UPSC Prelims 2014— Question 39

Correct answer: Option B. A constitutional government is characterized by limitations on governmental power in order to protect individual liberty and rights. Statement 2 captures this principle. Statement 1 reverses the relationship by emphasizing restrictions on individual liberty in the interest of State authority, which is not the defining idea of constitutional government. Option A: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “1 only” Option B: Correct. This option is consistent with the governing fact or the valid combination identified in the question. The option reads: “2 only” Option C: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “Both 1 and 2” Option D: Incorrect. This option does not match the verified answer because its proposition, location, institution, sequence, or combination conflicts with the relevant fact tested in the question. The option reads: “Neither 1 nor 2” The key Prelims lesson is to test each proposition independently before selecting the combination. Where the question uses words such as 'only', 'all', 'none', 'always' or a precise institutional/geographical association, a single inaccurate component is sufficient to eliminate the option. The answer recorded here follows the official answer key for the question-paper series represented by the uploaded source and has been cross-checked against an independent published key. The explanation is intended for conceptual revision rather than as a reproduction of any third-party solution.