Consider the following statements:

1. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 exempts several posts from disqualification on the grounds of ‘Office of Profit’.

2. The above-mentioned Act was amended five times.

3. The term ‘Office of Profit’ is well-defined in the Constitution of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The correct answer is 1 and 2 only.

Let us analyze each statement step-by-step:

Statement 1: "The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 exempts several posts from disqualification on the grounds of ‘Office of Profit’."

This statement is correct. Under Article 102(1)(a) of the Constitution of India, a person is disqualified from being chosen as, and for being, a member of either House of Parliament if he holds any office of profit under the Government of India or the Government of any State, other than an office declared by Parliament by law not to disqualify its holder. To give effect to this, Parliament enacted the Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959, which lists specific offices that do not attract disqualification.

Statement 2: "The above-mentioned Act was amended five times."

This statement is correct. The Parliament (Prevention of Disqualification) Act, 1959 has undergone amendments five times over the years: in 1960, 1993, 1999, 2006, and 2013.

Statement 3: "The term ‘Office of Profit’ is well-defined in the Constitution of India."

This statement is incorrect. The term ‘Office of Profit’ is mentioned in the Constitution (such as in Articles 102 and 191), but it is not defined in the Constitution of India or in the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Its meaning and criteria have been developed through judicial interpretations by courts and Supreme Court judgments over time.

Therefore, only statements 1 and 2 are correct.