Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is 5 Years.

Key Points

• 5 years is the tenure of Lok Sabha members.
  • Lok Sabha is composed of representatives of the people chosen by direct election on the basis of adult suffrage.
  • The term of a member of parliament of Lok Sabha (dissolved) is five years from the date appointed for its first meeting.
  • During a state of emergency, the term however can be extended by the Parliament of India by law for a period not exceeding one year at a time.

Additional Information

• On 26 January 1950, the Indian constitution came into force and the first general elections (under the new constitution) were held in 1951-1952.
• The 1st Lok Sabha was constituted on 17 April 1952 and had 489 constituencies, thereby the first set of elected members of parliament of Lok Sabha in India.
• The maximum permitted strength of members of parliament in the Lok Sabha is 550.
• The first instance of a member of parliament equivalent in India dates back to 9 December 1946, the day the Constituent Assembly of India was formed with the purpose of drafting a constitution for India.

Important Points

• As per Article 93 of the Indian Constitution, the Lok Sabha has a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker.

The Correct answer is All are True.

Important Points

• The States Reorganisation Commission (SRC) constituted by the Central Government of India on 22 December 1953 to recommend the reorganisation of state boundaries. In 1955, after nearly two years of study, the Commission recommended that India's state boundaries should be reorganised to form 14 states and 6 territories.
• States Reorganisation Commission consisted of Fazal Ali, K. M. Panikkar and H. N. Kunzru. Some of its recommendations were implemented in the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.

1. The three-tier (Part-A/B/C) state system should be abolished
2. The institution of Rajapramukh and special agreement with former princely states should be abolished.
3. The general control vested in the Government of India by Article 371 should be abolished
4. Only the following 3 states should be the Union Territories: Andaman & Nicobar, Delhi and Manipur. The other Part-C/D territories should be merged with the adjoining states.
5. With regard to north India, it sought to divide the huge Hindi - speaking belt into four states: Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
6.  In the East, the existing provinces could stay as they were, with minor adjustments.
7. The Commission rejected the demand for tribal status to be carved out of Bihar and Assam.
8. The Sikh State should not create.

The correct answer is 2 only.

Key Points

• The first statement is not correct because it talks about the chairman as well as the deputy chairman.
  • The Vice-President of India is ex-officio Chairman of Rajya Sabha.
  • Rajya Sabha also chooses from amongst its members, a Deputy Chairman.​
  • ​Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• President: Elected members of parliament (MPs from Lok Sabha as well as Rajya Sabha).
  • Elected members of State legislative members, including that of NCT of Delhi and Pondicherry.
• Vice President: Vice President is elected indirectly, by an electoral college consisting of members of both houses of the Parliament.
  • Hence statement 2 is correct.

​​​Additional Information

• Special Powers of Rajya Sabha
  • The Upper House also has some special powers, such as:
    • Power to transfer a subject from the State List to Union List for a specified period (Article 249).
    • To create additional All-India Services (Article 312).
    • To endorse Emergency under Article 352 for a limited period when the Lok Sabha remains dissolved.

The correct answer is 17.

Key Points

• Untouchability is neither defined in the Constitution nor in the Act.
  • It refers to a social practice that looks down upon certain depressed classes solely on account of their birth and makes any discrimination against them on this ground.
  • In 1976, it was made more stringent and was renamed ‘The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955.
  • It defines ‘Civil Right’ as ‘any right accruing to a person by reason of the abolition of untouchability by 'Article 17 of the Constitution.’
  • All offenses under the Act have been made non-compoundable. 

Additional Information

• Article 14 of the Indian Constitution states that “The State shall not deny to any person equality before the law or the equal protection of the laws within the territory of India”.
• Article 48 of DPSP in the Indian Constitution directs the State to prohibit the slaughter of cows, calves, and other milch and draught cattle and to improve their breeds.
• Article 22 is one such Fundamental Right that safeguards the rights of individuals who have been arrested and detained for committing an offence.

The correct answer is 2 and 3 only.

Key Points

• NDC is listed as an advisory body to the Planning commission. Moreover, the plans made by the Planning commission are placed before NDC for its acceptance. Hence statement 1 is not correct.
• Now, the National Development Council (NDC) and Planning Commission (PC) has been abolished now.
  • NDC used to advise PC on planning and included all CMs and union ministers etc.
• The Economic and Social Planning is kept in the Concurrent List in the Constitution of India.
  • Hence statement 2 is correct.
• The Constitution of India prescribes that Panchayats should be assigned the task of preparation of plans for economic development and social justice.
• The 73rd Amendment 1992 added a new Part IX to the constitution titled “The Panchayats” covering provisions from Article 243 to 243(O); and a new Eleventh Schedule covering 29 subjects within the functions of the Panchayats.
  • Hence statement 3 is correct.

​​​Additional Information

• National Development Council is an organ of the Planning Commission
  • Planning Commission was replaced by a new institution – NITI AAYYOG on January 1, 2015, with emphasis on the ‘Bottom –Up’ approach to envisage the vision of Maximum Governance, Minimum Government, echoing the spirit of ‘Cooperative Federalism’.
  • Objectives
    • To foster cooperative federalism through structured support initiatives and mechanisms with the States on a continuous basis, recognizing that strong States make a strong nation.
    • To develop mechanisms to formulate credible plans at the village level and aggregate these progressively at higher levels of government.
    • To ensure, on areas that are specifically referred to it, that the interests of national security are incorporated in economic strategy and policy.
    • To pay special attention to the sections of our society that may be at risk of not benefitting adequately from economic progress.
    • To provide advice and encourage partnerships between key stakeholders and national and international like-minded Think Tanks, as well as educational and policy research institutions.
    • To create a knowledge, innovation and entrepreneurial support system through a collaborative community of national and international experts, practitioners and other partners.
    • To offer a platform for the resolution of inter-sectoral and inter-departmental issues in order to accelerate the implementation of the development agenda.
    • To maintain a state-of-the-art Resource Centre, be a repository of research on good governance and best practices in sustainable and equitable development as well as help their dissemination to stake-holders.