |
| Ordinance power | Article 123 | Article 213 |
| Pardoning power | Article 72 — includes death sentence, court-martial | Article 161 — excludes death sentence, court-martial |
| Can reserve bills for whom | N/A (is the final authority for Union bills) | Can reserve state bills for President (Art. 200) |
| Can be Governor of 2+ units? | N/A | Yes, since 7th Amendment, 1956 |
| Rajya Sabha nominations | Nominates 12 members (Art. 80) | No equivalent power (Legislative Council nominations made by Governor, but on Council of Ministers' aid/advice, not personal discretion in the same sense) |
2. Prime Minister vs Chief Minister
| Feature | Prime Minister | Chief Minister |
|---|---|---|
| Appointed by | President | Governor |
| Heads | Union Council of Ministers (Art. 74-75) | State Council of Ministers (Art. 163-164) |
| Collectively responsible to | Lok Sabha | State Legislative Assembly |
| Council size cap | 15% of Lok Sabha strength (91st Amendment) | 15% of state Assembly strength, min. 12 (91st Amendment) |
| Can be from either House | Yes (Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha) | Yes (Legislative Assembly or Council, where applicable) |
| Must secure House membership within | 6 months of appointment, if not already a member | 6 months of appointment, if not already a member |
3. Lok Sabha vs Rajya Sabha
| Feature | Lok Sabha | Rajya Sabha |
|---|---|---|
| Nature | Lower House, directly elected | Upper House, mostly indirectly elected |
| Max strength (Art. 81/80) | 552 (now 550 post-104th Amendment) | 250 |
| Current strength | 543 | 245 |
| Term | 5 years, dissolvable | Permanent; 1/3rd retire every 2 years |
| Min. age | 25 | 30 |
| Presiding Officer | Speaker (elected by House) | Vice-President of India (ex-officio) |
| Money Bills | Can originate ONLY here | Can only recommend (14 days), cannot reject/amend |
| No-Confidence Motion | Can be moved here | CANNOT be moved here |
| Can be dissolved | Yes | No — permanent body |
4. Supreme Court vs High Court
| Feature | Supreme Court | High Court |
|---|---|---|
| Articles | 124-147 | 214-231 |
| Retirement age | 65 | 62 |
| Writ jurisdiction basis | Article 32 (itself a Fundamental Right) | Article 226 (broader scope — "any other purpose" — but not itself a FR) |
| Territorial scope of writs | All of India | Its own territorial jurisdiction |
| Original jurisdiction | Centre-state/inter-state disputes (Art. 131) | Limited (some states retain pre-constitutional original jurisdiction, e.g., Bombay, Calcutta, Madras HCs) |
| Transfer of judges | N/A (single unified court) | Judges CAN be transferred between High Courts (Art. 222) |
| Number of judges | Fixed by Parliament (currently 38, including CJI, per 2026 ordinance) | No fixed number — as many as President deems necessary |
| Advisory jurisdiction | Yes (Art. 143) | No equivalent |
5. Fundamental Rights vs Directive Principles of State Policy
| Feature | Fundamental Rights | DPSP |
|---|---|---|
| Part of Constitution | Part III | Part IV |
| Articles | 12-35 | 36-51 |
| Justiciable | Yes | No |
| Nature | Negative (restrict State action) mostly, some positive | Positive (direct State action) |
| Source | Primarily US Constitution | Irish Constitution |
| Purpose | Political democracy | Social and economic democracy |
| Amendable | Yes, subject to basic structure | Yes, more freely (not "rights" per se) |
| Enforceable via | Article 32/226 (writs) | Not directly enforceable in court |
6. National Emergency vs President's Rule vs Financial Emergency
| Feature | National Emergency (352) | President's Rule (356) | Financial Emergency (360) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground | War/external aggression/armed rebellion | Failure of state constitutional machinery | Threat to financial stability |
| Parliamentary approval window | 1 month | 2 months | 2 months |
| Majority required | Special majority | Simple majority | Simple majority |
| Max duration | Indefinite (renewable every 6 months) | 3 years (with conditions after 1 year) | Indefinite (no maximum specified) |
| Effect on state legislature | Continues functioning | Dissolved/suspended | Continues functioning |
| Effect on Fundamental Rights | Art. 19 automatically suspended (war/external aggression only); others suspendable via Art. 359 order | No automatic FR suspension | No automatic FR suspension |
| Times invoked | 3 (1962, 1971, 1975) | 100+ times | 0 (never) |
7. Constitutional Bodies vs Statutory Bodies vs Extra-Constitutional Bodies
| Type | Created By | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Constitutional | Constitutional provision | Election Commission, UPSC, Finance Commission, CAG, NCBC (post-2018), GST Council |
| Statutory | Act of Parliament/State Legislature | NHRC, CVC (post-2003), Lokpal, CIC, NCW, NCPCR |
| Extra-constitutional/Executive | Executive resolution | NITI Aayog, erstwhile Planning Commission, CBI (via 1946 DSPE Act — a borderline/hybrid case) |
8. Types of Majority Required in Parliament
| Type | Requirement | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Simple Majority | Majority of members present and voting | Ordinary bills, most parliamentary business, No-Confidence Motion |
| Absolute Majority | Majority of total membership of the House (regardless of attendance) | Rarely used alone, e.g., electing Speaker in specific procedural contexts |
| Effective Majority | Majority of the effective (not vacant) strength of the House | Removal of Vice-President (Rajya Sabha), Speaker/Deputy Speaker removal |
| Special Majority (Art. 368 type) | Majority of total membership AND 2/3rd of those present and voting | Constitutional Amendments, declaring National Emergency, removing judges/CEC/CAG |
9. Panchayati Raj vs Municipalities
| Feature | Panchayati Raj | Municipalities |
|---|---|---|
| Amendment | 73rd, 1992 | 74th, 1992 |
| Part | IX (Art. 243-243O) | IXA (Art. 243P-243ZG) |
| Schedule | Eleventh (29 subjects) | Twelfth (18 subjects) |
| In force from | 24 April 1993 | 1 June 1993 |
| Tiers | Village/Intermediate/District (3-tier, population-dependent) | Nagar Panchayat/Municipal Council/Municipal Corporation |
| Shared institutions | State Finance Commission, State Election Commission (both shared with Municipalities) | Same shared bodies |
10. Types of Writs
| Writ | Meaning | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Habeas Corpus | "To have the body" | Produces detained person, tests legality of detention |
| Mandamus | "We command" | Directs a public authority to perform its legal duty |
| Prohibition | "To forbid" | Higher court stops lower court/tribunal from exceeding jurisdiction |
| Certiorari | "To be certified" | Quashes an order already made without/beyond jurisdiction |
| Quo Warranto | "By what authority" | Questions legality of a person's claim to public office |
Solved Example (UPSC Prelims-Format MCQ)
Q1. Which of the following majorities is required for removal of the Vice-President of India? (a) Simple majority in Rajya Sabha (b) Effective majority in Rajya Sabha, agreed to by Lok Sabha (c) Special majority in both Houses (d) Absolute majority in Lok Sabha alone Answer: (b)
Practice Set (Exam-Format MCQs)
Q1. Which of the following is a similarity between the President and the Governor? (a) Both are elected (b) Both have the same pardoning power scope (c) Both hold office normally for 5 years, subject to the President's pleasure in the Governor's case (d) Both can be impeached by an identical process Answer: (c)
Q2. Consider the following statements:
- The Lok Sabha's presiding officer is elected by its own members.
- The Rajya Sabha's presiding officer is the Vice-President of India, an ex-officio position.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 Answer: (c)
Q3. Which of the following writs would a person use to challenge the legality of another person's appointment to a public office? (a) Habeas Corpus (b) Mandamus (c) Quo Warranto (d) Certiorari Answer: (c)
Q4. Which type of majority is required to pass a Constitutional Amendment Bill in each House of Parliament (for provisions not requiring state ratification)? (a) Simple majority (b) Absolute majority (c) Effective majority (d) Special majority Answer: (d)
Q5. Consider the following statements about Emergency provisions:
- National Emergency requires approval by both Houses within one month.
- President's Rule requires approval by both Houses within two months.
- Financial Emergency has a maximum duration of three years.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 1 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 Answer: (a) — Statement 3 is incorrect; Financial Emergency has no maximum duration specified, unlike President's Rule's 3-year cap.
Q6. Which of the following bodies is classified as a Constitutional body? (a) NITI Aayog (b) NHRC (c) GST Council (d) CBI Answer: (c)
Q7. The retirement ages of Supreme Court and High Court judges are, respectively: (a) 62 and 65 (b) 65 and 62 (c) 60 and 65 (d) 65 and 60 Answer: (b)
Q8. Which of the following is true of both the Eleventh and Twelfth Schedules? (a) Both were part of the original 1950 Constitution (b) Both were added by amendments passed in 1992 (c) Both relate exclusively to Union subjects (d) Both require ratification by all states to be amended Answer: (b)
Chapter 16 Quick Revision Sheet
Use the ten comparison tables above as your final pre-exam revision tool — if you can reconstruct each table from memory, you have internalized the majority of the "compare and contrast" style questions UPSC asks across the entire Polity syllabus.