Judiciary & Constitutional Bodies
India has a single integrated judiciary — one pyramid with the Supreme Court at the top, unlike the twin federal and state systems of the United States. The examinable content is mostly structural: who appoints whom, at what age they retire, and which writ does what.
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Judiciary & bodies — true or false?
6 statements · 12s each
The five writs
| Writ | Literally | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Habeas Corpus | "Produce the body" | Unlawful detention |
| Mandamus | "We command" | Forcing a public duty |
| Prohibition | "Forbid" | Stopping a lower court exceeding jurisdiction |
| Certiorari | "To be certified" | Quashing a lower court's order |
| Quo Warranto | "By what authority" | Challenging a claim to public office |
Habeas Corpus can be issued against both public authorities and private individuals; the other four lie only against public bodies.
Retirement ages and appointments
- Supreme Court judge — retires at 65; appointed by the President
- High Court judge — retires at 62; appointed by the President
- CAG — 6 years or age 65, whichever is earlier
- Chief Election Commissioner — 6 years or age 65
The 65/62 split is the most reliably examined pair of numbers in this topic.
Sort constitutional from non-constitutional
Constitutional body or not?
0/6Comptroller and Auditor General
Which group does it belong to?
Fix the numbers
Commit, then check
1/4At what age does a Supreme Court judge retire?
65years
Method, in order
Match the writ to its purpose
Quick reference
Exam tip: 65 for the Supreme Court, 62 for High Courts. These two numbers alone appear in some form almost every year, and options are built by swapping them.