Indian Polity Quiz: Day 16

Answer: (b)

• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has cleared the way for the inclusion of the ‘Pahari ethnic group’ in the Scheduled Tribeslist of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Currently, Jammu and Kashmir has 12 communitiesthat have been notified as STs.

How will the inclusion happen? 

• For the addition to the ST list of J&K, theMinistry of Tribal Affairswill be required to bring a Bill in Parliament to amend the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order, 1989 accordingly.
• The addition will be finalised once the President of India notifiesthe revised schedule as empowered by Article 342 of the Constitution of India.

About Pahari community

• It is a linguistic groupmainly residing in the Pir Panjal valleycomprising Rajouri and Poonch districts. They are also spread in parts of the Kashmir valley.
• Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis are non-Kashmiri speakingpopulation of J&K.  Paharis also comprise both Hindus and Muslimsunlike Bakerwals and Gujjars, two prominent nomadic clans.

Answer: (c)

• Appointment of Governor:

oUnder Article 155 and 156 of the Constitution, a Governor is appointed by the President and holds office “during the pleasure of the President”.

• Tenure:

oA Governor holds office for a term of five years from the date on which he/she enters upon the office.

oHowever, this term of five years is subject to the pleasure of the President.

• Removal:

oNo impeachment:

• While the Governor’s duties and responsibilities lie in a particular state, there is no provision for impeaching the Governor.

Answer: (a)

• About NPR:

The NPR, first prepared in 2010 and updated in 2015 by collecting information of all usual residents of the country. 

The NPR is prepared under various provisions of the Citizenship Rules, 2003, framed under the Citizenship Act, 1955.

Answer: (c)

More about the Collegium System

• About:

It is a novel mechanism devised to ensure a democratic system of appointment and transfer of judges.

It came into existence through Second and Third Judges Case judgments.

There is no such law or constitutional provision that mentions or defines the collegium system.

Article 124(2): 

• The Judges of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President after consultation with such a number of the Judges of the Supreme Court and of the High Courts in the States as the President may deem necessary for the purpose.

Answer: (c)

• Every State has a specific quota of seats in the Rajya Sabha. The
• members are elected by the respective State legislative assemblies. Hence, option b) is correct.
• Second statement is incorrect. The voters are the MLAs of that State.

Answer: A

• Freedom of religion also includes the freedom of conscience. This means that a person may choose any religion or may choose not to follow any religion. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The Constitution bars forceful conversions and conversions done by inducements not all conversions. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.
• Freedom of Religion is available to not just Indian citizens but also to foreign nationals residing within Indian territory. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Answer: (d)

• The proclamation would have to be approved by the Houses of the parliament in same manner as in case of a War Emergency. However, even if Parliament has approved the proclamation, it will normally cease to operate 6 months after the Parliamentary approval. President’s rule can be extended till three years.
• Governor has the power to recommend the dismissal of the State government and suspension or dissolution of State assembly. A proclamation imposing President’s rule must be approved by both the houses within two months.
• Every such resolution approving the emergency has to be passed by each of the houses of Parliament by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members present and voting.

Answer: (b)

• Article 87 provides for the special address by the President. Hence option (b) is not correct.
• Article 87 of the constitution provides two instances when the President specially addresses both Houses of Parliament. The President of India addresses both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha at the beginning of the first Session after each general election when the reconstituted lower house meets for the first time. The President also addresses both the houses at beginning of the first session of each year.

Answer: (b)

• State Election Commissions is entrusted to conduct elections to Panchayats through 73rd and urban local bodies through 74th Constitutional amendment acts.
• At present, there is no clear-cut provision regarding the submission of reports by State Election Commission. NCRWC also recommended that the State Election Commission should submit its annual or special reports to the Election Commission of India and to the Governor.

Answer: (a)

• The Speaker is elected by the Lok Sabha from amongst its members (as soon as may be, after its first sitting). Whenever the office of the Speaker falls vacant, the Lok Sabha elects another member to fill the vacancy. The date of election of the Speaker is fixed by the President. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• Whenever the Lok Sabha is dissolved, the Speaker does not vacate his office and continues till the newly- elected Lok Sabha meets. The Constitution provides that the Speaker of the last Lok Sabha vacates his office immediately before the first meeting of the newly-elected Lok Sabha. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Answer: (a)

Answer: (a)

Policy Cut Motion

• It represents the disapproval of the policy underlying the demand. It states that the amount of the demand be reduced to Re 1. The members can also advocate an alternative policy.

Economy Cut Motion

• It represents the economy that can be affected in the proposed expenditure. It states that the amount of the demand be reduced by a specified amount (which may be either a lumpsum reduction in the demand or ommission or reduction of an item in the demand).

Token Cut Motion

• It ventilates a specific grievance that is within the sphere of responsibility of the Government of India. It states that the amount of the demand be reduced by Rs 100.

Answer: (d)

The National Anthem of India (Jana-Gana-Mana) was originally composed by Rabindranath Tagore in Bengali. It was first sung at Calcutta during the session of the Indian National Congress in December 1911.

It was adopted by the Constituent Assembly as the National Anthem of India on 24 January 1950.

1913  Karachi  Syed Mohammed

1911  Calcutta  Bishan Narayan Dhar

Answer: (d)

• The Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Amendment Bill, 2019 was introduced in Lok Sabha on August 5, 2019 by the Minister of Law and Justice, Mr. Ravi Shankar Prasad. The Bill amends the Supreme Court (Number of Judges) Act, 1956. The Act fixes the maximum number of judges in the Supreme Court at 30 judges (excluding the Chief Justice of India). The Bill increases this number from 30 to 33.
• It is the Parliament which can increase the number of Judges in the Supreme Court and not the President.
• This is done by the Parliament through a simple majority and is not considered as anamendment to the Constitution under Article 368.

Answer: (d)

Answer: (b)

Benegal Narsing Rau (B.N Rau) observed that ” Directive Principles are in the nature of moral precepts for the state authorities and are open to facile criticism that the constitution is not the place for moral precepts. But they have an educative value and most modern constitutions lay down general principles of this kind.” Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Answer: (a)

• The Zonal Councils are Statutory bodies established by the act of the Parliament. Each Zonal Council is headed by the Union Home Minister, Chief Ministers of all States in the zone, Administrator of each Union territory in the zone and two other ministers from each state in the zone.
• Statement 1 is correct: Under Article 263 President can establish Interstate Council for smooth coordination between centre and states. The Zonal Councils as mentioned above are statutory bodies created by the act of the parliament.
• Statement 2 is not correct: The State Reorganisation Act, 1956 divides the Country into five zones- Northern, Western, Central, Eastern and Southern zones. North Eastern Council Act,1971 created separate North-Eastern Zonal Council. As per the act, there is no provision of a separate zone for the Union Territories. For example UTs like Chandigarh, Delhi belongs to Northern Zone along with states like Harayana, Punjab.

Answer: (b)

• Finance commission is constituted by the President of India every fifth year or at such earlier time as he considers necessary. The Finance Commission consists of a chairman and four other members to be appointed by the President. They hold office for such period as specified by the President in his order. They are eligible for reappointment.

Answer: (b)

• All the thirty members of the Estimates Committee are from Lok Sabha only. The Rajya Sabha has no representation in this committee.
• The chairman of the committee is appointed by the Speaker from amongst its members.
• These members are elected by the Lok Sabha every year from amongst its own members, according to the principles of proportional representation by means of a single transferable vote. Thus, all parties get due representation in it.

Functions:

• To report what economies, improvements in organization, efficiency and administrative reform consistent with the policy underlying the estimates, can be affected.
• To suggest alternative policies in order to bring about efficiency and economy in administration.

The Committee shall not exercise its functions in relation to such public undertakings as are allotted to the Committee on Public Undertakings. It is the Committee on Public Undertakings which examines the reports and accounts of public undertakings. The CAG acts as a guide, philosopher and friend of the Public Account committee.

Answer: (b)

Statement 1 is not correct. Martial law has not been defined anywhere in the Constitution. It is implicit.

Also, there is no specific or express provision in the Constitution that authorizes the executive to declare

Martial Law. However, Article 34 provides for the restrictions on fundamental rights while Martial Law is

in force in any area.

• Statement 2 is correct. Both Martial Law and National Emergency can be imposed in some specific area.

However, the scope of National emergency is much more. It can be imposed in the whole country as well