Indian polity & Governance Test 2

Solution: d)

All three statements are correct (Refer Page 57 – 58 of NCERT Class XI Polity book)

. In India, we have adopted PR system on a limited scale for indirect elections. The Constitution prescribes a third and complex variation of the PR system for the election of President, Vice President, and for the election to the Rajya Sabha and Vidhan Parishads.

Proportional representation, electoral system that seeks to create a representative body that reflects the overall distribution of public support for each political party. Where majority or plurality systems effectively reward strong parties and penalize weak ones by providing the representation of a whole constituency to a single candidate who may have received fewer than half of the votes cast (as is the case, for example, in the United States), proportional representation ensures minority groups a measure of representation proportionate to their electoral support. Systems of proportional representation have been adopted in many countries, including Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, Russia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Solution: a)

Solution: c)

More importantly, the makers of our Constitution also felt that PR based election may not be suitable for giving a stable government in a parliamentary system.

Finally, the FTPT system encourages voters from different social groups to come together to win an election in a locality. In a diverse country like India, a PR system would encourage each community to form its own nation-wide party. This may also have been at the back of the mind of our constitution makers.

Refer Page 62 of NCERT Class XI Polity book.

Solution: b)

The Delimitation commission or Boundary commission of India is a commission established by the Government of India (by The President of India) under the provisions of the Delimitation Commission Act. The main task of the commission is redrawing the boundaries of the various assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies based on a recent census. The representation from each State is not changed during this exercise. However, the number of SC and ST seats in a state are changed in accordance with the census. The present delimitation of constituencies has been done on the basis of 2001 census under the provisions of Delimitation Act, 2002.

Solution: b)

Till 1989, an adult Indian meant an Indian citizen above the age of 21. Hence, it was NOT the constituent assembly that decided age of 18(hence, statement 1 is wrong). An amendment to the Constitution in 1989, reduced the eligibility age to 18. Adult franchise ensures that all citizens are able to participate in the process of selecting their representative. This is consistent with the principle of equality and non-discrimination that we studied in the chapter on rights.

Solution (c)

Powers of Rajya Sabha: Considers and approves non money bills and suggests amendments to money bills. Approves constitutional amendments. Exercises control over executive by asking questions, introducing motions and resolutions. It can alone initiate the procedure for removal of Vice President. It can give the Union parliament power to make laws on matters included in the State list.

Reference : Page 109(Indian Constitution at Work Class XI)

Solution (d)

In all other spheres, including passing of non-money bills, constitutional amendments, and impeaching the President and removing the Vice President the powers of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are co-equal. Participates in the election and removal of the President, Vice President, Judges of Supreme Court and High Court.

Reference :Page 109,110 (Indian Constitution at Work Class XI)

Solution (c)

Only Lok Sabha can initiate, reject or amend money bills. If it is a money bill, the Rajya Sabha can either approve the bill or suggest changes but cannot reject it. If it takes no action within 14 days the bill is deemed to have been passed. Amendments to the bill, suggested by Rajya Sabha, may or may not be accepted by the Lok Sabha.

The Constitutional Amendment Bills can only be ratified i.e., it cannot be rejected or returned.

Reference : Page 110, 113 (Indian Constitution at Work Class XI)

Solution (d)

Instruments of Parliamentary Control

The legislature in parliamentary system ensures executive accountability at various stages: policy making, implementation of law or policy and during and post implementation stage. The legislature does this through the use of a variety of devices:

1. Deliberation and discussion- Zero Hour where members are free to raise any matter that they think is important (though the ministers are not bound to reply), half-an – hour discussion on matters of public importance, adjournment motion etc. are some instruments of exercising control.
2. Approval or Refusal of laws
3. Financial control- before granting money the Lok Sabha can discuss the reasons for which the government requires money. It can enquire into cases of misuse of funds on the basis of the report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Public Accounts committees.
4. No confidence motion: The most powerful weapon that enables the Parliament to ensure executive accountability is the no-confidence motion. As long as the government has the support of its party or coalition of parties that have a majority in the Lok Sabha, the power of the House to dismiss the government is fictional rather than real.

Reference : Page 116, 117 (Indian Constitution at Work Class XI)

Solution (c)

Standing Committees not only supervise the work of various departments but also their budget, their expenditure and bills that come up in the house relating to the department.

It is a permanent and regular committee which is constituted from time to time according to the provisions of an Act of Parliament or Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business. The work done by the Indian Parliament is not only voluminous but also of a complex nature, hence a good deal of its work is carried out in these Parliamentary Committees. There are two types of Parliamentary Committee, the Standing Committee and the Ad hoc Committee. Public Accounts Committee is an example of Standing Committee. Members of the Standing committees are selected from both Houses, except for Estimates Committee where all the members are from Lok Sabha Only.

Reference : Page 118, 119 (Indian Constitution at Work Class XI)& Wikipedia.

Answer – a

• Public Accounts Committee was set up first in India in 1921 under the provisions of the Government of India Act of 1919 and has since been in existence.
• At present, it consists of 22 members (15 from the Lok Sabha and 7 from the Rajya Sabha). The members are elected by the Parliament every year from amongst its members according to the principle of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote. Thus, all parties get due representation in it.
• The term of office of the members is one year.
• The Secretary represents his department/ministry before the Public Accounts Committee.

Answer – d

The similarities between the Chief Secretary and the Cabinet Secretary are:

• Both are chief advisors to their respective chief executives.
• Both are chief coordinators of their respective administrations.
• Both are secretaries to their respective cabinets.
• Both are administrative heads of their respective cabinet secretariats.
• Both the offices originated at the Central level.
• Both supervise the implementation of the decisions of their respective cabinets.
• Both are heads of their respective civil services

Answer – c

• In case of conflict between the Privileges and Fundamental Rights then the Privileges would prevail as given by the Supreme Court of India
• For example, if the House of a Legislature expunges a portion of its debates from its proceedings, it prohibits the publication of such debate, anybody who publishes such a debate will be guilty of contempt of Parliament.

Answer – c

• The Constitution mentions only two qualification and the rest of the qualifications and disqualifications are given by a law made by the Parliament.
• If any question arises whether a member of either House has become subject to any disqualification in accordance with law made by Parliament then the President’s decision in accordance with the opinion of the EC shall be final.

Answer – a

• Attorney General of India (AGI) has the Right to speak in Parliament or any Committee but without vote and when speaking he enjoys the privileges of a MP.
• The Remuneration of AGI is decided by the President of India

• He is not a whole time counsel for the Government, nor a Government Servant and can pursue private practice

Answer – c

• The, air on being heated, becomes light and
  rises up in convection currents. As it rises, it
  expands and loses heat and consequently,
  condensation takes place and cumulous
  clouds are formed
• Such rain is common in the summer or
  in the hotter part of the day. It is very common
  in the equatorial regions and interior parts of
  the continents, particularly in the northern hemisphere
• 

Answer – a

Oxygen – 47%

Silicon -28%

Aluminium – 8%

Iron – 5%

Answer – b

1. The land use categoriesadd up to reporting area, which is somewhatdifferent from the geographical area. TheSurvey of India is responsible for measuringgeographical area of administrative units inIndia
2. While the former changessomewhat depending on the estimates of theland revenue records, the latter does not changeand stays fixed as per Survey of Indiameasurements

Answer – c

Maldives has been in news, due to deteriorating relations with India and FTA with China which seeks to expand it profile in Indian Ocean. Thus it is important to exactly know where the key island nations are.

Refer to your own atlas.

Answer – c

• Penganga, Wainganga and Wardha meet together to form Pranhita river, which ultimately joins river Godavari.
• Pushkaram is the Indian festival of worshipping rivers. It is celebrated along the banks of 12 rivers in India. The 12 rivers at which Pushkaram is celebrated are: Ganga, Narmada, Saraswati, Yamuna, Godavari, Krishna, Kaveri, Bhima, Tapti, Tungabhadra, Sindhu (Indus) and Pranhita.