Question

Choose the name of the Prime Minister who abolished ‘Privy Purse’.

• A. Morarji Desai
• B. Lal Bahadur Shastri
• C. Rajiv Gandhi
• D. Indira Gandhi

Hint:

Privy Purse was abolished through the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act of 1971 during Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's tenure.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

Concept: The 'Privy Purse' was a grant or pension paid by the Central Government of India to the former rulers of princely states as part of the terms of their accession to the Indian Union in 1947.

Step 1: Historical background of the Privy Purse.
When princely states integrated into India, hereditary rulers were granted a tax-free financial allowance (privy purse) based on the size and revenue of their former state, backed by constitutional guarantees under Article 291 and Article 362.

Step 2: Political initiative by Indira Gandhi.
Prime Minister Indira Gandhi argued that the continuation of hereditary privileges and government pensions to former princes was contrary to the principles of equality, social justice, and socialist ideals enshrined in the Indian Constitution.

Step 3: Legislative and Constitutional abolition.
After initial legislative hurdles and legal challenges, Indira Gandhi led her party to a massive victory in the 1971 elections on a socialist agenda (*"Garibi Hatao"*). Subsequently, her government passed the 26th Constitutional Amendment Act in 1971, which officially abolished the Privy Purses and stripped former rulers of their royal titles and privileges.