GK Question

polity medium mcq

Financial Emergency under Article 360 has never been proclaimed in India despite economic challenges like the 1991 balance of payments crisis or the 2020 pandemic-induced recession because:

  1. The provision was deleted by constitutional amendment
  2. Ordinary legal and policy frameworks sufficed to address crises without invoking constitutional Emergency
  3. States opposed any Union financial intervention
  4. Supreme Court struck down Article 360 as unconstitutional

Answer: Ordinary legal and policy frameworks sufficed to address crises without invoking constitutional Emergency

Financial Emergency non-use rationale: (a) High threshold: Article 360 requires threat to financial stability/credit of India; economic challenges addressed through ordinary mechanisms, (b) Alternative frameworks: (i) 1991 crisis: IMF program, economic reforms under existing laws, (ii) 2020 pandemic: Disaster Management Act, fiscal packages under Finance Act, RBI measures under RBI Act, (iii) GST Council for fiscal coordination, Finance Commission for resource distribution, (c) Political consensus: Avoid constitutional Emergency for economic policy; prefer legislative/executive solutions with democratic accountability, (d) Federal considerations: Financial Emergency would centralize fiscal control; States prefer cooperative mechanisms (GST Council, Finance Commission), (e) Judicial caution: Courts likely to scrutinize Financial Emergency proclamation strictly given high stakes for federalism and rights. Illustrates constitutional restraint: Emergency powers as last resort, not first response.

Topic Emergency Powers - Article 360 Financial Emergency Never Invoked
Exam Relevance Financial Emergency non-use analysis critical for UPSC Mains and advanced SSC exams