Revision Series | Polity | Miscellaneous | 81

Answer: (A)

• The Returning Officer of a Parliamentary or assembly constituency is responsible for the conduct of elections in the Parliamentary or assembly constituency concerned. The Election Commission of India nominates or designates an officer of the Government or a local authority as the Returning Officer for each of the assembly and parliamentary constituencies in consultation with the State Government / Union Territory Administration.

Answer: (d)

• Any party that is registered under section 29A of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951 (43 of 1951) and has secured at least one per cent of the votes polled in the most recent General elections or Assembly elections is eligible to receive electoral bonds. The party will be allotted a verified account by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the electoral bond transactions can be made only through this account.
• The electoral bonds will not bear the name of the donor. Thus, the political party might not be aware of the donor’s identity.

Answer: (d)

• The Prime Minister of India is Chairperson (ex-officio) of the PM CARES Fund
• The trust deed of PM CARES Fund has been registered under the Registration Act, 1908
• PM CARES Fund is audited by an independent auditor.

Answer: (b)

• Statement 1 is not correct: The superintendence, direction, and control of the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to a co-operative society shall vest in such body, as may be provided by the state legislature.
• Statement 2 is correct: The board shall consist of such number of directors as may be provided by the
• state legislature. But, the maximum number of directors of a co-operative society shall not exceed twenty- one.
• Statement 3 is correct: The state legislature shall provide for the reservation of one seat for the Scheduled Castes or the Scheduled Tribes and two seats for women on the board of every co-operative society having members from such a category of persons.

Answer: (d)

• Statement 1 is not correct. The Constitution, under Article 239AA, establishes the Union Territory of Delhi and its legislature. It does not provide for High Court of Delhi. High Court of Delhi was established by enacting the Delhi High Court Act, 1966.
• Statement 2 is not correct. Article 241 of the Constitution states that Parliament by law can establish High Court of any Union Territory. Hence no Constitutional amendment is required.

Answer: (d)

• The Central Council of Local Government was set up in 1954. It was constituted under Article 263 of the Constitution of India by an order of the President of India.
• Originally, it was known as the Central Council of Local Self-Government. However, the term ‘self- government’ was found to be superfluous and hence was replaced by the term ‘government’ in the 1980s.
• Till 1958, it dealt with both urban as well as rural local governments, but after 1958 it has been dealing with matters of urban local government only. The Council is an advisory body.
• It consists of the Minister for Housing and Urban Affairs in the Government of India and the ministers for local self-government in states. The union minister acts as the chairman of the council.

Answer: (b)

• It adopted the national flag on July 22, 1947.
• It ratified India’s membership of the Commonwealth in May 1949.
• It adopted the national anthem on January 24, 1950.

Answer: (C)

• The National Pension Scheme is a social security initiative by the Central Government. Earlier, the NPS scheme covered only the Central Government employees. Now, however, the PFRDA has made it open to all Indian citizens on a voluntary basis. Hence statement 1 is correct.
• NPS scheme holds immense value for anyone who works in the private sector and requires a regular pension after retirement.
• NRI can open an NPS account. Contributions made by NRI are subject to regulatory requirements as prescribed by RBI and FEMA from time to time. However, OCI (Overseas Citizens of India) and PIO (Person of Indian Origin) cardholders and HUFs are not eligible for the opening of an NPS account. Hence statement 2 is correct.

Answer: (b)

• Punchhi Commission: The Second commission on Centre-State Relations was set-up by the Government of India in April 2007 under the Chairmanship of Madan Mohan Punchhi, former Chief Justice of India.
• The scope of devolution of powers to local bodies to act as institutions of self-government should be constitutionally defined through appropriate amendments. Also recommended that the states having legislative councils should have representation from local governments. Hence option (b) is the correct answer.

Answer: (d)

Statement-wise explanation:

• The NOTA option was introduced in India in 2013, not in 2014. So, statement 1 is incorrect.
• Even if the majority of the voters choose the NOTA option, the candidate with the majority of the remaining votes would be declared winner. NOTA option doesn’t nullify the election for that particular constituency. So, statement 2 is incorrect.
• NOTA is represented by the symbol of a ballot paper with a black cross within a square. The slight difference in description makes this statement incorrect.
• The Election Commission of India introduced NOTA option on the directive of the Supreme Court in September 2013. So, statement 4 is correct.

Answer: (d)

Any party can become a national party if it fulfils any one of these three conditions:

1. It secures at least 6% of the valid votes polled in any 4 or more states at a Lok Sabha election or to the State Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha election).
2. Additionally, apart from the votes secured as mentioned above, it must also gets four Lok Sabha seats from any state or states

Or;

It wins at least 2% seats in the Lok Sabha & these members are elected from at least three distinct States.

3. The party gained recognition as a state party in 4 states.

Answer: (d)

• The Deputy Chairman of the Rajya Sabha is elected by the Rajya Sabha itself from amongst its members. Whenever the office of the Deputy Chairman falls vacant, the Rajya Sabha elects another member to fill the vacancy. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• The Deputy Chairman is not subordinate to the Chairman. He is directly responsible to the Rajya Sabha. Hence statement 2 is not correct.

Answer: (d)

• ‘Bharat Ratna’, the highest civilian Award of the country, was instituted in the year 1954.
• It is awarded in recognition of exceptional service/performance of the highest order in any field of human endeavour.
• The recommendations for Bharat Ratna are made by the Prime Minister himself to the President. No formal recommendations for this are necessary.
• The number of annual awards is restricted to a maximum of three in a particular year.
• On conferment of the award, the recipient receives a Sanad (certificate) signed by the President and a medallion. The Award does not carry any monetary grant.

Answer: (a)

• All nominations received for Padma awards are placed before the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.
• The Padma Awards Committee is headed by the Cabinet Secretary and includes Home Secretary, Secretary to the President, and four to six eminent persons as members. Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The recommendations of the committee are submitted to the Prime Minister and the President of India for approval.
• There is no provision for seeking a written or formal consent of the recipient before the announcement of the award.

Answer: (a)

Discretionary powers of the President:

When they have to reserve the bill for the consideration of the President of  India, Governors can decide on their own without the advice of the Council of  Ministers, Hence statement 1 is correct.

The Governors of states can act at their constitutional discretion in the following  instances:

The Constitution requires him/her to act in his / her discretion in certain  matters. Hence statement 2 is correct.

When he is given an additional charge as the administrator of the Union Territory,  he can take actions at his own discretion, Hence statement 3 is correct.