By signing in you confirm you are 18 or older, or have your parent’s or guardian’s consent.

UPSC Prelims 2025 GS Paper 1, question 86

Topic: Polity and governance

Q86

Consider the following statements with regard to pardoning power of the President of India :

I. The exercise of this power by the President can be subjected to limited judicial review.

II. The President can exercise this power without the advice of the Central Government.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. (a) I onlyCorrect answer
  2. (b) II only
  3. (c) Both I and II
  4. (d) Neither I nor II

Solution.

Answer: (a) I only

  1. Statement I is correct: as settled by the Supreme Court in Maru Ram v. Union of India (1980) and Epuru Sudhakar v. Govt. of A.P. (2006), the exercise of the President's pardoning power under Article 72 is subject to limited judicial review (for mala fides, extraneous considerations, or arbitrariness).
  2. Statement II is incorrect: under Article 74(1) of the Constitution, the President exercises the pardoning power strictly on the aid and advice of the Union Council of Ministers, not independently.